I n s i d e T f IT P e n n s y lv a n ia ’s largest^weekly circulation 15 C e n ts 138th Year, CXLIII No. 31 Established in 1844: America's Oldest Catholic Newspap Publication Friday, Octobers, 1982 K illin g s Refugees Pope John XXIII speaks at the first session of the Second Vatican Council. Help stop S ponsors O n Vatican II the madness, needed, says A two-part anniversary series begins in this issue on a review of what happened at Vatican II, which was convened on Oct. 11,1962. See asks priest page 6. official By NC NEWS SERVICE By PATRICIA BARTOS A Mary knoll priest has blamed the Though the plight of refugee f C h u rch 9 series Guatemalan military rulers and peoples no longer dominates the Fr. Charles S. Bober continues his four-part series their paramilitary civil defense headlines, the problem is one of on “ What Is the Church?” with a column on squads for most of the atrocities staggering proportions, according "Believers sharing their faith.” The series is being committed in the rural Guatemalan to Frank N. Chinh, project director written in preparation for a reader’s survey on area where he works as a of the diocese's refugee resettle­ parish life that will appear in the Oct. 22 issue of the missionary. ment program. 'Catholic. See Fr. Bober’s column on Page 11. Maryknoll Father Ron Hennessey Since its beginning seven years said most of the deaths in his area ago, this office has placed some 350 Fr. Bober result from the military’s anti­ refugee families in the area. The subversive campaign against office was first set up to aid in guerrillas. He also blamed handling the tide of Vietnamese MAJOR DENOMINATIONAL FAMftJES BY COUNT ICS OF TNI US 1M0 guerrillas for killing some innocent refugees arriving in this country. people. Since then, the office has processed Cambodian, Laotiai;. Hmong and The missionary made the most recently Pclish refugees accusations in three letters to his fleeing Communist repression in sister, Franciscan Sister Dorothy that country. Marie Hennessey, who lives in Dubuque, Iowa. Sister Hennessey To show the enormity of the made the letters available to the problem, Chinh quotes Dr. Paul press, including the Des Moines Hartling, United Nations High Register, which published an article Commissioner for Refugees. As of in September on Father Hennes­ April 1982 according to Hartling, sey's information. some 10 million refugees and displaced persons existed in the FR. H EN NESSEY'S letters listed world. A vast number of these, atrocities based on evidence he according to Chinh, are rural and gathered from interviews and from poor urban peoples, often visiting the areas in which the uneducated and unprepared for life incidents took place. He said the outside of their own homelands. situation has become so bad for the rural Indians that they are forced Among these "invisible" peoples often on penalty of death to choose are more than one million refugees S urvey of reU gions sides between helping the military from the Ethiopian civil war of the or the guerrillas. 1970s who still are stranded in camps A county by county study of U.S. church membership shows that in Somalia. Another 20,000 are in many areas of the country became more diversified in religion during The letters were written in July Sudan and others in Kenya and the 1970s. See page 6. and August from San Mateo Ixtatan, Prayers for classmate Italy. Afghani refugees fleeing the the town in Guatemala's Huehue- Russian occupation there now Also inside Pages tenango province were Fr. In the gym at Pomona High School in Arvada, Colo., a Denver suburb number some 800,000 persons living Hennessey has his parish. classmates kneel in prayer for Kelly Leid (inset), a junior at the in "a tense situation” in Pakistani camps. Editorial ............................................................................... ^ The priest said that on July 2 in school. Kelly, a member of the football team and Spirit of Christ Around the diocese........................... 7 San Mateo Ixtatan the military took Catholic community in Arvada, was stricken in August with Guillan And the situation seems no better Obituaries.............................................. a 10 villagers and slashed their Barre, a rare disease that attacks the central nervous system. He was in Thailand where last year the Home Again....................................... ’ ’ ’ i? throats, and soldiers tortured and hovering between life and death during a critical 24-hour period but government threatened to seal off Television, movies..............................~ ................... _ shot another villager. He added that now, improving rapidly, he asks teammates to "keep that jersey the border to Cambodian, Laotian warm for me.” See story on page 3. (NC Photo) (Continued on page 2) and Vietnamese refugees seeking asylum unless other governments agreed to help shoulder the burden. Thailand once again is inundated with refugees and is again threatening to refuse to accept A bortion A ct suit them. This situation, Chinh said, "is desperate." The camps now hold PCC, PCUC think new state law will stand test 180,000 — 96,000 Cambodians, 56,000 Laotian and Hmong, and the rest The Pennsylvania Catholic abortion as much as possible under counseled about the abortion Vietnamese. Conference and People Concerned These profiteers are objecting to current law,” the PCC said Oct. 5. procedure at least 24 hours before for the Unborn Child have issued parental consent, thereby From the beginning, Pittsburgh having an abortion; and that a statements critical of a federal suit “ The lawsuit was not unexpect­ undermining parental rights and the has been "very generous and asking that the state’s recently ed” , it added. "Most anti-abortion minor seeking an abortion must sacred bond between parent and warm” in helping refugee families, passed Abortion Control Act be legislation that has been passed in have the consent of parent, guardian child. They're objecting to a law but Chinh explained three or the court. which would require that in late- declared unconstitutional. Pennsylvania has generally been misconceptions are keeping more challenged in court. We feel that the term abortions, doctors would have parishes from offering to sponsor On Oct. 4,12 plaintiffs filed the suit In an Oct. 4 statement Helen to use techniques most likely to re­ refugee families. a rgument of the plaintiffs won ’ t hold Cindrich, president of PCUC, said in federal court in Philadelphia up. This legislation was gone over sult in a live birth and that a child The most basic reason involves asking the court that it find the new "This suit is the expected knee-jerk born with any defects, disability, or and researched very carefully by reaction from Pennsylvania's the fact that people here are law, which goes into effect in legal counsel and we're confident handicap could not be denied suffering from high unemployment abortion profiteers. They can fling nourishment or medical care.” December, unconstitutional. Gov. that it will stand the constitutional all the rhetoric they want about the rates and inflation. The second is the Richard Thornburgh and other test. And we re very happy that the constitutionality, privacy, due belief that there is no longer a need senior state officals were named as Mrs. Cindrich said that the law state will be defending the law and process, and religious rights. for sponsors. And the third is the defendants in the suit. was humane, progessive legislation our hope is that it will be upheld.” Everybody knows thier bottom line which put the state in the forefront of misunderstanding about employ­ “ WE ARE SORRY TO see this suit is the dollar sign. the anti-abortion movement and ment, the thought that the refugees The PCC .also said that a 1980 law would be taking jobs United States being filed because we feel that restricting public funding of “ They fear that if a woman knows said that the law will pass court Priest dies passage of the Abortion Control Act challenges. workers could use. [ Fr. Lawrence F. O’Hara, 59, died abortions is still in the courts. what her preborn looks like, she may by both houses of the General not be as likely to want to have it Chinh explained that most [Wednesday, Oct. 6. He had been Assembly and its signing by the The U.S. Supreme Court is refugees take the jobs that do not PASSED.IN JU N E, the legislation destroyed. If she knows what a scheduled to review this fall several pastor of St. Mary Church, Beaver Governor indicated that the people before tne courts includes require skilled labor, and that pay »Falls, for 13 years. See obituary on botched abortion could do to her laws from other states which are of Pennsylvania have expressed provisions that require that a body, she may prefer to by-pass this minimum wage. They fill jobs such ¡¡Page 9. their will in wanting to restrict almost identical to the Pennsyl­ woman seeking an abortion be dangerous surgical procedure. vania law. as seamstresses, janitors (Continued on page 3) OFFICIAL Vocation* week people respond to the call to serve. The decision is not an easy one to i Dearly beloved in Christ: make. God's grace is needed and October 10 to 16, 1982, has been grace comes by way of prayer. I designated as Church Vocations With prayerful best wishes, I Awareness Week by the National am Catholic Vocation Council. I commend to all the observance oi Sincerely yours in Christ, [ Vocations Awareness Week. I There is no need for me to inform I you of the vocation situation, both I for the Diocese and Religious, Bishop of Pittsburgh »Communities of men and women.