South Texas Catholic (Corpus Christi, Tex.), Vol. 19, No. 62, Ed. 1 Friday, October 12, 1984 Page: 4 of 32
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Texas Gulf Coast Register/South Texas Catholic and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the UNT Libraries.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Columns
Viewpoint
Serrans
synonymous
with vocations
By William G. Bilton
STC executive editor
As one drives north from the San Diego-Los Angeles area to
San Francisco, high rocky cliffs drop into the sea. The ocean
surf booms and scatters foam and spray against the dark
footings of the cliffs. Quiet bays and sheltered coves and golden
beaches alternate with stony peaks thrusting boldly into the sea.
Paralleling the shore—above the cliffs—is a modern highway
still called by a centuries-old Spanish name, El Camino
Real—The Royal Highway.
The original Camino Real was the primitive road that linked
together the Franciscan missions founded by Fray Junipero
Serra. Six years before the American Revolution, in 1769, he
founded his First mission, Mission San Diego de Alcala. In the
following decade, the Franciscan priest established eight other
missions in what is now California.
In 1938, art organization w^s formed called the International
Serra Club. Taking inspiration from the missionary zeal of
Fray Junipero Serra, the members of the Serra Club devote
themselves to helping foster vocations to the diocesan
priesthood and Religious life through prayer and encourage-
ment. They meet on a regular basis, to strengthen their Chris-
tian ideals by means of mutual support.
Serra has its headquarters in Chicago, but it is international,
with members in Europe, Mexico, South America and other
parts of the world.
The Serra men of the Diocese of Corpus Christi are
dedicated men. They all have work which involves serious
responsibilities and importance Yet, they have a deep interest
in the priesthood and Religious life and in perpetuating these
lifestyles in our diocese.
Serrans give a considerable amount of time and talent and
energy to helping provide priests and Religious for today’s
Church.
In the decade of the seventies, when there was so much tur-
moil in the world—and in the Church—and so many crises of
identity, the men of Serra were notable in their loyalty to the
ideals of the priesthood and Religious life—and to the work of
promoting these vocations.
Fostering vocations is not an easy task. It is a task that takes
years and patience, good judgment and skill with people. It is
a task that takes years to awaken interest, make contact, screen,
encourage or dissuade.
Such work falls to vocation directors in Religoius com-
munities and dioceses. In our diocese, vocation director Father
Roger Smith and his counterparts in Religious communities,
can be happy they have the outstanding support of such fine
men—the Serrans.
Fray Junipero Serra sleeps far from his home in Spain,
beneath the floor of Mission San Carlos Borromeo, in Carmel,
Calif. Many of the Indians he served have vanished. But the
dreams he had remain in the litany of his California mis-
sions dreams of making even the poorest men and women bet-
ter; happier here and hereafter.
The men of Serra do honor to his memory, as they encourage
and support young men and women in their dreams to spread
the Kingdom of God and to serve their brothers and sisters in
Christ.
Te“Is Catholic © "4 TU
Official newspaper of the Diocese of Corpus Christi Published weekly Sept 1-June 1. except lor t'<r
Friday following Christmas; bi-weekly June 1 Sept I
Bishop Thomas J. Drury
Salo Otero
Publisher Emeritus
Staff Writer/Laredo
Bishop Rene H. Gracida
Mary Turner
Publisher
Administrative Assistant
William G. Bilton
Lana Laurel
Executive Editor and General Manager
Production Manager
Rachelle Parry
Tina Garcia
Staff Writer!Corpus Christi
Advertising Manager
Office Address: 1200 Lantana St
, Corpus Christi, TX 78407
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 4983, Corpus Christi, TX 78469
Second class postage paid at Corpus
Christi, TX (USPS-540-8601)
October 12,1984 • C
Yardstick
Liberation theology
By Msgr. George G. Higgins
NC News Service
Coverage in several U.S. periodicals of a re-
cent Vatican document on liberation theology
was less than satisfactory. The document, a
36-page Instruction on Certain Aspects of the
Theology of Liberation, was issued by the Con-
gregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in
September
In rare agreement, two newspapers on the
political right, The Wanderer and The Wall
Street Journal, and The Nation, a leftist
magazine, erroneously left the impression with
their readers that the Vatican had condemned
any and all forms of Latin American liberation
theology.
In fact, the instruction explicity distinguished
between various types of liberation theology and
in measured and carefully nuanced language,
criticized only those forms which “in an insuffi-
ciently careful manner’’ use certain concepts
“borrowed from various currents of Marxist
thought.’’
The Wanderer, an independent national
Catholic weekly, said the document repudiated
“the so-called theology of liberation, branded it
as a ‘perversion of the Christian message’ and in-
compatible with the Christian’s view of humani-
ty.’” Its headline, “Holy See Repudiates Marx-
ist ‘Liberation Theology’” implied that all forms
of liberation theology had been declared Marxist.
But the document didn’t say that. It did not
describe as Marxist any particular form of libera-
tion theology or any individual liberation
theology. It simply warned against certain devia-
tions, or risks of deviation, in certain unaccep-
table forms of liberation theology, specifically
those which borrow uncritically from Marxist
social analysis.
Exegeting the document through its own
ideological lens, The Wall Street Journal inform-
ed its readers that liberation theology is nothing
more than a “publicity gimmick” cooked up by
Communist politicians in Latin America “to sell
themselves in civilized world society.”
But what about those Catholics in Latin
America who promote liberation theology’? The
Journal can’t make up its mind.
It described them, on the one hand, as naive
souls who seek “Christian comfort in the utopian
dreams of Karl Marx,” but later in the same
editorial said “Ladn American liberation
theologists (sic) and their many supporters in the
American Catholic Church” are committed
Marxists determined to help establish totalitarian
Marxist governments in Latin America.
The document offers no support for that state-
ment.
Ideologically slanted journalism makes for
strange bedfellows. The Journal and the The Na-
tion never, in my memory, agreed on anything
other than the alphabet and the multiplication
table—until now.
Christopher Hitchens, a regular columnist for
The Nation and a militant agnostic, opposes
liberation theology, not because it is Marxist, but
because it is too religious. The liberation
the .ogy movement, he says, “seems to believe
that politics and religion are one and the same
thing, and seems able to garner sympathy on the
left for this sinister idea.”
Hitchens claims that the pope, speaking in-
fallibly “ex cathedra,” has decreed liberation
theology essentially wrong. And if you don’t
believe that, Hitchens concludes regarding the
current U.S. debate on religion and politics,
“then you are not a Catholic, and your argu-
ment collapses in a welter of illogic which is ugly
to see and boring to listen to.”
The pope, of course, said nothing of the kind.
Moreover, to suggest that the document was an
exercise in papal infallibility is downright silly.
Even a self-styled agnostic ought to know better.
Readers
Forum
Readers view Ferraro's
voting record differently
Sister Carol Coston, OP, of faraway Wash.
DC, tells us that while some bishops disapprove,
Jesus approves of Ms. Ferraro’s voting record.
She points to Ms. Ferraro’s votes for the hungry
and the needy, and cites For / was hungry and you
gave mefood, I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was
a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed
me. I was ill and you comforted me, in priso and you
came to visit me. (Mt. 25:35-6)
Sister Carol somehow doesn’t mention Ms.
Ferraro’s 100 percent pro-choice voting record.
This is a strange omission, for the mother who
chooses to keep her baby is feeding her hungry
and thirsty one, welcoming her little stranger,
warming and caring foe. him. But the mother
who chooses to kill her preborn baby faces (like
Ferraro and others who facilitate the killing) the
judgment of both bishops and Jesus: I assure you,
as often as you did it for one of these little ones,
you did it for me (Matthew 25:40)
Dr. Michael T. Meaney
Corpus Christi, Texas
What is a real Catholic?
In reference to Mr. Clifford L. Zarsky’s letter
(STC, Sept. 21) and his numerous letters to the
editr- - the Caller-Times’, he makes his position
on the abortion issue very clear and it is com-
mendable. It’s the same position that many of us
real Catholics have.
What is a real Catholic (Christian)? One who
follows Jesus’ way of love. One who will work
and fight for life, justice and peace at the expense
of no one else—and has no economic interests in
doing what is done.
When it comes to people, their life, justice and
peace, a real Catholic is not a Republican against
a Democrat. He punishes criminals swiftly and
firmly, but does not believe in the death penalty.
He speaks out loudly for bread and butter and
not the right to bear arms so we can protect
ourselves from the left-wing Third World. He
protests against nuclear weapons instead of pro-
fessing “strength through deterrents.’’
I believe in the Constitution of the United
States, but I do not accept the politics of this
country today. So, I have not been a Democrat
nor a Republican for 10 years. I am a Jesus disci-
ple.
From this perspective, the only issues the
Republicans have this election are the abortion
issue and school p. ayer. Politically, all other
“people” issues do not meet the criteria of the
Republican philosophy.
So, Mr. Zarsky, is you are a true Republican,
then you are not yet a real Catholic.
Vicente N. Carranza
Corpus Christi
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Bilton, William G. South Texas Catholic (Corpus Christi, Tex.), Vol. 19, No. 62, Ed. 1 Friday, October 12, 1984, newspaper, October 12, 1984; Corpus Christi, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth840897/m1/4/: accessed May 5, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .