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The Southern Cross
DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH NEWSPAPER
Vol. 60 No. 18 Fomi 3579 To: 601 E. 6th St. Waynesboro, Ga. 30830
Thursday, May 3,1979
Single Copy Price — 15 Cents
ANYONE FOR - Pope John Paul II holds a tennis
racket donated to him by a young tennis player when
he paid a visit to San Pancrazio Church in Rome. Rain
and hail fell on the athletic field as the pope spoke to
parish associations in one of a series of weekend visits
to Rome parishes. (NC Photo)
BY POPE JOHN PAUL
Individual Confession Stressed
VATICAN CITY (NC) - Pope John
Paul II stressed the importance of
individual confession and called for
diligent observance of the strict Vatican
norms governing general absolution.
Address to Bishops
The pope’s remarks came in an
address to 13 bishops from the region of
Bengal and northeast India. They were
making their official five-year visits to
Rome to report on the state of their
diocese.
In his speech, the pope focused on
the sacraments of the Eucharist and
reconciliation (penance). The Eucharist
is “the heart of our ecclesial
communities,” he said.
“The effectivenss of the laity, and in
particular of Christian families, to give
to the world the witness of faith and
love is conditioned by their, spiritual
dynamism, which is nowhere more
available than in the Eucharist,” he said.
“The youth of your local churches
can only come to full maturity in Christ
through the power of the Eucharist,”
the pope said.
God’s Gift
“God’s gift of priestly and religious
vocations is mysteriously related to the
reverent participation of God’s people
in the Eucharist,” he said.
He told the bishops that “all the great
issues of your pastoral ministry are
related to the eucharistic Christ.”
Regarding the sacrament of penance,
Pope John Paul recalled his first
encyclical, issued a month earlier.
“In particular, I noted the need to
guard the sacrament of penance, and I
stressed that the faithful observance of
the centuries-old ‘practice of individual
confession with a personal act of sorrow
and the intention to amend and make
satisfaction’ is an expression of the
church’s defence of ‘man’s right to a
more personal encounter with the
crucified forgiving Christ,’ ” he said.
The documents cited in that
encyclical “make reference to a point of
capital importance: ‘the solemn
teaching of the Council of Trent
concerning the divine precept of
individual confession.’”
Rules on Penance
“Seen in this perspective, the diligent
observance by all the priests of the
church of the pastoral norms of
‘Sacramentum Paenitentiae’ (rules on
penance published by the Vatican’s
Doctrinal Congregation in 1972) in
regard to general absolution is both a
question of loving fidelity to Jesus
Christ and to His redemptive plan, and
the expression of ecclesial communion
in what Paul VI called ‘a metter of
special concern to the universal church
and of regulation by her supreme
authority,’ ” said the pope.
Pope John Paul also quoted Pope
Paul’s words last year to a group of U.S.
bishops concerning priestly ministry:
“Other works, for lack of time, may
have to be postponed or even
abandoned, but not the confessional.”
Tinge Of Capitalism?
VATICAN CITY (NC) - Has a tinge of capitalism touched Poland’s communist
government?
In preparation for the return of Pope John Paul II to his native land June 2-10, the
Polish state agency, Interpress, has a monopoly on making all travel arrangements for
foreign journalists. It is charging a stiff $350 in capitalist U.S. cash per journalist for
the arrangements.
The fee covers advance reservations for travel and lodging -- but not the actual hotel
or travel bills - and press accreditation and access to press facilities.
For the nine-day, eight-night trip, the fee works out to nearly $40 a day.
When the pope visited the Dominican Republic and Mexico in January, there was no
charge for accreditation or access to press facilities. On the other hand, no one took
charge of organizing travel or lodging arrangements for foreign journalists. Many
reporters who had to fight for hotel rooms and plane reservations after they reached
Mexico would have been happy to pay an advance fee for those services.
HEALTH CARE SUFFERING
Inflation Major Cause
Of Stress For Average
1979 American
Family
WASHINGTON (NC) - Inflation is
weakening the health of American
families, according to a poll conducted
for General Mills, Inc.
The poll said inflation has increased
stress in American families and has lead
one family in two to cut back on
spending for health care.
These are some of the findings in the
General Mills American Family Report,
prepared by the polling firm of
Yankelovich, Skelly and White, Inc. The
study was entitled “Family Health in an
Era of Stress.”
The report was based on interviews
with 2,181 adults and teen-agers.
Less Stress Desired
Eighty-two percent of family
members feel a need to have less stress
in their daily lives, the poll said. It said
44 percent believe it is harder to cope
with everyday problems than it was
several years ago, while 19 percent
believe it is easier.
“Inflation ... is the major cause of
stress in the country today,” the report
said.
Most of the problems cited by family
members in the poll involve money. The
high cost of food was cited by 58
percent, meeting bills by 34 percent,
saving for the future by 32 percent, not
having enough time for all their interests
by 26 percent, medical care costs by 24
percent, family problems by 23 percent,
crime by 20 percent and education costs
by 14 percent.
Cutting Health Care
Forty-eight percent of family
members said they were cutting back on
health care spending as a result of
inflation. The percentage was even
higher among low-income families (56
percent), minorities (60 percent) and
single-parent families (72 percent).
Specifics included spending less on
high quality food (19 percent), dental
work (16 percent), serving meat every
day (14 percent), annual medical
check-ups for adults (13 percent),
dental check-ups (11 percent), new
eyeglasses (11 percent) and taking
children to the doctor as often as before
(five percent).
Faith In Medical Profession
The study found strong confidence in
the medical profession, with 75 percent
of family members expressing support
at a time when almost all other
institutions in society are undergoing a
loss of confidence.
But it also found that people believe
the cost of health care is rising much
faster than other prices. Eighty-four
percent said hospital costs were rising
faster than other costs, 75 percent said
the same of doctors’ fees, 70 percent of
prescription costs and 63 percent of
over-the-counter medicine.
The survey found that Americans
believe, by 60-40 percent, that they as
individuals, and not the government,
bear the primary responsibility for their
health care.
Deborah Barron, a senior research
associate at Yankelovich, Skelly and
White, told a Washington press
conference that this trend was a result
of the “new values” emphasizing
self-fulfillment which have emerged in
the 70s.
Government Role
But the survey also found that
Americans want government to play a
major role in some important health
areas.
Americans favor a national health
insurance program by 58-42 percent,
the survey said. National health
insurance receives its strongest support
from the young, the elderly, minorities
and low-income families. The strongest
opposition comes from those who are
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middle-aged and those who belong to
affluent families.
The survey found that while about
three Americans in four are confused by
government warnings about health
hazards, there is strong support for
continued government activity to
guarantee product safety. Seventy-two
percent said it is “better to be safe than
sorry.”
Research Needed
By 60-40 percent Americans want
more federal health money spent on
research than on providing medical care,
the report said. But even higher
percentages said government is not
doing enough to provide health care to
the elderly and the poor.
The report said one disappointing
finding was that while a majority of
Americans view mental illness as a
health problem and not a sign of
personal emotional weakness. ? majority
still view the symptoms of mental illness
- such as nervousness, overweight,
depression, alcoholism and nicotine
addiction' — as signs of emotional
weakness.
MACON CONFIRMATION -- At Macon’s city-wide Confirmation Mass
held at St. Joseph’s Church recently, more than 100 adults and
students from the three Macon parishes were confirmed by Bishop
Raymond Lessard. Shown being anointed with Holy Chrism is Deidra
Davis of St. Peter Claver Parish. Standing behind her is Mr. Thomas
Darrisaw, one of her sponsors. Father John Kenneally (1.), pastor of Holy
Spirit Church, and Father Richard Keil, pastor of St. Peter Claver Church,
assisted the Bishop. Father John Cuddy, pastor of St. Joseph’s and Dean,
presented the candidates to the Bishop, announcing their names from the
pulpit.
Pastoral Council Spring Assembly
The Savannah Diocese’s Pastoral Council will hold a
General Assembly on May 11 and 12 in Macon.
Delegates will gather for dinner at 7 p.m. on Friday at
St. Joseph’s Parish Hall.
Father John Cuddy, Dean of the Macon Deanery, will
lead a short prayer and reflection period around 8 p.m.
This will be followed by a message from Bishop
Raymond W. Lessard, with the balance of the evening
being devoted to discussion of by-laws for the
organization.
Mass is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 12,
at St. Joseph’s Church. Principle business of the
Saturday session will be the adoption of a Mission
Statement for the Diocese. Delegates will also hear from
Reverend Michael Delea, Vicar for Personnel and from
Reverend Kevin Boland, V.G., who will report on
Diocesan Finances.
Bishop Raymond W. Lessard is President of the
Savannah Diocesan Pastoral Council. Sister Mary
Laurent Duggan, C.S.J. is its Executive Secretary; Mrs.
Connie Thuente, of Macon, is Chairperson; Michael
Johnson, of Albany, is vice Chairperson.