Newspaper Page Text
The Southern Cross, Page 2
Nuncio urges bishops
TO PROMOTE VOCATIONS,
USE OF CONFESSION
Washington (CNS)
rchbishop Gabriel Montalvo,
papal nuncio to the United
States, urged the U.S. bishops
November 15 to encourage vocations
personally and promote more fre
quent use of the sacrament of recon
ciliation. In his first address to U.S.
bishops gathered for a national gener
al meeting, the nuncio also highlight
ed the central ecclesial role of the
bishop in his diocese. “Every initia
tive and activity in a diocese must
necessarily refer to the bishop of that
diocese,” he said.
He added that “one can hardly
imagine a situation in which” the
bishop’s exercise of his teaching
authority to assure that pastoral activ
ities are faithful to the church “can be
considered illicit or inappropriate
interference.” He decried the lack of
priestly vocations “in many coun
tries, particularly in Europe.”
“In your country, fortunately, there
still are steady numbers of candi
dates,” he added. “However, I think
we can all agree that years ago most
of the seminaries enrolled larger
numbers of seminarians.”
Bishop Ziemann won’t
FACE CRIMINAL CHARGES;
CIVIL SUIT PENDING
Santa Rosa, CA (CNS)
anta Rosa police and the Sonoma
County district attorney an
nounced November 10 that no crimi
nal charges would be filed against the
former bishop of Santa Rosa, Bishop
G. Patrick Ziemann, in the investiga
tions of claims he engaged in sexual
and financial misconduct. During a
November 10 press conference,
District Attorney J. Michael Mullins
and Santa Rosa Police Chief Michael
Dunbaugh said there was not enough
evidence to file criminal charges
against the bishop. A statement from
the Santa Rosa Diocese November 10
said the diocese was “pleased” that
the investigation was complete and
called it “one step forward in the
long healing process” that the diocese
faces.
House calls for
INVESTIGATION INTO SALE
OF FETAL BODY PARTS
Washington (CNS)
he U.S. House of Representatives
voted November 9 to call for an
investigation into claims that some
private companies are buying and
selling fetal body parts for medical
research. “Don’t believe the lie that
medical progress hinges on this cruel
commerce,” said Rep. Joe Pitts, R-
Pa., one of the three primary co
sponsors for the “sense of Congress”
resolution. Gail Quinn, executive
Thursday, November 18, 1999
director of the U.S. bishops’
Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities,
hailed passage of the resolution, say
ing that fetal organ trafficking
“exploits vulnerable members of the
human family contrary to their
human dignity and presents possible
violations of federal law.”
Bishop tells refugees
TO IGNORE RUMORS
ABOUT LACK OF SAFETY
Dili, East Timor (CNS)
ishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo
has issued a pastoral letter calling
on East Timorese refugees to disre
gard rumors that discourage them
from returning to their homeland.
“Please avoid the attitude and action
of frightening each other to discourage
your return to Timor Loro Sae (Timor
Land of the Sunrise),” Bishop Belo
wrote in his November 9 pastoral
appeal to refugees. The letter was
reported on by UCA News.
601 E. Liberty St.
Savannah, GA
31401-5196
On hypocrisy
Dear Editor,
I hope the letter by Penny
Goodman (The Southern Cross,
November 4), the director of Project
Rachel, Augusta, will move the
hearts of Christians. But to me, the
blame for the spread of abortions in
USA falls squarely on the Chris
tians. I can understand if Christians
were a minority in USA. On the
contrary, America has a robust
majority of Christians. I believe
without the help of Christian votes
not a single pro-abortion (wrongly
called pro-choice) candidate could
win as a senator or congressman.
So, whenever I see these Chris
tians, including Catholics, praying or
protesting against abortion, my
question is: have they ever voted for
a pro-abortion candidate? If so,
those who voted pro-abortion are
hypocrites in the eyes of God and so
their prayer or protest has no value.
Their hypocrisy will be exposed on
Letters
the day of judgment. In the manner
of the saying of Jesus: on that day,
the victims of abortion will rise to
condemn our generation.
In this land of Christian majority,
President Clinton, ardently pro-abor
tion, was elected twice! The Senate
does not have a veto-proof majority
to ban even the cruel partial-birth
abortion. Who are the culprits? The
Christians who voted for them. I
heard that someone is going to bring
a bill with 10 years in jail for cruelty
to animals. Is there a greater cruelty
than partial-birth abortion? It is a
shame, when people fight against
cruelty to animals, Christians vote
for candidates who approve such
cruelty to the most innocent and
defenseless human babies.
Some say, we vote for pro-abor
tion candidates because pro-life can
didates are wrong on other issues.
Maybe, but in the order of priority
of values, a Christian should give
preference to a pro-life candidate,
overriding all other issues. We do
not live by bread alone, nor can we
barter our values with evil. If the
Christians vote always pro-life, even
Roe vs. Wade can be overturned. It is
a matter of time.
Father Xavier Kumbalaparampil
Savannah
Questions and Answers?
Dear Editor,
I am a convert to the Catholic
Church. I have been attending
church at the Cathedral for about a
year. There are still a lot of things
that I do not understand about the
Church. When you are bom into the
Catholic Church, most things are
second-nature. However, there are
some of us who follow the teachings
of the Church but we don t really
understand why. I was wondering if
you would start a new feature, some
thing along the lines of “Ask Father
Clark”. We could submit our ques
tions and you could give us answers
FAX: (912) 238-2339
E-mail:
DClark5735@ aol.com
through The Southern Cross newspa
per. For instance, why do Catholics
cross themselves? Is everybody sup
posed to kiss the bishop’s ring? How
and why do Catholics pray the
rosary? At Easter, I was told not to
bow on Good Friday, why? I could
go on and on. Some of these ques
tions must sound crazy to you, but
for those of us who were raised in
the Protestant faith, we just don’t
understand. I hope you will consider
this request. I can supply you with
plenty of questions and, maybe
someday, you will consider writing a
book on Catholic customs and prac
tices. There are a lot of us out here,
we’re just afraid to ask!
Sandi Gross
Savannah
Editor's Note: The editor would
be willing to respond in an occa
sional column to any theological
questions submitted by readers.
(USPS 505 680)
Publisher:
Most Rev. J. Kevin Boland, D.D.
Director of Communications:
Mrs. Barbara D. King
|( c P a )|
qsLsJ Editor:
& R ev . Douglas K. Clark, S.T.L.
Editorial and Business Office:
Catholic Pastoral Center
601 E. Liberty Street
Savannah, GA 31401-5196
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FAX: (912) 238-2339
E-mail: DCIark5735@aol.com
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