Volume 26, Number 1 April 2004
Getting Around
Saginaw bishop mourned
The death of Saginaw, Mich., Bishop Kenneth Untener on March 20 came as a painful blow to many Call To Action members. During his 24 years as bishop, Untener embodied, as only a few other bishops have, in his words, his leadership and his pastoral approach, the ideals of Vatican II. He gave the entire U.S. church a glimpse of what sincere reform at the top might look like. Rosemary Moon, head of CTA Saginaw, said she found Untener “available, always personable, usually in shirtsleeves and leaning back in his chair. And anytime I met him, he always said, ‘Thanks for what you are doing.’” May he rest in peace.
Jeannine Gramick documentary film has debut
In Good Conscience: Sister Jeannine Gramick’s Journey of Faith is coming to a festival near you! The just-completed documentary is premiering April 25 at the Turin International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in Italy, May 22 at the Inside/Out Toronto Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, and in July at the Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. The film tells the story of Sister Jeannine Gramick’s battle with the Vatican over her compassionate and innovative ministry to gay and lesbian Catholics. Oscar-winning filmmaker Barbara Kopple calls In Good Conscience “brilliant…courageous…fabulous storytelling…the most insightful film so far about the Catholic Church. “ Emmy winning filmmaker Barbara Rick is the daughter of Joan and Don Rick of CTA New Jersey. Some sources of funding so far include Ellen DeGeneres, Susan Sarandon, The Andrew Goodman Foundation, and CTA members. To make a contribution to help marketing, or to arrange local screenings, call Out of The Blue Films: 212 477-2211. info@outofthebluefilms.com
Cardinal calls for Vatican III
A senior curial official in Rome, Japanese Cardinal Stephen Fumio Hamao, has called for a new church council “to discuss the need for greater autonomy for the local churches.” Hamao cited complaints about liturgical translations: “No one knows Japanese here, but before being used, a text in this language must be evaluated by the Roman Curia,” he said. Forty bishops are calling for a third Vatican Council.
Indian cardinal tells Rome to decentralize
In his diocesan magazine, Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil, an archbishop in Kerala, India, said the greatest weakness of the Catholic Church is the way papal authority is exercised without the participation of those concerned. He said the Indian Church has been forced “to depend on the Roman Curia for too many matters. Canon law should be changed to decentralize the Pope’s authority.”
Belgium wants women deacons
Bishop Roger Vangheluwe of Bruges, Belgium, has asked the Vatican to open the diaconate to women. Eighty six percent of those polled in his diocese asked for women deacons. He said some Vatican officials were cool to his proposal but others encouraged him.