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I? AGE 4—THE BULLETIN, March. SI, 1962
THE BISHOPS' RICHT TO SPEAK
Last week Mr. Westbrook Pegler,
nationally syndicated columnist, at
tacked the National Catholic Welfare
Conference, calling it “an administra
tive political agency of the Catholic
Bishops of the United States,” thus re
vealing his lamentable and totally in
excusable ignorance concerning the
nature of NCWC’s organization and
activity.
He accused the Conference of hav
ing “the presumption to interfere in
the secular political belief and activi
ties of American Catholic citizens who
oppose communism and for their cour
age have been vilified, ridiculed and
otherwise harassed by communists,
fellow travelers, and socialists.”
His diatribe was evidently inspired
by a booklet written by the Rev. John
F. Cronin, S.S., assistant director of
the Family Life bureau of NCWC’s
Social Action Department. And it is
not unlikely that recent denunciations
of the John Birch Society, which
Pegler champions, by members of the
Hierarchy and Clergy added fuel to
the flames of his anger.
Any Catholic is quite free to dis
pute Father Cronin’s personal opin
ions, such as “the basic threat of
communism is external, not internal.”
So far as we know, no one has pro
duced any conclusive evidence to
either prove or disprove such a con
tention.
But a Catholic is not free to throw
“brick-bats” at the Bishops of this
Country when they warn, personally
or through the NCWC, which is their
organization, that the social teachings
of particular political organizations
are in direct opposition to Christian
Social principles.
And, in spite of Mr. Pegler’s allega
tions to the contrary, this is as close
as the NCWC or its Administrative
Board (the Bishops) has ever come to
interfering “in the secular political
belief and activities of American Cath
olic citizens . ..”
Now, for the instruction of Mr.
Pegler, and to clear up any confusion
caused in the minds of Catholics by
his charges, the National Catholic Wel
fare Conference is not “an administra
tive political agency of the Catholic
Bishops of the United States,” nor is
it a “piece of political subterfuge.”
The NCWC was established soon
after the close of World War I, as the
successor to the National Catholic War
Council, one of seven welfare agencies
recognized by the U. S. Government
during that war.
It is an organization of the members
of the Hierarchy of the United States,
for the purposes set forth in Pope
Benedict XV’s Brief, “Communes,” is
sued in 1919.
It includes among its objects the
unifying, coordination, and organizing
of the Catholic people of the United
States in works of education, social
welfare, immigrant aid, civic educa
tion, and other activities.
Mr. Pegler’s assertions to the con
trary, it does not now include, nor has
it ever included among its aims or
activities “interfer(ing) in the secular
political belief and activities of Ameri
can Catholic citizens.”
Since NCWC is not a council or leg
islative assembly, its resolutions do
not have the force of law.
But, though Mr. Pegler may “de
spise the NCWC,” it is a rash Catholic
indeed, who places his faith in the
moral pronouncements of newspaper
columnists and former preachers, gen
erals, and FBI agents which are di
rectly opposed to the teachings of the
Church.
For, it is the Church and the Church
alone, which is Divinely constituted
to interpret the Moral Law for indi
viduals and society. And the right of
the Church to speak out, through the
Bishops, on the moral aspects of any
given social or political action or or
ganization does not yeild to the de
mands of angry men who just can’t
bear to be told that they’re wrong.
LIBERALS AND THE RADICAL LEFT
THIS YOU MUST HAVE
It Seems to Me
JOSEPH BREIG
REV. JOHN B. SHEERIN. C.S.P.
There is a great hue and cry-
all over the country about the
Radical Right but what about
the Radical Left? It does exist.
It is hard to distinguish a rad
ical leftist
from a gen
uine liberal
just as it is
difficult to
draw the line
bet ween a
real conserv
ative and a
radical right
ist. One of
the surest signs of leftist rad
icalism, however, is a readiness
to resort to violence.
On March 7th, the Young
Americans for Freedom staged
a rally at Madison Square Gar
den in New York City. Before
the rally I was standing out
side the Garden watching
some 1200 young liberals pick
eting the conservative rally.
They carried signs protesting
everything under the sun from
racism to the John Birch So-
ceity to “Uncle Tshombe.”
But they were as well-be
haved as a tea party in a con
vent. One young A.D.A. lead
er said, “We don’t think the
Young Americans for Freedom
are, fascists. We think they are
conservatives. Calling them
fascists would be like calling
them a communist.”
The most boisterous group
seemed to be the Young Or
ganizing Committee who
chanted anemically, “One, two,
three, four — we don’t want
another war — five, six, seven,
eight — we don’t want a fas
cist state.” What roughnecks!
SOUL OF PROPRIETY
I engaged a bystander next
to me in conversation. He turn
ed out to be a North Korean
student who had been con
nected with student move
ments in Japan .His English
was not too good but he did
convey to me his surprise that
students could be so bland
when staging a political dem
onstration. In short, these
young liberals were the soul
of propriety. They wouldn’t
say “boo” to a policeman’s
horse.
On the other hand, a group
of liberal extremists did put
on a violent demonstration at
Times Square on March 3rd.
They deserved the label of
“radical leftists.” Protesting
President Kennedy’s decision
to resume atmospheric tests,
they got thdmselves involved
in a brawl with the police.
They boldly sat down in
Broadway. The police arrested
42 of them for obstructing just
ice and causing a nuisance.
An article entitled “New
Styles in Fellow-Traveling” in
Dissent, Autumn, 1961 says
that the rise of the Radical
Left has been encouraging for
the communists.
Why? Because they have
been watching their party lose
strength year after year in the
United States but now “for the
first time in some years there
is accessible to them a small
milieu in which to function
with at least some freedom.”
These radical leftists are a
staggling, disorganized group
but they can seem to get to
gether and shout defiance
against nuclear tests and our
deterrence policy. In their en
thusiasm they carry along
with them a few naive house
wives and Christian idealists
who oppose the H-bomb.
FORMER REDS
In the recent past, they also
staged demonstrations in fa
vor of Lumumba and Castro.
The hard core of the Radical
Left seems to be former com
munists who have been disil
lusioned about Stalin, Khrush
chev and Mao but who still re
tain a certain amount of cyni
cism about American democra
cy. They are hopeful that com
munism will eventually purge
itself of* its tyranny and bru
tality and in the meantime
they busy themselves attack
ing American foreign policy
and American “materialism.”
They claim that communism
is here to stay and that though
we dislike its present form, we
should be ready to make a deal
with it. The typical radical
leftist is an intellectual or at
least a “pseudo-intellectual.”
He claims to be a realist and
that it is better “to be Red
than dead” but he is usually a
dreamer who has bypassed the
reading of history. William S.
White calls them “the precious
irresponsibles.”
The Radical Left is not real
ly a communist movement. It’s
not really a movement at all—
it’s a mood or an attitude. But
it can be easily exploited by
the communists.
The Radical Left is, howev
er, a negligible factor in the
United States today. It com
mands little influence. It
would only serve the commun
ist purposes if we were to focus
all our attention on it and
thus divert our attention from
the real menace, communism
abroad.
Church's Universality Attracts Australian
Sharing Our Treasure
The divine origin of the
Catholic Church, the authori
ty conferred upon her to teach
His truths to all nations, and
the marks of her unity, sancti
ty, Catholicity and apostolicity
continue to
draw sincere
inquirers in
to her fold as
the magnet
draws the
steel.
This is
true not only
in America
but in other
countries as well. This is il
lustrated in the conversion of
Mrs. Gertrude Chapman of
Semaphore Park, Adelaide,
South Australia.
“As a child,” related Mrs.
Chapman, “in a small village
in England, and a considerable
distance from the Anglican
church, I was sent to a non-
REV. JOHN A. O'BRIEN
conformist chapel, where I at
tended services and Sunday
school. I know now that I owe
much to the earnest people
who did their best to instruct
me. Later I joined the Angli
can Church, but its services
never seemed to meet my spi
ritual needs or bring me close
to God.
“Coming to Australia, I
married and lived far out in
the country, at a great distance
from all churches. For 13 years
I attended no religious servic
es. Once we were visited by a
priest who had traveled 500
miles to offer Mass and admin
ister the sacraments to a few
widely scattered Catholic fam
ilies. We were much impressed
with the zeal which prompted
the missionary to undertake
such a long and arduous jour
ney for such a few souls.
“I admired the unity and the
universality of the Catholic
Church. Unlike Anglicans who
differ so much in liturgy and
creed, Catholics everywhere
attend the same Mass, receive
the same sacraments, profess
the same Faith and acknow
ledge the supreme spiritual au
thority. I remember a Catholic
explaining to me that the word
Catholic meant universal,
and hence the term ‘Roman
Catholic’ should not be applied
to its members since it in
volves a contradiction.
“Later we moved to Ade
laide where there are many
churches. One day a friend in
vited me to attend Sunday
Mass with her. It was the first
time I had entered a Catholic
church, as I had often heard
remarks about the supersti
tious practices of Catholics —
adoring statues and worshiping
the Virgin Mary. Instead of
such practices, however, the
(Continued on Page 5)
A highly intelligent and in
formed answer is now at hand
for those who have been ask
ing what they could do about
communism.
“Communism: Threat to
Freedom,” a booklet by Father
John F. Cro
nin, is an im
mensely im
portant pub
lication be-
cause it
meets a very
great need.
The book
let costs 50
cents. It can
be obtained from Paulist Press,
180 Varick St., New York 14,
or from National Catholic Wel
fare Conference, 1312 Massa
chusetts Ave., N.W., Washing
ton 5.
FATHER CRONIN is assist
ant director of NCWC’s Social
Action Department. For 20
years he has been informing
himself about communism and
communistic activities. No one
is more competent on the sub
ject.
This booklet is vivid evi
dence of the depth and breadth
of his knowledge of the history
of marxism and marxists, the
advances and defeats of com
munism, and the present situ
ation.
Father Cronin understands
Americans, too. “A virulent
form of disunity,” he writes,
“is weakening us in the world
struggle against communism.”
It is doing so in the name of
militant anti-communism.
AMERICANS are confused.
They are not extremists or
crack-pots. They have been
“misled by false prophets,”
but they “desperately want to
DO something about commun
ism.”
Their basic problem, says
Father Cronin, is “frustration
and even fear.” They have
seen the Soviet Union “appar
ently gaining” in its efforts to
communize the world. Our na
tional ego has been shocked
by Soviet Missile and space
achievements.
Many feel that since we ap
parently can’t strike at ene
mies abroad, we should “root
out subversion at home.” Such
feelings have been “exploited
by the so-called extremists of
the right.”
Father Cronin makes crystal
clear what seasoned anti-com
munists have been trying to
get people to see — that the
wrong battle is being fought
by these extremists, at the
wrong place and the wrong
time.
IN A MASTERPIECE of
condensation, he reviews the
bubbleheadness, the fellow-
traveling, the dupery and the
subversion of the 30s and 40s,
and shows how theese evils
were exposed and countered,
and how they virtually vanish
ed because of such events as
the Korean war and the Soviet
crime against Hungary.
The problem now is for the
the most part external, not in
ternal. It is communist aggres
sion abroad. To defeat that the
U. S. and the western world
must be united and confident,
not suspicious and disunited.
Father Cronin quotes FBI di
rector J. Edgar Hoover in a
statement last April:
"There exists today in our
land a vital 'rift' which the
communists are exploiting.
Certain people engage in
reckless charges against one
another. The label of 'com
munist' is too often indis
criminately attached to those
whose views differ from the
majority . . .
"The job of curtailing and
containing communism is
one for legally constituted
authorities with the steadfast
cooperation of every loyal
citizen. This is neither the
time for inaction nor vigi
lante action ... We must
face the communist menace
with deliberation, quiet cou
rage and knowledge . . .
These are the qualities
against which communism
can never succeed."
Father Cronin warns that
the impatient citizen who
wants to “do something” must
“learn to comprehend the mod
ern world more accurately . . .
There is very little that the
average citizen can do about
communism, if his only con
cern is to root out traitors in
our midst.”
The “overwhelming portion
of the struggle against com
munism today, he writes, must
be carried on outside our bor
ders, and the prime agency is
the national government.
So what can we do? Father
Cronin says: raise funds for
scholarships for students in
mission schools in Africa. Or
for poor students from Latin
America or Asia. Offer social
(Continued on Page 5)
Pro Deo et Pro Patria
By BARBARA C. JENCKS
“Up, up, the long delicious burning blue I’ve topped
the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark or even eagle flew. And while with
silent, lifted mind I’ve trod
The high untresspassed sanctity of space
Put out my hand—and touched the face of God.”
—Author Unknown
• AMERICANS of all ages are experiencing a renew
al of faiih and patriotism. They are discovering emotions
they did not they had. Colonel John Glenn's flight to outer
space embraced us all. America had a hero again. This hero
held within his capsule the hopes and fears of a nation.
He was more than a home run king in a world series. This
American victory was played before the eyes of a world,
the stakes were higher. Americans seemed to become young
boys again at a ball game and later like decorated war
heroes. We were all part of the Colonel John Glen orbit.
Many of us were not around when Lindberg flew the At
lantic ocean in his plane, "Spirit of St. Louis." Those who
were did not have the opportunity to witness the flight via
the mass miracle media of television. During wartime when
patriotism is at its highest pitch, a sadness permeates the
pride in soldiers and victories. There was no sadness recent
ly but a tremendous pouring forth, in Niagra Falls force,
the pent-up lost faith and patriotism of youth and long ago.
* * *
• MOST OF ALL, America had a real hero for itself.
Scotty Reston of the New York Times, being interviewed at
the scene of one of the many parades, underlined well the
appeal of Glenn. The famous columnist said that all the as
tronauts were exceptionally fine men and that Americans
had rather forgotten what a genuine person was. Glenn was
a identifiable American, according to Reston. He was the
freshman football coach type. If Americans were called upon
to find the average American type, I think someone like
Colonel Glenn would be selected: crew cut, midwestern
twang, unsophisticated, generous, boyish, not handsome, but
the nice look associated with ice cream parlors, Sundays,
sports, back porches and cookouts. It was indeed refreshing
to find with Scotty Reston an identifiable American hero.
* * *
• FOR ONE who traveled jet from Dublin to Boston
in five hours, it is hard to conceive that within that same
time span. Colonel Glenn orbited the entire world three
times! I flew into three sunsets and was overcome with the
beauty and the incredibility of flying at such speed. I saw
a sunset over Shannon, another in Newfoundland and the
final one as I came into Boston. It was an experience of a
lifetime even more exciting than against night with the
stars like diamonds strewn on black velvet everywhere you
looked, as it was on the flight to Ireland. New lights on
both time, space and speed are contemplated as a result of
Glenn's flight. In regard to weightlessness, a religious with
(Continued on Page 5)
DORIS REVERE PETERS
jboris
rndwerS
YOUTH
WOULD SAVE FOR HORSE
BY TAKING PAPER ROUTE
Dear Doris:
I was 12 years old in Octo
ber. I love horses and want to
save for one. I thought of a
a way to save by getting a pa
per route but there is only one
problem — my dad doesn’t
agree with me. He said I
should wait until I am 13. We
came to an agreement that
whatever you say goes. Your
friend.
Marcio
Well, Marcio, I think your
Dad has a good idea. I would
suggest you wait until you are
13 until you get the paper
route. Maybe in the meantime
you could do other things to
save for the horse. How about
chores for the neighbors? And
in the spring and summer you
can mow lawns. Keep busy
and the time will pass fast.
KINDNESS
UNAPPRECIATED?
Dear Doris:
What makes people dislike
you when you try your best to
be as nice to everyone as you
possibly can? I finished high
school last year and had many
enemies there. However, I
thought I was disliked because
I wouldn’t join the rest of the
so-called popular group (alco
hol drinkers, foul mouths, etc.).
I recently got a job at a
Catholic hospital, thinking that
there I would be given a
chance to lead my kind of life
without anyone ridiculing me,
only to find almost the same
kind of treatment from the em
ployees, (not the Sisters).
My mother says she thinks it
is jealousy. Please help me as
I’m beginning to think that
people don’t appreciate kind
ness.
A.
People appreciate true kind
ness. They do not appreciate
having the ideals or ideas of
others forced on them in the
guise of kindness. And regard
less of their faults — or vir
tues — they want to be ac
cepted as they are. When they
are accepted, they will accept
you.
You do not have to agree
with people or what they do to
accept them. Acceptance is
like charity. When you try to
understand others as fellow
human beings with strengths
and weaknesses, made in the
image and likeness of God, it
is easy to accept them. And it
is easy to get along with them.
It is necessary to be honest
with yourself. This means pre
senting yourself as you really
are. Maybe you are trying too
hard to be just “nice.” This is
not necessary. When you try
too hard in any situation you
appear to lack sincerity and
others doubt your motives.
Your motives are good. But
obviously, your approach is
poor. Is your attitude one of
superiority, or of condemning?
Anyone would react unfavor
ably to this.
You have an excellent op
portunity for exercising a good
influence by not drinking, or
using foul language. But the
opportunity will be lost and
the influence ridiculed if you,
in any way, brag or exhibit a
superior attitude.
A genuine interest and con
cern for others is the basis for
kindness and charity. So let
your interest, your feelings
and your charity shown by
not condemning, in any way,
those less fortunate than you.
STATRING CONVERSATION
Dear Doris:
I am a sophomore in high
school and belong to a Catholic
club. I have always worked
hard in school and never had
the time for nor an interest in .
boys. This past fall I met a Jj
junior at one of the meetings. ’*
My problem is that in five
meetings he hasn’t said a word
to me. I find him looking over
my way a lot, but he refuses
to even smile. I hope you can
give me some hints on how to
get into a conversation with
him.
Laura
Don’t the club members ga
ther in small groups before or
after the meetings to talk
things over. Well, join his
group. Smile at him. Try not
to be so tense with anxiety
that your smile comes across
half frozen. Keep it natural.
Ask him a question about the
club, or his part in it, or the
next meeting, anything.
Since you belong to the
same club you can do this 1
without being obvious. And
the club activities provide top- \
ics of mutual interest. This is
an opportunity losts of girls
would love.
And Laura, maybe this boy
isn’t refusing to smile. Maybe
he is shy. Lots of boys are. At
the next meeting you smile,
and you ask a question and he
will be in the conversation in
no time at all.
Devout Russians, Longtime
Residents Of China, Find
Freedom In British Colony
HONG KONG, (NC) — A
White Russian family of four
who had kept their holy icons
hidden in communist China
displayed them in freedom in
Kong Kong.
On a peeling wall of a shab
by hotel here, 44-year-old Eu
gene Shvetsoff and his family
hung two small faded icons,
long concealed in their old
home in Manchuria and dur
ing their trek to this Western
outpost on the border of Red
China.
One icon portrays Christ
holding a tablet inscribed with
the Russian words: “I give you
a new commandment, to love
one another.” The other por
trays St. Nicholas, a patron
saint of Russia. .
Shvetsoff, his wife Mary and
their children Vasily and Da-
piana roused the sympathy of
the world when they were
stranded for four days at the
gates of Portugues Macao,
which refused to admit them
without an entrance visa.
By the time they arrived
here, money had come for
them from an American they
never heard of.
“Enclosed find thirty dol
lars,” said the letter from Har
ry Lewandowski of Duluth,
Minn., to Hong Kong’s Catholic
Social Welfare Bureau.
“There is a Eugene Shvetsoff
who with his wife and chil
dren, refugees from Harbin,'
Manchria, are outside, the bor
der gate of Macao. I hope en
thusiastically your office may
be able to forward them the
money. I pray that by the ar
rival of this letter they may be
in Hong Kong.”
The money was brought to
them by Father Henry Aerts,
(Continued on Page 5)
411
©Iff Hullrtitt
•TH ST.. AUGUSTA. GA.
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Second class mail privileges authorized at Monroe, Ga. Send
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REV. FRANCIS J. DONOHUE REV. R. DONALD KIERNAN
Editor Savannah Edition Editor Atlanta Edition
JOHN MARKWALTER
Managing Editor
REV. LAWRENCE LUCREE, REV. JOHN FITZPATRICK,
Associate Editors, Savannah Edition.
Vol. 42 Saturday, March 31, 1962 No. 22
ASSOCIATION OFFICERS
GEORGE GINGELL, Columbus President
MRS. DAN HARRIS, Macon Vice-President
NICK CAMERIO, Macon Secretary
JOHN T. BUCKLEY, Augusta Treasurer
ALVIN M. McAULIFFE, Augusta Auditor
JOHN MARKWALTER, Augusta Executive Secretary
MISS CECILE FERRY, Augusta Financial Secretary