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t 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 rHE^^ Cluantaa 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 ^TERMITES % SWARMING? • TV & AIR CONDITIONING • FAMOUS MIAMI BUFFET • ICE A BEVERAGE STATION* • COFFEE MAKER, BACH ROOM LUCKIE AT CONE ST. A Good Address in Atlanta ALBANY -d CENTRAL .f/ £ SEA FOOD MARKET All Kinds Of Sea Foods PHONE HE 2-7457 230 TARVER AVE, ALBANY, GA. / SLAPPEY’S DAIRY v Kids Love Slappey’s Milk SOUTH SLAPPEY DRIVE PHONE HE. 2-7643 “SERVING ALBANY FOR OVER 40 YEARS” ALBANY, GEORGIA 0 0 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.” Patronize Our Advertisers 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 Your Finest Entertainment! • ALBANY THEATRE • STATE THEATRE JfM • LIBERTY THEATRE • Georgia Drive-In Theatre On Sylvester Road ALBANY, GEORGIA READ IT FIRST IN... The Albany Herald "South Georgia’s Metropolitan Newspaper” Delivered On Day Of Publication Into The Homes Of More Than—* 115 COMMUNITIES IN SOUTH GEORGIA WALB - TV L CHANNEL 10 7-> j "The Window Of South Georgia 99 NBC AND ABC NETWORKS “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) OUR LADY OF THE HILL CAMP A Catholic camp for boys and girls ages 7 to 16. 200 acres, 37 buildings in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Large modern pool, mountain lake, with all camping activities guided by trained counselors. Ideal accommodations for visiting par ents. Camp provides pick-up service to or from nearest rail, air, bus terminal. A camp for youngsters to grow... spirit ually, healthfully. For literature, write: Father Charles McLaughlin OUR LADY OF THE HILLS CAMP HENDERSONVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA NEW & USED % McMillan <■ / motor co. 934 Fourth Ave. FA 2-5400 Columbus SEEP 1 * COUPON Ji4HBBBingiBBWBEBEHEEl COUPON C Si ' Y FuccVs 1041>6 Broadway SPECIAL OFFER 2 FOR THE PRICE OF Not Good On Sats. Or Last Day Of Month Capri PIZZA 1 RESTAURANT Dial FA 7-29 Conl'plej MEXICAN DINNER $1.35 Also the Finest in ITALIAN FOODS rKBTTn a Bi'w a a a