Newspaper Page Text
The Southern Cross, Page 2
MsudMiEKg Hopscotch
Thursday, February 15, 2001
Vatican, Lutheran, Reformed
CHURCHES DISCUSS INDULGENCES
Rome (CNS)
he abuse of indulgences contributed to the
Reformation, and questions about the Catholic
practice continued to raise ecumenical concerns
during the Holy Year 2000. Representatives of the
Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity,
the Lutheran World Federation and the World
Alliance of Reformed Churches met in Rome
February 9-10 to discuss the questions. “The pur
pose was to clarify historical, theological and pas
toral issues related to indulgences in order to come
to a better understanding of each other’s tradi
tions,” said a statement from meeting participants.
Major funders of Catholics for
a Free Choice not Catholic
Washington (CNS)
o foundations that have Catholic philanthropy
as a focus appear in public records among the
major funders of Catholics for a Free Choice, ac
cording to a Catholic foundation specialist. CFFC
describes itself as an independent non-profit Catho
lic organization “working in the Catholic social
justice tradition.” It is most noted for efforts to pro
mote wide access to abortion, contraception and
voluntary sterilization and to support dissent from
official church teachings in those areas. Francis J.
Butler, president of Foundations and Donors Inte
rested in Catholic Activities, wrote about CFFC’s
reliance on secular foundations in the January-
February issue of Philanthropy, bimonthly maga
zine of the Philanthropy Roundtable. He said a
review of recent CFFC grants recorded in the
Foundation Center’s grant index “shows an organi
zation without a single major supporter whose pro
gram focus is Catholic philanthropy.”
Sexual behavior increases on TV,
STUDY SHOWS
Washington (CNS)
new study has found that sexual behavior on
television has increased from levels of two
years ago. The study, “Sex on TV,” found that 68
percent—more than two-thirds—of programs sur
veyed during the 1999-2000 TV season contained
sexual content, up from 56 percent during the
1997-98 season. “This study confirms that sexual
messages are an increasingly frequent part of the
television landscape,” the study said. Commis
sioned by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation,
the study was released February 6. The foundation
also had issued a similar report two years ago, and
plans to do a third report two years from now. The
study looked at a week’s worth of programming on
10 different channels: the Los Angeles affiliates of
ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, PBS and WB, plus the
HBO, Lifetime, TNT and USA cable channels.
Head of church affiliate gets 7
YEARS FOR FINANCIAL DISHONESTY
Cologne, Germany (CNS)
German court has sentenced the head of a
Caritas-owned company to more than seven
years in prison for financial dishonesty. Hans-
Joachim Doerfert, chief executive officer of the
Caritas Tragergesellschaft Trier (Caritas Funding
Co. in Trier), was sentenced in Koblenz, Germany,
February 5 to seven years and three months in
prison for 58 cases of financial dishonesty. Two
associates were sentenced to lesser terms. CTT was
founded 13 years ago to modernize the diocese’s
hospitals and make them self-sufficient, so they
would not need Caritas funds. The company now
owns 42 social institutions and employs 9,000 peo
ple. The court found that Doerfert had misappropri
ated around $10 million and had plunged the hos
pitals into a crisis that cost the Trier Diocese $50
million.
John Brennan, diocesan attorney and papal knight, dies
Father J. Kevin Boland stands
with Saint Patrick’s Day
Parade Grand Marshal John
Michael Brennan, longtime
diocesan attorney, in 1971.
J ohn Michael Brennan, 89, dioce
san attorney for over 40 years,
died in Savannah February 12. He
had been named a Knight of Saint
Gregory by Pope John XXIII in
1961.
Bishop J. Kevin Boland issued the
following statement: “Cardinal John
Henry Newman (1801-1890)
defined a gentleman as one who
never willingly inflicted pain on
another. John Brennan personified
that quality to the highest degree.
He was a gentleman to the core and
a man of profound dignity. His pass
ing is a loss, but our lives have been
forever enriched. We praise and give
thanks to God for the life and times
of John Brennan. May his soul rest
in the peace of God’s love.”
Mr. Brennan, a native of
Savannah, was the son of James
Joseph Brennan of County
Roscommon, Ireland, and Anna
Egan Brennan of County Mayo. He
was a graduate of the Marist School
for Boys, Benedictine Military
School, and the University of
Georgia. He began practicing law in
Savannah in 1935. He served as
president of the Savannah Bar Asso
ciation and the Savannah Hibernian
Society in 1962, as Grand Knight of
Council 631 of the Knights of Co
lumbus and as Grand Marshal of the
Savannah Saint Patrick’s Day
Parade in 1971.
Former Southern Cross editor
John E. Markwalter, a fellow Knight
of Saint Gregory, said, “As execu
tive secretary of the Catholic
Laymen’s Association of Georgia, it
was a pleasure for me to serve dur
ing John Brennan’s term as presi
dent. I could always bring my prob
lems to him and receive his help and
wise counsel. Those who knew him
admired him for his faith and love
of God and his Church. He lived
that faith every day of his life.”
Preceded in death by his wife,
Virginia, and son Timothy, Mr.
Brennan is survived by two daugh
ters, Mary Ann Brennan Smith and
Virginia Brennan Snedeker, three
sons, J. Michael, Jr., Joseph Patrick
and Stepehen James, fifteen grand
children and three great-grandchil
dren.
The vigil service for Mr. Brennan
was held at the Cathedral of Saint
John the Baptist on February 14.
Bishop Boland celebrated the Mass
of Christian Burial at Blessed Sacra
ment Church, where Mr. Brennan
had worshiped for 55 years, on
February 15.
Mr. Brennan’s family has request
ed that memorial gifts be made to:
the Diocesan Development Appeal
of the Catholic Diocese of
Savannah, 601 East Liberty Street,
Savannah, GA 31401; the Hibernian
Society of Savannah Foundation,
Inc., 428 Bull Street, Savannah, Ge
orgia 31401; or Hospice Savannah,
P. O. Box 13190, Savannah, Georgia
31416.
To Subscribe
Send this in to your parish,
together with your check for
$15, made out to the parish.
For more information call
The Southern Cross
(912) 238-2320
Name
Address
I Phone ( ) I
■ Parish .
I I
The Southern Cross
(USPS 505 680)
Deadline: All material for publication on Thursday
Publisher.
must be received at the latest by noon
Most Rev. J. Kevin Boland, D.D.
on the previous Friday.
Director of Communications:
POSTMASTER:
Mrs. Barbara D. King
Send Change of Address to circulation office:
>(cpa)s
Editor
Chalker Publishing
Southern Cross Subscription Department
***** & Rev. Douglas K. Clark, S.T.L.
P. O. Box 948
Waynesboro, GA 30830
Editorial and Business Office:
Catholic Pastoral Center
Subscription Price: $ 15 per year
601 E. Liberty Street
Periodicals Postage Paid
Savannah, GA 31401-5196
at Waynesboro, GA 30830
(912) 238-2320 FAX: (912) 238-2339
E-mail: DCIark5735@aol.com
Published weekly except the second and last weeks in
or Southerncross@ix.netcom.com
June, July and August and the last week in December.
Internet Home Page:
At 601 E. 6 th Street
http://www.diosav.org
Waynesboro, GA 30830