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f i There Is No Utopia Neither the frantic dissemination of mimeographed letters and the publication of statements of legislators and public offi cials denouncing President Kennedy’s civil rights proposals as unconstitutional, nor the repeated threats of national leaders of Negro groups to organize a mass march on Washington in order to pressure lawmakers into enacting the proposals into law seem to be justified. Contrary to the claims of the merchants of fear and of distrust of the United States Government, we still live under a government of laws and not of men. There is only one body of men empowered by the United States Constitution to pass on the constitutionality of any law, and that ■ is the United States Supreme Court. They, and they alone, can decide whether or not any given legislation is contrary to the pro visions of the Federal Constitution. If the proper majority of lawmakers or states believes that the Constitution, as construed by that Court is not sufficient to guarantee what they conceive to be the rights of citi zens of the United States, they may effect such changes in it as will, in their judge ment, provide adequate safeguards. Such pro cedure is part and parcel of our “Govern ment of laws, not of men.” Thefe are rules governing the legis lative processes of the Congress of the United States, adopted under the sanction of Article I of the Constitution. Among these rules is one permitting unlimited debate, commonly known as filibustering. There is also provision for the closing off of debate if the proper majority chooses to do so. These rules too, are part and par cel of our “government of laws.’’ Now, both the interpretation of the Consti tution as it stands at any given time in his tory and the right to amend it may suffer either through human error, majority in justice, or just plain prejudice—as may the right of unlimited debate or the right of cloture. But there is no such place as Utopia. This side of Heaven there will never be one. And unless the due processes of law, as instituted by the Constitution of the United States, as it stands now and as it is presently construed by the United States Supreme Court, are permitted to work in an atmosphere of mini mum tension—free from hysteria and civil disorder generated by partisans of either side of any controversial issue—we may soon find ourselves living under a government of men and not of laws. Your Child And God God’s World (By Leo J. Trese) It is a wonderful privilege which parents have, to be the first persons to introduce a child to God. The introduction is not quite as simple as saying, “Mickey, this is God.” A child’s a c quaintance with God comes grad ually, day by day and year by year, It is the parents, however, who have the hon or of unveil- i n g God’s face to their child. His first image of God and his first feeling about God will remain with the child throughout his life. The image later will be refined and perfected, as know ledge increases, but the child’s basic attitude towards God will be permanent. That is why it is so important for a child to see God, from the beginning, as He really is—a God of love. A child should hear, “God loves you,” as often as he hears, “Mommy loves you,’’or, “Daddy loves you.’’ The child should know that God watches over him, lovingly, as he sleeps, and that God is with him, helping him, all the day long. The child should hear often of God’s goodness, too; God’s goodness in nature as well as God’s goodness in supernature. “Isn’t God good to give us the grass and the trees and the beautiful flowers?’’ “Isn’t God good to listen to our prayers?’’ “Wasn’t it good of God to give you such a beautiful soul?’’ Love and goodness. A child’s concept of God should be built around these two ideas. Even tually a child must know about God’s justice, too; but prefera bly not until the conviction of God’s love has been indelibly impressed upon his mind. When the subject of hell does come up, a child should know the true nature of hell. He should not be given a picture taken from Dante’s Inferno. Hell is the awful state of unhappiness suffered by persons who have cut themselves off, forever, from God. God doesn’t want anyone in hell. God doesn’t send anyone to hell. A soul in hell is there because he chose hell for himself. There was something in this life which he loved more than he loved God. Much as He loves us, God cannot make us love Him if we do not want to. God cannot make us come to Him in heaven if we refuse. This is the truth about hell. It is the truth that a child, according to his capacity, should have. It is a great tragedy if a parent uses God as a disci plinary tool. It is an injustice to God to use Him as a club over a child’s head. “Godwon't love you if you do that.’’ “God will be angry with you.’’ “God punishes naughty boys.’’ Such statements introduce God to the child as a glorified policeman, with lasting harm to the child’s concept of God. If God is invoked in a behavior problem, it should be only in a positive way. For example: “If you love God you will do what He wants you to do,’’ or, “When you are good, you are telling God that you love Him.’’ A child not only must be in troduced to God as a God of love; the child also must be helped to form a right con science. A child should not be told, ' ‘Oh, that is a bad, bad sin,’’ when the little tyke is not even old enough to know the difference between moral right and moral wrong. A child of three or four is simply incapa ble of committing sin. To tell such a child that he has sinned, is to sow in his mind guilt feelings which may torment him the rest of his life. As an adult he may suffer from obscure feelings of unworthiness whose source is lost to memory. He does not know why, but he still feels guilty even after a good confession. When a child does come to the use of reason, wise parents will be careful not to magnify the gravity of his offences. If child ish acts of disobedience, anger or deceit are tagged as mortal sins, a badly twisted conscience will result. Yes, it is an enviable privi lege that parents have, to be the first to introduce their child to God. Let them only be sure that the introduction is made, on the basis of truth, to God as He really is. (Father Trese welcomes let ters from his readers. The increasing volume of letters prohibits personal answers but problems and ideas contained in such correspondence can be the basis of future columns. Address all letters to Father Leo J. Trese, care of this newspaper.) Shoes Of The Fisherman Jottings By BARBARA C. JENCKS What “Advise and Consent’’ did for Congress, “Shoes of the Fisherman’’ does for the Vatican, but in a more sensi tive way. Long a fan of Morris West who paints boldly in exaggerat ed colors but who has a great feeling—and sometimes even depth—for his subject, “Shoes of the Fisherman’’ had me read ing way into the night. I started this book, the night the Cardi nals went into Conclave. More appropriate reading could not be found. West set the perfect background tempo in his open ing pages which told of the re cent mourning of the late Pope and the desire for the College of Cardinals to find a succes sor, “A man for the people and of the people as Sarto was. A man who could bleed for them and scold them and have them know all the time that he loved them. A man who could break out of this gilded garden path and make himself another Pe much like Monsignor Meridith in West’s controversial “De vil’s Advocate.’’ Mr. West is very much at home in the Church, sometimes too much at home. Vatican in trigue and conjectures are dis played as far more interesting perhaps than they actually are. Yet West is not irreverent at any time. ter. It reads well yet West is often accused of writing with his eye on Broadway or Hollywood. . . his clipped, colorful, moving dialogue, his personalities pho togenic. Cardinal Rinaldi and Cardinal Leone, (prophets of doom?) are perhaps the best drawn characters in the book. Their conversations warm in the Westese style and we easily identify. Cardinal Rinaldi is If ever a book hit the market at the right time, “Shoes of the Fisherman’’ is it. The angels seemed to be on the West side. This is the kind of tale that those associated with the Catho lic press would love to weave if they had a portion of West’s ability. The idea that the new Pope, Kiril I, a Russian, was elected unanimously on the first ballot is unlikely. Kiril I (pat terned on both Cardinal Agagan- ian and Cardinal Mindzenty?) is bearded, scarred and had been in a Russian prison for seventeen years. “Brothers, what I am today you have made me. Yet if what we believe is true, it is not you but God who has set me in these shoes of the Fisherman. Day and night I have asked my self what I have to offer to Him or His Church—I have so little, you see. I am a man who was wrenched out of life like Laza rus and then drawn back into it by the hand of God. All of you are men of your time. . .Un- POPE PAUL VI About The Bible Reading It Seems to Me JOSEPH BREIG I do not see how the U. S. Supreme Court would honestly have ruled otherwise than it did when it outlawed Bible- readings and recitations of the Lord’s Prayer as devotional religious ex like you I am not a man of my time because I have spent se venteen years in prison and time has passed me by. So much of the world is a novelty to me. The only thing that is not new is man and him I know and love because I have lived with him for so long in the simple inti macy of survival. Even the Church is strange to me because I have had to dispense for so long with what is unnecessary in it and I have had to cling the more desperately to that which is of its nature and essence— the Deposit of Faith, the Sacri fice and the sacramental acts.’’ West always manages to bring off several sub plots well. It is an enviable juggling job which he effects in terse prose. There is an American newspaperman in love with a married Roman aristocrat whose annulment to a minister in high office is before Rrota: There is the more in teresting sub plot of JeanTele- mond, S. J., a thinly disguised Pierre deChardin, who is be friended by the new pontiff yet his views are still ^suspect. This book shows the Church in full color and glamour, West tends to exaggerate to bring off a good yarn but a good yarn it is. It made exciting, if not completely plausible reading, while we were awaiting the white smoke that brought us the new est successor to the “shoes of the fisherman.’’ e r c 1 s e s sponsored by the authori ties in the na tion’ s state- o p erated public schools. Not for one moment can I agree with those who are calling for a constitutional amendment to make these practices legal. I am strongly opposed to the setting of any precedent of tam pering with the First Amend ment to the Constitution. The amendment as it stands is adequate, and has proved a priceless protection for free dom of conscience and religion. Congress is forbidden to make any law ' 'respecting an estab lishment of religion.’’ And the Fourteenth Amendment applies the ban to state governments also. THERE WERE TWO chief purposes and effects of the pub lic school prayers and Bible- readings—first, the teaching of Judeo-Christian religion, and second, the direct promotion of religious devotion. It seems to me indisputable that these are among the things government is forbidden to do “respecting an establishment of religion." True, Bible-reading and the Lord’s Prayer in public schools do not establish a religion. But they go in that direction. How can it be denied that such is the tendency of government-spon sored religious teaching and de votion in government-operated schools under a compulsory education law? ated schools, there were read ings from the Old Testament, say, on Monday; from the Koran on Tuesday; from the writings of Mary Baker Eddy on Wednes day; from the New Testament on Thursday; from the Mormon scriptures on Friday, and so on. Since that is the tendency, I think the Supreme Court is cor rect in holding that such gov ernment activity is forbidden by the First Amendment. As the court remarked, we do well to take alarm even at the first threats to our liberties. The objecting parents, I feel sure, would quickly cease to be a minority and would become a vociferous majority. APART FROM the legal ques tion, the primary right and re sponsibility in the education of children belong to the parents. American law says so. So does the Declaration of Human Rights. And the popes—in cluding John XXIII—have re peatedly enunciated the princi ple. Government, therefore, has no right to teach religion to a child without the approval of his parents. And in a nation like America, with its many reli gions and irreligions, approval is not forthcoming. Parents who objected, no doubt, were in the minority; but they had the right and the duty to object if the public schools were infringing on their con sciences. PERHAPS we could all appre ciate the feelings of this minor ity of parents and children if we were to imagine a nation in which, in the government-oper- But what can be done to insure the continuance of the religious heritage without which America as we know it would have been an impossibility? THAT QUESTION, I think, brings us to the point. Now that the Supreme Court has decided, it will be well if we will all stop pretending to ourselves that the public schools can do the job of preserving the religious trea sure of America. The public schools can help, and ways can be found to make it possible for them to help without violating the First Amendment and without coer cing anybody’s conscience. But the task belongs first of all to parents, and then to the church es and the synagogues, and then to society in general. If by our energy and ingenuity and community cooperation we can wipe out polio, we can cor rect religious illiteracy. But we won’t accomplish much until we stop leaning on the public schools, and address ourselves to our religious duty. Commodore Barry Father Of U. S. Navy By J. J. Gilbert WASHINGTON — PRESIDENT Kennedy's visit to Ireland drew attention to an Irishman who left his native land two centuries ago and became an outstanding hero in the then very young United States. Reports sent back here told how the President, so journ- ing briefly in the country from which his own forebears came to America, went from Dublin to Wexford to place a wreath on a monument honoring Com modore John Barry. There is a large and gleam ing white monument to Commo dore Barry in the heart of this Capital’s downtown section, but his principal monuments are in Philadelphia, where he died and was buried just 160 years ago. News dispatches from Ire land noted that Commodore Barry is called the Father of the American Navy (one writer used the term “founder”). Not everyone has been willing to accord Barry this title, but there is ample reason fordoing so, and historians writing soon after his death in 1803 gave it freely. Joseph Gurn, in his book Commodore John Barry pub lished in 1933, said that among those who have worn the uni form of America’s fighting fleet “Commodore John Barry occu pies a distinctive position, for he is rightfully known as the Father of the American Navy. This title was not bestowed upon Barry in our day, by per sons actuated by enthusiasm for his fame rather than by accur ate historical knowledge of his deeds and services. His con temporaries, those most com petent to judge, gladly accorded him the honor.’’ Barry was born in County Wexford in 1745 and arrived in Philadelphia as the second mate of an Irish vessel, when about 17 years of age, around 1762. He was a resident of Philadel phia and had ' 'attained a high place in his calling” at the time of the Revolution. Barry, historians say, re ceived the Number One naval commission from the second Continental Congress; fought on both land and sea; showed mark ed heroism; was wounded, and, whether or not he commanded the first U.S. warship to put to sea in the Revolution, was cer tainly engaged long before that event in acquiring and outfitting ships for the Navy. He is buried in St. Mary’s church yard in Philadelphia. President Kennedy said in Wexford that it was no coinci dence that Commordore Barry “and a good many of his succes sors played such a leading part in the America n struggle, not only for independence but for its maintenance.’’ He added that in these days of struggle for freedom throughout the world, nations could learn a lesson from Ireland, which “overhun dreds of years of foreign dom ination and religious per secution" maintained its na tional identity. (N.C.W.C. NEWS SERVICE) Interracial Program JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NC)—A program to promote good will between whites and Negroes has been started by Christ the King Church here. At the invitation of Msgr. Eugene J. Reilly, parish ad ministrator, an introductory Bishop Hyland ' Sees Pope meeting for 60 white and Negro leaders was held at the parish. Msgr. Reilly told them that “if we as Catholics work together we can arrive at solutions that will be just for both white and Negro." VATICAN CITY—Bishop Francis E. Hyland, former au xiliary bishop of Savannah was among the four Pennsylvania Bishops who were greeted by His Holiness, Pope Paul VI at an audience last week. The bishops had accompanied 400 American pilgrims who had come to Rome for the beatifi cation of Bishop John Neumann of Philadelphia, which had been scheduled for June 23, but was automatically postponed by the illness and death of Pope John. The pilgrims had elected not to Pope Remembers N. D. NOTRE DAME, Ind., (NC)— His Holiness Pope Paul VI im parted by wire his apostolic blessing to the faculty and stu dents of the University ofNotre Dame and recalled his visit to the institution in 1960. The blessing and greeting were conveyed in a cable to Father Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., university president. When he was Giovanni Cardi nal Montini, Archbishop of Mi lan, in June, 1960, the Pope visited the university here, offered the baccalaureate Mass and received an honorary doc torate of laws. postpone their trip. Other Pennsylvania bishops greeted after the audience were Bishop J. Carroll McCormick of Altoona-Johnstown, Auxili ary Bishop Francis J. Furey of Philadelphia, and Auxiliary Bi shop Gerald V. McDevitt of Philadelphia. Made Overtures Vt. Volunteer WINOOSKI PARK, Vt., (NC) —A Puerto Rican who graduat ed the past June from St. Mi chael's College here is the first candidate sponsored by the Burlington diocese in the Papal Volunteers for Latin America program. Luis Villares of Caguas, Pu erto Rico, is scheduled to leave on August 1 for Lima, Peru, where he will work for two years at the Catholic Informa tion Center. While a student and editor at St. Michael’s College, Villares joined the lecture bureau of PAVLA on campus and spoke before many groups. He also won a Newspaper Fund fellow ship that enabled him to work for a summer on the San Tuan Star. Bishop Robert F. Joyce of Burlington has agreed to under write the initial expenses for Villares from the Bishop’s fund. LEOPOLDVILLE, (NC)—The Apostolic Nuncio to the Congo quoted Pope John XXIII as say ing that Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev made “overtures" toward starting diplomatic re lations with the Holy See. Archbishop Vito Roberti, , speaking (June 17) at a memor ial convocation at Lovanium University here in honor of Pope John, said: “When I left for the Congo, His Holiness Pope John XXIII told me: ‘Khrushchev has made over tures to set up diplomatic rela tions with the Holy See. But he must first assure freedom for the Church. We are hopeful that this will be done.’ " Priest Warned “No Politics” % BUENOS AIRES, (NC)—An tonio Cardinal Caggiano, Arch bishop of Buenos Aires, has warned Father Julio Mein- vielle that he will be suspended if he makes any more political statements. The Cardinal spoke as the political campaign in Argentina was reaching a peak prior to the July 7 elections. Fulltime Editor TUCSON, Ariz., (NC)—Fa ther Vincent J. Hope has been appointed by Bishop Francis J. Green of Tucson to serve as fulltime associate editor of the Arizona Register, diocesan newspaper. Father Meinvielle has been in difficulties with Church au thorities before. In 'September, ’ 1961, Cardinal Caggiano sus pended publication of Presen-, J cia, a review directed by the priest. In 1962 he was charged by Jews with waging an antisemitic campaign. QUESTION BOX (By David Q. Liptak) Q. With reference to all the current news about the papacy— Pope John’s death and the elec tion of Pope Paul—could you tell me whether or not St. Peter’s grave was actually discovered during the recent excavations (were they made in 1950?) be neath St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome? Has anything official been published as to the findings? A. St. Peter's tombwasiden tified as a result of the excava tions (1939-1950) beneath St. Peter’s Basilica. The scientific data collected and the conclu sions arrived at were published in 1951 by the Vatican Press (Esplorazioni sotto la Confes- sione di S. Pietro, 2 Vols.). CERTITUDE that the Prince of the Apostles, to whom Christ gave the Keys of the Kingdom, was martyred in Rome, and was buried there, stands on histori cal evidence alone. This is to say that the fact is actually do cumented beyond reasonable doubt. THE PRECISE SITE of Peter’s tomb has always been identified with a primordial area just below the main altar of the basilica. When workmen were preparing a tomb for Pope Pius XI by order of Pius XII in 1939, they happened upon a series of ancient Roman tombs. Further archeological explora tions, pursued for the greater part of a decade, uncovered an amazing wealth of primitive Christian finds. Among the dis coveries was what is unques tionably the tomb of Peter. Close by, relics were found. They could be the relics of the first pope, but scientific proof cannot be had. THE RESULTS of the excava tions were announced by Pope Pius XI in his 1950 Christmas message. In answer to whether or not Peter’s grave site had been uncovered, he replied: “TO THIS QUESTION, the completion of the work and the study of the results answer with an unequivocal: Yes. The tomb (Continued On Page 5) The Southern Cross P. O. BOX 180. SAVANNAH. GA. Vol. 44 Thursday, July 4, 1963 No. 1 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