Bishop: Church belongs to everyone By Ana Rodriguez-Soto now may aspire to join religious orders Voice News Editor and be ordained as priests, which was To treat blacks and members of not the case as recently as 100 years 'The Catholic Church is not other minority groups as second-class ago — Bishop Moore said "racism a white man's church. Cath- Catholics is to deny the very nature of still exists in the Church and you hear the Church, says a black bishop who horror stories from time to time." olic means universal... The visited Miami last weekend. He challenged white Catholics, who Church does not belong to "The Catholic Church is not a white are in the majority, "to be open to us any particular ethnic man's church," said Auxiliary Bishop ... and welcome us," along with group...' Emerson J. Moore of New York, one Hispanics and others of different of only 10 black Catholic bishops in cultures, because "Christ died for all the United States. "Catholic means people." universal... The Church does not He also urged black Catholics to put belong to any particular ethnic group, their "tremendous gifts" at the service you become a Catholic ... We can as has been so long assumed in this of the Church. make the Church a better place." country." "To be black and Catholic is a good Bishop Moore's visit to Miami was While acknowledging that much thing," Bishop Moore said. "You sponsored by Catholic Community progress has been made in combatting don't have to negate your back- Services as part of the annual celebra- ground, culture, tradition — when Bishop Emerson Moore racism within the Church — blacks (Continued on page 9 ) of New York Vol. XXXII No. 29 Catholic Archdiocese of Miami Price 25$ Friday, February 7,1986 INDIA TRIP Pope reaches out to non-Christians CALCUTTA, India (NC) — Pope He talked little about internal John Paul II spent the first four days church issues. Instead, his sermons of his Feb. 1-10 trip to India trying to and speeches were marked by praise build a bridge to the country's for India's rich spiritual traditions. predominantly Hindu culture and The pope repeatedly described all history. Indians — and himself — as "pilgrims During Masses in the urban centers of the Absolute." He said he had come of New Delhi and Calcutta and in to "listen and learn" from their ex- visits to tribal regions of Ranchi and perience. Shillong, the pope framed Christiani- He quoted from sacred Hindu texts ty's message in terms with which the and cited several of India's best- average Indian could identify. known writers in making his points about the religious meaning of life. In ABCD: Whygive?- a visit to the funeral monument of Mahatma Gandhi, he - honored the 6 Special country's most esteemed modern social philosopher. Section, The tone of the trip reflected the Pages 1A-4A pope's personal desire to better under- stand India, a papal secretary said. All during January, the pope had sessions i*A priest's journey, Pg.14^ at the Vatican with scholars of Hin- duism and "spent a lot of time reading for this," he said. Excellence High— In his public talks, the pope men- tioned none of the controversial issues 'Hi, Granpa!' Gibbons that have marked church-state rela- Steven Senatis greets Jack DePaoli at Villa Maria nursing home as is 25 tions in recent years, such as birth con- trol and the freedom of missionaries to part of the "Adopt-a-Grandparent" program in which 22 other St. Page 13 James 8th graders participated. Mr. DePaoli is the father of Arch- seek converts. bishop Ambrose DePaoli, Pro-Nuncio to Sri Lanka, and formerly of In the official text of one speech, in Miami. (Voice Photo/Betsy Kennedy) (Continued on page 3) REPRESSION EASING Bishops, Castro start talking • Local reaction, Pg. 11 American states, the replicas in 1984 as Karl Marx's view off religion — that it Jose Felipe Carneado, the Cuban First of three parts part of a series of celebrations leading was an anachronism, a vestige of pre- Communist Party's chief representtive By Steve Taylor to the commemoration in 1992 of 500 socialist civilization that would dis- to religious groups, said that at the HAVANA, Cuba (NC) — The large years of Christian evangelism in the appear in time. time of the abortive invasion of Cuba wooden cross, draped in red velvet, region. To hasten that day, the government at the Bay of Pigs in 1962, "churches was wheeled into Havana's Church of Catholics and Protestants in Cuba, censored church newspapers, were centers of counterrevolution. The Passionist Fathers at the begin- pressured by Communist rule, might magazines and other publications and Catholic youths worked for the CIA." ning of Sunday Vespers. Singing have wondered if their faith would forced parochial school students to at- For more than 20 years, church- religious songs, about 100 of the 600 survive as long as 1992. In 1985, how- tend state schools along with all other state relations were hostile. Many worshipers followed the cross and the ever, President Fidel Castro began Cuban youth. Many regular church- outspoken Catholics and Protestants parish priests in a procession that face-to-face meetings with church goers found it more diffiult to gain were jailed, and thousands of others wound from the church to a courtyard leaders, including Archbishop Jaime admission to colleges or to advance in left Cuba for the United- States and and back to the altar. Ortega of Havana, to discuss ending their jobs. other countries. Many of those re- For a week, the church was home of antagonisms which have threatened This discrimination and repression maining drifted away from their faith the Centennial Cross, a copy of the Cuban Christianity ever since the 1959 was necessary, the government said, and attendance at religious services cross Christopher Columbus planted revolution. because Christians, including clergy, declined. in the New World in 1492. Pope John When Castro's Communists took sometimes took active roles against the The Catholic Almanac says that Paull II gave Cuba, and other Latin over the island-nation they brought new regime. (Continued on page 11) Religious leaders battle gambling industry ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (RNS) — The lure of Both the archbishop and Mr. Swaggart, whose head- family life." legalized gambling is spreading. quarters are in Baton Rouge, condemned casinos as In Florida, opposition forces, including the Three states — Florida, Louisiana and West evil. Florida Bishops and other representatives of the Virginia — have become battlegrounds over its "We are totally and unequivocally opposed to it religious community, girded to mount a new anti- legalization. In all three states, religious leaders have in 3II shapes, forms and fashions," said Mr. Swag- gambling drive. joined the opposition to legalizing casino gambling. gart. "I like the governor and always have and — in Gov. Bob Graham, a staunch foe of casino gam- Denunciation of the movement is specially strong spite of what some people think — he has the good bling, resurrected an organization called No Casinos in Louisiana, where the unlikely duo of TV evangelist of the people of Louisiana at heart. He's dead Inc., which won its fight in 1978. Jimmy Swaggart and Roman Catholic Archbishop wrong on this issue." In West Viriginia, Gov. Arch Moore said he Philip M. Hannan of New Orleans have joined Said Archbishop Hannan: "Casino gambling, we would sign legislation to authorize casinos in his forces to oppose the move to legalize gambling. fear, will have a particularly detrimental effect on economically depressed state. U.S. education secretary extols High court approves gov't. aid Catholic schools for 'character' to blind religion student WASHINGTON (NC) — The advantage of WASHINGTON (NC) — The U.S. Supreme Catholic schools is their clearly defined character Court ruled 9-0 that a state may provide educational that frees them to instill moral values, U.S. Educa- aid for the handicapped to a religious ministry tion Secretary William J. Bennett said a Catholic student without violating the Constitution's separa^ who describes himself as "a partial product of tion of church and state. Justice Thurgood Catholic education" because he attended Catholic Marshall, writing the court's decision in the case, elementary and high schools, Bennett has often said it was "inappropriate" to view government aid stressed the need for teaching moral values and for that might ultimately flow to the church-run school what he calls the "three Cs" — content, character as an action by the state to sponsor or subsidize and choice. In an interview with National Catholic religion. The dispute arose when Larry Witters, a News Service in conjunction with Catholic Schools blind student, was denied the right to use state Week, Bennett said Catholic schools can be educational funds for the handicapped to attend the unambiguous about their goals of instilling moral Inland Empire School of the Bible in Spokane, values, "and that provides an advantage." Wash. Washington state officials argued that allow- ing Witters to use public funds for his ministerial training would violate the First Amendment church- Conflict erupts at Georgetown state separation clause. The Washington State Supreme Court upheld the denial of funds to over homosexual — lesbian dance Witters, but the U.S. Supreme Court's action over- WASHINGTON (NC) — The long smoldering turned that state court ruling. conflict between a campus homosexual rights group and Georgetown University administrators re- emerged in January when the university refused a Running start request to provide space for a homosexual-lesbian Mother Teresa lauded by Actors Robert Wagner and Jimmy dance.