'Special Assembly' for America called by Pope
About the article
This is a digitised version of an article from The Cayman Compass's print archive. Occasionally, the digitisation process introduces transcription errors, or other problems.
See the article in its original context from November 1997.
Brought to you by
So keen was John Paul on stressing what joins, rather than separates, the Roman Catholic church in that hemisphere that the Vatican defied geography in naming the month-long synod the "Special Assembly for America," instead of for the Americas. But as the pontiff listens to the hundreds of speeches by bishops, he is hearing a lot of long-standing issues that tend to divide the two continents into "them" and "us."
Among the concerns repeatedly voiced: burden of foreign debt, greed by multinational corporations and, as the bishop from Ponce, Puerto Rico, put it, the bad influence of U.S. culture on morality.
Perhaps the boldest of North-South critics so far, Bishop Ricardo Antonio Surinach Carreras linked the United States by name to what he called the "fruits of a hedonistic mentality" flourishing on his island — divorce, drug and alcohol use and an "anti-life" approach, a reference to abortion and birth control.
Other participants, like Chimbote, Peru, Bishop Luis Armando Bambaren Gastelumendi, used familiar catch-words to indict affluent North America.
The bishop, depicting his people as victims of economic globalisation benefiting the rich, denounced the "threat of an individualistic, consumeristic pseudoculture."
One after another bishop from Latin America - often backed by colleagues from the north, especially Canada - have stood up to call for the pardoning - or at least reduction - of foreign debt.
Even non-Catholics invited to address the synod underscored divisions.
A Jamaican Baptist, the Rev. Trevor Edwards, speaking on behalf of the Caribbean Conference of Churches, lamented that the islands' fragile economies were constantly threatened by powerful economic blocs.
Like several others, the archbishop of Campo Grande, Brazil, Vitorio Pavanello, noted, in an obvious reference to U.S. policy, that immigration laws were getting tougher.
So far, the pope hasn't commented on what the bishops are saying.
"At this point, he wants them to speak freely," said the Rev. Thomas Williams, a synod spokesman. The pontiff might well add his moral weight to the bishops' call with a statement after he studies the synod's conclusions when it ends Dec. 12. John Paul has repeatedly drawn attention to the high price poor people are paying as developing countries impose austerity measures to meet U.S. and other Western conditions for debt repayment.
Some North American bishops insisted that the differences aired aren't blocking the path toward improved unity.
"I think just the very fact that we've come together is a major step forward," said the bishop of Brownsville, Texas, Monsignor Raymundo Joseph Pena. One hopeful sign, Pena said, is close cooperation enjoyed by dioceses on both sides of the U.S.-Mexican border, like his own.
Los Angeles Cardinal Roger M. Mahony said he hoped very specific proposals would come out of the synod. "The last thing we need is a call for more studies or reflections," said Mahony after listening to another series of speeches Wednesday.
