I. The Long Island Catholic is the official newspaper of the Diocese of Rockville Centre. Its publisher is the diocesan Bishop.

II. The diocesan bishop wishes every Catholic household to receive The Long Island Catholic, and directs each pastor or administrator to strive for this goal. The phrase "every Catholic household" is meant to include all persons, by household, within the territory of the parish, who have identified themselves as Catholic through personal registration, the census, or any other means. No one, however, having been informed of the paper's functions and the diocesan bishop's policy, shall be continued on the subscription list against his or her will.

III. By appropriate methods and on appropriate occasions, the pastor shall make known to his parishioners why the diocesan bishop wishes each family or household to receive The Long Island Catholic. These reasons include the following:

The paper --

A. Assists the diocesan bishop in his role as chief teacher of the Catholic faith by publishing and distributing to all Catholics the authentic teaching of the Holy Father, the College of Bishops, the Congregations of the Holy See, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops and the diocesan bishop himself, as well as by publishing other instructional materials on the Catholic faith.

B. Emphasizes and promotes a sense of the diocese as a unity of parishes, diocesan departments and agencies, religious orders, schools, hospitals and other institutions in the service of our faith.

C. Functions as an instrument of communication within the diocese.

D. Supplies parishioners with news of Church affairs beyond the borders of the Diocese and of the nation, thereby promoting a sense of the Universal Church.

E. Provides comment from a Catholic point of view in important issues affecting our communities.

Taken together, these functions identify The Long Island Catholic as a key element in the communications apostolate of the diocese, which every parish is expected to support.

"The faithful should be advised of the necessity of reading and circulating the Catholic press if they are to make Christian evaluations of all that happens." (Vatican II, Decree on the Instruments of Social Communication, No. 14).

"Catholics are encouraged to read Catholic publications regularly.... It is hard to see how people can keep in touch with what is happening in the Church without the Catholic Press. Neither can people keep a Catholic attitude towards what happens in the world without the help of commentaries on the news written in the light of Christian principles." (Pastoral Instruction for the Application of the Decree of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council on the Means of Social Communication, 1971, No. 140).

IV. On the occasion of registering new parishioners or taking a census, parishioners shall be asked whether they presently receive The Long Island Catholic. If they do not, the registrar or census-taker shall inform them of the bishop's policy with regard to circulation of the paper and inquire if they have any objections to receiving it. The registrar should also be ready to give, if necessary, a brief explanation of the paper's role in the diocesan communications apostolate, as well as its annual subscription price. Inability to pay the subscription price shall not preclude one's reception of the paper.

V. Because pastors are responsible for all Catholics living within their parish boundaries, the total list of Catholic families or households in any particular parish will ordinarily include a certain percentage of people who are effectively alienated from the Church. Principle II in this diocesan policy statement is not intended to require that The Long Island Catholic be sent to such families. A pastor will therefore be considered to be implementing the complete coverage plan if he includes, consistent with the principles already mentioned, on his subscription list:

All families on his active mailing list -- that is, all families or households to whom he would send parish communications, appeals, chance books, and so forth. (This criterion does not refer simply to his weekly envelope list.)

When subscribers residing in one parish actually attend a neighboring parish, their subscriptions shall be paid through the parish of their residence, unless the two pastors come to another agreement and so inform The Long Island Catholic.

VI. Each pastor, in cooperation with his associate priests and the parish council, keeping in mind the special functions of the diocesan newspaper, shall always strive to promote the circulation of The Long Island Catholic and not to delimit its circulation. Pastors who have achieved the goal of virtually 100% coverage in their parishes are urged to maintain this coverage in a way consistent with the principles listed above and the general welfare of the parish. Cancellation lists sent to the paper shall contain the reason for each cancellation.

VII. Pastors will be billed on a monthly basis for the subscriptions received within their parish. The size of the prompt payment discount (from 5% to 15%) takes into account the percentage of families receiving The Long Island Catholic and is applicable on pastors' bills paid on or before the 10th of the month. Pastors shall urge their parishioners to pay the subscription price for The Long Island Catholic, but actual payment shall not be a condition for receiving the paper. To assist pastors in collection for the paper, The Long Island Catholic will conduct, as circumstances permit, a campaign annually for subscription renewals and new subscriptions.

STATEMENT BY BISHOP MCGANN AT THE CLERGY CONFERENCES MARCH 22 AND 24 1977