Date: Wed, 24 Dec 1997 12:23:22 -1000
From: ramsey@math.hawaii.edu (Tom Ramsey)
Subject: HAWAII DEC 23

	An Op-Ed Piece By Honolulu's
       Roman Catholic Bishop DiLorenzo

    Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Friday, Dec. 19

The Op-Ed includes the following paragraph:

"Even the bedrock institution of marriage,
so basic and crucial for community's health
and well-being, is not safe from redefinition
and devaluation anymore."

Later there is a reference to "We stand in
defense of ... marriage and family, ....".

A WEB site which archives many articles on same-
gender marriage is http://www.starbulletin.com


			Best Regards,

			Tom Ramsey


     Catholics must spread message
	   in halls of power

View Point by Francis X. DiLorenzo

Subtitle:  Church members should be good
citizens by advocating Catholic social
beliefs in the marketplace and corridors
of government

It has been a little more than four years
since I arrived in Hawaii to be administrator,
and then bishop, of this diocese.

   I had never been here before then.  My knowledge
of these islands had only been culled from books,
magazines, movies, and, of course, the heroic
legacy of Father Damien.  [note by TR:  Father
Damien was a Belgian priest who served the leper
colony on Molokai, and eventually contracted leprosy
from which he died.  A statue of Father Damien graces
an entrance to the State Capitol, and a remarkable
one-man play of Damien's life has been broadcast by
public television nationally.]

   I came, quite frankly, as an obedient servant of my
church, uncertain and apprehensive  about my ability
to be chief shepherd of this distant (for me) Catholic
community.

   But the people of Hawaii greeted me with the aloha
spirit long before I knew what aloha really meant.
Catholics and non-Catholics welcomed me to my new home
with a wonderful warmth and charm.

   As an "outsider," it took time to learn about and 
appreciate the numerous cultures, customs and styles
in Hawaii.  And I realize that I have only touched the
surface of the rich traditions and blessings here.

   Who cannot be amazed at Hawaii's sparkling oceans and
lush landscape?  Even more beautiful is the rainbow of
faces representing the blend of ethnic richness.  The
sensitivity and respect which most people extend to each
other, even in conflict, serves as a model for the rest
of the nation.  The tenderness and care for family,
children, and the elderly are genuine and moving.

   But there is also another side of paradise, a contradictory
side, which is the source of great personal pain.

   Hawaii was the first state to legalize abortion.  Domestic
violence is on the rise.  Record-level unemployment is
causing real hardship.

   The issue of injustice against the Hawaiian people remains
unsolved as our native people find themselves among the
most disadvantaged in their own land.

   Even the bedrock institution of marriage, so basic and
crucial for our community's health and well-being, is not
safe from redefinition and devaluation anymore.

   In recent months an increasing amount of attention has been
directed toward the economic future of our state.  No longer
are we hiding the fact that Hawaii's economy is in bad shape.

   The bad economy affects jobs, education, families, immigrants,
charities, the poor---everyone.

   As a church with the largest network of private social services
in the state, we have been seeing the effects of the struggle
for years.  We serve all people, regardless of creed, and people
have been knocking on our doors in record numbers.

   Our Catholic community has an unmatched record of social service
in this state, from food banks to housing, from education to
health care, from foster care to job counseling, and everything
in between.

   We stand in defense of the poor and the immigrant, of marriage and
family, of those violated in the womb and in the home.  We back our
talk with action.  The Gospel compels us to do so and we will
continue to do so.

   I believe that our state is at an important juncture in its history.
Reform is needed because lives are unraveling.  But reform must
be based on human dignity and the common good of the entire community.

   It must be principle-based.  Otherwise, reform will be dictated
by greed and self-interest.

   This leads me to my final challenge.  We are privileged to live in
a democracy, where everyone's voice has an equal vote.

   Catholics have a serious obligation to bring to our democratic table
voices of justice and truth, honesty and dignity, solidarity and
integrity.  And it is critical that we do this now, as competing
forces attempt to form the future of our state.

   There are those who would tell us that religious beliefs have no
place in the exercise of citizenship.  They may even have convinced
many of us of that notion.

   But they are wrong.  It is precisely because of our religious beliefs
that we must advocate for justice, for human dignity and the good of
the community.

   I call on all Catholics to exercise their democratic duties.  Take
the principles of Catholic social teaching into the marketplace and
into the Capitol.

   Hold accountable your elected officials, business leaders, educators,
and, yes, your religious leaders.

   They need to hear from us---all of us.

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