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SAVANNAH BEACH FIRST COMMUNION CLASS—First Communion Class at St.
Michael’s, Savannah Beach, is pictured with their pastor the Rev. Robert Teoli, Mother
Mary Angelica, School Principal (left) and Sister Mary Ference (right). Front Row (1 to r)
Ann Tilton, Laurie Dowell, Angela Mathews, Ann Hosti, Susan Griffin and Kimball Davis.
Back Row (1 to r) Patrick Rossiter, Kevin Barry, Gregory Hutton, Thomas Fitzgibbons,
John Dufour and Michael Patterson.
Opposes State Tuition Grant Legislation
Charleston Bishop Scores
Racial, Religious Prejudice
i jg
COLUMBIA, S. C., (NC)—
Bishop Francis F. Reh of Char
leston, S. C., scored both racial
and religious discrimination in
opposing a bill to give state
tuition grants to students at
tending private schools.
Bishop Reh said the measure
is “discriminatory” in its
treatment of church-related
schools and parents who wish to
■ send their children to them be
cause it would bar financial aid
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to pupils in such schools.
The Bishop also said that if
the purpose of the legislation is
to circumvent public school in
tegration, ‘ ‘the Catholic Church
does not associate itself with
such motives.”
“The Church. . .is against
discrimination in any form. . .
whether it be economic, reli
gious or racial,” the prelate
said in a statement submitted to
a hearing of the Education and
Public Works Committee of the
South Carolina House. The
statement was presented (April
16) by Father J. Fleming Mc
Manus, diocesan school super
intendent.
Bishop Reh called attention to
language in the legislation de
claring it to be * ‘highly desira
ble that the freedom to choose
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among available educational in
stitutions be extended and en
larged” by a program of scho
larship grants to students who
wish to attend private schools.
He said that "in asserting
that parents and their children
are free to choose between pub
lic and private education, the
bill is recognizing and seeking
to implement a fundamental
right which is given to parents
by God and is guaranteed and
protected by the Constitution of
the United States.”
He noted, however, that the
bill specifically excludes grants
for education in a church-re
lated school. As a result, he
said, * ‘the very freedom which
the bill proposed to insure and
implement is, in undemocratic
fashion, denied to some citi
zens.”
As for the arguments that the
Constitution bars state aid to
religious groups, he comment
ed that “here we are not dis
cussing assistance to institu
tions but assistance to indi
vidual citizens, and there are
no constitutional grounds what
ever for discriminating among
such individuals.”
“For this reason we feel that
it is our duty to oppose the bill
as long as this unfair restric
tion is retained,” he said.
In an obvious reference to the
integration issue, Bishop Reh
said he is “not unaware that in
some quarters the pending
legislation is interpreted as a
means of circumventing the
changes which may soon be re
quired of our public school
system.”
' 'Certainly it should be clear
ly understood that the Catholic
Church does not associate it
self with such motives, should
they exist,” he said.
“The Church, as is well
known to all, is against discri
mination in any form—whether
it be economic, religious or
racial. The Church always
strives gently and prudently to
-put the principles of justice into
practice in every aspect of hu
man relations.”
National Council Of Churches
The Southern Cross, April 27, 1963—PAGE 3
Study Says Aid To
Schools Should Be
Church
Opposed
NEW YORK, (NC)—Protes
tant opposition to public aid to
church-related schools is pre
sented in detail in a new Na
tional Council of Churches
study.
However, the study contains
a 1961 resolution of the coun
cil’s general board which, while
it opposes aid to such schools,
endorses “distinctly welfare
services” to their pupils, in
cluding medical and dental ser
vices and lunches.
The study, entitled “Public
Funds for Parochial Schools?”,
was commissioned by the coun
cil’s Department of Religious
Liberty. The Rt. Rev. Malcolm
Enticott Peabody, department
chairman, said it is intended
as a contribution to a “dia
logue” which includes 1961
studies by the Department of
Health, Education and Welfare,
and the Legal Department, Na
tional Catholic Welfare Confer
ence.
The 56 page booklet is not a
statement of policy of the Na
tional Council of Churches, al
though it contains the 1961 pro
nouncement by the council’s
general board. According to
Bishop Peabody the present
study is an exposition of the
council’s policy statement
seeking to relate it to present
practices and court decisions
in the field of education.
The Protestant study con
cludes that use of tax funds for
religious schools should be op
posed because:
(1) “It would undermine our
historic ideal of separation
of Church and State;
(2) “It would violate both
Federal and State consti
tutions;
(3) “It would severely dam
age, if not destroy, our public
school system and our educa
tional standards;
(4) “It would accelerate the
fragmentation of our society and
particularly increase religious
conflicts.”
A National Council of Church
es News release said this
“stands in direct opposition”
to the Catholic study issued
in December, 1961, which con
tended: * ‘There is no constitu
tional bar to aid to education in
church-related schools in a de
gree proportionate to the value
of the public function it per
forms.”
The Protestant study
the Council of Churches said,
more nearly agrees with the
March, 1961, legal memoran
dum of the Department of
Health, Education and Welfare
which ruled out as unconstitu
tional “across - the - board”
loans or grants to church-re
lated schools. It also declared
that tuition payments for all
parochial school pupils would
violate the Constitution.
The National Council study
was written by a researcher
in Church-State law, George La
Noue, a doctoral candidate in
political science at Yale Uni
versity. He was commissioned
to prepare the study more than
a year ago by the Department
of Religious Liberty, and “is
solely responsible for the re
search and analysis in the mon
ograph,” the National Council
release said.
La Noue is also the author
of another study, issued in the
spring of 1962 under the aus
pices of the Council of Church
es’ Department of Religious
Liberty, in which the so-call
ed “permeation” theory on the
issue of aid to church-related
schools is argued.
“This line of thinking con
tends that because a religious
tone “premeates” even secu
lar subjects in parochial
schools, public aid for secular
education in these schools is
ruled out on grounds of Church-
State separation.
A number of Catholic spokes
men have attacked this argu
ment, asserting that as long as
church-related schools fulfill
a legitimate public purpose by
imparting education in secu
lar subjects, they are entitled
to public assistance in carry
ing out this public purpose, and
any incidental benefit to re
ligion is beside the point.
Bishop Peabody said draft
copies of the document were
sent out last January to lead
ing constitutional lawyers, in
cluding Catholic scholars, and
revisions were made in res
ponse to their comments.
The council study argues
that “almost all the quotations
and legal arguments in favor
of using tax funds to support
religious schools” come from a
“misinterpretation” of legal
decisions handed down by the
Supreme Court.
Some legal authorities have
argued that decisions of the
court, ruling on the legality
of the state providing certain
services to parochial school
children, such as books and
school bus transportation have
opened the way to expand the
use of public funds to cover
even greater costs.
However, the council docu
ment asserts that the decis
ions of the court set three spe
cific limits on public aid: (1)
The aid went directly to the
child or the parent ... no
religious organization or school
acquired new property because
of state action; (2) None of
the books or the process of
transportation could be adapt
ed or used for the teaching of
religion; (3) The state kept
complete control of the admin
istration of all state funds.”
Therefore, the study con
tends, although there have been
precedents for providing ben
efits to parochial school chil
dren, previous decisions have
been too narrow to provide ade
quate foundations for aid to
parochial schools directly.
The paper points to the
“shared time” plan as one
“quite constitutional ” means
whereby the financial burden on
parochial school parents could
be eased. Shared time allows
students enrolled at parochial
schools to take part of their
course work in public schools,
for which their parents are al
ready paying equal taxes. Pub
lic school students could also
elect to take some courses in
religion (at their own expense)
during school hours on church
property and under church
teachers.
By following this plan, the
study states, “at long last it
would be possible for public
and parochial school educators
to cooperate in a constitutional
way in the primary task of
educating our nation’s youth
while giving religion the place
in education it deserves.”
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Recently two priests reported
identical incidents happening to
them. Each had been startled
by the friendly greeting,
“Hello, priest,” from sub-teen
non-Catholics. Although the lit
tle "crackers” did not know
the proper form of address
“Father,” still they did indicate
a willingness to show respect
for the clergy.
The thought struck me how
many, many times in the past
five years or more I have ex
perienced and heard other
priests remark on the apparent
coldness and indifference, or
lack of manners on the part of
CYO members. I have searched
v o»* A *. ^
9/tX \«
CHRISTUS REX CONGRESS—Picture taken at the Christus Rex Congress held last week
in Cork, Ireland (Left to Right) Most Rev. Dr. Lucey, Bishop of Cork and Ross; Right
Rev. Mgsr. A. O’Rahilly; Most Rev. Dr. Sensi, Papal Nuncio; Most Rev. Dr. Murphy,
Bishop of Limerick; Most Rev. Thomas J. McDonough, Bishop of Savannah; Rt. Rev.
Msgr. Cassidy of Nunciature, Dublin. (Photo from the Evening Echo, Cork, Ireland)
Tax Reform Proposals
Incentives For Giving Removed
CHICAGO, (NC)—Catholic
Charities of the Chicago arch
diocese has urged strong oppo
sition to two tax reform propo
sals of the Kennedy adminis
tration in regard to charitable
contributions.
The organization says in a
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“special report” that incen
tives for giving would be re
moved by proposed adoption of
a five per cent limit on item
ized deductions and the elimi
nation of the unlimited chari
table contribution deduction.
The detailed report was sent
to pastors, priests, directors
and all contributors to Catholic
Charities in Chicago, which is
headed by Msgr. Vincent W.
Cooke.
It says that the Federal in
come tax law has for many
years encouraged charitable
giving but the proposed revi
sion of tax law would reverse
the policy of encouragement of
religious and charitable contri
butions.
“Starting with 1917,” the re
port states, “individuals were
permitted to claim a tax deduc
tion for contributions up to 15
per cent of their net incomes.
1952 the percentage was in-
sed to 20 per cent, and in
1954Np 30 per cent if the extra
10 percent was given directly
to institutions such as church
es, hospitals or schools.
“The first proposal of the
present admininstration which
seems to represent a step back
wards in this progress is one
of many suggested tax ‘re
forms’. This proposal, while
leaving the ‘ceiling’ limitation
at 30 per cent, would impose
a five per cent ‘floor’ on item
ized deducations for charitable
contributions, interest, real es
tate and certain other taxes, and
medical expenses.”
The report says that “the
interplay of the proposed five
per cent ‘floor’ with the stan
dard deduction.. .can have some
alarming results.”
In the case of some families,
the report continues, the five
per cent “floor” on itemized
deductions would “drive them
from itemizing deductions to
the use of the standard deduc-
tioyand put them in a vacuum
apea empty of any tax incentives
to strengthen their desire to
help meet the financial needs
of their church.”
Stating that “there seems
to be no logical reason for in
cluding contributions in any
proposed five per cent‘floor’ ”,
the report warns: “If, for the
first time, legislative encou
ragement of charitable giving
is to be cut back, further whitt
ling could occur in the future
simply by raising the ‘floor’
to 10 per cent or even 15 per
cent.”
“The second undesirable
item of proposed tax reform is
the elimination of the so-called
unlimited charitable contribu
tions deduction,” the report
says. “Under present tax law
(going back to 1924 for its ori
gin), if an individual’s contribu
tions in eight out of the ten
preceding years were suffi
ciently large so that the sum of
his contributions and his income
taxes amounted to at least 90
per cent of his taxable income,
he is thereafter entitled to de
duct all of his charitable con
tributions without regard to the
30 per cent limitation.
“The administration points
out that wealthy individuals who
can qualify for this provision
have been able to reduce their
income taxes substantially. But
aren’t the real beneficiaries
the churches or charities who
receive contributions from such
individuals and devote the funds
to worthy causes?”
The report concludes as fol
lows:
“Since there is no question
but that matters of public policy
are involved in most cases of
tax reform, there is no reason
at this time why the long
standing policy of encourage
ment of religious and charitable
contributions should now be re
versed.
“Removal of incentives for
giving by adoption of the five
per cent ‘floor’ on itemized
deductions and the elimination
of the unlimited charitable con
tribution deduction ought to be
vigorously opposed.”
''0HAL
my mind and imagination for a
reasonable and charitable ex
planation.
Perhaps it is a certain shy
ness and embarrassment, a re
luctance to stand out among the
gang as the first to rise to the
occasion. In former days it was
not unusual to see everyone in
the den arise with a cheerful,
“Good evening, Father,” and
remain standing until the priest
acknowledged the courtesy and
told all to relax and be seated.
The present-day behavior is a
far cry from that or the grade-
school training to bow and curt
sy and shout in chorus the wish,
for a good day. Perhaps the
latter is childish but does ado
lescence cause one to lost all
signs of courtesy.
If it is not shyness or reluc
tance from human respect for
the gang, perhaps it is familiar
ity. When one is accustomed to
see nuns and priests many times
each school day, there perhaps
arises an attitude or taking
things for granted.
It is not unusual to enter a
dance hall where ten are dancing
and one hundred others are hud
dled in little groups, and have
no more than two people say
hello. The rest might stare and
look up cooly as if to insinuate
that one is an intruder instead
of a .solicitous friend.
Whatever the explanation of
why these impressions of lack
of courtesy and friendliness
occur, it would be well for all
CYO members to check their
behavior in this matter and im
prove.
* * *
Easter Monday’s CYO trip to
Jekyll Island was by no means
uneventful. It is reported that
about 80 Savannah members
made the happy trip and joined
some 30 Brunswick youth for a
wholesome day on the beach,
in the pool, and having picnic
eats.
(By Rev. Herbert J. Wellmeier,
Diocesan CYO Direijjpr)
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