Newspaper Page Text
Official Newspaper of the Catholic Diocese of Savannah
http://www.diosav.org Vol. 81, No. 41 Thursday, November 22, 2001 $.75 per issue
Bishops adopt statements on September 11
and Africa, revise pro-life plan
Washington (CNS)
W ith the effects of the terrorist
attacks still very much in
mind, the U.S. bishops November
15 adopted a wide-ranging pastoral
message, “Living With Faith and
Hope After September 11.”
It said use of force to root out ter
rorism was “legitimate,” but it
highlighted the need to constantly
judge the use of force by the moral
norms of just war. It also addressed
the wider context of conflict in the
world, including Sudan, the Middle
East and Iraq, where it condemned
the continuing economic embargo.
The day before, the bishops
agreed to increase their commit
ment to Africa and revised their
Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Acti
vities, including for the first time a
specific condemnation of capital
punishment for its “inequitable use,
sheer inhumanity and absolute
finality.”
The documents were among those
approved by the U.S. Conference of
Catholic Bishops during its Novem
ber 12-15 meeting at the Hyatt
Regency Hotel in Washington.
On November 13 the bishops
elected the first African-American
to serve as president of their con
ference, Bishop Wilton D. Gregory
of Belleville, Illinois. They also
elected Bishop William S. Skylstad
of Spokane, Washington, as vice
president and Archbishop James P.
Keleher of Kansas City, Kansas, as
treasurer-elect.
One document not decided on at
the meeting was a pastoral state
ment encouraging efforts to make
the U.S. church more hospitable to
its growing Catholic population
from Asia and the Pacific islands.
The statement, “Asian Pacific
Presence: Harmony in Faith,” aims
to “recognize and affirm with lov
ing assurance” the valued presence
within the church of Catholics of
Asian and Pacific heritage.
It plainly had broad support
among the bishops. But by the time
it came to a vote November 15, a
few minutes before the meeting
ended, only about 160 bishops
remained in the room—not enough
for the two-thirds of all conference
(Continued on page 11)
interfaith prayer days
He said he was convinced that to
day’s worried world “needs to see
gestures of peace and hear words of
hope.”
Addressing a crowd from his win
dow above Saint Peter’s Square, the
pope spoke about the tensions and
sufferings that have worried many
people around the world.
He cited the thousands of inno
cent victims of the September 11
terrorist attacks in New York and
Washington. In an apparent refer
ence to the continued military cam
paign in Afghanistan, he said that
“innumerable people have been
forced to leave their homes to con
front the unknown and sometimes
to meet a cruel death,” while
“women, elderly and children risk
dying of cold and hunger.”
“In a situation rendered dramatic
by the ever-impending threat of ter
rorism, we feel the need to raise our
cry to God,” he said. The prayers
raised to heaven should be stronger
today, because the threats to peace
seem greater, he said.
A religious icon hangs above the president’s table as the U.S. bishops
conduct their fall general meeting in Washington November 13. From
left is current vice president and president-elect Bishop Wilton D.
Gregory, president Bishop Joseph A. Fiorenza, general secretary
Monsignor William Fay, and parliamentarian Henry Robert.
Pope
By John Thavis
Vatican City (CNS)
n response to the growing threat
of global terrorism and other con
flicts, Pope John Paul II called for a
church-wide day of fasting in
December and a prayer gathering of
Christian and non-Christian leaders
in January.
The pope said the interfaith meet
ing, to take place January 24 in the
Italian pilgrimage town of Assisi,
would allow Christians and
Muslims to proclaim to the world
calls for fasting,
that religion can never be used to
justify violence.
The December 14 day of fasting
among Catholics also was to be
marked by prayers for peace. The
pope suggested that in addition to
limiting their food and drink on that
day, Catholics find ways to trans
form their sacrifice into a contribu
tion to the victims of terrorism and
war.
The pope announced the two ini
tiatives during his Sunday midday
prayer at the Vatican November 18.
Gartland Awards
announced
—page 3
Savannah 2000 and Beyond
—page 6
All Saints’ Day
—page 12