Newspaper Page Text
Theology for
The Layman
(Continued from Page 4)
Gentile converts began to mul
tiply the apostles decided (Acts
XV) how far they were bound,
or whether they were bound at
all by Jewish ritual laws. And
they introduced their decisions
to the faithful with the words
“It has seemed good to the
Holy Ghost and to us.”
There were not only changes
in circumstances; as the active
minds of men inside and out
side the Church, got to work
upon the teachings, differences
arose as to what the words of
Christ actually meant—one see
ing one meaning in them, an
other a contradictory one. Both
could not be right. It was not
sufficient for the Church mere
ly to repeat what Christ had
said, because it was precisely as
to what this meant that the
argument had arisen. But the
apostles spoke firmly, deciding
between the interpretations
with complete authority.
Neither of these things—new
situations that had to be met,
the activity of the un-stasnant
mind of man upon the doctrines
—ceased with the death of the
apostles. They have gone on
through the centuries. Every
word uttered by Christ has met
a great number of differing in
terpretations. most of them in-,
tell.ieent, some immensely at
tractive, but contradicting one
another. How are we to know
which is the one that Christ
meant? Intelligence and attrac
tiveness are no substitute. We
need the truth, and only His
meaning it that. The words
themselves can be glorious be
cause they are His, but unless
we know what He menat by
them they are simply glorious
words. Unless there is a teacher
who can tell us, as the apostles
told men. and tell us without
the possibility of error, which of
the various meanings is His,
then we have no Revelation, but
only an ever-growing pile of
conundrums.
When Our Lord said “This is
my Body” and gave the apostles
what looked like bread to eat—
was it His Body? Was it still
bread? Did He mean the words
to be taken literally or,was He
simply using a rather vivid
figure of speech? These are not
questions that concern only ex
perts in Scripture, with the rest
of us waiting a few centuries
more for the experts to agree.
In those centuries, generations
of men will live and die: and
Our Lord had said (John VI)
that unless they should eat the
flesh of the Son of Man, they
should not have life in them.
Endless interpretations have
been suggested of Christ’s words
(John III) that we are to be
born again of water and the
Holy Spirit: for example there
are those who say that only
grown-ups should be baptized,
not children, and those who say
that the words do not refer to
baptism at all, the word water
meaning prayer. We had better
know who is right; because
Christ said that unless this re
birth—whatever it is—happens
to us, we shall not enter the
Kingdom of God.
JOTTINGS
(Continued from Page 4)
rectrtvecr Our Lord rs passed,
that the baptismal robe is mud
died by many falls. It has not
been kept spotless. Is there any
one who can watch a first Com
munion procession of little boys
and girls going to the altar in
innocence and purity and not
shed a tear at this perfect beau
ty in a world so sin-scarred? Or
not shed a tear for his own lost
youth of innocence and ideal
ism? It is good for us to go back
often to these major events of
our lives. To me, the privilege of
these two ceremonies made the
joy and peace of Easter more
meaningful and the gift of faith
which gives admittance to par
take in all the solemnities of
Holy Week more dear to me.
2 Priests
(Continued from Page 1)
Seminary, Roland Park, Mary
land, where he received his de
gree as Bachelor of Sacred
Theology in 1958.
Father Fitzpatrick will sing
his first Solemn Mass in the
Cathedral of St. John the Bap
tist, May 8th at 10:00 A. M. The
Rt. Rev. Monsignor T. James
McNamara, Rector of the Cathe
dral will serve as Assistant
Priest. The Rev. Marvin J. Le-
Frois, Pastor of St. Theresa’s
Church, Albany, Georgia will be
Deacon, and the Rev. Francis
J. Donohue, Pastor of Our Lady
of Lourdes Church, Port Went
worth, Ga., will be Subdeacon.
The Rev. Herbert J. Wellmeier,
assistant Rector of the Cathe
dral will serve as Master of
Ceremonies and the Rev. Wil
liam V. Coleman, Rector of St.
John Vianney’ Minor Seminary
will be the Preacher.
Father Fitzpatrick will be
honored at a reception to be
given on Sunday afternoon,
May 8th, fro 4:00 P. M. to 6:00
P. M. at the Cathedral Day
School.
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BOOK REVIEWS
EDITED BY EILEEN HALL
3087 Old Jonesboro Hoad., Hapeville, Georgia
Each issue of fhis Book Page
is confided fo the patronage of
Mary, Mediatrix of All graces,
with the hope that every reader
and every contributor may be
specially favored by her and her
Divine Son.
LOUISE DE MARILLAC, by
J. Calvet, Kenedy, $4.95.
“In the seventeenth century
the religious life for women
meant a convent and enclosure
together with solemn vows,” ex
plains L. C. Sheppard in the
introduction to this biography
of the foundress, with St. Vin
cent de Paul, of the Sisters of
Charity.
“When Vincent and Louise,
therefore, founded the Sisters of
Charity as religious women
without distinctive habit ... or
enclosure, theirs was a consider
able innovation; ‘Your convent,’
said Vincent de Paul, ‘will be
the house of the sick; your cell
a hired room; your chapel, a
parish church; your cloister, the
streets of the city or the wards
of the hospital; your enclosure,
obedience; your grill, the fear of
God; your veil, holy modesty.’ ”
The story of Louise’s child
hood and youth, of the begin
ning and expansion of her great
work, is interestingly told by
Monsignor Calvet, former rector
of the Institute Catholique of
Paris. More interesting still,
however, is his account of her
interior life and her friendship
with St. Vincent de Paul.
As Mr. Sheppard concludes:
“. . . in Vincent’s relations with
her and the fascinating corre
spondence that passed between
them, we catch a glimpse of the
workings of grace in two souls
. . . The interplay of character
and mind between two persons,
particularly when they are
bound, as were Vincent and
Louise, by the bonds of affection
and duty, is never all in one di
rection, and Louise’s contribu
tion . . . was considerable. She
appears in these pages as a wo
man . . . who becomes a saint
by following God’s call to min
ister to his poor.”
CHILDREN'S BIBLE, text by
W. Hillmann, O.F.M., translated
from the German by Lawrence
Atkinson, illustrations by Johan
nes Gruger, Helicon, $2.50.
This small book for children
4 to 10 years old is primarily a
superbly colorful picture book
which, no doubt, will captivate
the very young reader or the
one who is still having stories
read to him. The book’s format
and gay wrapper are works of
art as well. Parents and libraries
would do well to preserve such
beautiful wrappers with plastic
jackets.
In less than 100 pages, more
than half of which are filled
with pictures, an internationally
famous biblical scholar, Father
Hillmann, has presented the
principal stories from the Old
Testament, adhering closely to
the familiar wording of the Bi
ble itself. He has achieved a re
markable work of condensation
and simplification while pre
serving as much as possible the
original rhythm and phrasing of
the Scriptural texts themselves.
About one-third of the book is
devoted to the Old Testament;
the remainder to the New, in
cluding a final page on the
Lord’s Second Coming.
LOVE OR CONSTRAINT? by
Marc Oraison, D.D., M.D., Ken
edy, $3.75.
The absence of an authentic
religious consciousness and mor
al sense in youth may often be
traced to lack of elementary
psychological knowledge on the
part of parents and teachers of
the very young child, according
to Father Oraison, a noted
French psychiatrist and theolo
gian. This is the view that he
develops in this new book, sub
titled “Some Aspects of Relig
ious Education.”
Outlining the developmental
stages and critical points of the
psychic affective life of the child
and adolescent, the author shows
the dangers of overstressing
negative precepts and a too rigid
formalism in educational meth
ods. In a chapter entitled “Ex
amination of the ‘Unconscious’
of Parents” he describes atti
tudes or reactions that have no
thing to do with the adults’ ra
tional choices but which deeply
affect the child’s personality and
spiritual develonment. In gen
eral, he sees religious education
in the proper sense as a method
that will enable the child to ar
rive at a true (as distinguished
from a sham or sentimental)
knowledge of God and a dynam
ic practice of religion and moral
ity.
Father Oraison received his
doctorate in theology from the
Catholic Institute of Paris and
his degree as a lieutenant in the
French army in Indo-China and
is at present engaged in clinical
research and pastoral work in
Paris.
THE ADVENTURES OF
CATHERINE OF SIENA, story
and pictures by Mary Reed
Newland, Kenedy, $2.50.
Brownie Troop 187 of St.
John’s School, Hapeville, listen
ed to this book read aloud, ex
amined the pictures and con
tributed their opinions to make
up this review. Although the
book is primarily for younger
children, these 9- and 10-year-
old girls found it completely en
chanting. It was read to them as
one story; for younger children,
the six chapters would be six
separate stories.
“It is a good book,” the
Brownies were unanimous in de
claring. “It shows what God will
do for us.” “It shows that Christ
is in everybody’s soul.” “It tells
things we must practice more
often.” “U mal <es us wish to do
as Catherine Hid.” One Brownie
asked, “Did those things really
happen?” She was assured that
SOUTH AFRICANS FLOCK TO
CHURCHES TO PRAY FOR END
TO COUNTRY’S RACE CRISIS
CAPE TOWN, South Africa,
(Radio, NC) — South Africans
flocked to their churches on
Palm Sunday to pray for an
end to the racial crisis that has
taken scores of lives in this
country in recent weeks.
Only a day before the nation’s
Prime Minister, Hendrik Ver-
woerd, had been shot in an as
sassination attempt.
The churches were packed in
answer to a joint call by the
country’s religious leaders to
observe Palm Sunday as a na
tional day of prayer and
penance.
Among those joining in the
appeal was Archbishop Owen
McCann of Cane Town. Leaders
of the Dutch Reformed Church
also signed the appeal. Their’s
the church to which most Afri
kaners belong. The Afrikaners
are the descendants of the
Dutch colonizers of South Afri
ca who provide the main sup
port of the ruling Nationalist
party’s policy of “apartheid” or
strict racial segregation.
The recent crisis over “apart
heid,” repeatedly condemned by
the nation’s Catholic Bishops
and other religious authorities,
came to a head March 21 when
police fired into groups of Ne
groes demonstrating against the
government’s strict identity pass
regulations. Under the “apart
heid” policy, Negroes have no
vote, must live in segregated
areas, face severe job restric
tions, must obey curfew laws
and carry police passes.
In their appeal South Africa’s
Christian and Jewish leaders
said:
“There is unanimous agree
ment that the greatest need for
South Africa at this time is to
turn to God for pardon and
guidance in the troublous events
of today, and Dutch Reformed
Church leaders have already
called their people to humilia
tion and prayer.
“It has therefore been de
cided to issue through the press
and radio a call to the nation
to observe this Sunday as a na
tional day of prayer and penti-
ence and to appeal to citizens
of all races and groups to join
in prayer on this day and, if
possible, to attend some reli
gious service for this purpose.”
Leaders of the Anglican
Church did not sign the appeal,
but issued their own similar
call.
Meanwhile Minister of Ex
ternal Affairs Eric Louw has
apologized to U. S. Ambassador
to South Africa, Philip Crowe,
for an editorial in a Nationalist
newspaper criticizing him for
“gossipping” with opponents of
“apartheid.” Among those nam
ed ip the editorial were Arch
bishop Denis Hurley, O.M.I., of
Durban and Leo Boyd, Catholic
leader of the Progressive party
in Natal province. Mr. Louw
said he regretted that the edi
torial had suggested that the
Amassador had acted in an im
proper manner.
THE BULLETIN, April 30, 13*0—PAGE 5
Bishop's Address
(Continued from Page 1)
sons who have assisted me in
my work as priest and Bishop.
To Almighty God I voice my
humble gratitude for the many
blessing which He has showered
upon me. May these blessings
continue upon me and the flock
committed to piy care.
To the Vicar of Christ on
earth, His Holiness Pope John
XXIII, I tender my filial devo
tion and respectful homage. May
his reign be long and may he
prosper in the way of God.
To His Excellency, The Most
Reverend Apostolic Delegate, I
reiterate my pledge of obedience
and thank him in the name of
all for honoring our Diocese
upon this occasion. We promise
him our prayers to the end that
God will protect him and grant
him a fruitful apostolate as the
representative of the Sovereign
Pontiff in the United States.
Your Excellency’s presence in
Savannah will always be a che
rished memory and one of the
greatest highlights in the history
of this See.
To all the visiting Archbish
ops, Bishops and Abbots I prof
fer my unbounded thanks in ap
preciation of the many sacrifices
which you have made to be with
us today at this ceremony of
Installation.
To all the visiting Monsignori,
priests and laity I am greatly
indebted for coming such dis
tances to rejoice with me upon
this happy day. To all the
Priests, Sisters, Brothers and
laity of the Diocese of Savannah
I repeat again what I have stat
ed so frequently in the past—
God has blessed our Diocese
they really did.
There are six Catherines, in
cidentally, in this Brownie troop.
Although the book’s “message”
seemed uppermost in their
minds, their attention and in
terest showed that they also
found its story absorbing and
entertaining.
THE MARYKNOLL BOOKS
OF PEOPLE, by Albert J.
Nevins, Crawley, $4.95.
“When future historians write
of our own times,” says Father
Nevins, widely traveled Mary-
knoll author, “they will prob
ably call the Twentieth Century
the Age of Communications.
The airplane and the radio have
made the globe shrink. Once
the interior of China was
months away from your own
backyard. Today it is only a
fraction of a second away by
radio, a matter of hours by air
plane. What does this mean? It
means that we of America are
with many good people who are
in the true sense of the word
cooperators of the Bishoo in the
work of Holy Mother Church.
Today I send affectionate
greetings to Archbishop Gerald
O’Hara, whose name is held in
such esteem in this Diocese. To
him I express my personal grat
itude for all the kindness and
cooperation which he has shown
me during the past three vears.
As I have stated before. I fer
vently hope that I shall be cap
able of continuing the expansion
of the work which he inaugurat
ed in this State.
My final act of thanksgiving
is made in behalf of my beloved
parents. Over the vears their ex-
amnle and devotion have been
undoubtedly the most striking
influence moon mv life. Neither
one is present today at this ce
remony. Mv mother was called
by death just a few months
ago and mv father did not feel
well enough to make the jour
ney to Savannah. Thev have
been trulv inspirational parents
to their children and they have
made our home a place where
God is worshipped and vocations
to His holv priesthood nurtured
by prayers and sacrifices.
With complete confidence in
Almighty God and complete
faith in the spiritual assistance
of my people I am optimistic
about the future. Through God
and the intercession of Mary,
His Immaculate Mother, all
things can be accomplished.
Upon all of you I beg God’s
blessings in the name of the Fa
ther, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost. Amen.
more closely joined with the
people of the world. What hap
pens in Timbuktu or Ranchipur
is as important as what happens
down our own block.”
. The purpose of his book, he
says, “is to introduce you to
many of the peoples of the
world—people much like our
selves, people who cry when
they are sad, and laugh when
they are happy. People who love
their children as we do. People
who will remind us that we all
belong to one family—the hu
man family; that we have one
common Father—God.”
It is a magnificient book,
alive with photographic studies,
in color and in black-and-white,
of men, women and children
who are members of this great
human family. Father Nevins’
colorful narrative, accompany
ing the pictures, the maps and
clever little drawings, all add
up to a volume that children
and adults alike will find
enchanting.
QUESTION
BOX
(Continued from Page 4)
variance with human nature.”
• * *
"CONSCIENCE" isanother
commonly abused word. “Con
science” (from the Latin cum:
“with” plus scientia: “knowl
edge”) does not refer to a little
voice (like Pinocchio’s Jiminy
Cricket), nor to a mysterious
emotional faculty. Rather, it
merely means a practical judg
ment concerning the goodness
or the evil of an action: i.e., it
represents an application of the
principles of morality to a par
ticular case in the concrete. In
telligence, therefore, and not
“feeling” is the key faetor in
conscience.
Since one can apply the prin
ciples of moralitv onlv insofar
as he knows and understands
them, it follows that a con
science may be false as well as
correct. (Example: a non-Cath-
olic who ha6 been erroneouslv
taught bv his minister that di
vorce and remarriage is not al
ways immoral, or that contra
ceptive birth prevention may be
morally justifiable under cer
tain circumstances.)
The sinfulness of evil actions
performed with a false con
science cannot of course be im
puted to the one performing
them because of the ignorance
from which such actions pro
ceed. It is never permissible,
though, to act with a doubtful
conscience, for in so acting one
equivalently rashly exposes
himself to the danger of com
mitting sin.
• • •
"HERETIC" is still another
abused word. The original sig
nificance of the term can be
seen in its Greek derivation
hairesis: i.e., “choice.” Thus, the
early Church lawyer-convert
Tertullian describes heresy as
an arbitrary choice of doctrines,
without taking into account the
rule of faith of the Church.
Those who introduced heresies
did, de facto, pick and choose
those parts of Christianity they
wanted to retain, while at the
same time rejecting other por
tions. So that St. Thomas did
not hesitate to call heresy a
kind of infidelity, by which one
has a certain faith in Christ
without accepting the whole of
His teachings.
In its objective sense, heresy
now means a teaching which is
directly contradictory to a truth
revealed by God and proposed
to the faithful as such by the
Church. Persons who do not
know the Catholic Church as
such cannot be considered as
formal heretics, of course.
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