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/*■> The ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ «? 0 0 * Sou Diocese of Savannah hern Cross Vol. 80, No. 34 Thursday, October 5, 2000 mm 2000 Seminarians* and priests* PILGRIMAGE TO Holy Land — page 6 $.50 PER ISSUE 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)