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Published by the Catholic Lay men’s Association of Georgia nlUtin “To Brhig About a Friendlier Feeling Among Neighbors Irre spective of Creed” Vol. XXVI. No. 8. FORTY-EIGHT PAGES AUGUSTA, GEORGIA, AUGUST 25, 1945 ISSUED MONTHLY—$2.00 A YEAR Catholic Laymen’s Association of Georgia to Hold 30th Annual Convention in Albany To Participate in Convention of Georgia Laymen \/~> •• r\ TO PRESIDE TO OFFER MASS HOST TO CONVENTION COIlVCTltlOTi L)(Xt€ 9 CjctOOCT 28, Concides With Celebration of Albany 9 s Catholic Centennial BERNARD S. FAHY Completing his second term as president of the Catholic Lay men's Association of Georgia, Bernard S. Faliy, of Rome, will preside at the Association's 30th annual convention which will be held in Albany on October 28. This year’s convention will be strictly a business session with a limited number of delegates at tending. BISHOP O’HAltA The Most Rev. Gerald P. O’Hara, D. D.. J. U. D., Bishop of Savan- nah-At lanta, who will celebrate a Pontifical Mass to mark the cen tennial of Catholicity in Albany on October 28. and v/ho will attend the 30tli annual convention of the Catholic Laymen’s Association which will be held in Albany on that date. FRET WIGGINS As president of the Albany Branch of 1 he Catholic Laymen’s Association of Georgia, Fred Wig gins will extend a welcome to the 30th annual convention of the As sociation on behalf of its local branch in the convention city. Mr. Wiggins, one of the. organis ers of the Association, and always active in its work, is a member of its executive committee. Theologians Review Moral Aspects of Using Atomic Power in Conduct of War (By N. C. W. C. News Service) W ASHINGTON.—The immense moral problems arising from the use of atomic energy as a weapon of modern warfare have been in formally discussed by a number ol leading Catholic theologians and scientists in this country. While one of them expressed the view that use of the atomic bomb is "just and moral insofar as the war itself is jus’t and moral,’’ two other theologians draw a clearer distinction between the use of the weapon as a ‘’lawful” means of destroying “strictly military ob jectives” and as an “immoral” means of terrorizing civilians and breaking down civilian morale. Another opinion sees in the mili tary use of atomic energy a per version of science "to the cause ol slaughter and destruction,” while a fifth one regards it as evidence of “desperate moral cynicism.” If in some cases there was a certain reticence in expressing definitive opinions on the moral aspects of the startling develop ments, it is held to be mainly at tributable to the lack of complete information on circumstances and the methods used by the Ameri can armed forces in bringing the power of th! new weapon to bear upon the enemy. It also was observed that the Holy See during the .first few days after announcement of the atomic bomb has abstained from i mmenting in any way on the moral issues involved in the ex ploitation of a new scientific dis covery for military purposes. Re ports in the American secular Press, quoting “an authoritative Vatican source” to the effect that “the use of atomic bombs in Ja pan has created an unfavorable impression on the Vatican” have been revealed to emanate from unauthorized sources. According to a report in the Washington Star of August 8, His Holiness Pope Pius XII, in an au dience granted to Newbold Noyes, Jr., that newspaper’s Roirtb correspondent, permitted himself to be quoted to the effect that the circulated, allegedly, “official" re port on Vatican views “was an un authorized statement.” The view that the atomic weap-1 on is legal in a just war, because in modern total war “the old dis tinction between combatant and non-combatant has lost much of its significance,” was expressed by the Rev. James B. Macelwane, S. J.. professor of geophysics and director of the department. Dean ol the Institute of Geophysical Technology, St. Louis, University. “Modern warfare is an armed struggle between nations,” Father Macelwane said. “The object of each side is to win the war, that is, to force the opposite side to surrender by making it difficult or impossible for it to wage fur ther warfare. Provided the war be a just war, the choice of weapon is immaterial as far as morality is concerned. “The quicker an attacking en emy is brought to his -knees and lorced to surrender, the better it is for all concerned.” the priest- scientist declared. “The atomic bomb is a weapon, and apparent ly a very effective one. When a modern nation goes to war it en ters the war totally, that is, the entire nation is engaged either in providing or in using the im mensely complicated material that is required to wage a modern war. “The , old distinction between combatant and non-combatant has lost much of its significance. War is no longer simply a strug gle between armed men, it is pri marily a clash of mechanism. Therefore, to win the war the enemy's production must be stopped and his ability to wage mechanized warfare thereby must be destroyed. The atomic bomb is a means to that end. “The use of the atomic bomb,” Father Macelwane concluded, “to (Continued on page twenty-four) Envoy Myron Taylor Confers With President (By Religious News Service) W ASHINGTON, D. C.—Myron C. Taylor, the President's special envoy to the Vatican, conferred with President Truman at the White House on what he called “many subjects", but would not make any comment indicating whether or not he will return to Rome. Taylor, who returned to the United States last month, refused to divulge his future plans to re porters. “Ask the President,” he suggest ed. ' Churchill Says Dictatorial Regimes Are Set Up by Reds in East Europe (By N. C. W.'C. News Service) LONDON. The declaration that communist forces in the Balkans and in Eastern Europe have, al most everywhere, “obtained, or are in the process of obtaining, dicta torial powers,” was made by for mer Prime Minister Winston Churchill in his first address as a private member of the House of Commons. - “That does not mean,” Mr. Churchill said, “that everywhere has communism been established nor that it will be established.” “Nevertheless,” lie said, “we must know where we stand, and we must make clear where . we stand in these affairs of the Balkans and Eastern Europe.” Regarding the provisional west ern frontier agreed upon for Po land." comprising as it does one- quarter of the arable land of Ger many,” the former Premier said it "is not a good augury for the future of Europe.” “Here, I think.” Mr. Churchill said, “a mistake has been made in which the Provisional Government of Poland has ben an ardent partner far beyond what necessity or equity requires.” Referring again to the Balkans, he said: “1 cannot conceive that any element of new conflict exists in the Balkans today. Neverthe less, not many members of the new House of Commons will be content with the situation prevailing in those mountainous, turbulent, ill- organized, warlike legions.” i AUGUSTA. Ga.—With the ap proval of Ilis Excellency the Most Rev. Gerald P. O’Hara, D. D„ J. U. D... Bishop of Savannah-Atlan- ta, Bernard S. Faliy,’ president of the Catholic Laymen’s Association of Georgia, has announced that the thirtieth annual convention of the Laymen’s Association will be held in Albany on October 28, the Feast of Christ the King. On that date, the members of St. Theresa’s parish in Albany will observe the one hundredth anni versary of the first celebration of Mass in Dougherty County, and I he convention of the Laymen’s As sociation is being held in conjunc tion with the observance of the centennial of Catholicity in Al bany, at the invitation of the Very Rev. Daniel J. Bourke, pastor of St Theresa’s Church in Albany, and of Fred Wiggins, president of the Albany Branch of the Lay men's Association. Present plans indicate that this year's convention will be rather in the nature of a meeting of the of ficers and members of the cxecu- tixe committee of the Laymen's Association, with members of the local branch in Albany, in order to comply with government regula tions in regard to gatherings and travel, and the attendance of out- of-town delegates will be restrict ed unless the ODT ban on conven tions has been relaxed by the last of October. Preliminary outline of the con vention program provides merely for a business session in the after noon. at which the officers of the Association will submit their an nual reports, and matters in con nection with the operation of the Association for the coming year will be discussed. Departing from a long establish ed custom, no guest speaker will be invited to address the conven tion this year. However, the Most Rev. Gerald P. O’Hara, D. D„ J. U. D.. Bishop of Savannah-Atlan- ta. will, as usual, deliver his annual message to the officers and mem bers of the Association. The Solemn Pontifical Mass which will commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of the first i celebration of Mass in.Albany will take the place of the Mass which ; opened the convention program in ■ other years. | Officers of the Association who j arc expected to attend are: Ber- | nard S. Faliy, Rome, president; j Martin J. Callaghan, Macon, vice- president: John B. McCallum. At lanta. secretary: Hugh II. Grady, Savannah, treasurer; Hugh Kinch- ley, Augusta, executive secretary; Miss Cecile Ferry, Augusta, finan cial secretary, and Alvin M. Me- Auliffe, Augusta, auditor. Members of the executive com mittee, who also are expected to attend, arc: Bernard J. Kane, At lanta: T. H. McHatton, Athens; C. A. McCarthy, Savannah; Fred Wig gins, Albany: Charles Southerland. LaGrange; Mrs. Edward A. Sheri dan. Macon f Mrs. J. Mark Mote. Columbus, Mrs. Lee Annis Sim mons, Atlanta, and Miss Anna Rice, Augusta. In addition to the annual reports of the president, secretary, treas urer. executive secretary and audi tor, the convention will also hear reports from the presidents of the various local branch associations, Fred Wiggins. Albany; Felix J. Commagere, Atlanta; Charles V. Walsh, Savannah; Henry J. Mur phy, Columbus: Martin J. Callag han, Macon: Marshall Wellbovn, Rome; John T Buckley, Augusta, E. M. Heagarty, Waycross; R. E. McTigue. LaGrange. According to the by-laws of the Laymen s Association, each parish in the Diocese of Savannah-Atlan ta entitled to appoint two dele gates to the convention, and every Catholic organization in Georgia is entitled to one convention dele gate. Whether it will be possible to invite these representatives to ,tlie convention in Albany this year depends upon what relaxation may be made in government re strictions on travel after peace negotiations have been completed with Japan. Under present plans for the convention, it is not anticipated that there will be more than forty- nine delegates from outside of the city of Albany in attendance. Bulletins A STATEMENT in the general press concerning the possibility of the American Military Govern ment's insisting upon having an observer present at the forthcom ing annual meeting of the Ger man Hierarchy at I’ulda brought a clarifying statement from the War Department to the effect that the policy established of having an observer present at meetings of five or more persons within the occupied zone, is capable of amendment by officials “within the theatre” according to the nature of the meeting. The general pol icy was aimed at preventing the assembling of groups with “Nazi tendencies”, the War Department explained. A NAVY CHAPLAIN, Lieut. Thomas M. ( onway, has been de clared “missing in action” since his ship, the U. S. S. Indianapolis, was torpedoed and sunk by an en emy submarine on July 30. Be fore entering the service, Father Conway was assistant pastor of St. Bridget’s Church Buffalo, N, Y. PRAYER THAT GOD may “guide and strengthen our states men to dedicate the might which has brought us victory to the res toration of the nations.on the firm foundations of truth and ordered liberty and to the achievement of a just and lasting peace” was urged by the Most Rev. Edward Mooney, Archbishop of Detroit and Chairman of the Administra tive Board. National Catholic Wel fare Conference, in a statement issued following the official an nouncement of the end of war with Japan. VERY REV.'m. EDMUND FUT- TERER, O. C. S. O., has been elect- Abbot of Our Lady of the Val ley Monastery in Cumberland, R I., where he has served as Super ior for the lust 18 months, and the Monastery lias been elevated to the status of an Abbey, the only one of its kind in New England. Born in Albany. N. Y„ Father Ed mund joined the Trappist Order in 1.927. DAMAGE to (he Apostolic Dele gation in Tokyo during aerial bombardments of Japan is regard ed by the Holy See as an unfortu nate accident of war, it is stated in Vatican circles. THE CHINESE PEOPLE will not forget the . manifestations of sympathy extended to them by His Holiness Pope Pius XII in their time of darkest trial. Cheou Kang Sie. Minister of China to the Holy See, declared in a state ment issued in Rome to mark the surrender of Japan.