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i PAGE 4—The Southern Cross, February 9, 1963 Catholic Press Month WHO IS RESPONSIBLE? Disappointment with and criticism of the President’s proposed “omnibus” bill to ex tend federal aid to American Education is not limited to Catholic parents and educators. Disappointment has been voiced from some quarters over the President’s request for less money than he had previously asked for, and over the smaller scope of the 1963 proposal as opposed to previous administration recom mendations. It has also been criticized as unwarranted and unwise federal intervention in the field of education by those who feel that the several States are capable of solving their own edu cational problems. Still others see in proposals to broaden the activities of the federal government in this field a threat to the autonomy of State and local school systems. The validity of such criticisms depends, of course, upon the ability of the critics to pro duce hard facts to demonstrate their claims. And the acceptance or rejection of the concept of federal aid to education should properly rest upon demonstrable fact, not mere conjecture. But, granting, without prejudice to oppo nents of federal aid, that such help is necessary for national survival and to “en able EACH citizen to develop his talents to the maximum possible extent”, how can either purpose be served by extending the needed aid to only a part of the nation’s school children? If deficiencies in the nation’s school system have reached such grave proportions that the resources of the national government must be marshalled to remedy them, can the country afford to neglect the educational needs of more than five million of its children? We think not. But apparently the adminis tration, national professional education or ganizations, and the general public think differently. Why? Why is it that only Catholic educa tional circles and, for the most part, only Catholic parents see this neglect as a glar ing injustice? Certainly Catholics have no “corner” on the virtue of Justice. Perhaps the Administration, mindful of the ugly controversy concerning “separa tion of church and state” which has proved the doom of past similar proposals, feels that “half a loaf is better than none” and is willing to sacrifice justice for a minority in the interests of better education for a ma jority. Some national education organizations are interested only in that segment of American education which they control, and can be expected to use every weapon at their com mand to block inclusion of any school sys tems which they do not control. But it simply cannot be maintained that the general public is insensitive to the de mands of “equal justice for all.” The his tory and progress of our country are suf ficient refutation of such an idea. Why then, the calm public acceptance of the injustice of consigning five million chil dren to what could soon become “second rate” education, simply because their par ents will not surrender the exercise of a constitutionally guaranteed right to freely choose the schools their children will attend? We think the answer lies with the fail ure of Catholic parents to be as vocal in defense of their children’s rights, as are those who would deny those rights,—and their failure to seek support from their neighbors, who are simply unaware of the injustice which would be worked if the pre sently proposed bill were to become law, and from their elected representatives, who are usually only responsive to majority will. And let there be no mistake. Catholic parents are the ONLY ones who can en sure that their children will not be sac rificed to political expediency or the de mands of powerful and nationally organi zed pressure groups. Once Catholics stop merely commiserating with one another and carry their case to the general public, there may be hope for the future. Catholic newspapers and maga zines cannot do the job. They do not and cannot reach the general public. How often have you written to your Senator or Congressman to plead your case? How often have you asked your neighbor if he thinks it right that your children should be deprived of benefits extended to other child ren by the government? How often have you made use of the space most secular news papers devote to “Letters to the Editor,” in a calm and well reasoned attempt to enlist popular support for “equal justice for all”? If the children of America’s parochial schools are to be the victims of educa tional discrimination, it will be due in no small part to apathy on the part of their parents. Bill Excludes 5 Million Children The Great “Write-Off’ (By J. J. Gilbert) WASHINGTON--The strategy behind the effort to get a Federal aid to education bill through Congress this year may have missed its mark. Administration advisors had hoped that they had devised a program which headed off many objections raised against previous efforts of this sort. They seem to have failed. The impression was given that Adminis tration advisors had consulted with persons representing a great many educational views, and that the program would obviate questions asked in the past. But the program leaves unanswered the question: Why are more than 5,000,000 child ren attending non-public elementary and secondary schools excluded from some of the aid plan's principal proposals? Not only is this question unanswered, but the strategy behind the new program high lights it in a striking way. The proposed bill was called “selective” and “stimulative” in its approach, to head off the charge of “scattershot” aid, and it was said to “pinpoint” crucial problems of education in the U. S. At the same time, the President’s message to Congress was thick with phrases which called education absolutely vital to the Nation and to each individual in it. It is necessary to job getting and a good life for the citizen, it is essential to the security and well being of the Nation. QUESTION BOX THE NO. 7 STORY It Seems to Me Like the sound of sword on shield and of bugles signalling the advance, there was a ring ing note of defending-the-de- fenseless and of upholding the rights of the put-upon in my wife’s voice. This draws no argument. But it is asked why one out of every seven school children in the country is discriminated against in such an important matter? rt|i is not being stressed now, as it was before, that to aid children in non public schools would be unconstitutional. On the other hand, one is tempted to ask now: Can it possibly be constitutional to exclude so large a group of children from national concern in a matter which the government itself says is imperative? Apart from this and similar questions, the program faces the same long standing diffi culties in Congress. While calling itself “selective,” the proposed bill holds out some lure for almost everyone, except children in private grade and high schools, and law makers are regarding it as an omnibus bill. Such a measure invites attack. There are legislators who oppose Federal aid to education as such. Moreover, the education program came to Congress hard on the heels of the Presi dent’s budget estimates, his economic re port and his tax proposals. All of these involve serious legislative problems, includ ing the cost to the nation. Congressmen are noting that the cost of the new educational aid program is vague beyond the next fiscal year. Presumbably, no one wants to hazard a guess at the cost. Just from the viewpoint of political strate gy, the program designed to obviate questions seems to encourage them. She had been reading my columns (for a change) and now she wanted to know how it came about that I hadn’t written a piece welcoming our seventh grand child. The question, it seemed to me, contained its own answer, mathematically final. After all —seven! The well of my in ventiveness had run plumb dry., Mary answered with a ques tion that started the waters to flowing again: “Aren’t you forgetting the part about the baby’s name? And the part about his birth day?” She was right as usual. She was opening my eyes to a good story that I had been looking at and not seeing. If I’m not care ful, my press pass will be lift ed one of these fine days, and given to her. The story boils down to this: a couple of old early Chris tian wilderness saints have per petrated a practical joke on me that took 23 years to get to the point. I can almost hear the old fel lows chuckling as they with drew to some obscure corner of the next world to scheme it up. PICTURE ME, then 23 years " JOSEPH BREIG ago, at. the wheel of our pre war car, taking Mary to a ma ternity hospital. Consider my feelings as I heard her saying that she was sure something had gone wrong; she wasn’t going to pull through —and neither was the little one who was even then striving to join our family. I told her that for once she was all wrong. I was entirely confident that our prayers would be granted. She would be fine; so would the baby, and it would be our first boy. I HAD GUESSED his birthday with precision, and had noticed that it fell right between the feasts of two famous desert hermits--St. Paul and St. An thony. I had made a pact with them. If everything turned out all right, I would name our son Paul Anthony. My mistake, of course, was in not discussing the matter with Mary. After Paul Anthony arrived, she and the nurse in the delivery room, decided upon a name. Joseph Francis. That blew Paul Anthony sky high. I apologized to my hermits, explaining something they prob ably knew anyhow—that in the naming of children, man pro poses, woman disposes. SEVEN YEARS later, another son was born to us, and this time there was a firm agree ment that he would be Paul Anthony. But just as he arrived, somebody else arrived—a friend named Jim, home from four years with the combat in- (By David Q. Liptak) Q. What could Christ have meant by the sentence: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away”? Isn't it a doctrine of faith that heaven will exist forever? A. The declaration “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (St. Matthew XXIV: 35) is pro bably a parenthetical clause referring to the stability of Christ’s doctrine in general. (A comparable clause appears in V:18). In the context, obviously, the word “heaven” doesn’t mean the theological concept but ra ther the physical components of outer space (i.e., the moon, stars, planets, etc.) What our Divine Lord meant, according ly, was that his words are more enduring than the physical uni verse. The sense is explicit in Msgr. Ronald Knox’s trans lation: “Though heaven and earth should pass away, my words will stand.” ANOTHER possible explana tion advanced by scholars is that the phrase “heaven and earth” specifically refers to the old order which is to be replaced by the new world of the Gospel. Q. The current issue of “Newsweek” carries a re view on a new book called “The Death of Jesus,” written by an American who is styled as both a historian and a jour nalist. According to the article, the book alleges that the tradi tional Gospel story about Our Lord’s passion, death and re surrection is simply “post facto propaganda.” Rather, it pro poses that Christ was executed because he attempted to lead an armed insurrection against the Romans and was really nothing more than one of many national leaders who “sprang up among the Jews during their long- drawn-out subjugation by Rome.” The magazine holds the book, though controversial, as “a piece of historical de tective work pursued with re lentless logic.” Comments? A. If Christ was crucified simply because he wanted to lead an insurrection against the Romans, why didn’t he follow through with his plans after he rose from the dead? And to dismiss the traditional Gospel account of the Passion and Death as so much “post facto propa ganda” (shouldn't it read post factum?) is an absurd gesture. ANY THESIS which begins with the gratuitous assumption (Continued on Page 5) Scriptural 3\osar? Third Joyful Mystery THE NATIVITY Our ^ Father Part 3 It came to pass while they were in Bethlehem,/ that the days for her to be delivered were fulfilled. Luke 2:6 Hail ^ Mary And behold, Magi came from the East,/ and entering they found the child with Mary his mother. Matt. 2:1, ll Hail ^ Mary And she brought forth her firstborn son,/ and wrapped him in swaddling clothes. Hail ^ Mary Luke 2:7 And she laid him in a manger,/ because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:7 Hail * Mary And falling down they worshipped him./ And they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Matt. 2:11 Hail ^ Mary And Mary kept in mind all these things,/ pondering them in her heart. Luke 2:19 Hail ^ Mary And there were shepherds in the same district/ And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them. Luke 2:8, 9 Hail ^JcMary ’Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy/ which shall be to all the people.’ Luke 2:10 Hail ^ Mary ’For today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you,/ who is Christ the Lord.’ Luke 2:11 Hail ^Mary ’Glory to God in the highest,/ and on earth peace to men of good will.’ Luke 2:14 Hail ^ Mary Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit./ As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Editor’s Note: This is one of the 15 decades of the Scriptural Rosary, a modern version of the way the Rosary was once prayed in the Middle Ages. We are presenting the complete Scriptural Rosary in 15 install ments as a service to our readers. You are invited to save these meditations for future use. Or you may obtain the complete set in illustrated prayer-book form by sending $1 to the nonprofit Scriptural Rosary Center, 6 N. Michigan A venue, Chicago 2,; Illinois. Cuban Students WASHINGTON—The National Federation of Catholic College Students will sponsor a meet ing of former Cuban student leaders in Miami, February 20 to 24. The 20 who will attend are former leaders of the Cuban Catholic Action Federations. They hope to make plans for organized apostolic action By this time, I was beginning to wonder whether the hermits would be putting my name on the blacklist up there. among the Cuban exiles now scattered throughout the United States and South American re publics. They will also try to establish a formation center in Miami for Cuban youth. Grandchildren At Priest’s Requiem CHICAGO—Requiem Mass for a priest who is survived by two sons, ten grandchildren and three great-grandchildren was offered in St. Michael's Church, Chicago. The priest was Father Sada Yonan, 79, assistant pastor of St. Ephrem Chaldean Rite church, one of two such churches in the U. S. Father Yonan’s wife, Helen, died eight years ago. The Chal dean Rite permits marriage before ordination. The Mass was offered by Archbishop Zaya Dachtou of Urmya, Iran, who is visiting this country. fantry in the Pacific. Soldier Jim was elected god father, and son No. 2 just had to be named for him. Peace Corps BOSTON—Boston College will undertake a U. S. Peace Corps program to train some 50 volunteers from all parts of the country who have been selected for a community devel opment project in Lima, Peru. The program will include 650 hours study of the Spanish lan guage, world affairs and com munism; the culture, history and economic structure of Peru, health education and physical fitness. Boston College is staff ed by the Jesuit Fathers. U. N. Conference Praised GENEVA—A United Nations conference on using science and technology to help the world’s less developed areas being held here is “one of the greatest events in the history of international organizations,” the ecclesiastical advisor to Catholic international organi zations declared. Aid Mentally Retarded BELLEVILLE, Ont.—The Order of Alhambra, a Catholic men’s organization, established 112 scholarships last year for the training of teachers of the mentally retarded. This was disclosed at an Alhambra meet ing here by Stan Killeen of Montreal,’supreme grand com mander of the organization. Rev. Henry de Reidmatten, O. P., ecclesiastical advisor to the permanent secretariat of the Conference of International Ca tholic Organizations said “This conference is the first attempt ever made to assess the global needs of less developed areas and to evaluate at the same time the available resources of mod ern science and technology 10" promote rapid and effective de velopment in all areas of the world.” SPIN THE WHEEL of life now, and let 23 years pass. Behold our son, Joe at the wheel of his car, taking his wife Ann to a maternity hos pital. Like his father before him, he had a name in his head. But it was a girl’s name. A girl was what he was expecting. A boy was what he got. And his wife was prompt with a name. Yep—Paul Anthony. So now the hermits and I are on speaking terms again. Indeed, I suspect that I’m one of their favorite persons. You don’t play a 23-year joke on somebody you don’t like. LET’S SEE—what was the other thing my wife mentioned about this baby? Oh yes; he was born on her birthday. When those old hermits conspire about something, they forget nothing. It is even rumored in some circles that young Paul An thony might grow up to look something like his paternal grandfather. I don't believe it for one moment. Paul and An thony may be jokesters, but they wouldn't do that$to a help less little kid. After all, they’re saints—even if they are joke sters. Beauty Is Necessity BUFFALO, N. Y.—A priest- college president said here that the modern city must be a “reflector of the beauty of man’s spirit and man's creator like nature.” Father James J. McGinley, S. J., president of Canisius College, spoke at a forum on “Esthetic Responsibility in Our Community” held at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery here. The city “must inspire man, not depress him; it must ele vate him, not make him de linquent; it must content and complete him, not frustrate and empty him of his humanness,” he said. Inter-faith Co-op TAIZE, France—The Bro thers of the Protestant monas tic community of Taize and five young farm couples who are Catholic Actionists have pooled their resources to form an agricultural cooperative. For the Taize Brothers, the purpose of the co-op is to give witness to the spirit of poverty. For the membership as a whole, the goal is to live their farming life as Christians, and to serve as a pilot project which could benefit the whole region. The co-op, known as "Co- pex” expects to admit other farm families as members after an initial trial period. NEW DISCOVERY IS y EVIDENCE OF ANTIQUITY OF EXTREME UNCTION VATICAN CITY, (NC)—L’- Osservatore Romano has re ported discovery of an ancient silver plate which gives evi dence that Extreme Unction was considered to be a sacrament as early as the first century after Christ. The discovery reported by the Vatican City daily was announ ced in Jerusalem. It is consid ered to be of great importance since most of the other evidence for the antiquity of the sacra- . ment dates mainly from the late fourth and fifth centuries. As a result of the new dis covery, the daily said. It is evident that “as early as the first century and while the Apostles were still living, Ex treme Unction was considered a real grace-giving sacramental rite.” The silver plate, measuring two and a half by one inches, was bought from Arab nomads by A. Spikerman, director of the Flagellation Museum of Jer usalem. Paleographer J. J. Milik dates the plate, which has 17 lines of Aramaic engrav ed on it, back to the first cen tury. Others have suggested that it was produced sometime be tween 70 and 90 A.D. L’Osservatore Romano said that a translation of the in scription showed that it “re ferred to the Judean Christian ritual of the unction of the sick, which was recommended and promulgated as a sacrament by the Apostle James. This means that this peice of silver repre sents the most ancient ritual of Mother Church.” Biblical scholars have found a ; great similarity between the in scription and the text of St. James on which authority for the sacrament is based. The in scription begins with an evo cation of the Angel Uriel and is followed by an oath and an in vocation of the name of the Lord. The Apostle James in structs that in the case of a sick person, priests are to be brought and are “to pray over him in the name of the Lord” (James 5, 14). The ceremony includes ques tioning the sick person and an ointing him. Evidence of its Christian origin is the use of five crosses and two signs (Continued On Page 5) The Southern Cross P. O. BOX 180. SAVANNAH, GA. Vol. 43 Saturday, February 9, 1963 No. 21 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