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The Southern Cross, Page 2
Cardinal issues racism pastoral
ON ANNIVERSARY OF KING’S DEATH
Chicago (CNS)
O n the 33rd anniversary of the April 4, 1968,
assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King
Jr., Cardinal Francis E. George released a new pas
toral letter on racism exhorting the faithful in the
Archdiocese of Chicago to work to eliminate the
sin of racism. “Its purpose is to draw people’s
attention to the sin of racism, which is pervasive in
our communities,” said Cardinal George about the
document, titled “Dwell in My Love: A Pastoral
Letter on Racism.” The letter follows “Moving
Beyond Racism: Learning to See with the Eyes of
Christ,” a pastoral on racism released April 4,
2000, by all the Illinois Catholic bishops. “Dwell
in My Love” is longer and more specific to the
Archdiocese of Chicago.
McVeigh execution “tests the
METTLE” OF DEATH PENALTY FOES
Washington (CNS)
T he impending execution of Timothy McVeigh
“tests the mettle of the emerging Catholic view
about the inappropriateness of capital punishment”
like no other case, said the archbishop of Indiana
polis, in whose state the execution will take place.
In an April 2 statement, Archbishop Daniel M.
Buechlein said that, with McVeigh due to be the
first person executed by the federal government in
38 years, “many believe no criminal is more deser
ving of the death penalty.” The statement was
signed by Archbishop Buechlein as head of the
Indianapolis Archdiocese, general chairman of the
Indiana Catholic Conference and member of the
U.S. bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities.
McVeigh is scheduled to be executed May 16 at
the federal prison in Terre Haute. He was convicted
on 11 federal counts of conspiracy and murder for
the April 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.
Catholic-Lutheran dialogue
WORKS ON COMMUNION STATEMENT
Washington (CNS)
S haring in prayer and worship is a key part of
what they do in their national dialogue, the co-
chairmen of the U.S. Catholic-Lutheran dialogue
said. At its latest semiannual meeting March 29-
April 1 in Washington, the dialogue group began
drafting a joint statement on “The Church as
Koinonia of Salvation: Its Structures and Mini
stries.” Koinonia, a New Testament Greek term
taken over into English, means the fellowship or
communion with God and each other shared by
Christ’s disciples. In an interview with Catholic
MeadliiEi© Hopscotch
News Service, the two dialogue leaders described
prayer together as something that deeply affects the
dialogue itself. Auxiliary Bishop Richard J. Sklba of
Milwaukee, Catholic co-chair, said the group starts
each day with Lutheran morning prayer and closes
the day with some form of Catholic evening prayer.
Catholic-Methodist dialogue
EXPLORES VIEWS OF CHURCH
Washington (CNS)
S tarting a new round of U.S. Catholic-Methodist
dialogue, theologians of the two traditions
explored how biblical images of church are used in
the teaching of their respective churches. The
theme of the March 26-28 meeting in Washington
was “The Church in Each Place and in All Places.”
In a news release following the meeting, the partic
ipants said they found a wide range of agreement
in the common biblical heritage and a wide variety
of images of church used by both traditions. They
found that in both churches the body of Christ is
the most commonly used image of the church,
although it is interpreted differently by Catholics
and Methodists. Participants also discussed the
goals of their new round of dialogue, the method of
ecumenical dialogue in general and the different
ways of doing theology together.
Former Republican chairman
NOMINATED FOR VATICAN POST
Washington (CNS)
J im Nicholson, a Catholic who is former chair
man of the Republican National Committee, has
been nominated to be ambassador to the Holy See.
President Bush April 6 announced his intention to
nominate the 63-year-old Nicholson, who would
succeed Corinne “Lindy” Boggs. The nomination
requires confirmation by the Senate. “Jim Nichol
son is a proven leader who will bring a solid sense
of commitment to his work with the Holy See on
critical world issues,” Bush said in a statement.
Nicholson is an Iowa native who became a Colo
rado real estate developer and an active volunteer
for various organizations. He chaired the Repub
lican National Committee from 1996 through last
year’s elections. He currently is on the staff of the
Washington law firm Greener and Hook.
Girl sentenced in Catholic
SCHOOL SHOOTING
Williamsport, PA (CNS)
A n apologetic Elizabeth C. Bush was given an
open-ended sentence to a juvenile psychiatric
facility April 4 after pleading guilty to having shot a
classmate at Bishop Neumann High School in
Williamsport March 7. Bush, 14, was tried as a juve-
Thursday, April 12, 2001
nile on the recommendation of all parties, including
the family of Kimberly Marchese, the girl wounded
in the shoulder in the lunch-hour shooting in the
school cafeteria. “I just want to say I’m sorry for
everything I’ve done to you,” Bush told Marchese
during the hearing in Lycoming County Court.
Marchese, also 14, attended the court session with
her arm still in a sling. Under the terms of the sen
tence, Bush could be held in the behavioral health
service unit of New Morgan Academy near Reading
until she is 21 and could undergo further detention
in an adult facility after that.
Czech church spokesman cau
tiously WELCOMES GAY RIGHTS LAW
Warsaw, Poland (CNS)
A Czech church spokesman cautiously welco
med a government-backed bill granting some
legal rights to homosexual partnerships. However,
he added that full recognition of legal marriage
should be reserved for “the traditional family,” and
he accused Czech society of showing “selective
tolerance” toward homosexuals. “The church
accepts that the state can recognize cohabiting
homosexuals, whose lifestyles are a private mat
ter,” said Father Daniel Herman, spokesman for the
Catholic bishops’ conference, in a March 30 tele
phone interview. “But it should be stressed that
family is the basic cell of society. The laws should
not give the same status to other forms of partner
ship,” he said. The priest spoke as final drafting
continued on the bill, which will extend marriage-
style rights to homosexual partners.
Priest in New Mexico named to
head Las Vegas Diocese
Washington (CNS)
M onsignor Joseph A. Pepe, chancellor of the
Archdiocese of Santa Fe, New Mexico, has
been named bishop of Las Vegas by Pope John
Paul II. He is to be ordained and installed in Las
Vegas May 31 at Guardian Angel Cathedral. The
appointment was announced in Washington April 6
by Archbishop Gabriel Montalvo, apostolic nuncio
to the United States. In Las Vegas, Bishop-desig
nate Pepe succeeds Bishop Daniel F. Walsh, who
was named bishop of Santa Rosa, California, last
year. Joseph A. Pepe was bom in Philadelphia June
18, 1942. He was ordained a priest of the Phila
delphia Archdiocese May 15, 1970. For the past
eight years, while remaining a Philadelphia priest,
he has been on loan to the Santa Fe Archdiocese.
He went to Santa Fe in 1993 as judicial vicar of the
archdiocesan tribunal. In 1998 he was named chan
cellor, moderator of the curia and vicar for priests.
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