Bishop Wuerl Announces Goals; Speaks on Renewal, School Choice - Mnnnnnlv Nn Phur.Ation
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«VI «O CM I/i <Ti H- PITTSBURGH** *| I/i < K Q. 0É (M U1 * s s Z3 oO X__ CM o ° ol ui 0È > z 3 .0 0È ^ *- ® -4 < UJ I/i V* i a: 3 3 [■ - o t o g u ^ o t-4 3 o O -I C3 J Û- Established in 1844: America’s Oldest Catholic Newspaper in Continuous Publication Friday, January 8, 1993 1 4 o I ear, UXLVIII No. 43 30* cathohe C ath o lics given praise fo r reo rg an izatio n Bishop Wuerl announces goals; speaks on renewal, school choice _ - mnnnnnlv nn pHur.ation. By WILLIAM FODIAK monopoly on education. It’s an idea whose time has come and peo PITTSBURGH — Bishop Donald W. Wuerl ple all over the United States, of whatever praised the “overwhelming majority" of Cath religious persuasion, are recognizing this is olics who worked together and made the par a matter of fairness, justice and openness to ish reorganization so successful in the Pitts one’s favors. The momentum is among the burgh Diocese. American people. He said one of his goals is to let the new While w e’re waiting and working for that, parishes “settle in.” The reorganization was we are also as a diocese diverting more and just one topic discussed by Bishop Wuerl more of our funds when they become avail when he addressed questions compiled by able to us into the elementary school pro the Pittsburgh Catholic staff during the grams so that we can offer some small but Christmas holiday period. real relief to parishes struggling to keep their Other goals announced by Bishop Wuerl parish school open. were celebration of the diocesan sesquicen- We (the diocese) make available almost tennial and focusing on the spiritual $800,000 every year now to tuition relief for renewal. children in our elementary schools. That’s a He called for schools of choice legislation big step forward. That’s half a million more to end the “injustice" of the state monopoly in just the past two years. on education. Bishop Wuerl discussed coverage of the g . Do you see any improvement in how fall meeting of U.S. bishops regarding the Church is portrayed in the secular women’s issues and noted the secular media media? For an example, look at the cover approaches church and faith issues from “a age of the recent U.S. bishops' meeting in perspective of politics and confrontation” regards to women's isssues. If the Church which often gives people a distorted vision of is treated unfairly, what can local Catho religious news. lics do to Improve the situation? The Pittsburgh bishop also encouraged lo cal Catholics to speak against bias and anti- A. There are a couple of factors in Catholicism. which the media covers events of the Catho Bishop Wuerl cited a positive trend occur lic Church. ring at U.S. seminaries; said the diocese is First, we act and work out of faith convic identifying ministry programs for lay women tion. The Church and church of all grows and men and called Christian and Jewish out of our faith. ecumenical relations in the Pittsburgh area a The media approaches churches and faith “bright spot.” from the perspective of politics and confron The interview follows: tation and one group fighting another group. So when they bring that approach to church Q. Could you summarize your goals for issues, it is always going to be filtered the Pittsburgh Diocese in 1993? through their lens and it is Just different from the way we see it. __ „..■> . A. First of all, I would like to see a • The women’s issue was a question of this. consolidation now of the gains we made in Much of the coverage in the media was de reorganization. The reorganization has gone scribed in terms of political struggle and civil along very well and we now have the new rights. parishes in place. They’re working well. What we were talking about on the floor of I would like to see a consolidation of that Photo by John C. Keenan the bishops’ meeting was the faith issues in in this sense: I would like to just have time Bishop Wuerl outlines his goals for the Diocese of Pittsburgh. volved here and does the Church have the now to let those parishes, settle in. Only time power to change an action that is rooted in will do that. In our schools, we hope to ad overwhelming majority of our the instruction in the mind of Christ. The second big goal is the sesquicenten- dress programs that keep calling faithful accepted and worked to There are two totally different ways of nial celebration...the conclusion of the ses- all of us to renewal. achieve. looking at things and that’s why the vision is quicentennial. In September we will have at going to be different from both lenses. the Civic Arena the great celebration con g . How would you evaluate g . Will the reorganization On the other hand, sometimes things cluding our 150th anniversary. the progress of the parish reor benefit the parishes financial don’t grow out of misunderstanding but This whole year is a preparation for that ganization thus far? ly? How will this impact some of it is out of direct bias. That’s been leading up in a way to a renewal or being parishes? an integral part of life in the United States renewed. This is like the Advent preparation A . I would say it has since our beginnings. perhaps for that event. been very successful. Even A . We are going to have Most people recognize, sadly but truly, Third is the ability for all of us to turn our though we all knew there would to wait and see. That really wasn’t that anti-Catholicism is acceptable bias attention completely to the revitalization, to be some discomfort, some pain the primary focus. The primary among many people claiming to be very lib the spiritual renewal. That’s our primary and some sorrow, we all recog focus was the spiritual life of the eral in other areas. goal. You may recall in our pastoral letter on nized the success of it would de Church. We (Catholics) need to do what others renewal we spoke about that. The primary pend on how well people would be able to The reason for the reorganization was to have done. We need to speak up, similar to goal of the diocese and of the Church is con work together. form parishes that were capable of carrying other groups that have found themselves the tinuous conversion to Christ and so we’re That’s why I would say it has been very out multi-faceted activities of the Church, of objects of bias and prejudice. going to make '93 a period when that will be successful. The vast majority of the Catholic parish life. W e’ll see what the financial rami Sometimes we speak of even a certain un our focus. faithful here have worked together. fications are as they unfold. conscious bias or a subconscious bias. We’re There has been general acceptance of the not talking about conspiracy but we're talk g . O f these, which is most important reorganization...of the need to do what we g . School subsidies have drained the ing about ingrained bigotries. and what action will you take to accom did and of the way of which it was' done. resources in many parishes and many Many other groups have profited by just plish it? That doesn’t mean everybody is happy that middle class families who value Catholic throwing a light. For such a long time, we we had to do it or is without pain that it was education can no longer afford to send always assumed the bishops and priests A. The renewal is most important necessary. their children to parochial schools. What would speak for the Church. because that’s our long term, long range can be done to hold costs down? Now we’re moving into an era where lay plan for the diocese. W e’re already address g . Do you feel the priests themselves people have to take more responsibility, not ing that with the continuing education pro have been supportive? A. This brings us back to one of the just in the area of ministry, but in the area grams for our priests — the multi-day convo great issues of the moment. It is an issue of of speaking up for the Church, the teachings cation we had and similar things like that we A . Almost unanimously the priests justice, the issue of fairness, the issue of of the Church, the position of the Church. would hope to do in the future. have been supportive. That doesn't mean schools of choice. It’s not a matter of, “Well, we will wait and The renewal is a part of priestly on-going there aren’t a few among our people that did If people in the United States of America see if the bishop says something.” education. We hope to be able to renew the not support, and did not work or cooperate are going to be able to continue to choose It’s being out there as a committed Catho leadership. with the reorganization, and there’s some where and how to educate their children, lic in the marketplace and saying. “Well, That also calls for action on the part of who even used it for their own agenda, but then legislation that permits that and en what you just said about the Church isn’t parishes and may include any type of parish they are in a distinct and identifiable courages that has to become a part of the true." program, renewal program, any type of spiri minority.