Newspaper Page Text
Newspaper Of The Diocese Of Savannah
Vol. 65 No. 35 Thursday, October 10, 1985
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Second Economy Pastoral Draft Released
PASTORAL DERUT — Archbishop Rembert Weakland of
Milwaukee holds the second draft of the proposed bishops’ pastoral let
ter on the U.S. economy at a Washington press conference. The U.S.
bishops will debate the document at their annual fall meeting in
Washington in November. (NC Photo from UPI)
BY JERRY FILTEAU
WASHINGTON (NC) — A “preferential
option for the poor” is both Christian man
date and common-sense economics, says
the second draft of the U.S. bishops’
pastoral letter on Catholic teaching and
the U.S. economy.
The way a society handles the needs of
the poor “is the litmus test of its justice or
injustice,” it says.
The new draft, shortened and
significantly changed in tone and structure
but not in substance, was released in
Washington Oct. 7.
Archbishop Rembert Weakland of
Milwaukee, chairman of the five-bishop
drafting committee that has been working
on the pastoral for nearly five years,
presented the new document at a press
conference in Washington Oct. 6.
He said the document had been changed
or refined in many places as a result of
criticisms — such as “the barrage we got
on relying too much on the government for
solving problems.”
While the second draft keeps a strong
focus on the rights of the poor, he said, it
places that concern far more clearly in the
context of the common good of all and links
it positively with a concern for the middle
class and the near-poor as well. Criticisms
made the writing committee realize that in
the first draft “we had not adequately
dealt with the middle class,” he said.
The new draft still calls, as the first did,
for major changes in U.S. governmental
policies, including:
—“Full employment” as a national
policy of highest priority, including state
and federal job creation and training to
take up the slack where the private sector
cannot. “Employment is a basic right,”
the draft says, and “full employment is the
foundation of a just economy.”
—Tax reform to restore more pro-
gressivity to tax rates and to end taxation
of those in poverty, and substantial
reforms in social assistance programs for
the poor and needy, including a national
minimum benefit standard.
—A revamping of agricultural policy to
promote and preserve family farms,
which the draft says are seriously en
dangered by current policies that favor
large agribusiness.
—A restoration of the United States to its
former leadership position in Third-World
aid, especially through multilateral pro
grams that have suffered serious damage
in recent years because of U.S. opposition.
While insisting on a substantial govern
ment role in such areas, however, the new
draft also spells out more clearly the roles
of employers, investors, owners, workers,
volunteers and voluntary agencies in deal
ing with various issues.
Conservative thinker Michael Novak of
the American Enterprise Institute, a
leading critic of the first draft of the
pastoral when it came out last year, said
he saw “scores, if not hundreds, of
changes” resulting from criticisms of the
first draft.
Archbishop Weakland said his commit
tee had plowed through some 10,000 pages
of reaction from bishops and others in the
process of analyzing and rewriting the se
cond draft.
One result of the rewriting was to
shorten the document considerably. The
first draft ran more than 63,000 words, in
cluding its footnotes. The second draft is
just over 49,000 words with footnotes, and
about 41,000 without.
(Continued on Page 2)
Mount de Soles - Macon
Spiritual Renewal Conference October 25-26
This year’s Renewal Conference, to be
held in Macon on October 25-26, features as
its principal speaker a Franciscan priest
who has earned a name for himself as the
conductor of numerous retreats,
workshops, days of recollection and con
ferences, throughout the U.S., Canada, the
Philippines and Peru. He is Fr. John
Quigley, who is an author and illustrator
and the editor of a national peace and
justice publication called Mustard Seed.
„ Following the Conference’s main theme,
“Jesus: The Journey Toward Compas
sion,” Father John will give four major
presentations: “Where Can I Expect to
Find God?”, “What is God Telling us in
Jesus?”, “Where Do We Glimpse Jesus
Today?” and “Compassion as a Way of
Life.”
Fr. John will give his first talk at 8:15
p.m. on Friday evening, immediately
following registration and the Call to
Prayer, at Mount de Sales Hall, in Macon.
J A native of Ontario, Canada, Fr. John
was ordained a Franciscan priest in 1972.
He completed degree work in Philosophy
and Theology, earned a Masters’ degree in
Divinity and also pursued studies in
graphic and fine arts at the University of
Cincinnati, the University of Notre Dame
and the Detroit Art Institute.
In 1974, he moved to the New Jerusalem
Community with a classmate, Fr. Richard
Rohr, O.F.M. The two served as co-pastors
of the Community for seven years. In 1980,
Fr. John studied the Ignatian exercises
with the Jesuits at the Renewal Center in
Milford, Ohio. He served as a member of
the staff there for two years doing private
directed retreats and working in the Art of
Spiritual Companionship Program design
ed for lay ministers. Since 1982, Fr. John
has been the Director of the Office of
Justice and Peace for his Franciscan Pro
vince in Cincinnati.
Presentors at the Renewal Conference
will include familiar faces as well as
newcomers. The Contemplative Brothers
from Columbus, Eddie Ensley and Robert
Herrmann will lead a “Talk and Prayer
Experience” entitled “Experiencing
Christ’s Compassionate Healing,” at 9:30
p.m. on Friday evening. Together they
publish a series of audio tapes on healing,
and minister as speakers and retreat
leaders. Eddie, author of Sounds of
Wonder has undertaken three years post
graduate work in Theology and Counsel
ing. Robert edits “Contemplative Life,” a
newsletter on spirituality and healing.
Both are descended in part from Cherokee
Indians, and are enrolled members of that
tribe.
Lora and Bill Shain, members of Sacred
Heart Parish in Warner Robins, are
parents of six children aged 14-25. Both are
from Wisconsin, and they moved to
Georgia in 1978 upon Bill’s retirement
from the Air Force.
In their “personal sharings” they will
draw upon their experience as leaders in
Cursillo and Parish Renewal, Marriage
Encounter, Holy Spirit Seminars and CCD.
Both are members of Pax Christi, the in
ternational Catholic movement for peace.
For the past three years they have been in
volved in peace education speaking at
schools and churches in the state.
Harold McRae, a marriage and family
counselor in private practice in Columbus,
(Continued on Page 12)
Fr. John Quigley O.F.M.