Archbilhop'1 Interview 11 permanent delCOIII Ukrainian priests Thi ful tut of hll lnllr.-tew on Thi C.thoilc ordained by archbilhop and national identity Hour II In I tpeclll.. pull-out IICtiorl l'1111 •• Paii11 , ... 10 51 PAGES 25 CENTS Now and in the future A different Church in third millenium By Patricia Hillyer Register Staff The Church as it enters the third Christian millen­ ium will be a much different Church, Sister Clare Fitzgerald told the annual archdiocesan priests' conven­ tion, held in Keystone May 4-7. "What we have known is dying," the School Sister of Notre Dame from Boston told the 115 priests. "We must be pallbearers of the old and midwife to the new Church." A May crowning Michael O'Mtar1/DCR Photo Shifts Cara Marranzlno places a crown of flowers on a class at Most Precious Blood Parish in Denver, which Her principal message involved the shifts or statue of the Virgin Mary as Nicholas Rudden looks honored Mary at a May crowning ceremony May 7. changes that are currently enveloping society and the on. The two are members of the pre-kindergarten Church. She said that shifts have occurred throughout the history of civilization, but that it is the phenomenon of this time that all four basic institutions - govern­ ment, Church, education and family - have suffered shifts at the same time. "The rug was pulled out from under us ... all of our security is gone," she said. "What was once clear be­ Great extremes in Church came unclear and all of us, including the Church, are in the state of confusion." .. She continued, "There is now a change of per­ make teaching difficult Continued on page 3 TEMPE, Ariz. (NC) - It is no wonder catechists tions need to be raised. Self-doubt priests' have a hard time determining what to emphasize when Other problems arise because of the Church's there are such great extremes within the Church they changing geographic profile, with more influence from teach about, Bishop Raymond Lucker of New U1m South and Central America and other non-European na­ 'greatest affliction' Minn. , told the National Conference of Diocesan Direc~ tions, he said. By Patricia Hillyer tors of Religious Education, which met in Tempe April Although for hundreds of years Catholicism was Register Staff 26-30. rooted in European culture and tradition, ''we are at "Self-doubt is the greatest affliction of priests ... It Bishop Lucker told about 350 at the meeting that the beginning of a truly world Church," he said. "It will is at the root of every sin ... It is a serious addiction," a ~ontrasts within the Catholic Church on a wide range of never be a 'European' Church again. It will never bE: a priest-psychologist told the annual archdiocesan priests' issues make teaching difficult. Church dominated by just one philosophy." convention held May 4-7 in Keystone. During the Second Vatican Council at least two clear theologies were present, Bishop Lucker said. Bishop Lucker, episcopal adviser to the religious "The greatest gift we can give to anyone is our educators' conference, told his audience that "as own self-esteem," said the speaker, Msgr. Andrew Those differences of opinion made their way into the final documents, creating some apparently conflicting catechists we need to be aware of these developments. Cusack, who is also Vicar for Clergy and Religious of We have to be at the forefront of articulating to the the Diocese of Bridgeport. He is pastor also of a 3,000- and ambiguous positions. Cons~ue~tly, religious educators today find great people in leadership - particularly the bishops - some family parish. of the important things going on." A towering man with an elfish grin, Msgr. Cusack d1screpanc1es m the range of theologies. "On one hand, some people are strongly speaking During business sessions the group elected its first in his talks wove his way through the physiology and woman president, Jean Marie Weber of the Archdiocese spirituality of priestly life today. of the Church as 'the people of God,' and on the other hand they talk about the Church hierarchical struc­ of M!lwaukee. Also elected were Matt Hayes , 'Right to speak' tures," Bishop Lucker said. "No wonder we're going Archdiocese of Indianapolis, vice president; John Meyer, Phoenix, treasurer ; Mercy Sister Jeanne Marie "Only if we've been to Calvary successfully through chaos. We shouldn't be surprised that there are tensions.'' Kienast, Charlotte, N.C., secretary. ourselves do we have the right to speak to others about spirituality," he told the priests. "Without pain there is Some factions say "we are an eternal Church" Franciscan Father Berard Marthaler, editor of The no love story. Celibacy is painful because it is a love while othe.rs say "we are a historical Church," Bishop Living Light_. a journal for religious educat-0rs, was Lucker said. He said there are those who believe the honored durmg the meeting for his contributions to story." Interlaced throughout his talks were numerous Church has all the answers and those who think ques- catechetics. Continued on page 5 The "Ye hav, Archbishop's C~lumn peoJ sair Male and ferr,ale He created them or v There are indications that Catholics don't know chapters Genesis, ''beginning," female He created them" (1 :27) and to acknowledge be ( of to the to the theologi­ 11 what to make of their Church's teaching on human cal and psychological nuances of the primordial revel• that from the beginning'' God did this. Furthennore we need to reflect upon the emotional bonding and Peo sexuality. Many are perplexed about the Ca1tbollc pos• ation. • iUoo on birth coatrol, male/female roles, hu:sband/wife Jesus answered : "Have you not read that he who reproductive wonders that .result from that creation and spn roles, premarital strictures, divorce, remaniage - the made them from the beginning made them male and finally to recall the experience of our o,rn sexuality in particulars go on and on. Typically, the)/ focus on the total context of Christ's words. Such reflection will female I and said I 'For this reason a man shall leave his Stal particular conflicts which pit the Church ag,ainst them father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two lessen the confusion people often feel ab<1ut their sexual and their sexual views. shall become one flesh ?' So they are no longer two but identity, but lt will never relieve the anxiety we feel the1 Many y1ears ago , one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let over our inability "to be in control" 01f our sexuahtv some men came to Jesus not man put asunder." (Mt. 19: ~ l since we live in that time when we havie come ''to th~ for' about a particular prob­ The last sentence clearly makes this teaching on knowledge of good and evil." (Gen. 3:7) lem they bad in dealing the unity and indissolubility of marriage normative for Basically, the biblical account is cialling us to rt-­ hoU with male/female re• Christians. fled on our experiences of seJUality (Hom. 8:23 ) and lations. They asked : "Is it The text and context of this passage teach the on the religious dimension of these ex1periences. (Mt Sis1 lawful to divorce one's following: There was a state of innocence in the begin• 19: U ) We need to go beyond the 01~dinary wa} of wife for anJ cause?" ning for man. This did not last. He fell into sin, but be responding to our sexuality whereby w1e tend to focus Fit: Jesus demandi!d that t.hey is not left without hope. We can be assured that hostili­ on particular crises. extend their horizons ; ty between the Evil One and man will result in the Jesus calls us to a religious interpretation of the the sexuality needs to be per­ bruising of the serpent's bead. (Gen. 3:15 ) Because common and unique human experience of masculinity ceived as an integral part fallen man lives with the promise and in the light of a and femininity; this is how it was "from the beginning" con of what it means to be redeemer, those, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even as we continue to "groan in wai1ting for the re­ human. He encouraged groan Inwardly as they wait for the redemption of their demption of our bodies." As followers of Christ, we no them to ask why man was bodies. (Rom. 8:23) It is significant that Genesis does longer compartmentalize our sexuality because Jesus created masculine and feminine in his ori1gins and to not speak of man's likeness to the rest of creation, but teaches its integration into our whole person Hurmn acknowledge the rich complexity of human sexuality. only to God. "God created man in his own image in the sexuality 1s not simply what we do bujt what and who He called on them to consider U1e religious image of God be created him '' (Gen 1• 27) we are For "Male and female He created them · dimension of what it means to be masculine and fem i· So bow do we respond to sexual crises' We need lo +J. 1Fr&.Dcis Stafford nine. Abruptly, he referred them to th1? first four rediscover the meaning of the Genesis text, "Male and ArcbMsbop of Oeo\ rr Catholic Three priests appointed Archbishop J. Francis Stafford has announced the appointment of Father Communications Daniel J. Flaherty as the new pastor of Spirit of Peace Parish, Longmont, Collection effective July 1 for a period of six years.