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Cross
Vol. 80, No. 34
Thursday, October 5, 2000
mm
2000
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priests*
PILGRIMAGE TO
Holy Land
— page 6
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An image of Mother Katharine Drexel
hangs from the facade of Saint Peter’s
Basilica October I. She became the
second American-born saint during the
canonization ceremony celebrated by
Pope John Paul II.
Pope defends controversial Vatican
document on salvation
Vatican City (CNS)
R esponding to sharp criticism from other
religions and other Christian churches,
Pope John Paul II defended a Vatican document
on salvation, saying its affirmation of Christ as
the one true savior was “not arrogance.” Spea
king at a midday blessing October 1, the pope
said the document had been subject to “mistak
en interpretations.” He said the text, far from
being an effort to weaken interreligious or ecu
menical cooperation, offered a framework for
meaningful dialogue.
“The document clarifies the essential
Christian elements, which do not obstruct dia
logue but illustrate its foundations, because a
dialogue without foundations would be destined
to degenerate into empty verbosity,” he said.
“Our confession of Christ as the one Son,
through whom we see the face of the Father, is
not arrogance that shows contempt for other
religions, but a joyful recognition that Christ
revealed himself to us without any merit on our
part,” he said.
The document, published September 5 by the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith,
affirmed that the church of Christ exists fully
only in the Catholic Church; it rejected the idea
that “one religion is as good as another.”
It said that while others can be saved through
a special grace, the Catholic Church is neces
sary for their salvation. It barely mentioned
more than 30 years of ecumenical and interreli
gious progress, instead criticizing the danger of
a growing acceptance of religious pluralism.
While most Catholic leaders cautiously wel
comed the document, accentuating its more pos
itive aspects, the reaction from other religions
and other Christians was a steady stream of crit
icism. Many questioned to what extent the doc
ument really reflected the sentiments of the
pope, who has written eloquently about the
value of such dialogue.
The pope appeared to answer that objection in
his remarks, saying the document “was ap
proved by me in a special form.”
He said his intent was to “invite all Christians
to renew their attachment to (Christ) in the joy
of the faith, unanimously witnessing that he is,
today and tomorrow, the way, the truth and the
life.”
He noted that the document does, not deny that
non-Christians can be saved, but makes clear
that this possibility ultimately comes from
Christ.
Likewise, he said, when the document empha
sizes the church’s position that the one church
of Christ subsists in the Catholic Church, “it
does not intend to express little consideration
for the other churches and ecclesial communi
ties.”
On the contrary, he said, the Catholic Church
suffers to see that these other churches which
contain “precious elements of salvation” are
separated from the Catholic Church.
“Thus the document expresses once again the
(Continued on page 3)
RU-486 approval seen as latest capitulation to abortion backers
By Nancy Frazier O’Brien
Washington (CNS)
pproval of the French abortion
drug RU-486 for use in the
United States will “further numb
our consciences to the violence of
abortion and the taking of innocent
human life,” the head of the U.S.
bishops’ pro-life office said Sep
tember 28.
Gail Quinn, executive director of
the bishops’ Secretariat for Pro-
Life Activities, said the approval
given earlier that day by the Food
and Drug Administration was “the
last in a series of capitulations to
abortion advocates who dismiss
serious concerns about the drug and
its effects.”
Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua
of Philadelphia said he was “dis
mayed” at the FDA’s decision,
which represents “another assault...
on unborn babies and possibly the
mothers.”
Bishop Joseph A. Fiorenza of
Galveston-Houston, Texas, presi
dent of the National Conference of
Catholic Bishops, said the approval
signals the federal government’s
introduction of “another way to kill
new human lives in their mothers’
wombs.”
“To some this may be scientific
progress, but to the child destined
by God for birth, it is a brutal and
fatal chemical attack,” he said.
Gloria Feldt, president of Planned
Parenthood, said the FDA approval
would “create a new era for choice
for women” in America, where
more than 1.3 million surgical
abortions are performed each year.
Quinn said the church and the
pro-life community would “contin
ue to speak the truth about this
deadly drug, while ministering to
women who are in a crisis situation
or who suffer after an abortion.”
Judie Brown, a Catholic who
heads the American Life League,
also pledged to continue efforts
against RU-486, which is known
genetically as mifepristone and is
used along with a prostaglandin
drug to cause abortion in the first
few weeks of pregnancy.
“We will shout it from the roof
tops: RU-486 kills innocent human
persons,” Brown said. “The U.S.
Congress must resolve to conduct
oversight hearings at once so that
the Food and Drug Administration
is held accountable for this raw,
inhumane decision that will destroy
babies and maim women.”
In announcing its approval of
mifepristone, which is to be mar
keted under the name Mifeprex, Dr.
Jane E. Henney, U.S. commissioner
of food and drugs, said the decision
(Continued on page 3)