4 The Message -- for Catholics of Southwestern Indiana March 17, 1989
III
Evangelization
Bishops, Vatk:an officials seek best approach to U.S. evangelization
By JOHN THAVIS
NC News Service
VATICAN CITY (NC) -- In
one of the most wide-ranging
and open discussions ever held
at the Vatican, U.S. bishops and
Vatican officials spent four days
trying to find the best approach
to evangelization in a highly
secularized U.S. society.
The March 8-11 meeting,
presided over almost continual-
ly by Pope John Paul II, covered
such practical issues as annul-
ment procedures, penance rites
and family planning programs.
But the discussion generally
gravitated around topics such
as tension between the Chris-
t/an faith and Americans' idea
of freedom. On that point, the
need for bishops to promote
and protect church teachings
was repeatedly stressed.
The meeting was first sug-
gested by U.S. bishops several
years ago. At their insistence,
full texts of all the talks were
published, and briefings and
other reports described the
discussions in detail.
In the end, although "no
specific decisions were made,
no plans were laid and no struc-
tures set up," the bishops felt
confirmed in their ministry,
said Archbishop Daniel E.
Pilarczyk of Cincinnati, vice
president of the National Con-
" ference of Catholic Bishops.
"The talks were character-
ized by candor, conviction and
kindness. It was not the bad
schoolboys coming home to be
disciplined by their fathers,"
Archbishop Pilarczyk said at a
Vatican press conference March
11.
Cardinal Bernard F. Law of
Boston said the meeting
represented a "very signifi-
cant" moment in the life of the
U.S. church and he hoped it
would lead to better acceptance
of church teachings by U.S.
Catholics.
The pope, summing up the
meeting in a talk to the 35
bishops and 25 curial par-
ticipants March 11, said that
"difficulties will not be lack-
ing" in bringing Christianity to
"every sphere" of American
life.
"What is important is that
challenges or even opposition
to the saving truth which the
church professes be met within
the context of faith," the pope
said.
Bishops need to be "faithful
in handing on what we
ourselves have received," the
pope said -- in their dealings
with priests and Religious, in
catechesis, in encouraging laity
to take a proper role in the
church's life and in "upholding
the values of life and love in
marriage and family life."
The pope's remarks touched
on a theme that ran through
much of the meeting, which
began with a discussion on the
teaching role of bishops and
concluded with suggestions
about the best way of reaching
the unchurched in the United
States.
In between, there were
assessments of U.S. liturgical
and sacramental life, the
ecumenical movement, lay
Catholic involvement, and
pastoral programs to help
families. Some concern was ex-
pressed about religious and
priestly vocations, seminary
programs and the state of
Catholic education in the coun-
try.
The keynote topic -- the
bishop as teacher of the faith --
was taken up in talks March 8
by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger,
the Vatican's chief doctrinal
monitor, and Cardinal John J.
O'Connor of New York. Both
suggested that some bishops
might have abdicated their
teaching role to theologians and
professional educators.
The resulting "confusion of
voices," Cardinal Ratzinger
said, often "drowns out" that
of the bishop. Bishops have
largely submitted to seeing
their role reduced to one of
spiritual administrator, he said.
Cardinal O'Connor, while
defending U.S. bishops as "ar-
ticulate and courageous
defenders of the faith," agreed
that some seem to have been
"browbeaten" by theologians
and other educators. In the con-
fusion, he said, Catholics came
to believe they could "shop
around" for viewpoints on such
basic issues as birth control.
A bishop "must have the
wisdom to distinguish between
the essentials of the faith,
which may demand definitive
intervention on his part, and
those matters which may be
legitimately argued," said Car-
dinal Joseph L. Bernardin of
Chicago, in a summary state-
ment issued at the end of the
meeting.
Some bishops also urged
clarification of the role of the
theologian, a subject of current
study by the U.S. bishops' con-
ference, said Cardinal Bernar-
din, who was a moderator of the
meeting.
While Cardinal O'Connor
made a strong call for a
"countercultural" church in
the United States, other bishops
noted that U.S. ideals of
freedom, plurality and com-
promise can also make the
church stronger.
Archbishop John R. Roach of
St, Paul-Minneapolis said U.S.
bishops explained that they
compromise tactically on some
matters when a full victory can-
not be won -- such as in sup-
porting legislation to modify
abortion laws.
Afterward, Cardinal Ratz-
inger said that while he better
understood how U.S. bishops
view the issue, compromise
should not be used "when truth
is at stake just to maintain
peace."
In remarks at the closin
press conference, Cardinal An-
tonio Innocenti, head of the
congregation for Clergy, said
Americans' "impassioned
search for liberty" cau'ses prob-
lems when church authority is
questioned, but "also offers the
great advantage of great
freedom for the church, to be
able to proclaim the Gospel
message with all its conse-
quences."
Cardinal Bernardin, summ-
ing up the meeting, said that
"we cannot speak of a single
American culture. There are
multiple layers, some deeply
secularized, some of a religious
nature."
Participants repeatedly
enumerated cultural pressures
on the church's efforts, in-
cluding secularism, con-
sumerism, radical feminism,
exaggerated individualism and
a "divorce mentality."
Computer troubles
Jo Ann Scheessele, seventh grader at St. Bernard School, Rockport, waits patiently for her teacher
to help her finish a letter she is writing to a Jasper student. According to principal Teresa
Schroeder, everyone at the school has written letters to students at Precious Blood School, Jasper, in
anticipation of the Catholic school celebration "Celebrating the Tradition," scheduled for April 27
at Roberts Stadium, Evansville. All the schools in the diocese have "sister schools" to exchange gifts
and good wishes with before the celebration, according to Schroeder. She said the purpose is to get
the students excited about the event and "remind them there are other Catholic schools in the area."
-- Message Photo by Mary T. Ellert
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