By Marie Mulvenna

The American Catholic Church is deeply involved in preparations for celebrating the nation's 200^th birthday in 1976 with specific programs already formulated under the general heading "Liberty and Justice For All." The theme, selected by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, will be a multi-faceted approach to marking the United States' Bicentennial celebration through a national policy-setting conference in the fall of 1976, religious observances and an historical information program.

The overall program is not considered merely a nostalgic look at the past but is a process of reflection, discussion and action in which the American Catholic is asked to "speak up" in order to help formulate a definitive policy on social practice. It is, as well, a process in which Catholics throughout the country will be asked to reflect on where they have come as a Church in the nation, where they are at present and where they are heading in terms of the spirit of the Gospel which, it is said, should mark the spirit of the country.

In selecting the theme of Liberty and Justice, the U.S. Bishops felt that the work of justice goes far beyond the boundaries of the Church; that the Catholic Church has a specific role and contribution to make in that sphere.

The national program is also geared so that the dialogue on freedom and justice within the Church will stimulate a wider dialogue with American society about how the Church moves from inequality to equality, from injustice toward justice on a broad spectrum of issues.

In the Synodal document of 1971, "Justice to the World," the Bishops of the Church stated that work to transform the world toward a more just society was a "constitutive" or essential element of the ministry of the Church.

It is the hope of the U.S. Bishops that all American Catholics will take an active role in the bicentennial celebration both through parish and diocesan religious and historical activities but also through the planned discussion-listening program which will provide a specific "feedback" to bishops.

The scheduled discussion-listening portion of the national program will involve small groups gathering to discuss and study the principles and practices of justice in eight facets of living in today's world. The eight selected topics for the discussions and regional hearings are: Nationhood, The Church, Humankind, Ethnicity and Race, the Neighborhood, Work, Family and Personhood.

The culmination of the local discussion efforts will be a national policy and five-year study and action program to be developed on the matter of social justice. The National Conference of Bishops will initiate the five-year period of intensive study and action to make the policy a reality in the lives of American Catholics.

The program has urged the involvement of all Catholics -- bishops, priests, Religious and laity -- in parishes, organizations and as individuals in what has been termed "not a top-down approach." The process is said to be one whereby the leadership of the Church can listen to the voice of the people expressing their ideas on what constitutes inequality and injustice in American society and reflecting on how they see American society progressing in implementing the Gospel of Christ. Thereafter, the leaders and people together plan an effective response to the many voices they have heard.

Plans for Atlanta's observance of the bicentennial celebration will be studied in depth at a meeting June 10 of the Archdiocesan Bicentennial Committee with Father Jacob A. Bollmer serving as archdiocesan coordinator.