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The Southern Cross, Page 2 Atlanta Archdiocese relocates refugees; director resigns Atlanta (CNS) T he 21 -year veteran director of the refugee resettlement program of the Atlanta Arch diocese has resigned after church officials were informed his wife is a co-owner of property where the agency has placed refugees. In addition, reports on shabby living conditions at another facility where refugees were being housed has prompted the archdiocese to relocate some refugee families and review the resettlement program’s policies and procedures. Bui Van Tam, director of Catholic Social Services refugee resettlement programs since 1979, resigned October 2 after the archdio cese learned his wife, Anh Le, is a co-owner of property where refugees have been placed by his office. “That is a conflict of interest for the direc tor to be placing refugees in property owned by his spouse,” said Matthew Coles, general counsel for the archdiocese. Coles said Tam’s wife has been a co-owner of the property since about 1994. A pre liminary audit by the archdiocese October 3 shows $19,635 was paid by Catholic Social Services since 1994 for the use of that property for the refugees, but nothing was paid directly to Tam’s wife. Tam and his family were among the first Vietnamese families to come to Atlanta in 1975. Pope canonizes Mother Drexel, CALLS HER EXAMPLE OF GENEROSITY Vatican City (CNS) P ope John Paul II canonized the second U.S.- bom saint, Mother Katharine Drexel, and said her use of a family fortune to educate the poor was a shining example of American generosity. At a jubilee Mass October 1, the pope praised Mother Drexel, a Philadelphia heiress, for recognizing the dangers of racism in U.S. society, then giving all she had—spiritually and materially—to fight it. She eventually founded more than 60 schools for African-Americans and Native Americans. “Her apostolate helped bring about a growing awareness of the need to combat all forms of racism through education and social services,” the pope said. Pope asks forgiveness, says China BIASED ABOUT MARTYRS’ HISTORY Vatican City (CNS) P ope John Paul II said Chinese government accusations about some of the 120 martyrs can onized October 1 resulted from a biased reading of history, but he also asked forgiveness for any sins the martyrs may have committed. “A partial and nonobjective reading of history” has led some peo- To Subscribe Send this in to your parish, together with your check for $15, made out to the parish. Headline Hopscotch pie to see “only limits and errors” in the work and lives of the 33 foreign missionaries in China who were among the 120 canonized, the pope said October 2. “If there were some (errors) — is man ever free from defects? — we ask forgiveness,” Pope John Paul said as he met with pilgrims who had come to the Vatican to celebrate the new saints. Detroit newspaper cartoon CALLED ‘BLATANTLY ANTI-CATHOLIC’ Detroit (CNS) T he head of the Michigan Catholic Conference and a Detroit archdiocesan spokesman have demanded an apology from the Detroit Free Press for its September 26 editorial cartoon, which they described as anti-Catholic. The six-panel cartoon by Mike Thompson blasted a school voucher pro posal on this fall’s ballot in Michigan. The cartoon was drawn as an ad for “the amazing Vouch-O- Matic,” a school vouchers machine that “slices, dices, chops and shreds cherished constitutional principles,” sucks “millions (of dollars) out of pub lic education” and “blows enough smoke to blind thousands of voters.” Its final panel says, “To order, rush your tax dollars to: The Roman Catholic Church c/o Kids First! Yes! ORDER NOW!” “Kids First! Yes!” is the name of the coalition that led the petition campaign to get the voucher proposal on the ballot. Rebels murder Italian missionary IN NORTHERN UGANDA, MISNA SAYS Jerusalem (CNS) R ebels murdered an Italian missionary in north ern Uganda, said MISNA, the Rome-based missionary news agency. Members of the Lord’s Resistance Army shot and killed Comboni Father Raffaele Di Bari October 1 as the priest was travel ing by car from his mission in Pajule to the small village of Acholi bur, where he was to celebrate Mass and baptize several children, MISNA report ed. The agency said that a nun and a catechist who were also in the car escaped unharmed. Father Di Bari, 71, had been working in Uganda since 1959 and had often spoken out against the Lord’s Resistance Army, said MISNA. Jerusalem patriarch calls for RETURN TO NEGOTIATING TABLE Jerusalem (CNS) L atin-rite Patriarch Michel Sabbah of Jerusalem called for a return to the negotiating table as the worst violence in four years raged in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. Patriarch Sabbah said the only way to regain calm is to restart peace talks Thursday, October 5, 2000 and negotiate an agreement that would ensure pro tection of the holy sites, establish a just peace and create a Palestinian state. “The way of quieting the situation is to understand that holy places cannot be touched and cannot be the subject of any bar gaining,” he said in a pastoral letter to parishes issued October 2. Priest faces charges stemming FROM ABORTION CLINIC ATTACK Rockford, Illinois (CNS) A Rockford priest was expected to be arraigned October 9 on charges of burglary and criminal trespass in connection with his alleged entry into a Rockford abortion clinic September 30. Father John Earl, pastor of Saint Patrick Parish in Rochelle, was released on $10,000 bond following an incident at the Northern Illinois Women’s Center in which he is alleged to have driven his Saturn automobile into a closed garage door to gain entry, and then used an ax to open other doors and move about inside the building. Cardinal Law, GOP leaders call FOR END TO CUBA SANCTIONS Washington (CNS) T he chairman of the U.S. bishops’ International Policy Committee has called for an end to sanc tions on the sale of food and medicine to Cuba. A group of prominent Republican leaders are also urg ing Congress to allow food and medicine sales as well as to end restrictions on travel by Americans to the island. “It is time to leave aside a policy that, whatever moral justification it may once have had, has clearly outlived its purpose,” Boston Cardinal Bernard F. Law said September 27. Maine Catholics urged to reject PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE Portland, Maine (CNS) T he head of Maine’s only Catholic diocese is warning that “life as we know it is under attack in the state” because of efforts to legalize physician-assisted suicide. Bishop Joseph J. Gerry of Portland urged Catholics to educate themselves about the proposed physician-assisted suicide ini tiative, to be voted on November 7. “This deadly legislation (is) filled with dangerous loopholes, putting each of us and our loved ones at risk,” he said. Question 1 on the Maine ballot asks: “Should a terminally ill adult who is of sound mind be allowed to ask for and receive a doctor’s help to die?” In a letter to Maine Catholics, Bishop Gerry said, “Please don’t be fooled by this question. ... Question 1 is about giving doctors the power to prescribe lethal drugs for suicide.” For more information call The Southern Cross (912) 238-2320 Name Address Phone (_ Parish _ L--_ (USPS 505 680) Publisher: Most Rev. J. Kevin Boland, D.D. Director of Communications: / / FjF\ Mrs. Barbara D. King cpajf vUT Editor. ^fss ** Rev. Douglas K. Clark, S.T.L. Editorial and Business Office: Catholic Pastoral Center 601 E. Liberty Street Savannah, GA 31401-5196 (912) 238-2320 FAX: (912) 238-2339 E-mail: DCIark5735@aol.com or Southerncross@ix.netcom.com Internet Home Page: http://www.dioceseofsavannah.org Deadline: All material for publication on Thursday must be received at the latest by noon on the previous Friday. 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