Southern cross. (Savannah, Ga.) 1963-2021, October 10, 1963, Image 4

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Southern cross., October 10, 1963, Image 4

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Newspaper Page TextPAGE 4—The Southern Cross, October 10, 1963 Wheat For Russia Mr. Khrushchev admits that the Soviet has suffered severe wheat shortages. One area in particular has been described as yielding “a catastrophic harvest.” As a consequence Russia now seeks to purchase wheat from the United States, for it is well known that our nation has more wheat stored away than we may need in any forseeable future. It would seem, then, that such a sale would prove mutually beneficial. The trouble is that Russia is a socialist state striving to arrive at communism and as such it is our arch-enemy, ideologically speaking. What makes the situation even more difficult to resolve is that Khrushchev has also confessed that the poor wheat harvest has placed Russia “in a difficult position.” Now an enemy is a legitimate target for the creation of more and more difficulties. So it would seem to be folly to sell wheat to Russia and thereby ameliorate her difficult position. The truth is that even on an international plane morality should prevail and the moral imperative favors the sale of wheat to Russia. Nor is it any good to insist that Russia would not assist us but rather compound our difficulties if the positions were reversed. For the fact that we believe she would behave so barbarically is precisely the reason we are at odds with her. Shall we then become like our enemies? Morally we cannot ignore Russia’s plight nor that of any other communist nation. “Love thy enemies” is a law that transcends national interests and ideological camps. All people in need deserve a helping hand from those who have an abundance, even though they differ in race, creed, color and political allegiance. We do not understand how anyone could justify morally the with holding of our surplus wheat from the Rus sian market. Furthermore, we are living in an era of coexistence and, of late, that coexistence has grown a bit friendlier; thanks also to Russia’s dispute with Red China. We should strive therefore to create an atmosphere that favors peace, not one that deepens divi sions and sharpens hatreds. True, there are always those who bite the hand that feeds them—but never half so many as those who bite the hand that does not feed them. It is our view then that the United States government is under a moral compulsion to sell its surplus wheat to Russia despite the great political differences between us. To quote the beloved Pope John’s words in his last world-letter, Peace on Earth: “There is reason to hope, however, that by meeting and negotiating, men may come to discover better the bonds that unite them together, and that they may also come to discover that one of the most profound requirements of their common nature is this: that between them and their respective peoples it is not fear which should reign but love, a love which tends to express itself in a collaboration that is loyal, manifold in form and productive of many benefits.” (Star-Herald, Camden) End Of Council Secrecy It Seems to Me The lifting of the rule of sec recy at the ecumenical council is, among other things, a chal lenge to the world’s press, radio and TV. Thoroughly re sponsible, educational and en lightening re- porting should be their re sponse. They can do man kind a tre- m e n d o u s service by i n f o r ru ing people adequately about what is said and done at the council. The importance of the council for the future of humanity is very great. The council is a focal point of a colossal move ment of the human race toward family unity —a movement which has been gathering mo mentum since World War II. The most noticeable and pub licized events in that time have been those which tended to frag ment the world—things like the cold war, the Korean war, the troubles in Berlin and Laos and Vietnam, the occasional nation alistic jealousies and grab bings, and so on. Disputings and fightings are louder and more spectacular than the works of harmony. But underly ing everything in the past two decades there has been a deep, quiet, powerful trend toward harmony and cooperation. OF LATE, Christian unity has been much on everyone’s lips. But Christians are by no means alone in being drawn JOSEPH BREIG mysteriously toward oneness in our times. Everyone who is not cantankerous or superficial feels the world’s desperate need of love and communication. The intuitive Pope John sensed this; and now his successor, Paul VI, is going farther along the road which John set foot upon. Paul is reaching out not only to "other Christians” and to Jews, but also to those of the many other religions. He is touching the nerve of the reali zation that there is a longing in almost all men of contact in some way with the divine and for purity and goodness. He is making of the ecumeni cal council a center of humble labor for universal under standing and compassion. That is one reason that top flight reporting of the council is of huge importance, and that lifting of the rule of secrecy was wise. A NEWS PHOTO the other day showed Pope Paul putting out his hands tenderly to two Buddhist monks from Japan who called upon him while on a world peace pilgrimage. The faces of the monks were eloquent of deep reverence for a fellow man-of- God, and of so anguished a con cern for humanity that it had stamped suffering on their fa ces. The picture, I thought, was symbolic of the prevailing cli mate of our planet. There are still some outbursts of pride and hatred here and there, but people do not rush to join in them. Rather, they turn away their heads in sorrow. Mankind seems to have matured in years. It is as if the family of hu- manty had grown out of child hood into manhood and woman hood, deepened and mellowed by the tribulations of life. The service of this new maturity is the great duty of the journalist today. I DO NOT KNOW whether the new press arrangements will be all that they ought to be. If not, Pope Paul has provided for suggestions and complaints to be made by newsmen to a spe cial committee of bishops which will do what needs doing. I feel confident that the reporting of the second session of the coun cil is going to be excitingly better than that of the first. Officials of the council’s press office will attend all ses sions and convey promptly to journalists everything that they consider newsworthy. Speeches may be reported as fully as de sired, except where a council Father stipulates that he would like to talk "off the record.” In addition, frequent summar ies will be issued by linguists from Radio Vatican and there will be constant fielding of ques tions, plus weekly press con ferences. If something more is needed, Pope Paul, I am sure, will see to it. He has made completely his own the desires of Pope John—and Pope John, right in the beginning of his encyclical, Pacem in Terris, said that by the natural law all human beings have the right to be truthfully informed about public events. Study Says Russia Violates Cuba Agreements (By J. J. Gilbert) W ASHIN GTON—There may be as many as 10,000 Russian troops still in Cuba. Those that are there are believed to be used for training purposes, and it is suspected that Soviet Rus sia intends to keep them there indefinitely. Their presence is a violation of the agreement between President Kennedy and Premier Khrushchev that eased the Cu ban missile crisis of October, 1962. These things are brought out in study on Soviet political agreements and their results made for a Senate committee. In a succinct run-down on the agreement ending the Cuban missile crisis, the staff study says: "In an exchange of corres pondence between Soviet Pre mier Khrushchev and President Kennedy, Khrushchev agreed to President Kennedy’s conditions for ending the Cuban missile crisis, namely, (1) to terminate work on the military missile bases, (2) to render the offen sive weapons inoperable, and (3) to cease further shipments of offensive weapons to Cuba. * 'Provisions were to be made for (4) effective international verification. Thereafter (5) the naval quarantine would be lifted. ' 'It is generally believed that the missiles were dismantled and returned to the Soviet Un ion. An ‘at sea’ aerial inspec tion of Soviet freighters was agreed upon when the Cubans resisted on-site inspection. “But the Soviet bombers re mained in Cuba. Under Ameri can pressure Khrushchev final ly promised on November 20, 1962, to remove the estimated 42 IL-28 et bombers. In return, the President promptly lifted the naval quarantine of Cuba. “Khrushchev also gave as surances that Soviet troops would be removed from Cuba, as the President said, 'in due course.’ It was estimated that Soviet military forces in Cuba numbered between 5,000 and 22,500. Toward the end of 1962 PRAY FOR OUR PRIESTLY DEAD REV. JAMES A. KELLY October 16, 1876 Oh Cod, IVho didst give to thy servants by their sacredotal office, a share in the priest hood of the Apostles, grant, we implore, that they may also be one of their company forever in heaven. Through Christ Our Lord, Amen. and early in 1963 the United States applied more pressure on the Soviets to abide by their agreements and withdraw their troops. Apparently some of the force were withdrawn. “In mid-June 1963, the total Soviet troop strength was set at 12,500. The departure of an estimated 2,000 men in the next two months may have reduced the total to an estimated 10,000 or 10,500. Reportedly, the Rus sians have removed most of their combat units from the island. It was believed that the remaining troops were being maintained indefinitely for training purposes. “Failure to withdraw their military forces from Cuba con stitutes a Soviet violation of the Khrushchev-Kennedy agree ments. In a press conference on August 20, 1963, President Ken nedy expressed the disapproval of the United States Govern ment when he remarked: 'There are still Russians there, and this is still a matter of concern to us.’ ” The staff study was made for the Subcommittee to Investigate the Administration of the Inter nal Security Act and Other In ternal Security Laws, of the Senate Committee on the Judi ciary. The Case Against The Negro God’s World In all discussion of the Negro’s drive for desegrega tion, there is one body of sta tistics to which the Northern segregationist invariably will point. These which indi cate that a dispropor tionate num ber of crimi nals, juvenile delinquents and unwed mothers are Negroes. The u n thinking conclusion is are the figures that Negroes therefore have low moral stan dards. To evaluate that conclusion realistically, let us perform an imaginary experiment. We shali take ten Negro children and ten white children and place both groups in a slum area, there to grow up in poverty. Their rec reation will be. limited to the streets, since there is no room in their hovels for play and no parks nearby. Boys and girls— and perhaps parents, too—will share the one bedroom which the "apartment” affords. The facts of life are learned early and brutally. Because of family poverty and because the future holds so little promise of opportunity and suc cess, the children leave school as soon as the law allows. A few may find employment at some menial task but most will be condemned to idleness because of their lack of skill and educa tion. In their idleness their resentment grows as they find (By Leo J. Trese) themselves, in their teens, fac ing a dead-end life. Now, can we honestly suppose that all ten white children will grow into exemplary citizens, upright and just, with only the colored children turning to anti social behavoir? Or, shall we admit that it is not the color of one's skin which makes for crime? Actually, in the imagin ed experiment, the white child ren still would have an advan tage. In spite of their slum up bringing they would not face the additional frustration of racial discrimination. They would not suffer from the knowledge of being unwanted by the very peo ple they are expected to respect. Now let us turn to the most powerful of all arguments against desegregation. Suppose that we do let the Negro work at any job or profession that he, as a human person, can fill. (I hope that the intended irony of "let him” is evident; as though we, and not God, had made the Negro.) Suppose that we let him live in any part of the city that his income will allow. Suppose that we let him eat in any restaurant, sleep in any hotel, shop in any store and join any organization for which he, as a human person, is qua lified. Will he not then demand social equality? And here is the clincher, the argument to end all arguments: "How would you like your sister to marry a Negro?” My immediate answer would be that I would not mind at all, if it was a marriage of mutual love and the man, as a human person, had the makings of a good husband. I would not mind, that is, provided they could live in some country other than the United States. I know that here both would be crucified by for mer friends and present neigh bors. If they could live in France or Brazil or any other country where skin color is meaning less, I should be the first to say, "God bless your union.” A more pertinent answer, however, is that Negro’ men are not waiting, panting, to marry white girls. Negro girls are not burning with desire for white men. Our conceit might be pi qued, indeed, if we knew how little our lily-white charms ap peal to our darker brethren. Chinese tend to marry Chinese, Jews tend to marry Jews, Gen tiles tend to marry Gentiles — and Negroes will always, by nature, tend to marry Negroes. Although, I shall be quite braz en about the whole matter and admit that it would not cost me an hour’s sleep if I knew that, a hundred years from now, every American would carry a coat of permanent tan. In discussing the foregoing arguments I have reasoned from a purely natural viewpoint, without reference to religion. However, it is in our religious faith that our best hope lies for the exorcism of our racial pre judice. Prejudices are too deep ly rooted in emotion to respond easily to reason alone. We need, and need badly, the help of God’s grace. For that we mustpray— for our prejudiced selves and for our prejudiced neighbors. Today’s Valiant Man? By Barbara C. Jencks Blessed is the man that is found without blemish: and that hath not gone after gold, nor put his trust in money nor in treasures.” Ecclesiastics 31 * * * DOES OUR RELIGION have much effect on our morality? A recent writer in 'America’ magazine explored English morals today in regard to the recent Profumo scandal. The fact that Profumo lied in Par liament appears to upset the English people more than the fact that he had a mistress. A recent BBC program debated the relative impor tance of "Charity vs. Chas tity.” One speaker went so far as to say that Christian morality was indefensible and "the personality of Jesus Christ had been replaced by Jung and Freud in modern importance” While things may not be quite as advanced or open on this side of the Atlantic, articles in fam ily magazines discussing the relative merits of virginity and sexual freedom among today’s collegians give us a running start. While the English morality problem was viewed subjectively in the Profumo svcandal, our problem is a gen eral one with television, mov ies, newspapers, magazines and trashy paperbacks contributing to the rising moral crisis. Things not whispered about a generation ago, are blared over television dramas or read in screaming headline type in a movie advertisement or tabloid press. A featured article in the September 24 'Look’ magazine asked the question: "Have the Churches Failed? Has money become God? Is Sexual Moral ity Gone?” Each of us answers the questions in the secret of our hearts. Is money most im portant? Is our morality plia ble? Can one become successful without sacrificing morality? THE TEN COMMANDMENTS still stand. They have never been amended or rewritten by Madison Avenue. There’s an answer in them for all the problems which lather our gen eration from cheating on income tax to loving our Negro neigh bor to premarital sex relations. It takes a hero to face the temp tations, crisis, problems of but one twenty-four hour period. Any day in the life of a college student, a secretary, a busin essman, a teacher, or as par ents, citizens, single or mar ried, brings many kinds of temptations. Therefore, there are saints walking our streets this very moment who know ex actly what is right and have the courage to live this right without flinching, sometimes at great expense to their business and financial status. The saint today is rarely a success for (Continued on Page 6) “Following Church” TAHAWUS, N.Y. (NC)—St. Therese Church was moved ten miles from here to Newcomb, N.Y., a nine-hour journey down a major highway. At one point, traffic was back ed up for more than a mile behind the equipment pulling the wooden frame building which weighs more than 100 tons. Asked for his comment on the big move, Father Albert Giroux, pastor, took a look at the line of cars and said he was "glad to see so many people following the Church.” CAIP Award WASHINGTON (NC) — Sen. Hubert H. Humphrey of Minne sota called the attention of the Senate to the action of the Ca tholic Association for Interna tional Peace in bestowing its 1963 Peace Award on Teodoro Moscoso, U.S. coordinator of the Alliance for Progress and said the choice of Moscoso was "most appropriate.” Hum phrey also placed in the Con gressional Record (Oct. 1) his address on Latin America to the CAIP’s recent 36th an nual conference, held here Sep tember 26 to 28. Training Course WASHINGTON (NC) — The National Council of Catholic Men has published aMass com mentator’s training course to aid pastors in developing lay participation in the liturgy. NCCM executive director Martin H. Work described the course as "a unique program for encouraging and revitaliz ing parish liturgical participa tion.” The course was prepared by the NCCM staff in collabora tion with the national Liturgi cal Conference. It consists of six weekly training sessions on such themes as “The Structure and Spirit of the Mass”, "How to Read the word of God” and "Why Should I Participate Ac tively?” Kits containing the course materials for individual parti cipants cost $5 each, and the manuals for course directors cost $1 each. The materials are available from NCCM Pub lications, 1312 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005. 1.8 Per Cent Catholic BATHURST, Gambia (NC)— Catholics in Gambia, now a self-governing British posses sion, make up only 1.8 per cent of the West African enclave’s total population, although mis sionary work started more than a century ago. Catholics number 5,044 in a total population of 284,000. The 4,005-square-mile country is predominantly Moslem. Gambia has one Catholic diocese with seven parishes, 15 priests and 23 Catholic schools. Gambia, an enclave within Senegal, achieved full internal self-government (Oct. 4) but is still a British possession, the last in Africa. It consists of the island of St. Mary at the mouth of the Gambia River which flows through Senegal and a 10-mile strip of territory on each side of the river. Gambia’s economy is almost entirely agricultural. The Gam bia River is navigable through out the country. There are swamps along the river banks and the rest of the country is largely bush. Receives Cardinal VATICAN CITY, (NC) — His Holiness Pope Paul VI has re ceived in audience (Oct.3) James Francis Cardinal McIn tyre, Archbishop of Los Ange les, Archbishop Egidio Vag- nozzi, Apostolic Delegate in the United States, and Father Ric- cardo Lombardi, S. J., founder of the Movement for a Better World. To “Disarm” Papal Troops VATICAN CITY, (NC) —Vat ican authorities are studying a plan to “disarm” papal troops. The study has been ordered by His Holiness Pope Paul VI to bring the appearance of the papal guards—such as the Pala- 1 tine Guard of Honor, the Pinti- tical Gendarmes, and the Noble Guards—in line with the peace ful nature of the Church. Many of these groups carry rifles or sabers in the normal course of their duties during liturgical functions in St. Pe ter’s basilica and in the papal apartments. QUESTION BOX (By David Q. Liptak) Q. In a feature article on the Church’s ecumenical councils in last Sunday’s "New York Times,” I was surprised to learn that the date for Easter was settled at the first Council at Nicaea in 325. How is it that the early Christians disagreed, as to when the feast should be celebrated? A. The fact is that just before the opening of the Council of Nicaea in 325 there was a dis pute—"a furious controversy” in Msgr. Philip Hughes’ phrase —as to when the Pasch should be kept. TOWARD THE CLOSE of the second century two distinct tra ditions were being observed; one in the east, the other in Rome and the West. Among the Asiatics, the Pasch was cele brated on the 14th of Nisan (the opening month of the Jewish calendar) which, according to one manner of calculation, was the day on which Christ was cru cified. Rome, on the other hand, celebrated Easter on the Sunday following the 14th of Nisan. OBVIOUSLY this conflict in volved more than a discussion as to date. To the Eastern Church, the Pasch marked the anniversary of the Last Supper and the Crucifixion; while ac cording to the Roman mentality it commemorated the Resur rection. Hence the debate was characterized by profound lit urgical aspects. And because Easter is the central feast of the Christian calendar, the de bate was serious. BEFORE THE TURN of the second century, several re sponsible attempts were made to solve the conflict. In 155, for example, St. Polycarp, a bishop in Asia Minor, visited Pope Anicetus with the hope of negotiating a compromise. La ter, Pope Victor I (190-98) ordered a series of synods to be held in the areas where the question was causing the most confusion. His mind was that these synods should declare in favor of the Roman tradition. But the Asiatics declined to al ter their own views. As a result he censured the rebels. Har mony was eventually restored before the opening of I Nicaea, largely through the efforts of St. Irenaeus, the bishop of Lyons. THE SUNDAY Easter date was confirmed by the first ecu menical congress, which ruled that the feast should henceforth be kept on the first Sunday fol lowing the first full moon after the Spring Equinox—a basic ruling which is still in effect. ALTHOUGH THE principle of when Easter should be observed was settled by I Nicaea, the (Continued on Page 5) The Southern Cross P. O. BOX 180. SAVANNAH. GA. Vol. 44 Thursday, October 10, 1963 No. 14 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