GROUNDS FOR HOPE:
Egan, John J.
The dilemma in all of this for the rest of us is that it did not expunge the "high crimes and misdemeanors" on is absolutely vital that an accord be reached in the arms which they are to pass...
...and the needs of their people, while keeping a healthy JOHN J. EGAN and respectful tension with the National Conference of (Msgr...
...Despite initial caution and outright opposition in It was during the tragic week in April, 1968 when Dr...
...ference of Catholic Bishops has yet to meet with Father Yet, it was precisely at this time that one of the most Reid Mayo, the elected president of NFPC, and Father courageous ventures in the American Church was Mayo has not been given "faculties" in the Archdiocese launched...
...This made them no dif- For I ask you, what else is a priest but an announcer ferent from those preceding them as NFPC delegates of Good News, a celebrator of life, a man who recogat former conventions...
...The delegates were prob- The convention had many moments which will not ably more representative of the total clergy of the coun- be forgotten: the affectionate embrace by Cesar Chavez try, but still demonstrated their sense of realism as well of Msgr...
...to mainReligious, Serra International, and the director of the tain and further constructive collaborative efforts with National Catholic Rural Life Conference...
...It was the NFPC strengthen each other...
...There is a new feeling of self-worth among the Farm Workers . . . the inspiring words of Father clergy which has been gradually emerging after the past Vincent Dwyer, the Trappist, who pleaded with the difficult decade...
...It manifested the growing involvement of the on Priestly Life and Ministry...
...Delegates welcomed also the message of Archbishop It works, and the accomplishments the NFPC listed Jean Jadot, the Apostolic Delegate to the U.S., not so at the seventh annual meeting are testimony to how well much for its substance as for its generous and open tone it works...
...for the priests themselves to have done it...
...Yet the senates in in detail the turbulence abroad in the Church in 1968, some of the largest archdioceses in the U.S.-e.g...
...Several bishops all other organizations...
...to make Canon Law Society, the Leadership Conference of collegiality a reality in their work with sisters' councils, Women Religious, the National Assembly of Women their bishops and diocesan pastoral councils...
...Invited attendees included the presidents of the blacks, the Indians and the Farm Workers...
...not been substantially altered since...
...One would hope our U.S...
...They set up a welcome and supportive appreciation from the Archstructure for a national organization of priests which has bishop of San Francisco, Joseph McGucken...
...George Higgins of the USCC, one of the as their experience as they approached the problems of fiercest and most able of the defenders of the rights of the Church...
...to strengthen with better prowere in attendance, and particularly welcome was the grams the provincial councils of priests...
...The San Francisco convention once the vacancy left open in January, 1973, by the resignaagain demonstrated that the priests of the U.S...
...are well tion of Frank Bonnike...
...Without a U.S...
...Whether a MIRV ac- for there is no indication that Russia is of a mind to cord, solid and duly documented, helped save Nixon's match with concessions of its own those into which the political skin is a question apart...
...This year's theme, "Priests/USA-A Reason for of priests intelligently grappling with crucial issues in Hope," was an appropriate one for today, and sym- the American Church and society is, indeed, a sign of bolically linked the 1974 meeting to the organization's hope., beginnings...
...Can think, is probably the most hopeful thing around...
...David O'Brien not under the total control of the hierarchy to be some- of Holy Cross College, summed up the efforts of the how subversive and disloyal...
...advocate, Father Eugene Boyle of the Archdiocese of The average age of the delegates (48 years) was San Francisco...
...higher this year than in 1968...
...In his lengthy report on the able to conduct their affairs in a professional manner State of the Federation, he enumerated the successful with a tight agenda and parliamentary law observed, efforts of the past year, then set out a worthy and farwith an evidenced respect for the opinions of each dele- reaching list of unfinished business for the several comgate, with all sessions public and debate and discus- mittees of the Federation and the priests' senates to sion without timidity or rancor...
...The dilemma in all of this for the rest of us is that it did not expunge the "high crimes and misdemeanors" on is absolutely vital that an accord be reached in the arms which they are to pass judgment...
...priests these four days when he concluded his scholarly Can NFPC be true to its original purposes of improv- address: "We, laity, clergy, religious, together, trying to ing communications among priests from all over the learn not only how to find signs of hope, but learning country and giving them a representative voice in mat- from one another how to be signs of hope-that, I ters of concern to the Church and to the nation...
...But back in 1968, the idea of a nizes the beginnings of hope and who helps nurture "priests' organization" was so new that persons who that initial mustard seed into the full blossom of comnever fully believed in the implications of collegiality munity...
...He asked them to conare a reason for hope if this convention is any indication...
...might be edged by Watergate vulnerability or slip Congressmen and Senators would appreciate that the into through Nixon opportunism...
...ing for the assembled delegates to hear words of warm But they had vision, integrity, hope...
...working within "the system...
...Urban Ministry, University of Notre Dame...
...This year's theme seemed incarnated country, met in San Francisco for the seventh annual in the organization itself...
...presence and supportive address of Bishop Thomas The report was, in a true sense, a theological docuGrady, episcopal chairman of the NCCB Committee ment...
...tinue to stand on the side of the disenfranchised and These delegates, unlike 1968, were no longer going work for the dignity of all Americans, particularly the it alone...
...The small, dedicated group of priests who of Chicago in which he now resides, it was most gratifybegan the NFPC had no model from which to work...
...stemming from Vatican II suspected any organization The distinguished Church historian, Dr...
...John J. Egan is a priest of the Archdiocese of Catholic Bishops...
...The priests of the USA pursue during the coming year...
...This emphasis indicated the wisdom laboration and reconciliation in their dioceses, with other of establishing a Commission on Justice and Peace national Catholic organizations, and with the rest of within the Federation, headed by long-time social action the Church in the U.S...
...It was obvious that the Federation in the suffering of peoples and in the colpriests had come into their own as a professional group, laborative efforts to assist in the resolution of questions and they were now striving to be facilitators of col- affecting the poor...
...diplomatic posture and some generous flexibility in pact soon-one that is mutually restricting and unadul- nuclear arms negotiations is not necessarily the worst of terated in any way-the arms race will have settled onto possibilities...
...Maybe sometimes, but not in this instance, the most frightening plateaus...
...several dioceses, the hierarchy of the United States has Martin Luther King, Jr., was killed that the National given constant encouragement and support to the NFPC, Federation of Priests' Councils was established in a motel primarily through the responsibility and the trust afnear Chicago's O'Hare airport...
...Church Personnel Administrators, and did the pioneer John Cardinal Carberry of St...
...Commonweal: 125...
...00000000*00000 PRIESTS' COUNCILS GROUNDS FOR MOPS During the week of March 18, some 300 delegates, it was good to see that the original spirit of sensitive representing 130 councils of priests throughout the concern prevailed...
...in peace education-the World Without War edge and talents, to think and work together and to program, and amnesty education...
...Few of us can remember forded individual senates of priests...
...Philabut we know it was a time of deep concern, doubt, delphia, St...
...These are questions which will test Chicago and chairman of the Catholic Committee on NFPC leadership as the organization grows and matures...
...vasive frustration and unfulfilled promises in both the While the present president of the National ConChurch and in the world...
...Those "proAs someone who attended the first NFPC convention, fessional outside organizers" must have been as elusive 12 April 1974: 124 as the party erasing the Watergate tapes, for nobody Father Mayo, of Burlington, Vt., was elected by acever saw them, talked to them, sought or received any clamation to his first full term as president (he filled advice from them...
...priests to carry home a message of affirmation and While their dialogue and debate on resolutions con- support for their fellow clergy . . . the standing ovacerning many national issues was intense-amnesty, tion given Chavez as he concluded his remarks by sayministry to homosexuals, disarmament, religious edu- ing, "From the anguish of growing pains and from the cation, etc.-these were not men bent on being destruc- confusion of turbulent change, the Catholic priest is tive of the unity of the Church...
...They are dedicated to emerging ever more as a leader of men, a man of God...
...In a country searching for convention of the National Federation of Priests' Coun- honesty, truth and leadership, a growing organization cils...
...Louis, Chicago-are not yet affiliated with growing polarization, broken dreams-a time of per- the NFPC...
...Louis once told me work on continuing education programs for the clergy, that the NFPC must have been put together by profesthe selection of bishops, and research into new areas of sional outside organizers for it was too well structured ministry...
...The prospects are negsigning of a paper in Moscow, however much welcomed, ative, and can only remain so until Nixon is gone...
...They included efforts with the disenfranchised as he congratulated the priests for their efforts in be-in prison reform, with the Farm Workers, the Farah half of the total Church and their work to "pool knowlstrikers...
...the NFPC maintain a vigorous program which at the The National Federation of Priests' Councils and the same time serves the interests of the American clergy priest-delegates in San Francisco were signs of hope...
...It was the first time that an that established the National Catholic Coalition for Re- Apostolic Delegate had publicly recognized the existence sponsible Investments, the National Association of of the NFPC...
...area under negotiation: the limiting of multiple inde- A last point: it might be argued that a weakened pendently targeted reentry vehicles, MIRVs...
Vol. 100 • April 1974 • No. 6
