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Could A Catholic President Uphold Church - State Separation? (By John A. O'Brien, Ph.D.) The editors of LOOK maga zine submitted a number of questions about relations between Church and State that are seldom discussed publicly and frankly in the United States. These a n d additional questions along with the answers are here presented with a view of removing the mis conceptions which foster preju dice and create divisions. It is hoped that an understanding of the true position of Catholics on this subject will increase neigh borly understanding and good will and strengthen our national unity. ; 11 Pronouncements of American Catholics and of Pope on Church-Slate Separation Have Catholics been striving for years, as many imagine, to bring about a union of Church and Staie in this country? We can best answer this question by presenting the thought of outstanding leaders of the Church from her estab lishment to the present time. What did the' first Catholic bishop say on this subject? Father John Carroll who in 1790 became the first Catholic bishop in this country express ed the mind of the Catholic col onists when he said: “We have all smarted heretofore under the lash of an established Church, and shall therefore be on our guard against every ap proach towards it.” Three months after the Con stitutional Convention had drafted the federal Constitution he declared: “Thanks to genu ine spirit and Christianity, the United States have banished in tolerance from their system of government, and many of them have done the justice to every denomination of Christians, which ought to be done to them all, of placing them on the same footing of citizenship, and con ferring an equal right of par ticipation in national privileg es. Freedom and independence, acquired by the united efforts, and cemented with the mingled blood of Protestant and Catho lic fellow citizens, should be equally enjoyed by all.” What did Bishop John Eng land think about union of Church and State? This leader, of the Church in the first part of the nineteenth century said: “I am convinced that a total separation from the temporal government is the most natural and safest state for the Church in any place where it is not, as in the papal terri tory, a complete government of churchmen.” Whaf did Archbishop John Hughes of New York regard as the wisest provision of the fed eral Constitution? In an address before a vast audience in the Broadway Tab ernacle in New York in 1843, Archbishop Hughes declared: “I regard the Constitution of the United States as a monu ment of liberty and right, un equaled, unrivaled, in the an nals of the human race. Every separate provision of that im mortal document is stamped with the features of wisdom: and yet among its wise provis ions, what I regard as the wisest of all is the brief, simple, but comprehensive declaration that “Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Did Cardinal Gibbons protest against separation of Church and State? On the contrary, this top- ranking member of the Ameri can hierarchy declared in 1909: “American Catholics rejoice in our separation of Church and State; and I can conceive of no combination of circumstances likely to arise which would make a union desirable either to Church or State. We know the blessings of our present ar rangement: it gives us liberty and binds together priests and people in a union better than that of Church and State. Other countries, other manners: we do not believe our system adapted to all conditions; we leave it to Church and State in other lands to solve their problems for their own best interests.” "Is not the Catholic hierar chy today working for a union of Church and Slate? Far from it. On January 25, 1948, Archbishop John T. Mc- Nicholas, Chairman of the Ad ministrative Board of the Na tional Catholic Welfare Confer ence, the most authorative body in the Catholic Church in America, issued the following definitive statement: “No group in America is seeking union of Church and State: and least of all are Catholics. We deny ab solutely and without any quali fication that the Catholic bish ops of the United States are seeking a union of Church and State by any endeavors whatso ever, either proximate or re mote. What did the Catholic bisfy- ops of the United States say on this subject? In 1948 they declared them selves unanimously in favor of “our original American tradi tion of free co-operation be tween government and religious bodies; co-operation involves no special privilege to any group and no restriction on the relig ious liberty of any citizen.” If Catholics ever achieved a majority, however, wouldn't they seek a union of Church and Staie? No. Speaking in behalf of all Catholics, Archbishop McNich- olas said in the same definitive pronouncement: “If tomorrow Catholics constituted a majority in our country, they would not seek a union of Church and State. They would then, as now, uphold the Constitution and all its Amendments, recognizing that the moral obligations im posed on all Catholics to ob serve and defend the Constitu tion and its Amendments.” "Whaf do theologians say on this subject? The Very Rev. Francis J. Connell, C.SS.R,, long the head of the school of theology at the Catholic University of America, thus sums up the teaching of all: “To the famous objections that if Catholics ever gained the balance of voting power in the U. S. they would be obliged by their principles to give special favor to the Catholic Church and to impose restrictions on the religious activities of their non-Catholic fellow citizens, my answer is that this charge is ut terly erroneous. Catholics have no obligation to seek special privileges for their Church in a land where the bad results of such a procedure would surpass the good effects: and certainly if there is any land where that should be the case, it is the United States, even if a very great proportion of our people eventually became Catholics Such a radical change of a poli cy that has worked successfully since the birth of our nation would inevitably cause grave harm to the unity of our peo ple.” Is the record of Catholic op position to Church-State union unbroken by a single exception? Yes. From the days of the early colonists to the present time no American Catholic, lay or clerical, in responsible posi tion, has ever voiced dissatis faction with the separation of Church and State. What did Pope Pius XII say (Continued on Page 8) Serving Georgia's 88 Southern Counties DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH EDITION OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH Published By The Catholic Laymen's Ass'n of Georgia Vol. 41, No. 2 MONROE, GEORGIA, SATURDAY, JUNE 25, 1960 10c Per Copy — $3 a Year KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS BURSE — The Grand Knights of each council in the Diocese of Savannah presented the Most Rev. Thomas J. McDonough, D.D., J.C.D., Bishop of the Dioces e, with a check representing each council’s share in a $2,500 Burse for the education of priests for the Diocese. This was the second annual presentation and was made when Georgia Knights gath ered at Jekyll Island in annual convention. Pictured (1. to r.) Ray Ahles, Grand Knight, Brunswick; Herman Geerling, Grand Knight, Columbus; John Butler, Grand Knight, Savannah; Wilson Barton, Grand Knight, Albany; Bishop McDonough; Richard Nadicksberned, Grand Knight’s Delegate, Warner Robins; Barney Dunstan, Grand Knight, Augusta; Zeno Sutton, Grand Knight, Valdosta and Joseph McNeil, Grand Knight, Macon. 7S6MIUTB AT ILESSEt SACtAEIT SAVANNAH — The largest class graduated from Blessed Sacrament Parochial School June 3rd. Diplomas were given out af ter Mass by the Rt. Rev. Msgr. Thomas A. Brennan, pastor to the 76 graduates. The sermon was given by Father. George C. James, assistant pastor. Scholarships were awarded to Charles Joseph Jackson and Kathleen Anne Powers. Both these scholarships are sponsored by the Blessed Sacrament par ish Catholic Youth Council. 1 The following students of the graduating class are honor stu dents: Joseph B. Barragan, Jane Patricia Bauersfeld, Gail Elizabeth Brophy, Janet Marie Fogarty, Elizabeth Anne Fulton, John M. Haar, Elizabeth L. Ho gan, Charles J. Jackson, Sandra L. Koscuik, Ellen M. May, Nan cy B. Miller, Sheila Marie Mil ler, Barbara Anne Muller, Dav id M. O’Brien, Jr., John B. Oet- gen, Constance Ann O’Neil, Kathleen Ann Powers, Thomas A. Stevens, Michael S. Wysocki. The two eighth grades v/ere taught by Sr. M. Jude, R.S.M., principal, and by Sr. M. de Mon fort, R.S.M. A light breakfast was served afterwards to the graduates by the Home and School Association. CUBAN CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATS SUSPEND ACTIVITIES UNTIL FREE EXPRESSION RETURNS HAVANA, (NC) — Cuba’s Christian Democratic Move ment has bowed itself out of the political picture until free dom of expression is restored in Cuba. In an explanation of its ac tion, the movement complained that “only the communist party may carry out fully and unim peded its propaganda and ac tivity.” The statement recalled that the Christian Democrat Move ment was able to enter the pol itical arena when Fidel Castro’s revoluntionaries toppled the dictatorship of Fulgencio Ba tista. It said: "Like the large majority of the Cuban people, the Christian Democratic Movement joined enthusiastically in the great national work of renewal, and praised and fervently praises the positive accomplishments of the Revolution: a restoration of administrative honesty, concern for the impoverished classes, the redemption of national sov ereignty, and so forth." The Christian Democratic statement continued: “Regrettably, the fruitful cre ative impulse of the Revolu tion has become more and more darkened by some negative as pects which have clouded the picture: a tendency toward a government directed by one person’s will and without pos sibility of appeal, an iron re striction of voices at variance, a totalitarian tendency to subor dinate to the State all economic activities, a progressive control of all means of public expres sion.” It said that since the “mini mum of conditions” necessary for the spread of Christian Democratic ideas is not present in Cuba, “the members of the Christian Democratic Movement have decided to suspend their public activities and withdraw as an organized movement.” The statement specified that this withdrawal would be ef fective only “until the national circumstances again allow the organization of groups and en tities of different ideologies.” The movement announced it was suspending its radio broad casts in Havana, Camaguey and Santiago, and warned that “any declaration or proclamation which might appear as support ed or signed by the Christian Democratic Movement of Cuba is to be considered false.” The statement was signed by Luis Aguilar Leon, president of the movement, and by five pro vincial delegates: Jose. Fernan dez Badue, Eddy Carreras Val- linas, Oscar Minso Bachiller, Jesus Angulo y Clemente, and Ramon Galenna y Arango. At the foot of the statement, as published by the independ ent newspaper Informacion, was a “clarification” by “The Local Committee for Freedom of the Press of Informacion’s Newspa- (Continued on Page 8) Rev. J. N. O'Rourke Rev. O’Rourke Ordained F§r Savals DUBLIN — The Rev. John Noel O’Rourke was ordained for the Diocese of Savannah, June 19th at ceremonies held in the Chapel of All Hallows College here. Father O’Rourke was ordain ed by the Most Reverend John J. Scanlon, Auxiliary Bishop of Honolulu. Son of Francis O’ Rourke and Annie Gahy, Father O'Rourke was born February 25, 1936 in the City of Athenry. The newly ordained priest will come to the Diocese the latter part of the summer. Holy Father Names 74 Prelates To Ecumenical Council Central Agency Omission liioiudes Four Fr@i America (Radio, N.C.W.C. News Service) VATICAN CITY — His Holi ness Pope John XXIII has nam ed 74 prelates — including -four from the U. S. and three from Iron Curtain countries — to the coordinating body for the com ing ecumenical council. The commission will coordi nate the work of the 10 prepa ratory commissions which will make plans for the second Vat ican Council. In accordance with the Pope’s promise in his June 5 pro nouncement setting up the commissions, the members of the central commission repre sent Catholics in every part of the world. The Pope had announced ear lier that he or a personal dele gate would serve as president of the commission. U. S. prelates on the com mission are Their Eminences Francis Cardinal Spellman, Archbishop of New York; James Francis Cardinal McIn tyre, Archbishop of Los Ange les, and Aloisius Cardinal Mu- ench, former Bishop of Fargo, N. D., who is now a member of the Vatican headquarters staff, and Archbishop Karl J. Alter of Cincinnati, chairman of the ad ministrative board of the Na tional Catholic Welfare Confer ence. The central commission is made up of 35 cardinals, four patriarchs of Oriental rites, 25 archbishops, seven bishops and three heads of religious orders. Canadian prelates on the commission are Their Eminen ces James Cardinal McGuigan, Archbishop of Toronto, and Paul Emile Cardinal Leger, Archbishop of Montreal, and Archbishop Paul Bernier, Bish op of Gaspe and chairman of the Canadian Bishops’ Confer ence. The three commission mem bers from behind the Iron Cur tain are His Eminence Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski, Archbish op of Gniezno and Warsaw; Archbishop Josip Ujcic of Bel grade, and Archbishop Jozsef Groesz of Kalocsa, Hungary. Latin American itqpresenta- tives are Their Eminences Jaime Cardinal de Barros Cam ara, Archbishop of Rio de Ja neiro, Brazil; Manuel Cardinal Arteaga y Betancourt, Arch bishop of Havana, Cuba; An tonio Cardinal Caggiano, Arch bishop of Buenos Aires, Argen tina; Carlos Maria Cardinal de la Torre, Archbishop of Quito, Ecuador; Jose Cardinal Garibi y Rivera, Archbishop of Guad alajara, Mexico, and Antonio (Continued on Page 2) Archbishop O'Hara Archbishop O’Hara Visits Savannah SAVANNAH—The Most Rev. Gerald P. O’Hara, D.D., J.C.D., Apostolic Delegate to Great Britain and former Bishop of the Diocese of Savannah, visit ed Savannah and the Diocese recently. The primary intention of the Archbishop’s visit was to call on Bishop McDonough and to at tend to business necessitated by his resignation as Bishop of the Diocese of Savannah. His Excellency arrived in Savannah on the afternoon of Friday, June 10th, and was en tertained at dinner that eve ning by the Most Rev. Thomas J. McDonough, Bishop of Sav annah. On Saturday, June 11th, the Archbishop was guest at a luncheon at the Hotel Desoto, meeting with the priests of the area. At the conclusion of the luncheon Archbishop O’Hara spoke with deep affection for the priests, the religious and the laity of the Diocese of Savan nah. Bishop McDonough assured the Archbishop that he would always be most welcome in Savannah, where he spent so many years of his episcopacy in extending the frontiers of our holy Faith. Archbishop O’Hara regretted extremely that he was unable to remain for a longer period of time, but he was obliged to return to England by June 20th. eoimicH In our issue of June 11th THE BULLETIN incorrectly listed the starting time for the two retreats for Women to be held at Macon's Mi. de Sales as 9 a. m. on July 26ih and 29th. The correct starting time should have been listed as 9 p. m. ☆ ☆☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Catholic-Orthodox Reunicn lope Voiced By Pope John (Radio, N.C.W.C. News Service) VATICAN CITY—His Holi ness Pope John XXIII on Pente cost again voiced his hope for reunion of the Catholic and Or thodox Churches, saying it would be "one of the most precious fruits" of the coming ecumenical council. The Pontiff said he hopes St. Gregory Nazianzen and St. John Chrysostom—r ecognized by Christians of both East and West as two of the greatest Doctors of the Church—will “intercede for the return of the Churches of the East to the embrace of the one, holy catholic and apos tolic Church.” Pope John ex pressed his longing for reunion in the course of a long discourse during pontifical Vespers in St. Peter’s basilica on Whitsunday| Of the possibility of reunion, he declared: "Oh what a marvel ous event this would be and what a flowering of human and heavenly charity there would be in setting in motion the join ing of the separated brothers of the East and West in the single flock of Christ, the eternal shepherd! "This would represent one of the most precious fruits of the coming second Vatican ecumen ical council, to the glory of the Lord on earth and in heaven and for the universal exultation and the fulness of the mystery of the communion of saints . . ." Having revealed the previous day that he was setting up 13 special agencies to prepare for the Second Vatican Council, Pope John spoke at length about the council. He also dwelt on the distinction between a mans’ temporal and his eternal life. While distinct, the two are not mutually exclusive, he said, adding that there should be compatibility between them without difficulty. Concerning the ecumenical council, the Pope said that there are four phases to it. He listed them as: 1. The initial antepreparatory and general—which have been completed; 2. The preparatory phase which the pope revealed the previous day; 3. The holding of the general assembly—“the council in its most resplendent solemnity”; 4. The promulgation of the acts of the council. The Pope added: “The third phase, that is to say, the official assembly of the council here in the Vatican, will no doubt be the most moving and solemn spectacle offered ‘to the world of both angels and men.’ But the date it is to be held will depend on the extent and progress of its preparation —the second phase, which is now beginning.” At this point, the Pontiff de clared that the preparations of the council will not interfere with the normal government of the Church, which is entrusted to the Vatican congregations. Then, noting that bishops and prelates from all parts of the world will participate in the council, he repeated his earlier declarations that this will be a living proof of the catholicity of the Church. Pope John proceeded in his discourse to speak on “the two concepts of human life, of the individual man and of man in society, the life of the spirit and the life of the body, eternal life and temporal life.” The two are distinct but not mutually exclusive, he said, and there should be compatibility between them without difficul ty. But the Pope said that the two are sometimes placed in op position to each other, and it then becomes the business of the Church to unite them again. He continued: “But the Church concerns it self above all with the spirit. It is concerned with the ordinary vicissitudes of daily life which it wishes to and can sanctify. But in so doing, it is inviting the Christian to be on his guard against those elements which can distract him from higher things—from God as his begin- (Continued on Page 8) GEORGIANS RECEIVE C. U. DEGREES WASHINGTON — The Cath olic University of America held its 71st annual graduation with streamlined ceremonies, sans traditional, commencement speaker. Presiding was The Most Rev. Patrick A. O’Boyle, Chancellor of The University and Archbishop of Washington. The Rector, Rt. Rev. Msgr. William J. McDonald gave a short report on the state of the University and brought a mes sage of congratulation to the 1,132 persons who received de grees. Honorary degrees were bestowed on John A. McCone, chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, and Dr. James A. Shannon, Director of the Na tional Institute of Health. Among those receiving de grees were Vito Raymond Pas- cullis. 2220 Old Holdon Rd., Ma con, and Miss Shirley Ann Sea man, 810 Brunei St., Waycross.