Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2 — The Southern Cross, October 10, 1985
Nun Receives Curial Title Generally Reserved For Monsignors
BY SISTER MARY ANN WALSII
VATICAN CITY (NC) — Sister Mary
Linscott, the highest-ranking nun at the
Vatican, has been given a Curia title
generally reserved for monsignors.
Pope John Paul II gave the title “capo
ufficio” (office head) at the Congregation
for Religious and Secular Institutes to the
66-year-old Notre Dame de Namur sister,
the Vatican press office announced Oct. 5.
Sister Linscott, a native of Great Britain,
has worked at the congregation since 1978
overseeing revision of constitutions of
women’s religious communities.
Under a reorganization of the congrega
tion, Sister Linscott will oversee the revi
sion of constitutions of orders of men and
women Religious and the establishment of
new religious institutes.
The Congregation for Religious is head
ed by Cardinal Jean Jerome Hamer. Be
tween the office of cardinal and capo uf
ficio are the offices of secretary and
undersecretary.
Gaining the title is “a breakthrough’’ for
women, Sister Linscott said Oct. 7. She
compared the step to the appointment of
women as observers to the 1971 Synod of
Bishops.
“There’s been a feminine presence at
the synod ever since,’’ she said. “Once a
door has been opened, there is a tendency
for it to stay open.”
Sister Linscott was president of the In
ternational Union of Superiors General
from 1971-1978. Because of her position,
she was one of the four women at the 1971
synod.
Sister Linscott also said that despite not
being given the title to go with the job in
1978, the appointment of a woman to the
Vatican middle-management position was
significant.
“It was a breakthrough to have a woman
at that level,” she said.
Second Draft Of Bishops' Pastoral Released
(Continued from Page 1) seen.”
Novak said he still had serious objec
tions to many points in the new draft, but
he had to “give credit where credit is due”
on the committee’s “tremendous job of
trying to listen to and learn from their
critics.”
Cardinal John J. O’Connor of New York,
speaking at the University of Notre Dame
in Indiana a week before the new draft’s
release, called it a “very dramatic im
provement over the first draft.”
The cardinal said the way in which the
committee incorporated the wide spec
trum of criticisms it received, while re
taining all its essential concerns, was “one
of the most amazing things I have ever
Archbishop Thomas Donnellan of Atlan
ta, a member of the drafting committee,
said, “I am happy that the new draft is
shorter by 10,000 words. There is also a
sounder base scripturally and theological
ly for the document. But apart from that, it
is essentially the same as the first draft.
Now it goes to all the bishops for approval.
It is their document, the final draft is
theirs.”
The U.S. bishops are to discuss the se
cond draft when they meet in Washington
Nov. 11-15. Their criticisms and sugges
tions from that meeting and from consulta
tions in their home dioceses this winter are
to be taken into consideration in writing a
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third draft. That, in turn, is to serve as the
basis in 1986 for final debate, amendment
and a vote by the bishops whether to issue
it as a national pastoral letter.
The bishops have already discussed the
first draft twice: in a more general way at
their 1984 fall meeting, just after the first
draft was released, and then in far greater
detail last June when they had a five-day
spring meeting in Collegeville, Minn. By
the spring meeting, many bishops around
the country had also engaged in extensive
local consultations.
Archbishop Weakland said that in
rewriting the document his committee
took into account comments from a wide
range of people but “listened especially tc
our fellow bishops who in turn had heard
from so many people in their own
dioceses.”
While the new draft is more nuanced and
its arguments are more refined, he said,
on the basic issues “there has been no
backing down.”
!1|11!
Retreat For Divorced/Separated Catholics
A weekend retreat for the divorced or separated Catholic, sponsored by the
Diocesan Office of Family Life, is planned for November 15-17 at St. John’s Center,
Savannah. The program, which will include Conferences, Liturgy, Private Prayer
and the Sacrament of Reconciliation, has as its theme “Called and Chosen,”
reflecting the church’s reassurance that all are chosen to Christian growth and
development. It will be the fifth in an annual series.
The team presenting the Retreat will include Fr. Frederick Kirchner, O.F.M.,
Vicar for Religious; Fr. Albert Bickerstaff, O.S.B., Guidance Counselor at
Benedictine Military School; Fr. Jeremiah McCarthy, Chancellor and Vice-
Officials, and Sr. Mercedes Sullivan, R.S.M., Director for Spiritual Renewal, as
well as Mrs. Mary Kay Persse, Family Life Director.
The total cost of the weekend program is $37.00, which includes a $10.00 deposit
with registration. Dormitory style facilities are available at St. John’s Center. Full
information concerning the Retreat is available from Diocesan Family Life Office,
St. John’s Center, Grimball Point Road, Savannah, Ga. 31406.
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| RETREAT FOR DIVORCED/SEPARATED CATHOLICS |
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| Name . |
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| City ■ State 1_ Zip •
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(Dormitory style facilities)
Please enclose your pre-registration deposit of $10.00. Total cost is $37.00 with
the balance due upon arrival. Limited financial help available. Deadline for
reservations is November 8th.
Send to Diocesan Family Life Office, St. John’s Center, Grimball Pt. Rd.,
Savannah, Ga. 31406.