Church and Tit Litics in Latin America
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TV CARTOONS S. Fla. Catholics Columnist wonders gather for fun, if they're harmful sun, celebration See Entertainment Page 9 -Page 19 Largest weekly newspaper in Southeastern U.S. Vol. XXXI No. 57 Catholic Archdiocese of Miami Price 25$ Friday, March 30,1984 Church and tit litics in Latin America A symposium of national and in- ternational speakers on Central America was held at the Regional Seminary to air the relationship of the Church to politics, liberation theology, poverty and other themes. The following is the Voice report on this controversial area • Political involvement.... P10 • More capitalism. P11 • Poverty P12 • Liberation .. ..; P13 • Editorial...P 14 Guns are a reality in Latin America; Pope greets crowd in Nicaragua beneath political banner. By Ana Rodriguez-Soto arms, told the uncle who had fetched So after the funeral, the priest, who Even minimum wage should be Voice News Editor him to carry the other one and began could not understand, approached enough to feed your family — how This is how it begins in Latin running, in the night, as fast as he the father. You have a job, the priest much are you paid? America. could, down the dirt road, hurrying said, half-accusingly. Why, in God's Seventy-five cents a day, the man Two little girls were dying, and a toward the house where the doctor name, did your little girls starve to responded. (In American dollars, priest was called to baptize them. lived, hoping and praying the man death? about half that.) It was not minimum So he went to their house. And he would not be drunk. Patiently, the man explained. I wage. saw the father and he saw the mother Then he stopped. He shouted to the work all day, from morning to night. So the priest decided to speak to and he saw the brothers and sisters. uncle, "You goon. This one has But I have eight children and my the man's employer, a parishioner. And then he saw the little girls, bellies died." And he began to cry. wife. And I can only feed them "yuc- He attended church every week, went floated, life quietly draining from The other girl lived to enter the ca" (a potatoe-like food with little to Communion almost daily, was a their bodies. doctor's house and, as luck would nutritional value). generous contributor to the parish — His first thought was not to baptize have it, he was not drunk. Two hours Still unbelieving, the priest pressed but to save. He took one girl in his later, she died anyway. him. How much money do you earn? Continued on page 10 Divorced, alienated invited 'home' By Monge Donohue Included during the day, which separated will speak to guests on the tion, English; and Fr. Edward Archdiocese Information Bureau begins with a welcome from Arch- subject, "It's Easier Than You Alvarez, S.J., Spanish. Coordinator bishop Edward A. McCarthy, will be Think" referring to resuming active In urging alienated Catholics to "Come Home — It's Easier Than informational presentations, witness participation in the church com- participate in the sessions, Arch- You Think" is the theme of a one-day sharing, practical workshops and munities. bishop McCarthy said, "Jesus spent outreach program to South Florida group prayer. "Listening Sessions" will be much of His active ministry reaching Catholics who feel alienated from the Father Andrew Anderson, of- presented in both English and out to heal those who were hurting. Church because of divorce and/or ficialis of the Matrimonial Tribunal, Spanish with the Father Carl Mor- Since this was a way of life for Him, separation, or remarriage outside of will be the first speaker, emphasizing, rison, vice-officialis of the we are convinced that He wishes His the church, beginning at 9:30 a.m., "You've Been Missed — We're Poor Matrimonial Tribunal discussing Church to also pursue this way of Saturday, March 31 at St. Maurice Without You." According to Father "Annulments" in English and Fr. life. Church, 2851 Stirling Rd., Fort Anderson many Catholics who are Wilfredo Pena, also of the Tribunal "The Archdiocese of Miami cares Lauderdale. divorced and/or separated and have speaking in Spanish on the subject. about and loves all of the members of According to the Family Enrich- not remarried are still in good stand- Other sessions will include "The Role the Catholic Church. We want to ment Center, the Archdiocese of ing in the eyes of the Catholic Church of the Remarried in the Church," on show concern for those who ceased Miami Matrimonial Tribunal and the but do not realize it and subsequently which Fr. Ernesto Garcia-Rubio of being active when they encountered Lay Evangelization office, co- believe that they have been barred Miami will speak in Spanish; and Fr. marriage out of the Church, or were sponsors for the program, the pur- from the sacraments of the Catholic Sean Mulcahny, pastor, St. Maurice divorced, or were divorced and re- pose is to create an atmosphere of Church. Church, in English. "Raising Our married away from the Catholic com- "sharing and listening, of warmth Sister Agnes Gott of the Family Children As Catholics" will be the munity." and welcome, of apology and forgive- Enrichment Center, whose apostolate subject of Fr. George Garcia, Arch- Those planning to attend the ses- ness, of healing and reconciliation." is working with the divorced and diocean Director of Religious Educa- sion should bring their lunches. Jesuit educator says 'Conf lictive unity' in Nicaragua church The Nicaraguan church is marked in the Nicaraguan case that means the by a "conflictive unity" in which revolutionary Sandinistas — make Catholics have no serious doctrinal use of Marxist elements for the disputes but disagree in their attitudes achievement of this task." to the Sandinista government, accor- These Catholics consider the ding to Father Cesar Jerez, vice presi- government communist and "their dent of the Jesuit-run Central condemnation is total and merciless," American University in Nicaragua. said Father Jerez. He also criticized U.S. aid to "This black-and-white treatment Nicaraguan guerrillas and blamed the of the Nicaraguan situation- has Nicaraguan bishops for not condem- become the position held by people, ning guerrilla violence; very high in the hierarchical structure of the Catholic Church." "With regard to Nicaragua, we have never seen an official statement Another group of Catholics says it of the bishops' conference condemn- does not want to go back to the dic- ing counter-revolutionary violence tatorship of Anastasio Somoza, who and its support by 'covert' U.S. was overthrown by the Sandinistas, operations." but must also oppose the Sandinistas because "establishment of a Marxist Father Jerez said Nicaraguan regime will bring about more evil Catholics are split into three branches than good," he said. regarding the social and political role the church should have in the These Catholics, however, spend Sandinista-ruled country. more time criticizing the government than proposing their own solutionsj^o About 90 percent of Nicaragua's the country's problems, he added. * 2.8 million people profess Catholicism, making the institutional "Another part of the Nicaraguan church a major influence in national church, in my opinion an authentic life. part of the people of God, holds the "A sizeable part of the church, position that a Christian presence BACK TO JAIL - Sergei Antonov, the Bulgarian airline official accused of even if it sincerely desires true social within the revolutionary process is complicity in the May, 1981 assassination attempt against Pope John Paul II, is change, experiences serious objec- possible," said Father Jerez, a former carried on a stretcher from his home to return to a Rome jail. <NC photo from UPD. tions when it notices that the groups Jesuit provincial for Central intent upon that social change — and America. News at a Glance Christian groups fight hunger in Africa Protect human guinea pigs—NCCB official Four global Christian organizations have appealed for $100 million in special contributions to combat hunger and the effects of prolonged drought WASHINGTON (NC) — The Senate should pass legislation to improve the in. Africa. The appeal was launched at a press conference in Geneva, protection of human research subjects, particularly unborn and newborn Switzerland, by the World Council of Churches, Catholic Relief Services, children, an official of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops said. In a Caritas International and the Lutheran World Federation. Church agencies letter to senators, Father Edward M'./Bryce, director of the U.S. bishops' Of- had already committed emergency and long-term development aid of about fice for Pro-life Activities, urged support for legislation clarifying restriction $270 million in 1984, and the new appeal asks the agencies' worldwide network on federally supported research. "A sound medical ethic recognizes that to raise $100 million more. children, who cannot give informed consent, should not be subjected to medical experimentation of any significant risk unless the procedure might IRS seeks $30,000 from preacher benefit them as individuals," the letter said. LOS ANGELES (RNS) — While California tax officials continue to decide Accused priest sues police how much the Rev. Robert Schuller's Crystal Cathedral owes them, the Inter- WILMINGTON, Del. (NC) — The attorney for Father Bernard T. Pagano, nal Revenue Service is-seeking more than $30,000 in unpaid personal income cleared of charges in 1979 in the so-called "Gentleman Bandit" Robberies, taxes from the television preacher. The Los Angeles Times reported that the told a jury that Delaware State Police ignored evidence "slapping them across IRS has sent Dr. Schuller and his wife a notice of deficiency of $10,680 in taxes the face" that the priest was not guilty.