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PAGE 5 — The Georgia Bulletin, April 23, 1987
Ivan J. Kauffman
Making Peace
Democracy And Gospel Linked
“A culture of death is beginning to impose itself more
every day in our country, be it through terrorism of the op
position or through terrorism of the state.’’
— Archbishop Jose Ascarza
Archdiocese of Concepcion, Chile
Papal Mass, April 5
Pope John Paul It’s visit to Chile recently not only had a
major impact on the political struggle there, it had much
wider implications as an indication that he is committed to
combining human rights and democracy in a way that makes
both of them essential components in Catholic social
teaching.
This was not a totally new development of course, but the
language which Pope John Paul used on this trip was clearer
than he or any other pope has used, and his actions — which
spoke even more loudly than his words — appear to have
committed the Catholic Church to a political course which if
followed could have major implications throughout the world.
What set the stage for the unusual significance of his
statements on this trip is the political situation in Chile. Gen.
Pinochet, who heads the government, took power 13 years
ago in a coup. There is a strong Communist Party in Chile
and Gen. Pinochet justifies his dictatorship — and the tor
ture he uses to stay in power — as the only alternative to
communism.
When Pope John Paul arrived in Santiago, Gen. Pinochet
immediately appealed to his anti-Communism. But the Pope
had already told reporters enroute that he considered 1 the
General’s government “dictatorial” and that he intended for
the Church to play the same role in Chile as it had in the
Philippines last year. “This is part of the pastoral mission of
the Church,” he said.
When he was told Gen. Pinochet had said bishops should
spend their time praying and stay out of politics, Pope John
Paul firmly rejected the idea. There are political leaders and
other people everywhere in the world who say to Church
leaders, “Stay in the sacristy and do nothing else,” he said
with emotion.
“The Church cannot let itself die” by ignoring social issues
he told reporters. Again and again he stressed that working
for human rights is an essential part of the Church’s religious
mission.
When a reporter asked the Pope whether he hoped to bring
democracy to Chile, he answered, “Yes, yes.” He added, “I
am not the evangelizer of democracy, I am the evangelizer of
the Gospel,” but then — in what appears to be one of the
more significant statements of his papacy — he said, “To the
Gospel message, of course, belongs all the problems of
human rights, and if democracy means human rights it also
belongs to the message of the Church.”
Linking democracy to the essential message of the Gospel
in this way appears to be a new departure in papal thought.
Some 19th century popes had even opposed democracy
because it was supported by anti-Christian political
movements.
But what the whole world is discovering in our time is that
democracy is the only alternative to dictatorships of either
the right or the left, and that the only practical way to pro
mote human rights is to promote democracy. Pope John
Paul’s explicit adoption of democracy was the only way he
could provide a practical, non-violent option to the Chilean
people, who were chanting in the streets, “Pope John Paul,
free us from the tyrant!”
Once again we have seen how impossible it is to classify
Pope John Paul as either conservative or liberal. Along with
those who call themselves conservative he is staunchly anti
communist, but at the same time with those who call
themselves liberal he places human rights above everything
else. For him there is no contradiction; he opposes com
munism because it denies human rights, and he opposes dic
tatorships like Gen. Pinochet’s for the same reason.
And as an alternative to both he offers democracy.
Antoinette Bosco
The Bottom Line
"Family Leave" Is Pro-Fami
Parental leave bills were proposed recently in both the
Senate and the House. Opposition was immediately heard
from several groups, including the Chamber of Commerce of
the United States, which said parental leave would be too
costly for employers, primarily in finding temporary
replacements.
Lest anyone get the idea that we’re talking about continu
ing to give a paycheck to mothers who stay home after giving
birth, let’s clarify immediately what the bills are about. All
that is being asked is some job security. For example, the
Senate bill introduced by Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn.,
simply asks that a mother be able to take 18 weeks of unpaid
“family leave” to care for a newborn or newly adopted baby or
severely ill child. Businesses with fewer than 15 employees
would be exempt.
The senator believes a woman should not have to choose
between caring for her infant or her job. He got right to the
heart of the matter, telling fellow senators, "If all of us in the
United States are to continue to depict ourselves as being
pro-family, it is time we put our words to action and consider
this bill during the 100th Congress.”
Sen. Dodd hit a sensitive button when,he used the term
“pro-family.” We have to admit that the United States —
which talks a lot about family values — is loathe, in practice,
to help parents, particularly mothers. Rep. Patricia
Schroeder, D-Colo., who introduced a family and medical
leave act in the House, pointed this out. She said, “If you
printed a map of the world that showed only the countries
without parental leave, there would be only a handful — the
United States, Upper Volta, the Sudan and South Africa.”
Sen. Dodd’s motivation for the bill he proposed is humane
and practical. “Today, close to half of all mothers with infants
under 1 year of age work outside the home,” he said. “And
two out of every three women working outside of the home
today are either the sole providers for their children or have
husbands who earn less than $15,000 a year.” They need to
have the assurance that their job — not a luxury, but a
necessity — will be waiting for them after they have launched
their new infant.
Yet, in 40 states a working woman who takes some time off
to have a baby faces the real possibility of losing her job. On
ly 10 states guarantee pregnant women some kind of leave
and reinstatement benefits — Connecticut, California, Mon
tana, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Kansas, Illinois, New Hamp
shire, Ohio and Washington.
The bottom line is that families have changed and the
workplace has changed — but old attitudes about both
haven’t.
We know better, but we still revert to images of the nice
family model where the mother stays home, has the babies
and raises them while the father works on the job that pays
enough to provide a good, comfortable home.
A parental leave bill is just the tip of the iceberg when it
comes to the consideration that should be given to an
American family, particularly an American child. But at least
it is a start. It is long past time to be pro family in ways that
count. (Copyright (c) 1987 by NC News Service)
Father John Dietzen
Question Corner
A Question About Marriage
Q. | am a Catholic, at least by birth, involved with and plan
ning a future commitment with a baptized Lutheran. My ques
tion is probably very fundamental. I previously was married in
< the United Church of Christ and have since been divorced.
Does this prevent me from receiving the sacrament of
matrimony in the Catholic Church?
Since the crisis involved in my divorce, I have grown in
faith as many do when faced with something that depends on
one’s hope and faith.
I pray very hard that the Catholic Church will accept my re
quest to be married in my faith. (North Carolina)
*
A. From what you have told me, no obstacle prevents your
marriage in the Catholic Church to another Catholic, or to a
member of any faith or of no faith.
You were baptized a Catholic, apparently in your infancy or
at least when you were very young. According to Catholic
Church regulations, you should be married before a Catholic
priest in order to be validly married in the eyes of the church.
1 Apparently that has not happened up to now.
It is possible for you to enter the marriage you contemplate
and have that marriage completely valid and recognized by
the church so that you will confine to be a full member of our
' faith.
Please contact a priest in your parish or in your area and
explain to him the facts you have given me. I am sure
something will be worked out very simply.
Q. I am a Catholic who was married in the Catholic Church
years ago. After 17 years and three children my husband sud
denly said he wanted a divorce so he could marry a young
girl, only five years older than our oldest daughter.
We were finally divorced. He remarried and so did I. My se
cond husband died in 1956. Since then I have not remarried. I
am now a great-grandmother, 76 years old. Is it possible for
me to go back to Holy Communion? Do I need to talk to a
priest about it? (Rhode Island)
A. I’m sorry you waited so long. Nothing prevents your
receiving the sacraments and there is no need for a special
visit with a priest. Please go to the sacrament of penance as
soon as you can and get back to receiving the Eucharist. I
hope you do it soon.
Q. In the liturgy of the Mass the priest says, “Let us give
thanks to the Lord our God.”
Is it not wrong for us to be giving thanks to the saints or
the Virgin Mary for prayers answered, as the classified sec
tion of our diocesan paper suggests? Scripture instructs us
in several places to give thanks to God the Father always and
for everything. (Florida)
A. Have you ever asked someone to pray for you and then,
if you receive what you prayed for, thanked that person for
his or her prayers?
I imagine you have done so and that is precisely the mean
ing of our “thanks” to any of the saints or to the mother of
Jesus for their prayers.
It is true, all good things come to us from God our Father
through Jesus our Lord. However, if we believe in the efficacy
of prayer it does not detract from the honor due to our
heavenly Father to thank the people who pray for us.
In thanking the people in heaven (any of the saints, in
cluding our own friends and relatives in heaven and the
Mother of Christ herself), we detract nothing from the thanks
due to God our Father, since their prayers as well as ours are
directed to him and all things, we believe, come to us from
the infinite bounty of that Father.
A free brochure outlining marriage regulations in the
Catholic Church and explaining the promises in an interfaith
marriage is available by sending a stamped, self-addressed
envelope to Father John Dietzen, Holy Trinity Parish, 704 N.
Main St., Bloomington, III. 61701.
Questions for this column should be sent to Father Dietzen
at the same address.
(Copyright (c) 1987 by NC News Service)
