News Scrapbook 1969-1971

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/.Ii/•?( OpinionForum Fr. Wieser Views Challenged, Supported To Opinion Forum: We the undersigned pastors of s~uls reel compelled in conscien~e to repudia le the an informative interpretation of the Council of Trent canon quoted in the letter above. - Ed) sex only weakens and makes a mockery of the institution of marriage which is the foun- dation upon which our society must rest.

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answers of Father Francis Wieser (Nov. 5, 1970), and the subsequent pleadings (Nov. 19 and Dec. 10 and 17), to the two questions posed (Nov. 5, l~O). His answers and pleadings scandalize our people. By what authority does Father Wieser presume to challenge this solemn pronouncement of the Council of Trent? : ,t has taught and now teaches that, according to the teaching of the Gospel and the apo stolic Church, the marriage bond cannot be broken by the adultery of one or other of the parties: and that ne ither party, including the innocent party who gave no cause for the adultery, can contract another marriage during the lifetime of the partner : and that he commits adultery, who having divorced the guilty wife marries another and that she commits adul- tery who, having divorced an adulterous husband , mar- ries another, let him be anathema." (sess. 24, c 7) " If anyone says Church errs when that the The answer and pleadings on the second question carry the same stigma of opposition to Catholic doctrine. For the vindication and edification of the Faith or our people, we expect this letter, conforming to your space limitation of 200 words, to be published. Msgr. John F. Gallagher Msgr. MaUhew J. Thompson Father Robert J. Erickson Fr.Bernard Michalik,OFMConv. Fr. Peter Parchem, OFM Conv. Father Roger K. Duffy, CSSp,• Msgr. William A. Bergin Father Dennis J. Barry Father John P. Cadden Msgr. George M. R.ce Father David H. Ryan, OSA Father Alphonse G. Edwards Father John Kelly, OSA Msgr. Daniel J. Ryan Father Jeremiah Murphy Father Albert De Zaeytyd Msgr. James P. O'Donoghue (The Nov. 5 reply to a ques tion expressly stated that the Church will not recognize a second marriage. The subse- quent articles presupposed the f act that the second marriage is invalid in the eyes of the Chu rch. This was never ques- tioned. The articles by Fr. Wieser specifically dealt with Catholics living in invalid marriages and their approach to the Sacraments. The Con- cilium of June, 1970, carries

Let's return to

the divine

Parent Decries Article on Sex To Opinion Forum:

teaching of the Bible _which applies to all men, First or Twentieth Century . Floyd J. Leach Corona

With

reference

to Father

Wieser 's December 17 issue on pre- marital sex, we parents must agree that premarital sex is a problem along with nar- cotics, permissive courts , permissive educational systems and now it appears perm1ss1ve theologians. As a parent of five young adults I must take issue with his general attitude toward premarital sex. It is quite clear that he has not had the task or obligation of rearing or guiding young adults toward a wholesome Christian attitude toward sex and marriage. He would not have shown such a nonchalant al- titude toward experimental sex nor would he be of the opinion that "Premarital sex has no resemblance to casual or promiscuous affairs . (for- nication) as portrayed m the Bible." Premarital sex is one and the same as the traditional for- nication spoken of in the Bible, no different in spite of how you may try to cover it over with sugar pills. In the cold hard facts of life, premarital sex is unrestrained physical (animal) desire for the opposite sex under the _thin guise of love. Father Wieser also stated, "Before entering marriage young couples should have a close personal relationship and must be assured of their personal, psychological and emotional compatibility. " Premarital sex can add nothing to assure compatibility between potential marriage partners except perhaps to point out that they are both equally selfish. In no way does premarital sex prove their love for one another, for what is called love is generally physical attraction or at best a hint of potential love. On the contrary, premarital article in the

Deacons Applaud Father Wieser

To Opinion Forum: As former students of Father Wieser 's, now deacons in the San Diego diocese, we wish to thank Father Wieser for his timely contributions which were published in The Southern Cross. is his custom, are lucidly stated, concisely formulated and cogently argued. But we are most thankful to him for his courageous initiative in pointing out the direction moral theology is now taking. Certainly the course charted is not an easy one: more than ever before it demands of the minister a profound sensi ti vi ty to the human person and not merely adherence to a law . In this we all are challenged. It is our hope that Father Wieser's articles continue to appear in The Southern Cross. We believe them to be very instructive. Additionally, they serve to stimulate much-needed discussion of important questions, moral or otherwise. And God knows how important that is. We deeply appreciate his insights, which, as Rev. Mr. Juan R. Magana Rev. Mr. Mark A. Campbell Rev . Mr. Frank Ponce Rev. Mr. Stephen Dunn Rev. Mr. Desmond Ditchfield Rev. Mr. George Gonzales Rev. Mr . Donald T. Zielins Rev. Mr. Charles Meronis Rev. Mr. David Suley Rev. Mr. William A. Springer (All of the above signees are deacons attached to parishes in the San Diego diocese; ,- Eg..)

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An~J!lif. 1

church, by the means which he ' • It is to this Week of Pr.ayer that the Chair of Unity Octave was joined. Each year a different em- phasis is given to the over-all theme of Christian Unity. This year, the stress is on the in- fluence of the Holy Spirit in effecting the unity for which Christ prayed. A small booklet "Fellowship of the Holy Spirit" which is designed to be used during this Week of Prayer is sponsored by the National Council of Church- es, the World Council of Churches and the Graymoor Ecumenical Institute and is recommended for use by the Roman Catholic Bishops' Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs. It may be obtained by writing to Week of Prayer, Graymoor, Garrison, New York 10524. Many of the parishes in our diocese use this little publication to put into effect the second Vatican Council: " ...public and private prayer for the unity of Christians, should be regarded as the soul of the whole ecumenical movement, and can rightly be called 'spiritual ecumenism.' " (Decree on Ecumenism No. 8) J.R.P. QUESTION: What volunteer agencies, like the Peace Corps and Vista, are in the Church which work in un- derdeveloped countries or in this nation's needy areas? Long before the Peace Corps and Vista were launched Catholic lay workers from church-related missions agencies have been serving in

/Please

YOUR on Church doctrine, morals, history, theology - any subject raised in matters of faith - are welcomed. Your question may be one ·that many fellow Catholics have wondered about. Questions submitted to Answer Please! are an- swered by members of the Religious Studies Depart- ment of the University of San DieJO, Msgr. John R. Portman, chairman. Questions - as short as possible please - should be addressed to, Answer Please!, The Southern Cross, Diocesan Office, Alcala Park, San Diego, 9211 0. Initials will be used in- stead of names as identi- fication. ------- America and abroad. Some of chem art: Papal Volunteers for Latin America, national secretariat at 13CY7 So. Wabash Ave., Chicago Ill., 60605. PAVLA works with Latin Americans to develop a sound, free, progressive social order. Volunteers are teachers, medical-social welfare workers, technicians. etc. Applicants are between 21 and 45 with specific skills and sound spiritual life. Most are single, but married couples are accepted. After special training they serve for three years where assigned. They live among the people with whom they work and get financial support from their salaries and supplemental volunteer funds from U.S. Catholics. On the home front, there is the Extension Society Volunteers, whose parent organization, Catholic Church Extension Society, is also at 1307 So. Wabash Ave., Chicago. Other groups include Lay Mission-Helpers Association, for home and foreign service, 1531 W. 9th Street, Lo~ Angeles, 90015; and the Catholic Lay Mission Corps,. 2309 San Antonio Street, Austin, Texas. QUE~TI0NS

29), he would introduce an eight day period of prayer for wishes." Christian Unil)'. extendi~g from the Feast of Samt Peters Chair

QUESTION:

What has happened to the week of prayer we used to call the Chair of Unity

m Rome_. January _18, to the Conversion of Sarnt Paul , January 25. This period became known as the Chair of Unity Octave. It is also known as the Church Unity Octave. The distinctive purpose of the Octave was the corporate reunion especially of the Anglican Church with the Roman Catholic Church , although the intentions for prayer also included other religious Christians and non- Christians. One of the first results was the reception of Father Wattson and a small group of Anglican religious into the Roman Catholic Church in October 1909. (They are now known as the Franciscan Friars of th€ Atonement.) Pope Benedict XV extended the Octave to the whole Church on February 25, 1916. Pope Pius XII had the name changed to the Chair of Unity Octave. Born out of a desire for cor- porate reunion in a period antedating the ecumenical movement, and formed in its most flourishing period by a theology of the Counter- Reformation, the Octave today under the influence of ecumenism has combined with the Week of Prayer for Chris- tian Unity. The Week of Prayer began in 1936 in Lyon, France under the inspiration of Father Paul Couturier . The unique aspect of Father Couturier's approach was that it was ecumenical, that is, it elicits the cooperation of all who serve Christ, the Son of God to implore God for "the u~ty which Christ wishes for his

Octave?

The origin of this week of prayer goes back to 1908 when Father Lewis Thomas Wattson, an American Episcopalian priest decided that instead of preaching a special sermon on Christian unity on the feast of Saints Peter and Paul (June J. P. WITHEROW Roofing Contractor 297-4701 1001 Morena Blvd. San Diego 1D

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