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r 4 " Head Of Bishop’s Movie Committee Explains Pledge NEW YORK (NC) — The thinking behind the National Legion of Decency’s pledge is to ask Catholics voluntarily to give up attending certain films in order to raise the general moral tone of movies. This summarv is given bv Bishop James A. McNulty of Paterson. N. J., chairman of the U. S. Bishops’ Committee on Motion Pictures, Radio and Television. His explanation is made in an article in America (March 11), a weekly Catholic review. “All too manv Catholics are under the impression thev are being ‘pressured’ when they are asked to subscribe to the promises which the legion proposes to them in its pledge,” he wrote. But the spirit behind the legion’s pledge asking Catholics to remain away from pictures dangerous to moral life, he con tinued, can be paraphrased this way: “There are about 200 pictures a year that can be seen without running the slightest danger of moral infection or indifferentism. “There are, on the other hand, some 75 films a year that are, to say the least, unworthy of viewing by anyone who pro fesses Christian ideals of thought and conduct. “Are you willing, then, freely to give up those 75 films, so that the Catholic body in the United States may present a solid front and proclaim with a concerted voice, as it were, . that it will not be satisfied until the general moral tone of the films is worthy of the American people?” Bishop McNulty expressed confidence that if the legion’s pledge would be proposed this way, “there are few Cath olics indeed who would not be generous to respond . . .” COMPLETE AUTO TRANSIT “Serving the Southeast Safely” 5805 Old Peachtree Rd. Doraville, Ga. *MJriteri an J ICCeacL erA EDITED BY LEO J. ZUBER 2332 North Decatur Rd. Decatur, Georgia A. M. D. G. For the greater glory of God and for the spiritual benefit of authors, publishers, review ers and readers. JOHANN OF THE TREMB LING HAND, by Theodora Kobb, Bruce, 1960, 140 pp., $2.95. Reviewed by Elizabeth Hester Johann Ehrlich is a boy of seventeen, a native of Ober- ammergau, the little Bavarian town where every decade the most famous of all Passion Plays is acted. In Oberammer- gau the people have a great pride in performing their fam ous play, and, as well, they are proud of their wood carv ers. The son of an accomplish ed carver, Johann himself when a small boy had given promise of becoming a fine carver and a good actor. But he received an injury to his hand, and though it healed, it now trembles when he tries to carve; even more, he has de veloped a stage fright which prevents him from acting in the great play. This little book for teen agers is Johann’s story of re covery. Pleasant and colorful reading, it may serve, too, to arouse interest in wood carv ing and in Bavaria, both re warding subjects for young people. The author is the wife of an Army captain now stationed in Augusta at Fort Gordon. Some years ago she accompanied her husband to Europe on a long tour of duty, and from this re sulted, JOHANN. THEODORA KOBB BRUCE author of Johann of The Trembling Hand. The COMM Plan S o*. INTERESTOm y O PER ANNUM ' /0 ON SHORT-TERM 8-MONTH NOTES 1 INTEREST PAID PRINCIPAL RETURNED AT 1 MONTHLY End of 8 Months AMOUNTS OF $500 AND UP ACCEPTED ■ . ■ ! - THESE NOTES CONSTITUTE A FULL FAITH AND CREDIT OBLIGATION OF THE COMPANY For further information, write, telephone or visit COLONIAL DISCOUNT COMPANY, INC. Suite 310-B, 1182 W. Peachtree St., N.W.j Atlanta 9, Georgia TR. 6-6741 Gentlemen: Please send me further information about the above offer. Name Address City __ GRANT MOVES SOUTH, by Bruce Catton, Little, Brown & co., 1960, 564 pp., 9 maps, $6.50. Reviewed by Msgr. George J. Flanigen GRANT MOVES SOUTH is not only a graphic account of the battles in the West in 1861-1862 in which the Fed- erals wrested control of the Mississippi River from the Confederates; it is also the story of Gen. U. S. Grant’s personal development. It de scribes his progress from a dedicated but somewhat re luctant soldier to a '“forceful general, conscious of his worth and confident of his future.” When the brilliant biogra pher, Lloyd Lewis, died in 1950, just before publication of the first volume of his pro jected three-volume series on Grant, he left a mass of notes for the second volume. His widow and the publisher se cured the services of Bruce Catton, distinguished editor of AMERICAN HERITAGE, to analyze the notes, continue the research and write the present volume. In his usual expert way, Mr. Catton gives a blow-by-blow account of the battles from Belmont to Vicksburg. His clarification of the confused battle of Shiloh is very well done. Between battles the au thor tells of Grant’s difficult dealings with men like Halleck and McClernand; his soultion of the thorny problem of what A. S. TURNER AND SONS FUNERAL DIRECTORS ME. 4-3373 2773 N. Decatur Rd. Decatur, Ga. to do with the freed Negroes who came into his camps; his difficulties with Jesse Grant who often tried to take advan tage of his son’s power. THE LIFE OF ST. CATH ERINE OF SIENA, by Ray mond of Capua, Kenedy, New York, 1960, 384 pp., $4.95. Reviewed by Flannery O'Connor The signs and wonders that increased the faith of the 14th century will very generally have the opposite effect on that of the 20th, and this biography of St. Catherine, written by her confessor, Blessed Raymond of Capua, can very well have the effect of inspiring the reader with a genuine repulsion for the saint. For many of the mira cles herein described, we can find natural causes, others we can ascribe to the imagination, and some to the gullibility of the author, but when the read er has cut down these things to managable proportions, there still remains the hard core of Catherine’s sanctity to be mined out of Blessed Ray mond’s tiresome platitudes and preaching. Catherine was a non-con formist of a high order and had all the stubborness neces sary to carry out her way of life. The consternation of her family at finding themselves with a visionary in the house, a daughter who scourged her self three times a day until the blood ran, ate nothing but herbs, and occasionally fell in the fire during her ecstasies (but was never burned) is well detailed by Blessed Raymond. What emerges most profound ly is that all the saint’s actions were conformed to a Reality of which the ordinary man is not aware. If the reader can once realize the strength and power of Catherine’s vision, the scourgings and other self punishments become under standable. Conversely, it is only from these penances that the vision can be surmised and vouched for. Altogether this is not a book to give anyone faith, but one which only faith can make understandable. Our Advertisers THE LADY FROM TOLEDO, by Fray Angelico Chavez, Academy Guild Press, 1960, 165 pp., illus., $3.95. Reviewed by Sister M. Harriet, O. P. The Lady’s homeland was Spain, not Ohio. Fray Chevez, in tracing the gold thread of her influence in New Spain, awakens us American Cath olics to the d i m i nutive and poor though her s t a t u e s might be the Virgin’s role in the history of the South west was a glorious one. We see in her the artery of Grace: in the missionaries’ Christianization of the In dians; in the final victory of Christianity over Po-he-yemu, symbol of Evil; and in little Marie Romero’s day by day acceptance of p a i n. Fray Chevez writes in lucid prose that complements the econo my, purity, and simplicity of style in his black and white line and mass illustrations. We Catholics in the 60’s have an historical mission thrust upon us. The inferiority complex we have carried over from the past century has had its negative effect for too long on too many of us. A personal consciousness of American Catholic roots could go far in counteracting this. We recom mend for it THE LADY FROM TOLEDO with its delightful vignettes of Catholic begin nings in New Mexico. The reader is promised acquaint ance with adventuresome San- te Fe pioneers and the miracle on which Nuestra Senora del Sagrario cured the crippled Maria. Those who can write may find in Fray Chavez the cue for building their Catholic Americana for other regions. AMERICAN CATHOLI CISM AND SOCIAL ACTION by Aaron I. Abell, Hanover, 292 pp., $4.95. Reviewed by Joseph Power Here is an interesting com panion to a textbook on social justice in these United States. Doctor Abell, a professional, deals with the history of a century of social service in sol id and plain English. The lay reader can envision the need of this work in the days of Buchanan and Lincoln and Grant. There is a glimpse of Archbishop Hughes of New York, before 1860, giving ad vice in this wise: ‘Stay here in the cities, where you may get to church and to school.’ Then his people, his parishes, had to get busy about poverty and ignorance. His societies, like that of St. Vincent de Paul, had to grapple with broken homes; with a superabundance of illiterate teenagers. From Minnesota, two dec ades later, there comes the voice of Archbishop Ireland: ‘Colonise! Have a future of your own, out here in the West.’ Then, his people had to face the problem of organizing a society in a new atmosphere, almost in a vacuum. James Cardinal Gibbons, Ireland’s contemporary, is in proper perspective. When la- .bor unions began to he active, after 1875, Cardinal Gibbons was a balance wheel for civi lian and cleric enmeshed in the struggle for social justice. From the time of Theodore Roosevelt, Professor Abell is the faithful chronicler of events and movements, of their interplay and conflict. He leaves their evaluation to a future historian. MARTIN LUTHER AND IGNATIUS LOYOLA, by Friedrich Richter, Newman, 1960, 248 pp., $3.75. Reviewed by Elizabeth Hester To the average practicing Catholic the great difference between his faith and a Prot estant’s is that he has the Eucharist and the other does not. To the average Protestant, the great difference is that he owes no allegiance to the Pope, nor, in practical purpose, to anything ultimately except his own conscience. In effect, this means that the Catholic treas ures the company he keeps— albeit the Church’s moral strictures sometimes gall him —and the Protestant treasures his independence, albeit it sometimes evolves into chaotic loneliness. Richter’s book, however, goes further into these funda mental divisions between the two roles of Christ followers. Using Luther as illustrative of the Protestant position and Loyola as illustrative of the Catholic, he makes magnifi cently clear that subjectivism —or individualism, or, ulti mately, self-reference — is the guiding force of Protestantism, whereas objectivism — or al lowance for the validity of what is outside oneself — is the quality the Catholic Church relies upon to main tain herself. Richter makes a particularly interesting argu ment of the fact that it is only in such orthodoJdy Cath. olic (and objectvie) beliefs as the Protestant element has re tained that it has any reality at all. Though the author does not go very far into the matter, the argument of his book points very clearly to the growth and development of his the nihilistic chaos that we have in much of today’s existentialism. Obviously, this has come about through the natural evolution of the Prot estant tenent of self-reference. Seeking answers in the self alone, one comes at last to pure senselessness. Particularly welcome is Richter’s sane treatment of Luther himself. Without ex cusing him, there is neverthe less compassion and a gener ous scholarly allowance for Luther’s real virtues, an at titude the thoughtful Catholic will be stronger to maintain than to reject. This is an excellent book, not only for its superb de lineation of the differences be tween the Christian faiths, but also for the clear insights it provides on many' phases of contemporary society. At times it seems unnecessary to repeat itself, but its cores is firm and well developed. THE NATIONAL PURPOSE, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, N. Y., 146 pp., Paper, $1.50, Cloth $2.95. Reviewed by W. L. Schmidt During the past year a series of articles on The National Purpose appeared in Life Magazine. These articles, ex cept one which appeared in the New York Times, comprise NOTICE If THE BULLETIN is not reaching you cor rectly, kindly fill in the enclosed and mail to: THE SAVANNAH BULLETIN 416 - 8TH ST. AUGUSTA, GA. Name Address City Zone State Old Address realization that, OUR LADY OF THE HILLS A Catholic camp for boys and girls ages 7 to 16. 200 acres, 37 buildings in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Large modern pool, mountain lake, with all camping activities guided by trained counselors. Ideal accommodations for visiting par ents. Camp provides pick-up service to or from nearest rail, air, bus terminal. A camp for youngsters to grow... spirit ually, healthfully. For literature, write: Father Charles McLaughlin OUR LADY OF THE HILLS CAMP HENDERSONVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA THE BULLETIN, March 18, 1961—PAGE 7 the contents of this book, seri ous thoughts expressed by ten serious men, including John K. Jessup, Adlai Stevenson, and Walter Lippmann. All are in agreement as to our National Purpose. It is the exercise of the rights as set forth in The Declaration of Independence, the rights of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, with emphasis on the word Pursuit which in. eludes spiritual happiness. Among the principal rejuven- ators of this purpose in the hearts of American people were Lincoln, Teddy Roose velt, Woodrow Wilson, and F.D.R. Now, however, there is a deep sense of loss of our Purpose. A frantic search is taking place to find it. Our National Purpose, how ever, is not lost. We are fail ing to exercise it. In its place is not spiritual or cultural growth. High consumption, getting rich, “adjusting” our selves to groups are our aims. Not individualism, but trying to be like everyone else. Our individualism must be recap tured, says Billy Graham. Mass-produced machinery has given rise to the mass-pro duced man. Clinton Rossiter, one of the contributors, emphasises that we are faced with the hard question: Who speaks for America? We have no Marx, no Pope, no God-touched pro phet. “If this country is to re capture a sense of national purpose, that purpose will have to be voiced by a line of plain-talking presidents and given a cutting edge in laws enacted by . . . tough minded congresses. Then it will have to be put into daily practice by . . . dedicated administra tors, teachers, ministers, edi tors, managers and community leaders.” As we approach the age of the New Frontier, perhaps such leaders are beginning to appear on the horizon. God seems to give them to us in time of crises. This is a time of crises. We hope He will not return our forgetfullness of Him. THE MIND AND HEART OF AUGUSTINE, ed. H. M. Flood, Academy Guild Press, Fresno, California, 106 pp., $2.45. This is a short biographical sketch of the life of St. Augus tine, fleshed out with quota tions from his works. Its chief value is that it presents the years of St. Augustine’s life after the Confessions had been written and somewhat miti gates the popular view of the saint as harsh and interested chiefly in damnation. The book is perhaps meant to fur nish the basis for meditations. Anyone interested in studying St. Augustine will have to go to the sources. OPPOSITE CHASTAIN MEMORIAL PARK STEAKS from Omaha and Cedar Rapids GEORGIA CAPONETTE Broiled, Fried or Barbecued PORK BACKSTRIP RIBS Member Diners’ Club, American Express, Hilton Carte Blanche DINING ROOM Open S P. M. to 11 P. M., Closed Sundays CREDIT BUREAU OF ATLANTA Frank G. Mewborn, Mgr. 225 WALTON BLDG. JA. 2-8331 ATLANTA, GA. Jor CjraciouA Cff (Convenient cjCivina THE NOVELL HOUSE APARTMENTS 710 Peachtree, N. E. 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