Newspaper Page Text
Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta
Vol. 26 No. 40
Thursday. November 17, 1988
$15.00 Per Year
35 "Consistent Ethic Of Life" Candidates Win In Congress
BY LIZ SCHEVTCHUK
WASHINGTON (NO — JustLife, an ecumenical Chris
tian political action committee promoting a “consistent
ethic of life,” had winners in 35 of the 40 congressional races
in which it endorsed candidates this year.
JustLife’s endorsed winners, all incumbents in the House
of Representatives, included three Republicans and 32
Democrats.
Three House challengers and two Senate candidates en
dorsed by the 2-year-old organization lost.
“We’re really happy that we returned a solid, consistent-
life-ethic core to Congress," David L. Medema, JustLife
campaign coordinator, said in an interview Nov. 10. “Those
members who won re-election are showing it (a consistent
ethic) is a politically acceptable and respectable position to
hold.”
JustLife’s policies include opposition to abortion, support
for reductions in military spending and nuclear weapon
arsenals, and backing for efforts to enable the poor to
escape poverty and find meaningful employment.
The consistent ethic of life has been popularized in recent
years by Cardinal Joseph L. Bernardin of Chicago, who also
has said that for Catholics it is a moral stance with political
implications, not a political strategy.
According to Medema, support for the consistent ethic “is
a very workable political strategy, even if you’re an incum
bent. You can defend life if you’re Republican, or a
Democrat, and go against the party platform,” both of
INSIDE THE BULLETIN
which JustLife regards as flawed for various reasons.
He cited as one example of victory the re-election of Rep.
Richard H. Stallings, D-Idaho. “It’s the first time in Idaho
history a Democrat has won a third term. And he won with
63 percent” of the vote, Medema said.
Pro-life Democrats at last summer’s Democratic Na
tional Convention gave Stallings three votes nominating
him for president.
In addition to Stallings, the winning House of Represen
tatives candidates endorsed by JustLife were:
Florida: Charles E. Bennett and Sam M. Gibbons, both
Democrats.
Illinois: Martin A. Russo, Dan Rostenkowski, Frank An-
nunzio and Terry L. Bruce, all Democrats.
Kentucky: Carl C. Perkins, Democrat.
Louisiana: Lindy C. Boggs, Democrat.
Massachusetts: Silvio O. Conte, Republican; Joseph D.
Early, Nicholas Mavroules and Joe Moakley, all
Democrats.
Michigan: Paul B. Henry, Republican; Dale E. Kildee,
Bob Traxler, David E. Bonior and Dennis M. Hertel, all
Democrats.
Minnesota: Gerry Sikorski and James L. Oberstar, both
Democrats.
Missouri: Harold L. Volkmer, Democrat.
(Continued on page 11)
Campaign For Human Development
Funds Five Local Groups In 1988
BY RITA McINERNEY
Five local organizations helping low-income or minority
people are recipients of 1988 grants from the Campaign for
Human Development (CHD).
The campaign is funded by an annual national collection.
It will be taken up Nov. 26 and 27 in the archdiocese of
Atlanta. Three- quarters of the amount received is used for
national grants, while one-quarter remains at the local
level to support self-help ventures. Last year, Catholics in
the archdiocese contributed $56,240.90.
The theme for the campaign is “Is You Want Peace,
Work For Justice.”
The CHD is the C.S. Catholic bishop’s education-action
program to combat poverty in the U.S. It is the largest na
tional funding program for self-help projects for the poor
and low-income groups aimed at social change, and one of
the nation’s largest funding programs of low-income,
worker-owned and managed business ventures.
Archbishop John L. May, of St. Louis, Mo., president of
the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, is national
chairman of the CHD.
The local allocations, made through Catholic Social Ser
vices of the archdiocese, were announced by Pam
Buckmaster, assistant director.
Capitol View Manor Community Group received $4,000 to
form a community development corporation to rehabilitate
local housing and undertake other economic development
in the Capitol View and Capitol View Manor neighborhoods
of Atlanta. The neighborhoods are bounded by the Atlanta
and West Point Railway, Sylvan Avenue, the south ex
pressway (1-75, 85) and Perkerson Park and Atlanta Area
Tech.
The neighborhoods seek to acquire and rehabilitate
deteriorated rental properties and resell them to low- and
moderate-income families and to provide home rehabilita
tion loans to help current homeowners, especially elderly
homeowners, maintain their property.
Campaign for Human Development funds have enabled
the neighborhood group to incorporate, obtain tax-exempt
status, organize and train a board oi directors, and do a
(Continued on page 6)
SEMINARIANS FOR ATLANTA — Men preparing to be priests for
the archdiocese at St. Meinrad Seminary, Indiana, gather around
David Talley after his ordination to the diaconate Nov. 5. They are
(back row, left to right) Bill Carter, Tim Hepburn, Larry Allen; (front
row) Mike McWhorter, David Talley and Dan Tool'.
Deacon Ordained For Atlanta
David P. Talley was or
dained to the diaconate
Nov. 5 in the archabbey
church at St. Meinrad
Seminary in Indiana. At
vespers Nov. 4 in the
seminary chapel, Ron
Fuchs was received as a
candidate for the priest
hood.
Bishop Edmund T.
O’Meara of Indianapolis of
ficiated at both cere
monies.
Talley, a convert to
Catholicism, will complete
the semester at St.
Meinrad next June and
shortly thereafter will be
ordained for the arch
diocese of Atlanta. Fuchs
will continue his third year
theology studies at the In
diana seminary, looking
forward to his ordination to
the diaconate next fall.
Seven men are preparing
to be priests for the arch
diocese at St. Meinrad.
They are, in addition to
Talley and Fuchs; Bill
Carter, Tim Hepburn,
Larry Allen, Mike
McWhorter and Dan Toof.
Frank Forts, of Atlanta,
is in his third year of
theology at St. Mary’s
Seminary in Baltimore. He
became a candidate for or
dination to the diaconate
and priesthood on Nov. 9.
Michael Allison and
Julian Harris are both se
cond year theology
students at St. Vincent de
Paul Seminary in Boynton
Beach, Fla. They received
the ministry of acolyte on
Oct. 22.
Gordon Sidler is a col
legiate junior at St. John
Vianney Seminary in
Miami.
The ceremonies at St.
Meinrad were attended by
Father Edward Thein,
pastor of St. Joseph’s
Church in Dalton, and
archdiocesan director of
American vocations, and
families of Talley and
Fuchs.
Talley is the son of Mrs.
Barbara B. Talley, of Col
umbus, Ga., and the late
Robert E. Talley. Fuchs is
the son of Ronald G. and
Emma Faye Fuchs, of
Bloomingdale, Ill.