Programs here measure up to others,says CCD director The director of the diocesan office of the Diocesan Directors of Religious Education/CCD to dioceses have been required to be certified since respondents said their programs are intended only Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) said, assess the status of diocesan certification 1974, she noted. for parish catechists. based on the results of a national survey, the programs. The study was conducted by Fr. Eugene Almost all of the diocesan programs in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh diocese's catechetical programs Hemrick. director of research for the National • 83 percent of the responding dioceses reported Miss McCann said, make no such distinction compare favorably with other catechetical Conference of Catholic Bishops /United States that their programs consist of levels of certification. between schools and parishes. programs in other dioceses. Catholic Conference. Miss McCann said the diocese has a requirement for Among the results: ongoing revision in the programs. • 30 percent of the dioceses responding have "It s interesting to know what the requirements • 61 percent of the responding dioceses reported certification programs for catechists of and experience are elsewhere and (it is) satisfying • 78 percent of the dioceses responding have a handicapped persons. that our programs measure up," Anne McCann, catechist certification program. Throughout the having a recognition ceremony. diocesan CCD director, wrote in the May issue of nation, certification programs have been in Recognition is through the awarding of Miss McCann noted that incomplete records News and Notes," the diocesan Religious existance an average of seven years, the survey certificates at the deanery convocations in this indicate that such programs have been in existence Education/CCD Office newsletter. reported. diocese. Miss McCann said. in this diocese for at least 15 years. One hundred and fifty-three dioceses (or about 78 In the Pittsburgh diocese, certification for CCD • 75 percent of the respondents said their • 25 percent of the dioceses responding reported percent of the nation's 172 dioceses) responded to a catechists has been available and promoted for 30 diocesan catechist programs serve both CCD and having biiinguai/multi-lingual programs. survey commissioned by the National Conference of years, while Catholic school catechists in the Catholic school programs, while 16 percent of the (Continued on page 5) Established in 1844: America's Oldest Catholic Newsp„ycr in Lontinuous Publication Bishops help Pope d e c i d e Collegiality, courage noted in decision on trip VATICAN CITY (NC) — After consulting with Council and English Archbishop Derek Worlock of Argentine and British bishops and issuing another Liverpool and Scottish Archbishop Thomas Winning call for peace in the South Atlantic, Pope John Paul of Glasgow, who had been in Rome since May 18 to II did not change his plans to visit Britain May 28- encourage the pope to make the trip. Junc 2, despite the continuing hostilities between Argentina and Britain. The courage is being equally assigned by close observers to the British churchmen, the Latin Insiders p rivy to m any of the discussions which led American prelates and the pope. to the pope's decision to go ahead with the trip said the decision was a victory for coilegiality and for TH E BRITISH are give credit for emphasizing to courage. the pope and the Latin Americans how much the trip means to their people. The Latin Americans are IT WAS O N LY after bringing together Argentine given credit for their willingness to explain the and British* cardinals for a public Mass for peace decision to their countrymen. The pope is given May 22 and two days of intense discussions that the credit for having seemingly reversed his course, not pope made up ais mind, the sources said. on whether he wanted to go to Britain, for all along he The Argentine cardinals who participated in the strongly has, but on whether he could go given the Mass were Cardinal Eduardo Pironio, prefect of the heavy fighting. Vatican Congregation for Religious: Cardinal Raul (In Argentina, however, the Vatican Primatesta of Cordoba and Cardinal Juan Carlos announcement drew quick criticism. The trip was Aramburu of Buenos Aires. called a "grave error" by Jorge Fraga, a former Joining them were English Cardinal George Basil minister of social action and a retired rear admiral. Pentecost sculpture Hume of Westminster and Scottish Cardinal Gordon The view was echoed by newspapers and political Pentecost Sunday, which falls May 30, is symbolized Gray of St. Andrews and Edinburgh. leaders. was made possible through a gift of the Vincenzo in this original bronze sculpture designed by artist Rossetti family and a special donation by the Guild Others who concelebrated the Mass with the pope (Raui Matera, spokesman for the Peronist party, Nick Parrendo and located at Christ the King Church and Christian Mothers of the parish. were Archbishop Alfonso Lopez Trujillo of Medellin, in Ambridge. The work of art symbolizes the dove and — Photo by John C. Keenan Colombia, president of the Latin American Bishops' (Continued on page 2) flames that lake on shapes of letters to form words suggesting the fruits of the Holy Spirit. The sculpture Liberty is best defense against Soviets, say speakers ARLINGTON, Va. (NC) — A , tives and multinational corpora­ together. The churches already former secretary of defense and a tions and his criticism of previous operate in an institutional Catholic public policy analyst and U.S. efforts to get authoritarian framework with offices, lists and author told participants at a two-day governments to improve their typewriters," he said. conference on religion and politics numan rights records. that liberty may be the United Many of the discussions at the He warned, however, that States' best defense against a Soviet conference centered on relations churches should not get away from threat. with the Soviet Union and the their original purpose as a result of morality of nuclear weaponry. their political involvements. "We must note confusion in the churches "The Soviet empire is rotting," about public policy," he added. said Michael Novak, a Catholic Schlesinger mentioned the tension "The churches have a role to play in author who is resident scholar at the that has developed between the public policy but they also have American Enterprise Institute for United States and Europe since the another role to play — in religion." Public Policy Research in establishment of the North Atlantic Washington. "Their greatest threat Tre a ty Organization (N A T O ) in Lefever talked of the morality of is not arm s. It is the inspired 1952. He likened the situation to the terrorism . yearning for liberty in the human fall of the Rom an E m p ire as described by St. Augustine: "The breast." "TERRORISM is an old weapon, sack of Rome was the result of inner vivid and instant." he said, "it is decay." directed against innocent people, "Liberty, historically, has had a not the enemy." very fragile growth," added James "Europe no longer believes that R. Schlesinger. secretary of defense the United States can save it." He also said that terrorism is in the Ford administration. "The Schlesinger said. supported by the media because preservation of liberty should be the "the media loves violence." foundation goal of our foreign and NOVAK, WHO has served as U.S. public policy." representative to the U.N. Human He also said he believes the Rights Commission, said that "the recent, thwarted attacks on Pope Soviet em pire is an em pire of lies." GUEST SPEAKERS at the two- John Paul II "could only have been day conference in a Washington carried out by an international "Writers, artists and churchmen suburb discussed "The Responsible network of terrorism. " have a great opportunity to conquer Use of American Power." The those lies, " he told the 100 educators, Lefever emphasized that conference was the second journalists and church members of terrorism is not a new phenomenon sponsored by the Ethics and Public all faiths at the conference. and was even suggested by Top debaters Policy Center, a politically right-of- Abraham Lincoln as a device if ail center organization founded by Novak also said the churches are I The debate teams at St. Germaine School, Bethel other attempts to overthrow a tyrant while the team of J.P. Landy (seated) and Steve Ernest Lefever, whose nomination weil equipped to aid in forming fail. Lefever said the United States I Park, placed first and second at the Southwest Dituner (standing) took second. Coach for the teams to be assistant secretary of state for public policy. "The 'left' goes to has developed the best policy Pennsylvania Speech League debate finals held is Barbara Paranzino. Other standings were: St. human rights was dropped by the church as never before," he said. against terrorism. "What the United recently at St. Elizabeth School, Pleasant Hills. The Louise Affirmative I, third place; St. Germaine Reagan administration amidst "The peace movement has sprung States is doing is that it won't yield," ; Affirmative I team of Filomena Pepecino (seated) Negative I, fourth place; St. Germaine Negative II, controversy over Lefever's alleged up in the last few years with books, j and Tess Sterling (standing, right) won first place, he said. "The U.S. will not capitulate fifth place; and St. Louise, Negative I, sixth place. associations with ultra-conserva- lists, and mass efforts to join people to terrorist demands." More Americans than Europeans believe in God, survey reveals W ASHINGTON (NC) — More people in the United which included hour-long face-to-face interviews Northern Ireland (7.49) and Italy (6.96). The lowest absolute guidelines. In Europe, only 26 percent States and Ireland — 95 percent — believe in God with a scientifically selected sample of at least 1,200 were D enm ark (4.47) and Sweden (3.99).