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Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta Vol. 25 No. 38 Thursday, October 29, 1987 $12.00 Per Year In Selection Of Archbis BY FATHER PETER A. DORA The next archbishop of Atlanta will be appointed per sonally by Pope John Paul II after a meticulous search has been conducted to find suitable candidates for the position. He will be assisted in this process by the Vatican Congrega tion of Bishops which is entrusted with identifying priests throughout the world who are suitable to fulfill the office of bishop. Their work, in turn, is supported by the pontifical legates in the various nations of the world. In this case the pontifical legate is Archbishop Pio Laghi. the Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to the United States. Archbishop Laghi, who visited Archbishop Thomas Donnellan shortly before his death and who presided at his funeral last week, will be directing the search in this country for his suc cessor. According to Canon 377 of the Code of Canon Law, the pontifical legate must seek out the suggestions of the bishops of the province in which the new bishop is to serve. The Atlanta province includes the dioceses of Charleston. S.C., Charlotte and Raleigh, N.C. and Savannah. The canon next requires that the president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops be consulted. The legate is then directed to hear “some members of the archdiocesan college of consultors...and if he judges it ex pedient, he shall also obtain, individually and in secret, the opinion of other members of the secular and religious clergy as well as of the laity who are outstanding for their wisdom.” The final decision will center both on various qualities of the candidate as well as the specific needs of the arch diocese of Atlanta. Specifically, the Church in north Georgia is characterized by rapid numerical growth which shows all signs of continuing and even increasing for the foreseeable future. Other considerations would include the current condition of the priests, deacons and religious of the archdiocese as well as the state of parishes, schools and other institutions. Paramount will be the existing spiritual and pastoral life of the area. Areas of importance in the actual candidate will center on his overall spiritual, personal, doctrinal, pastoral and administrative qualities. While the successor to Archbishop Donnellan could be a priest not presently ordained to the episcopate, precedent from similar situations would suggest that the candidate will be chosen from the present bishops of the United States. "Special" Families, Parishes Back Adoption Of Older Kids BY PAULA DAY October has been designated Respect Life Month by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. Concern for life can take many forms. One is concern for children who do not “belong to anyone” — special children who are available for adoption. Over 600 Georgia children are legally free and waiting for someone to adopt them. These “special-needs” children may be minority children or be part of a sibling group or have physical, emotional or mental handicaps; or just be too old — over eight years old — to fall into the category of children families usually consider for adoption. In recent months, three parishes of the arch diocese, Our Lady of Lourdes, Saints Peter and Paul and St. Anthony have made a special effort to bring these children to the attention of their parishioners. The parishes have displayed posters and an album published by an organization called My Turn Now, a private, non-profit group formed in 1980 to facilitate the adoption of special-needs children. Its loose-leaf publication has pictures and brief background articles on each of the featured children. One inspiration for focusing on special-needs children has come from Father George Clements, a Chicago priest who adopted two older boys. His program, “One Church, One Child,” proposes that in every parish one family adopt a special-needs child. The whole parish then supports the family’s effort. Two Atlanta Catholic families who have adopted children witness to the value of this sup port in their lives. Betty Lee Heislgr Martin and her husband, David, are members of Saints Peter and Paul (Continued on page 6) FAITHFUL SUPPORT — Eva Schnore, 93, oldest member of the Auxiliary of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cancer Home, was an honored guest at the 31st annual champagne luncheon supporting the work of the home Oct. 23. More photos on page 7. Economics Pastoral Is Workshop Theme A two-day conference on the bishops’ pastoral on the economy has been scheduled for Thursday and Friday, Nov. 12 and 13 for priests, deacons and pastoral staffs at the Pierremont Plaza Hotel, 590 West Peachtree St., Atlanta. Father William J. Bryon, S.J., president of the Catholic University of America, will deliver the keynote address on Thursday morning; Anthony Ipsaro, Ph.D., Psy. D., will facilitate the sessions, and Bishop Thomas J. Gumbleton, auxiliary bishop of Detroit, will lead a prayer service Thursday night and celebrate the Eucharist on Friday morning. The conference is the initial phase of a formation pro gram for the implementation of the pastoral, “Economic Justice for All: Catholic Social Teaching and the U.S. Economy.” The program was developed by the Committee for Continuing Education of the Clergy at the request of Archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan in early 1986. The arch- (Continued on page 8)