Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 3—The Southern Cross, September 4,1980
Admitting Episcopal Priests Raises Questions For Many
WASHINGTON (NC) -
While the U.S. bishops have
taken the first steps toward
admitting some married
Anglican clergymen into the
Catholic priesthood, the move
has raised several questions that
have yet to be answered.
One is the number of such
priests who might ultimately be
admitted to the Catholic
priesthood. Another is the
future of relationships between
Catholics and Anglicans
worldwide. The Episcopal
Church in the United States is a
member of the Anglican
Communion.
The first step came in an
announcement Aug. 20 that the
Vatican has approved a
proposal by the U.S. bishops to
develop terms under which the
Anglican clergymen, along with
other members of the Episcopal
Church in the United States,
would be admitted to the
Catholic Church with a
“common identity” under
which they would retain some
elements of their Anglican
tradition.
Savannah’s Bishop Raymond
W. Lessard said, “I welcome
this decision of the Holy See as
a compassionate response to
requests from individuals and
some groups of Anglican
background who had expressed
interest in being in communion
with the Roman Catholic
Church.
“The new development
responds to their interest and
pastoral needs but does not
compromise the ecumenical
r e 1 at ionships and discussions
taking place between the two
churches that have as their goal
corporate re-union.”
But while Catholic officials
were calling the decision a
“pastoral response” to the
desire expressed by a number of
Episcopal priests to be united
to Rome, Episcopal Church
leaders said the decision could
harm ecumenical relations.
‘‘The difficulty is that the
plan requires those priests who
convert to be ordained again,
and this appears to reopen the
ancient controversy about the
unwillingness of the Roman
Catholic Church to recognize
the validity of ordination in the
Anglican Church,” said
Episcopal Bishop Albert W. Van
Duver of New Jersey.
“I don’t think the Roman
Catholic Church as a body takes
very seriously the ecumenical
movement,’’ added
Archdeacon James H. Gambrill,
vicar general of the Episcopal
Diocese of Newark, N.J.
He said the Episcopalians
who would want to join the
Catholic Church are
“dissidents” who have two
objections in the Episcopal
Church: the ordination of
women and the revisions in the
Book of Common Prayer.
They might not be satisfied
in the Catholic Church either,
he said.
Raising a similar view was
Atonement Father Charles
LaFontaine, co-director of the
Graymoor Ecumenical
Institute, who asked, “Will they
(the Episcopalians) be able to
handle changes in the Roman
Catholic Church.”
He said the decision “opened
a can of worms” and seemed to
be made without full
consideration of its
consequences. “Perhaps that’s
the way the Holy Spirit works
in the church,” Father
LaFontaine said.
While the announcement
stressed that the ordination of
married Episcopal priests by the
Catholic Church would not
change the church’s tradition of
a celibate priesthood, the
decision also is bound to raise
questions on whether that
tradition is being watered down
or whether it is even necessary.
But the decision also was
praised by officials of
breakaway Episcopal groups,
such as the Pro-Diocese of St.
Augustine of Canterbury, based
in Los Angeles with about
1,000 members and 60 priests,
half of whom are married.
Father John Barker of
Hollywood, Calif., chairman of
the pro-diocese’s standing
committee, said he was “quite
delighted” at what he called the
sensitive response of the
Vatican to some members’
desire to become Catholic
priests.
Father William T. St. John
Brown, rector of a pro-diocese’s
parish in Burbank, Calif., said,
“We would expect some kind of
reordination, and we have said
we feel this would be a good
thing to reassure Catholics.”
Catholic officials said it was
too early to tell how many
Anglican priests might be
admitted to the Catholic
priesthood. While many have
expressed the desire to join the
Catholic Church, the bishops’
conference must still develop
the process for admitting the
priests and the process must
then be approved by the
Vatican.
The case of each priest --
who would have to fully accept
Roman Catholic doctrine and
the authority of the popes and
bishops -- would then be
considered on an individual
basis by the Vatican’s
Congregation for the Doctrine
of the Faith.
Catholic Church Major 3rd Force In Polish Crisis—
(Continued from page 1)
regarding the strike, however,
was the Polish government’s
decision to give heavy news
coverage to Cardinal
Wyszynski’s Aug. 26 homily at
the national shrine of Our Lady
of Czestochowa.
In the homily the
79-year-old Polish primate
defended the rights of workers,
the family and religion. But the
predominating tone - at least in
the excerpts televised nationally
and printed on page one of
Trybuna Ludu -- was one of
urging workers to be restrained,
prudent, willing to compromise
and ready to return to work
quickly for the sake of the
nation.
“These extraordinarily
painful and difficult times
demand calm, equilibrium,
thoughtfulness and
circumspection,” the cardinal
said.
“It is not necessary to
demand too much,” he said,
‘ ‘all the more so since the
claims - if they are just, and in
general they are - cannot be
satisfied all at once. Let us try
first to satisfy those which are
of fundamental importance.”
According to reports from
Gdansk, many strikers
expressed amazement at the
cardinal’s speech as they saw it
on state television.
They believed he had been
under strong government
pressure and some described his
appearance as the government
“playing its trump card.”
But the Polish Bishops’
Conference, which was holding
one of its regular meetings at
the Jasna Gora Monastery in
Czestochowa, reacted quickly
with two strong statements.
The one emphasized people’s
rights, criticizing the
government for failing to grant
those rights and backing some
of the key demands of the
strikers.
The other rapped the
state-controlled media for
publishing only excerpts of the
cardinal’s talk.
The second statement
emphasized that the
government did not have the
cardinal’s permission to
broadcast or print his speech in
part or in whole, thus
countering a popular inference
that the government and the
primate had reached some kind
of understanding on it.
The bishops also said they
would make the whole text of
the sermon available quickly to
counteract misinterpretations.
Despite the immediate
controversy over the media
coverage and the strong
objections of the Polish
bishops, positive points for the
strikers and the church emerged
in the government’s decision to
air the speech :
- For strikers it was a sign of
the government’s weakness that
it had to resort publicly to
church aid in an effort to keep
the situation under control.
- For the church, despite the
beclouding circumstances, the
print and broadcast events were
historic breakthroughs. Under
communist rule, the Polish
church had never before had
such widespread access to the
mass media.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE
FORMER HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATOR
Sister Mary Evelyn
Fitz Dies
Sister Mary Evelyn Fitz, O.S.F.
died in Columbus on August 30.
Sister had come to Columbus in
1949 and helped to plan for the new
St. Francis Hospital which opened in
1950.
Mass of Christian Burial was
offered at the Hospital Auditorium
on Tuesday, September 2.
Concelebrants included Father
Theodore Faschingbaur, Chaplain at
CHURCH:'
AT
HOME
/
the Hospital; Father Arthur Weltzer,
retired pastor of Holy Family,
Columbus; Father Mark Sterbenz,
S.D.S., pastor of St. Benedict’s and
Dean of the Columbus Deanery.
Other priests in attendance were
Father William O’Neill, Holy Family,
Columbus; Father Michael O’Keeffe,
Our Lady of Lourdes, Columbus;
Father William Leahy, St. Anne’s,
Columbus; Father Walter O’Donnell,
Holy Trinity, Ala.; Father Michael
Kennedy, St. Patrick’s, Phenix City,
Ala.
Sister Mary Evelyn was the first
Business Office Manager for St.
Francis Hospital and served as
Administrator from 1960 to 1971.
In 1971, she left this post to oversee
the expansion of St. Francis
Hospital, a multi-million dollar
project which took three years to
complete. She was an extraordinary
Minister of the Eucharist and, since
1974, brought Holy Communion to
the patients. She was a Fellow of
CHILDREN MEET “COLUMBIA” - Dr. Don Draplik, Biology
Professor at Georgia Southern College, brought a five-foot boa
constrictor with him when he visited a group of children from the
Pineland Mental Health and Mental Retardation program, who took
part in a camp experience at St. John’s Center in Savannah in
August. The children, aged seven through thirteen, came from the
eight counties served by the Pineland program. Some were referred
by the Department of Family and Children’s Services, or from Child
Development agencies. This is the fifth year that the group has
returned to St. John’s for the week-long camp experience. The
camp stresses family unity. The groups stayed together as “tribes,”
learned to get along together, and competed for “eagle feathers”
awarded for good behavior. Gail Deal and Elizabeth Henig were
Coordinators for the project this year. As well as “Colombia,” the
boa constrictor, Draplik brought fish, mice and amphibians (r.) for
children to examine. A nature walk through the grounds of St.
John’s completed the biology lesson. (Photos by Gill Brown)
American College Administrators and
in 1966 served as President of the
West Central Georgia Hospital
Council.
Born in Pittsburgh, Pa. on
September 20, 1900, she was a
member of the Third Order of St.
Francis for fifty-five years. She
received her degree in Business
Administration from the University
of Pittsburgh and training as a
Hospital Administrator at St. Francis
Hospital in Pittsburgh.
Sister Mary Evelyn was buried on
September 4 at Mount Alvemia,
Pittsburg, Pa.
Surviving are two sisters: Mrs.
Amelia Rothert and Mrs. Louise
Thompson, both of Pittsburgh.
BLAKELY MAYOR - On
Aug. 19th, Charles R. Jacob,
Jr., was elected Mayor of
Blakely in the “run-off”
election. Charles Jacob and his
wife are members of Holy
Family Catholic Church,
Blakely, and have been so since
it was founded with five adult
members in 1965. Mr. and Mrs.
Jacob have been active in all
parish affairs. Mrs. Jacob has
served as President of the Parish
Council and Mr. Jacob has been
President of Catholic Men’s
Society from Sept. 1978 to
Sept., 1980. Mr. and Mrs. Jacob
have been married fifty-four
years this month.
MASTER OF EDUCATION DEGREES -
Three members of the Pacelli High School faculty
(Columbus) graduated from The School of
Education, Columbus College (A Division of the
University of Georgia) with a Master of Education
August 22. Pictured (L to R) Mrs. Sharon Collins,
Mrs. Beatrice Lawson, and Maj. (Ret) William
Davis.
RFBUILT MOTORS
AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSIONS
NO MONEY DOWN
Central Motors
GARAGL MACHINE
SHOP
410-510 W J|Si.
2J6-5707 Savannah
For Wedding
Invitatioris
The Acme Press
Phone 232-6397
1201 Lincoln Street
In Every Town Or City
Vou Go To You Will Find
One Good Italian Restaurant.
In Savannah It's ...
rttutah
2308 Skldaway Rd.
At East 40th
AIKEN MOVING
& STORAGE, INC.
Agent: Aero Mayflower
Transit Co.. Inc.
I.C.C. NO. MC. MJ4N
KEN HILL PROP
MEMBER OF
NATIVITY PARISH
SOS WALDBURG ST.
SAVANNAH, Ga. 31401
2334988
SOUTHERN CROSS
Ads Bring Results
1980
RESPECT LIFE
PROGRAM
The annual Respect Lite Program
proclaims the sanctity of all human life,
and focuses on some of the threats to
human life and dignity in today’s U.S.
society. Program highlights for
1980/1981:
• The Bible and Respect for Life
• Teenagers and Sexuality
• How Faith and Reason Respect
Life
• The Pro-Life Movement Today: At
the Crossroads
• Handicapped Children
• Capital Punishment
New program materials available
for parish groups and clergy, commu
nity right to life groups; pro-life indi
viduals; schools. *
RESPECT LIFE MANUAL
Essays on themes noted above, pro
gram models and ideas, recommended
resources. Excellent tool for commu
nity leaders. Cost: $1.50 each; quan
tity rates for 100 or more.
RESPECT LIFE POSTER
Beautiful 17" x 22" color poster of
Pope John Paul II embracing a hand
icapped child. In English or Spanish.
Cost: 75 cents each; quantity rates for
100 or more.
RESPECT LIFE FLYER
Award-winning color flyer with photo
of Pope John Paul II embracing a
handicapped child, excerpts of the
Holy Father’s talk from the Mall in
Washington, D. C. last October, and a
plea for all to become involved in local
pro-life efforts. In English or Spanish.
Cost: $35 per 1,000; $4 per 100.
JENNIFER
Color 6" x 9" fiver. Provides the facts
of fetal development in story form.
Color fetal photographs Over four
million in circulation! Cost: $35 per
1,000; $4 per 100.
RESPECT LIFE SERIES
New 6" x 9" attractive series on the
value of human life and some of the
threats to human life and dignity in
our society. New titles published four
times a vear. Currently available.
• Abortion in Our Culture, by John T.
Noonan, Jr. How abortion came to
be accepted in our society, and what
works toward its abolition.
• Pro-l.ift Work and Social Justice, bv
Rev. Francis X. Meehan. A theology
of respect for life; question/answ er
format
• Offering Alternatives to Abortion, bv
Lenore A. Malone. Practical sugges
tions for parish and community
groups.
Cost: 95 cents each; 6-52 copies, 71
cents each; 53 or more copies, 66 cents
each.
Return coupon below with check for $5 to receive
a “Respect Life Packet” containing a copy of each item above.
| Committee for Pro-Life Activities
1312 Meeeechiuetta Are. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005
Enclosed is mv check for $ Pleasesend RESPECT LIFE PACKETS.
□ I do not wish to receive a RESPECT LIFE PACKET. But please send the
following materials in the quantities indicated.
Quantity Description Cost
| '
I
I
I
,
| □ Payment enclosed (we’ll pav postage).
| □ Please hill me for materials, plus postage and handling. (Orders under $10
, mast he prepaid.)
| Ship to: — —
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
J