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About The Georgia bulletin (Atlanta) 1963-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 19, 1987)
Orlando Bishop Calls Baptism Foundation For Lay Involvement BY GARY MORTON ORLANDO, Fla. (NC) — Laity in the Diocese of Orlando "correctly” recognize that their call to church involvement stems from their baptism and is independent from the cur rent vocations crisis, Bishop Thomas J. Grady of Orlando said. “Baptism is the foundation for lay involvement," he told participants at a daylong listening session on the role of lai- Pope Says Confusion Hurts Whole Church BY JOHN THAYIS VATICAN CITY (NC > — Pope John Paul II said misinter pretations of the Second Vatican Council have created confu sion and "extremist positions" concerning lay Catholicism. Those misconceptions have hurt the vitality of the church, he said. The pope said the upcoming synod on the laity, scheduled for October, should evaluate the "painful concessions" made by some Catholics to a worldly mentality He spoke Feb. 15 in an Angelus talk at the Vatican. The pope said the overall picture of the laity is more positive than negative. But he said the synod should not "close its eyes to ambiguous or mistaken situations." The council's documents, the pope said, have been met with "partial understanding, and ambiguous and fragmen tary interpretations, (which are) frequently opposed to the spirit of the council." This has created "confusion about the authentic nature of the lay vocation," he said. The pope identified what he said were "opposite extremist positions: either placing the lay role exclusively within the hierarchical structure or separating the laity's cultural and social task from religious faith." Both views, he said, have ended up by "humbling the vitality of the entire organism of the church." The novelty of changes brought by the council and their impact with formulas of long tradition" have produced what some call a "crisis of identity " in the church, he said ty in the church today at St. Augustine Parish in Casselberry, Fla. Bishop Grady responded to issues raised by 2,500 lay Catholics who participated in a series of consultations last fall in preparation for the world Synod of Bishops on the lai ty in October. It was part of a process sought by the National Con ference of Catholic Bishops to prepare U.S. bishops' representatives for the world Synod of Bishops in October on the role of the laity. "We are all pilgrims living in an age that calls out for compassion, concern, love. We all need each other in order to fulfill God’s will and plan," the bishop said. Bishop Grady also responded through a pastoral letter released the same day as the listening session. In it he noted the hopes as well as the concerns and fears of the laity and also stressed the interdependence Catholics have on each other. Church leadership must “discern the gifts and abilities of lay persons and empower and enable them to share in the achievement of God's work,' Bishop Grady wrote. He said that the laity "correctly understood that every in dividual has a call to participate in the mission of the church." While lay people recognize there is an increasing priest shortage, they know their call to serve is “rooted” in bap tism and is an independent call “necessary for the well being of the church," Bishop Grady said. Family and the parish were overwhelmingly seen as the "locus or place of their spiritual life and growth," he wrote. Noting the changes and problems facing family life to day, the bishop said that “there is a need to find ways to help families comfort and sustain one another." At the same time, he said, the emphasis on family sometimes “makes single persons, living a valid vocation, feel left out. Elderly individuals or even couples also sometimes feel overlooked." Bishop Grady encouraged lay people to develop social concern and work to transform their world. He also said there seemed to be a need for adult education on poverty, on the Third World and on economic, political and social realities of the day. PAGE 7 — The Georgia Bulletin, February 19, 1987 Minn. Bishop To Speak At Decatur Workshop “Parishes will be strong when people feel and see the connection between faith and work, between Sunday morning liturgy and Monday morning work, between God's presence at the altar and at the clinic, the desk, the farm and the sink..." From an address by Bishop Raymond Lucker, of New Ulm, Minn., to the U.S. bishops during their meeting last June in Col- legeville, Minn. Registrations are still being taken for the workshop on “The Role of the Laity” to be held Friday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m., and Saturday, Feb. 28 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Decatur. Bishop Raymond Lucker, of New Ulm, Minn., will speak at both sessions of the workshop which is spon sored by the archdiocesan Office of Religious Educa tion in collaboration with the Committee for Continu ing Education of the Clergy and the Office of Black Catholics. Archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan will close the workshop with a brief talk. Registration fee is $20 per person. Checks should be made payable to the Office of Religious Education and mailed to the ORE at 680 W. Peachtree St., N.W., Atlanta, 30308. For more information call 888-7835. BUCKHEAD WRIGHT’S FLORIST Distinctive 'Style & Service’Since 1949 2393 Peachtree Rd. At Peachtree Battle 233-4446 FLOWERS & PLANTS for All Occasions DELIVERY to ALL ATLANTA & SUBURBS • EUROPEAN FLOWERS • WEDDING • PARTY • INTERIOR FLORASCAPING An Invitation to All Catholics What can a former soldier, lumberjack, and advertising man tell you about your relationship with God? Plenty. Particularly when he is Father Isaias Powers, C.P., who was all of these things before being ordained as a Passionist father in 1961. Father "Ike," as he is known, is a master of plain talk. His kitchen table conversations, familiar to all who have attended his retreats, are remembered for their depth of understanding and personal encouragement. Instead of lecture hall intellectualism or pulpit oratory, Father Ike delivers a simple, human message. He will be sharing his thoughts in a series of talks, The Way to the Kingdom, during our week of renewal at Sacred Heart. Starting at the 5:30 p.m. Mass on Saturday, February 21, he will continue each day during the week at the 12:10 noon Mass, and at our renewal service each evening at 7:30 p.m. The week concludes with a 7:30 p.m. Mass on Thursday, February 26. ^ On Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., there will be a special service of Reconciliation. „. Ak As we move towards Lent, we warmly invite you to join us at Sacred Heart. For more details, please call the Parish Office. Phone 522-6800. Sacred Heart Church The Downtown Catholic Church at Peachtree and Peachtree Center Avenue. Secure parking will be available during the evening services.
