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PAGE 4—The Southern Cross, January 12, 1963
The Right To A Good Name
Make It Unanimous
Much has been said and
written of late concerning
“management of the news” by
the Federal government. We
are inclined to agree with a
virtually unanimous Ameri
can press that manipulation
of the various news media
by the government as part of
our system of “weaponry” is
far more dangerous to the
United States than to her
enemies.
On the other hand we
seriously doubt that journal
ism uninformed by ethical
values can advance either the
fortunes of the nation or the
rights of its citizens.
Ten years ago a man robbed
a bank in Savannah. He was
sentenced to forty years in
prison. Presient Kennedy for
reasons which he has not an
nounced, used his executive
clemency powers, reducing
the sentence to fifteen years.
With time off for good be
havior, the prisoner became
free in August of 1961.
Both his sentencing and the
Presidential use of executive
clemency were lawful acts,
and under our system of juris
prudence, the debt of a bank
robber to society was marked
“paid” on August 1, 1961.
Not only was he restored to
citizenship, but he once again
acquired a right to a good name
and reputation among his
fellowmen - the right to lit
erally begin a new life.
Neither society nor the press
has any moral right, whatso
ever, to deprive him of the
esteem in which he might
thereafter be held by others,
or to obstruct him in the
progress of his new life, un
til he, by his own acts/once
again places himself in op
position to the just require
ments of an orderly society.
And yet, a certain segment
of the press, which quickly
condemns any action jeo
pardizing its own rights, may
very well have done just that.
We do not know whether the
man has truly reformed or not.
We do not know where he lives.
And we venture to say that
neither does the Washington
Post which thoughtlessly and
unfeelingly published his name
in a story on commutations by
the President.
But one thing is certain. If
the press in the town where
he is living is as unconcern
ed with his rights as the Wash
ington Post and some of our
local papers, his life is not the
same today as it was before
the start of 1963.
Some time ago Mr. Justice
Warren of the U. S. Supreme
Court, noting that many busi
ness and professional people
freely admit that they need
guidance in applying ethical
principles to specific poli
cies and actions, suggested the
institution of a new profession,
“Ethical Counselling.”
At least in the case of cer-
tainnewspapers, it seems that
the services of such a profes
sion are sorely needed.
TOWARD UNITY
Pope John Leads Way
Last October 13 Pope John
met a group of non-Catholics
who had come to Rome for the
opening of the Second Vatican
Council. In greeting them he
said: "... there burns in my
heart the intention of working
and suffering to hasten the hour
when for all men the prayer of
Jesus at the Last Supper will
have reached its fulfillment."
Such is the heart and voice
of the Holy Father, a faithful
echo of the Good Shepherd whose
vicar he is on earth. Within a
few years Pope John has chang
ed remarkably the religious at
mosphere of the Christian world
and improved the possiblities
of Christian reunion. He told
the group that he drew "spec
ial comfort" from their pres
ence at the ceremonies for the
opening day of the council:
" . . .if you could read my
heart, you would perhaps under
stand much more than words
can say.”
So the Vicar of Christ, the
successor of St. Peter, exem
plifies so simply and so at
tractively the love of Christ for
souls. It is charity above all
that will effect the desired
reunion, a supernatural love
rising from the hearts of the
faithful everywhere.
It is not enough for the pope
and the bishops of the Church to
be interested in Christian Unity
and to labor and pray for it. A
concern for souls outside the
Church should live in the heart
of every Catholic. It is simply a
manifestation and reflection of
the spirit of the Good Shepherd
who gave His life for His sheep,
and who asked from St. Peter
a greater love than that of the
other apostles.
The Chair of Unity Octave,
next January 18-25, is a pro
vidential means of putting into
practice such love for souls.
In seeking for the reunion of
persons seperated from her, the
Church does no violence to the
spiritual welfare of men. She
is simply being true to her mis
sion given her by the Divine
Redeemer, since the Church is
His Body of which He is the
divine Head. The Church has the
mandate to save all men, even
as Jesus did for all. There is but
one Church as there is one
Christ.
The love of the Holy Father
should be a pattern for the faith
ful everywhere. Each one has
talent and opportunities which
another does not. Each should)
use time, talent, and every oc
casion possible to radiate the
love of Christ among those ar
ound him. Love should impel
every Catholic to pray fervent
ly and confidently for the cause
of Unity.
Such is the purpose of the Un
ity Octave: To stimulate the
faithful to pray for this vital
question, so that they may of
fer further prayers and good
works throughout the rest of
the year for the same holy
cause. The Octave is not a prac
tice isolated from daily living;
it should inspire and incite
prayer and efforts at other
times. It should help fulfill the
longing of every Catholic for
religious unity.
The Octave is not kept in the
spirit of arrogance or pride.
It is no credit to the Catholic
Red China’s “Manifesto”
Worsening World Picture
WASHINGTON-- This yean
like others in the recent past,
is expected to be a troublesome
one in foreign relations.
As 1963 began, it was under
stood here that the lull in So
viet communist activity was
only temporary; that com
munism has not turned in any
degree from its aim of world
domination; that relations be
tween Soviet Russian com
munism and the free world have
not improved, and that new
communist provocations could
be expected this year.
Nikita Khrushchev may have
made the first agitating move
as 1962 ended. It was, and still
is, expected that he will try to
inflame the Berlin crisis anew.
In the closing days of last year
he reiterated his demand that
Western troops get out of Ber
lin. He said a separate peace
treaty with East Germany is on
the Soviet Russian agenda and
that it will strip the Western
Powers of any right to remain
in Berlin. He said these things
in a tough-talking letter to
Chancellor Konrad Adenauer of
West Germany. But he had Mos
cow radio broadcast the text,
so obviously he meant his words
for more than West German
digestion.
It is thought here that the
communists may stir up
trouble in other places round
the world as well.
And, we have the Cuban pro
blem still with us. It is not
evident how the resolution of
the recent crisis will affect
the future action of the Soviet
Union. Nor is it known what
Castro’s position is now in
Cuba. It is thought that he was
humiliated by Moscow’s with
drawal of its missils without
consultation with him, but there
is nothing yet to indicate that
it has ; loosened his grip on
the situation, or that it would
have any beneficial effect for
the free world if he were sup
planted by another Red.
The unclear, but obviously
threatening, situation was
worsened by what has been
called a declaration of Red
China policy. On December 31,
the People’s Daily in Peking
printed.a very long piece which
it called an editorial. Since the
text has become available here
it has been called a manifesto.
Observers have interpreted it
as a call for revolution and an
attempt to encourage and use
unrest and upheaval in all parts
of the world.
MASS OF THE FUTURE
It Seems to Me
that he has the faith; this
blessing is due to the free grace
of God. But gratitude for so
great a gift should move him
to pray, to work, and to love
for the fulfillment of the Sav
ior’s plea on Holy Thursday:
"... that they all may be one
. . . that they may be perfec
ted in unity."
It is said that St. Francis
de Sales won more than 75,000
Calvinists back to the Church
because of his charity. He was
not weak or compromising; he
was bold and forthright; at times
he was very firm. But he was
the essence of love and this
virtue won large numbers of
souls separated from the
Church.
The Unity Octave for 1963
should be kept with special fer
vor and love. It comes during the
year of the Second Vatican
Council when the possibilities
of unity are being explored and
considered. This is a period of
unusual grace for the Church
and its members. Surely the
Holy Spirit, the source of love,
will breathe upon all the world
to hasten the day when dream of
a reunited Christendom will be
fulfilled. Mary is the Spouse of
the Holy Spirit, who collaborat
ed with Him, in the salvation
and sanctification of souls. It
is her desire and prayer "that
all may be one." The faithful
can demonstrate their sincer
ity and their charity by intense
prayer for reunion during the
Unity Octave. They ought to
continue the holy practice daily.
Unity should be the concern and
vital interest of every Catholic
everywhere.
A cheerful departure from
some grooves of custom is
going to be an important part
of the apostolate of the laity
- and of the clergy too—in the
reasonably near future.
The ton
gues of the
peoples will
be heard in
the Mass and
the sacra
ments. The
liturgy also
will reach
out in some
places to em
brace local
ways of doing things.
There will be more emphasis
on Scripture and on singing by
congregations. Everything will
be more Christ-centered and
Bible-centered.
Maybe for awhile some Cath
olics will feel a little less com
fortably at home in church. But
the "other Christians" will feel
at home when they visit us.
Let me try to put in a nut
shell what the ecumenical coun
cil voted, almost unanimously,
concerning the liturgy of the fu
ture before recessing until Sept.
8.
To do this, I will condense an
article by Benedictine Father
Cipriano Vaggini in the Vatican
City daily, Osservatore, Roma
no. He is one of the council’s
liturgy experts.
What the council did was to
adopt basic principles for "re
forming and fostering" the lit
urgy. Father Vaggini calls these
the "first fruits" of the council.
As a result, he writes, "the
liturgical movement has come
to its highest point so far in
its impressive upward trajec
tory." The consequences for the
future can be "inestimable.”
THE "NATURE" of the litur
gy" is seen by the council as
flowing from the nature and the
work of Christ, as the "sacra
ment" which is basic and indis
pensable to all worship and all
sanctification of the world.
The total Church then is seen
as a sacrament also, applying
the Redemption through the
Mass and the sacraments, al
ways, as with Christ, in an in
carnate and sacramental struc
ture.
From this "nature of the lit
urgy" comes its power to attain
the meaning of the Christian
life. The people therefore, must
be led to full participation, "in
wardly and outwardly." This
requires:
L. Liturgical training of the
clergy.
2. Intense instruction of the
people.
3. A proper reform of the
liturgy.
4. Development of the litur
gical spirit in dioceses and
parishes.
All the workaday and aposto
lic activities of Christians are
to be caught up in, “baptized by"
and united with the liturgy in
which the people participate.
The liturgy is not only wor-
JOSEPH BREIG
ship given to God; it is also the
holiness which God effects in
man.
The Church therefore wants
to "bring to the people, and to
live intensely," the treasury of
the liturgical life.
In seminary teaching, the
Mystery of Christ and salvation
history are to be integrated into
all other subjects so that ev^‘
erything is related to the lit
urgy.
■"WHAT," Father Vaggini in
quires, "is the liturgy but the
actuality, under the sacramen
tal signs, of the Sacred History
of Christ present and working
among us?
"It is that which the Bible
proclaims as the Mystery,
which dogma contemplates sys
tematically, which the spiritual
life lives, and the apostolate
passes on to men."
If the liturgy, he says, is a
"complex of signs." then the
signs must manifest themselves
clearly to the people. This is
"the bedrock principle of all
liturgical reform".
Latin is to be preserved, but
the languages of people are to
be introduced, especially in re
sponses, acclamations and
hymns.
DETAILS OF the changes are
to be decided by bishops—in
provincial, regional or national
groupings—according to the
needs of the various peoples.
Rome is to confirm what the
bishops decide.
There are to be more varied
and better chosen Biblical
selections in the liturgy. The
need of a homily is to be stress
ed. So-called Bible vigils may
become liturgical rites.
The liturgical vision, writes
Father Vagginni, is now "a
force sweeping through the
Church.’’ And it is integrated
with "pastoral, missionary,
spiritual and ecumenical move
ments."
The way is now open , he
concludes, for "a possibly slow
but profound adaptation of the
Roman Rite to the local needs
of peoples."
Britain Said Ready Te
Accept Islam As State
Religion For Malaysia
By Father Patrick O’Connor
Society of St. Columban
(N.C.W.C. NEWS SERVICE)
SINGAPORE - Plans are be
ing made to have Islam, the
Muslim religion, established as
the "National religion" of the
proposed Federation of Ma
laysia, though more than half
of the population will be non-
Muslim.
The two parties now prepar
ing the final agreement on Ma
laysia are the British and the
Malayan governments. The Bri
tish government holds sove
reignty over Sarawak and North
Borneo (Sabah) and maintains
a protectorate over Brunei. The
Federation of Malaya acts for
itself and for Singapore, which
has already voted to merge with
it. All the territories involved
are within, the British Com
monwealth.
According to a well-informed
British source, the British au
thorities propose to accept a
constitution for the new federa
tion that will include a provision
making Islam the national re
ligion. The Malayan govern
ment, which has this provision
in its own constitution, wants
to see it enacted for all Mar
laysia (i. e., Singapore, Sara
wak, North Borneo and Brunei
as well as Malaya).
The same: British source ad
mitted that the Muslims in the
combined territories would be
no more tjian 43 per cent of
the total population. Some es
timates would put it a little low
er.
The percentages of Muslims
in the separate territories are
approximately these:
Federation of Malaya: barely
50 per cent.
Singapore: barely 15 per cent.
Sarawak: 23.4 per cent.
North Borneo: 37.9 per cent.
Brunei: 49 per cent.
Malaya, a federation of 11
states (9 having sultans), has
been independent since 1957.
The first draft constitution for
Malaya prescribed no national
religion; each state would re
tain its own internal religious
structure. A provision was in
serted, however, with British
approval, making Islam the na
tional religion.
According to an authoritative
source, it was felt in London
that it would help relations with
the Arab world to have two
members in the Commonwelath
with Islam as their state re
ligion. (Pakistan had already
become an Islamic republic).
The intention now is not to
frame a new constitution for
the proposed greater Federa
tion of Malaysia but simply to
adapt and extend the existing
constitution of Malaya to Singa
pore and the Borneo territo
ries.
How have the non-Muslims
fared under this Malayan con
stitution?
The government of Tunku
(Prime Minister) Abdul Rah
man has been giving a liberal
measure of religious freedom in
Malaya. Christians receive not
By BARBARA C. JENCKS
Lovely are the woods, dark and deep
But I have promises to keep
and miles to go before I sleep . . .
-Robert Frost
It will be two years ago this month that a tall, handsome
doctor named Tom Dooley died of cancer in a New York City
hospital at the age of 34. Few have left their impression on a
generation and an era as this dedicated young man. Before he
died this doctor who has established jungle hospitals on three
continents wrote: Do not forget me when the phenomenon
of death visits me for only then will I have truly died." Tom
has not been forgotten. This past year, President Kennedy
awarded Dr. Dooley’s mother a special commemorative con
gressional medal for her son’s service to the poor and sick
of Asia and Africa. Two books have been written about him in
the past year: BEFORE I SLEEP was written early in the
year and before the old year closed, Dr. Dooley's mother
published her memoirs, PROMISES TO KEEP.
AT THE BEGINNING of a new year and on the occasion of
the second anniversary of his death, it is good to review some
of the things for which this young doctor lived and died. Every
person we meet in life has something to give us. Some leave
a more indelible mark than others. In a lifetime, we are stamp
ed with the imprint of hundreds of personalities. It is our
parents, teachers, and close friends who make the deepest
imprint upon our minds and it lives as Tom Dooley's example
lives. s
TOM DOOLEY was indeed a legend of his lifetime. Yet he
was a touching human as well as heroic and dedicated. Per
haps his mother’s book brings this out better than anything
else written about him. In the midst of the gigantic work of
aiding refugees, working around the clock being a doctor and an
unofficial American ambassador, Tom wrote this wistful thought
to his mother: "I’m feeling very old these days, and more
and more in need of some old fashioned loving, with home,
fireplace, wife, and, if you don’t mind, horses." We often forget
to remember the human needs and sacrifices involved in
greatness and giving to others/be it in the field of medicine,
teaching, social work or whatever.
These are thoughts for the beginning of a year as we
renew our resolutions for the days to come. We keep faith with
those who have gone before.
DR. TOM DOOLEY was indeed a legend but he was also real.
We talked with him, knew him, saw him and heard him. The
good that he has done is not interred with his tall spare body
in a St. Louis cemetery. Yet, all around us there are those
who, like him, have seen a star and followed it. Although to
some that star did not lead to Laos or Africa, its light was
seen in the sick of their hometown or found in inspiring
a classroom of youngsters. The secret in the lives
of most people whom we admire is that they are
motivated by a love of God. It is not hard to know
that the heroes and real men and women of the year begin
each morning of their lives before the altar of God.
J
Urges More Sermons,
On Today’s Social
Problems i
CLEVELAND, (NC) — A
priest - sociologist advocated
here that preachers devote
more sermons to today’s social
problems with a viewpoint of a
Catholic solution.
Msgr. Francis W. Carney,
Director of St. John’s College
Social Education Institute, told
the Catholic Homiletic Society
that as a group clergymen are
not abreast of the scientific
knowledge available today on
social problems.
Some 75 priests from the
U. S. and Canada attended the
only tolerant treatment but also
cooperation.
Yet there is some discrimi
nation, while Islam enjoys a
privileged status.
Formerly a Christian pro
gram, given by the chief de
nominations in turn, was broad
cast by the radio service, which
is government-operated, every
Sunday. Now Christian pro
grams are allowed only twice
a year, at Christmas and East
er. Listeners to the English-
language Catholic program last
Easter noticed that it was cut
down to 15 minutes.
Christian schools are obliged
to allow their Muslim students
to receive Islamic religious
teaching in the school premises
during school hours. The Is
lamic religious teachers are
paid from public funds. Up to
last year Christian doctrine
could not be taught to Christ
ian students in Christian
schools within school hours.
Now it is declared to be law
ful during regular class time.
Teachers of Christian doctrine
must either donate their ser
vices or be paid from private
funds.
Society’s meeting which fea
tured discussions on preach
ing and teaching Homiletics in
Seminaries.
“Good social studies and eco
nomic analyses are seldom uti
lized," Msgr. Carney said. ;
"For example, priests would be <
more inclined to read a popu- Y ]
lar digest on marriage and the
family than a scholarly publi
cation."
Dogmatic facts relative to
Catholic faith and moral prob- 1
lems of a personal nature form
the major concern in preach-
ing, Msgr. Carney said.
"Our vision in most instances
does not comprehend the sins
of society, nor the relation be
tween private and public mo
rality,” he added.
He emphasized that colleges,
universities and seminaries
only recently have begun teach- *
ing Catholic social doctrine ef
fectively. He urged a wider
reading program for priests.
"Our social lives are such
that we often aspire to a social j
class beyond that in which we ’
were born, and we have little
lingering sympathy for the pro
blems of people we left behind,"
Msgr. Carney said.
"Our attitudes on social
problems are more likely to be
in the negative. We seldom take
an affirmative and positive ap
proach to problems in terms of
a Catholic solution," he added.
Father Joseph Connors,
S.V.D., Professor of Homiletics
at the Society of The Divine
Word Seminary, Techny, Ill.,
was elected president of the So
ciety. He succeeds Msgr. John
J. Cassells of Immaculate Con
ception Seminary, Darlington, .
N. J. ’
The Southern Cross
P. O. BOX 180, SAVANNAH. GA.
Vol. 43 Saturday, January 12, 1963 No. 17
Published weekly except the last week in July and the
last week in December by The Southern Cross, Inc.
Subscription price $3.00 per year.
Second class mail privileges authorized at Monroe, Ga. Send
notice of change of address to P. O. Box 180, Savannah, Ga.
Most Rev. Thomas J. McDonough, D.D.J.C.D., President
Rev. Francis J. Donohue, Editor
John Markwalter, Managing Editor
Rev. Lawrence Lucree, Rev. John Fitzpatrick,
Associate Editors