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i r PAGE 4—The Southern Cross, November 14, 1963 Anti-Communism Production and crop failures in one com munist nation after another, including Soviet Russia, itself, point up graphically the falsity of the principles of Marxism-Leninism and the premises on which they are based. And if the people of the Soviet Union appear to be better off then their counterparts in other Red-ruled nations, it is not because Com munism, having had forty years in which to establish itself, is now beginning to work, but because the resources of a pillaged and plundered eastern Europe have fed, clothed, and sheltered Russians at the expense of mil lions of others enslaved in satellite coun tries. But the self-contained seed of economic disaster is not the worst characteristic of Communism. For it is inherently barbaric and morally bankrupt, a fact demonstrated time and again throughout its history—in its many programs and purges—in the deliberate starvation of recalcitrant peasants—in its bloody suppression of entire nations which had looked to it for liberation from Nazism— in its brutal and treacherous murder of Hun garian freedom fighters—in its crucifixion of Cuban patriots—and above all, in its ruthless repression of all meaningful religion and its callous depersonalization of its victims. It is the anti-thesis of Christianity and the Ape of God. With it, there can be no peaceful co-existence, for it must war against God as the flesh wars against the spirit. But it does exist. It controls the lives and destinies of hundreds of millions of human beings, and we can and must peace fully co-exist with them. This is a fact all too often overlooked by self-styled experts in the field of anti communism, who would have Christians adopt the Red methods of deceit, starva tion, and even bloodshed in an effort to free the world from further communist expansion. It is high time these experts realized that the battle against Communism is the battle of the forces of God against the forces of anti-God, and that the forces of God are led, not by ex-generals, ex-FBI agents, or politicians, but by the Church. The answer to the spread of Communism will not be found in simply decrying its evils or denouncing as communistic everything that Communism, itself, has not denounced. It will be found in the exercise, by all who lay claim to the name of Christian, of the spiritual and corporal works of mercy toward everyone in need, wherever in this world he might live. It will not be found in the high-sounding and well rounded oratory of those whom God warns “serve Me with their lips” but whose “hearts are far fromMe,” and whose concept of human rights is strictly limited by their own economic self-interest. It will be found in the consecrated work of a truly Christian people dedicated to the proposition that the world is not ruled by the law of the jungle—work aimed at the de struction of a cruel concept of human dignity which while acknowledging individual rights and obligations, denies any meaningful obli gation on the part of society toward the wel fare of Its members. Vietnam Catholic Action Urges Cooperation By Father Patrick O’Connor Society of St. Columban SAIGON, (NC)—The National Committee of Catholic Action of Vietnam has issued a state ment here reminding Catholic groups of their duty to work for the common good and strengthen national union. The statement also asserts (Nov. 5) the obligation to ac hieve observance of basic human rights for all. ‘‘Facing the new situation whose importance everyone ap preciates because of its close relation to the nation’s destiny,” the statement reads, “the National Committee of Ca tholic Action feels that it should- reaffirm the fundamental prin ciples set forth by ecclesias tical authority, the encyclicals and pastoral letters. "Applied to the present situ ation, these principles could be stated as follows: “First—Catholics ought to live in union with their com- patirots and share the senti ments of the nation according to the spirit of the messages of His Holiness Pope Paul VI and the encyclicals of Pope John XXIII, expecially Pacem in Terris. “Second—in an atmosphere of understanding and harmony with all, Catholics will make it their duty to achieve for themselves and to respect in others the fundamental rights of the human person such as free dom of thought, of belief and of worship. ' ‘Third—although the Church ■Liturgy Expert- Stresses Import Of Council Liturgy Action (The author of the following article is the former president of the National Liturgical Con ference in the United States, professor of canon law at the Catholic University of America and an expert for the Second Vatican Council attached to the council’s; Liturgy Commission, serving as secretary of a lit urgical subcommission.) By Father Frederick McManus N.C.W.C. News Service VATICAN CITY-The Second Vatican Council may be remem bered in history as the council that brought the people back in to the public worship of the Church. On Oct. 31, with overwhelming approval of the final chapter of the document, the council completed its work on the 130- paragraph Constitution on the Liturgy which was the first item on its agenda more than a year ago. A few final modifications of the document are now being pre pared by the council’s Liturgy Commission. These will be voted upon by the bishops during the next two or three weeks — in time, it is hoped, for offi cial publication by conclusion of the council’s second session on Dec. 4. Even now it is possible to sum up the council’s nearly unani mous decision on the reform of Catholic worship: —Permission for the use of the vernacular languages in countries where this will help the people’s understanding. —Revision of all services so that they will be simpler and clearer, with a greater part for the people, again with allowance for regional variations. —A program of instruction for clergy and faithful in the meaning of worship. A lengthy and formal docu ment has been agreed upon. It will be Church legislation and exhortation. It will decree a project of change in the texts, prayers and rites by which Catholics worship God. But what will this mean on Sunday morning in the average parish? What has the council accomplished for the people in their life of prayer and wor ship? Sunday is the Lord’s day, the day on which the Church cele brates each week the triumphant resurrection of Christ from the dead. The best way to picture liturgical change resulting from the Second Vatican Council is to describe its impact on Sunday Mass, when the community of believers comes together to ce lebrate the eucharistic sacri fice. If we look ahead one or two or three years—it could be more or less—the most obvious and striking change we can ex pect is the use of the vernacu lar languages or mother ton gues in the Mass, replacing the Latin language in many parts of the service. To begin with, the readings from the Bible, Epistles and Gospels, will be in the language of the people. The reading of the Bible at Mass is intended to be an an nouncement of God’s word to the people, yet up to now the official reading has been done by the priest, standing with his back to the people and speaking an unintelligible language. On Sundays, in fact, a makeshift repetition in English has been necessary if the people were to hear the word of God at all. Almost as important, the parts of the people will be said or sung in their own language, and this reveals an aspect of Catholic worship that Latin has concealed. If there are prayers of the Mass to be said by the priest, there are also prayers which belong to the people. There is a kind of apportion ment of roles: the priest has his part, the people have their part—and the people's parts should be in the language they understand. Thus the Gloria and Creed, the Hymns of Christian joy and faith will not be said in Latin by the priest, but in English by the people. The same is true of the Sanctus and the Agnus Dei. In every Mass there is psalmody, verses from the Old Testament recited or sung between the Epsitle and Gos pel, at the beginning of Mass, at the Offertory of bread and wine, at Communion. All these, properly speaking, are the peo ple’s song or prayer and may be permitted in the people’s language. In some countries there has already been a revival of psalm recitation and singing; the psalms are, after all, the com mon hymns of Jews and Christ ians alike, composed under God’s inspiration. We can ex pect that their use in English at Mass will revive Catholic love of these sacred songs. Today they are largely un familiar and their unfamiliarity suggests that a mere trans lation of Mass texts from La tin to English is no cure-all. This is the reason that the bishops of the council have de cided that there must be pro grams of instruction, so that the words of worship may be un derstood—and thus said with meaning and prayerful purpose by the people. A second feature of the Mass of the future will be a new ap proach to preaching, by which priests will be expected to make the sermon an integral and re lated part of the Mass itself, not a seeming interruption. This development should be helped along by two promised reforms in the rite of Mass, already agreed upon by the council: The first is to make the “service of the word of God” (Epistle Gospel, sermon) stand out distinctly in the structure of Mass, probably by having the priest lead this part of Mass from the bench or seat or even pulpit. The second is to provide a greater variety of Epistle and Gospel passages in a cycle of two, three or more years. This does not mean that the (Continued on Page 5) LONDON, (NC) — The Uni verse, a London Catholic Week ly, has turned up an Anglican cardinal: Canon Joseph Ronin- son, the sacristan of St. Paul’s Anglican Church here. Canon Robinson’s official title of “cardinal” goes back to pre-Reformation times when the minor canons of the then Catholic cathedral were form ed by royal charter in to a “col lege.” The college’s senior members were called cardinal, and the title still exists. K. Of C. Workers Contract Bishops In Accident NEW HAVEN, Conn. (NC)— Office workers at the Supreme Headquarters of the Knights of Columbus here have overwhel mingly voted to accept a new three-year contract which con tains a package increase of 25 cents per hour. The workers are members of Local 329, Office Employes In ternational Union, AFL-CIO. ROME, (NC)—Four Ameri can bishops were injured in an automobile accident while tour ing the Holy Land on Nov. 4. Two are hospitalized in Tel Aviv, Israel. f V ., j //7K//e M/o/r)e/7 ii §§g! to tAe councf/ r % stays absolutely outside all forms of government, Catho lics have the duty to work for the common good and to make a positive contribution to build ing up the country in confor mity with the social teaching of the Church.” The committee urgently asked local committees and groups to have the foregoing principles made widely known * 'to strengthen national union which is indispensable for the nation’s survival.’’ The committee begged all to increase their prayers “for our dear country, Vietnam.” All the bishops of South Viet nam are absent from the coun try attending the ecumenical council in Rome. Note To The Post It Seems to Me Alabama Prelate Sees Integration Coming MOBILE, Ala.—Archbishop Thomas J. Toolen said here that the issue of integrating Ala bama Catholic schools must be faced. Archbishop Toolen, Bishop of Mobile-Birmingham, said that despite the opposition of Ala bama Gov. George Wallace and others school integration can not be halted. The hospitalized prelates are Bishop William G. Connare of Greensburg, Pa., and Auxiliary Bishop John J. Scan lan of Honolulu, Hawaii. The other two, injured but able to return to Rome, are Bishop Paul L. Hagarty, O.S.B., of Nassau, Bahamas, JOSEPH BREIG An amusing-annoying rheto rical performance by Thomas J. Fleming was presented, with appropriate hoopla, in a recent issue of the Saturday Evening Post, under the title, “The Crisis in Ca-, t h o 1 i c Sc hools.” (Not that there isn’t a crisis of a sort, al though it is not nearly as panic - button as Fleming made it sound. But I will leave that aspect of the matter to the pastors and school superinten dents and bishops.) What intrigued me was, first Fleming’s calm assumption that if interreligious tensions have risen out of disagreement among Americans over school financing, the fault must auto - matically lie with those Catho lics who have the effrontery to suggest that their children are entitled to some share in state and federal educational tax funds. NOWHERE in Fleming’s ar ticle could I find any sugges tion that Catholics who feel like that can be other than unreas onable. “Last year,” he ponti ficated, “the Catholic demand for help was one of the main reasons for the defeat of the administration’s desperately needed federal aid bill, and this year there is every sign that the deadlock will be repeated.” Whether or not Fleming intend ed it so, the result of that kind of writing is to make Catholics appear Dog-in-mangerish and unpatriotic. The fact is that Catholics did not “demand help” for their school children from the fed eral government. I cannot recall that any prominent Catholic came out flatly for federal aid to education. As Fleming him self reports (contradicting his own thesis) one-third of the bi shops favor federal aid, one- third are against it, and one- third are indifferent. And the laity is roughly estimated to be divided half and half. “THERE IS OBVIOUSLY no solid bloc of Catholic voters (or even of bishops),” Flem ing writes, “ready to endorse unanimously the Church’s cur rent policy on the issue,” I am sure we would all be fas cinated to hear Fleming ex plaining how the Church can have a policy which no solid bloc of Catholics or even of bishops is ready to endorse. We would seem to need a word from Alice in Wonderland at this point. Apparently it did not occur to Fleming that many Catholics might feel that it is their opponents, not they, who have dog-in-managerishly blocked federal aid to education. In Fleming’s treatment of the mat ter, such groups as the Nation al Education Association come out looking high-minded and im partial, although the fact is that they have repeatedly block ed federal education aid rather than allow a nickels-worth of consideration for youngsters in Catholic and other religious schools, and in private schools. THERE IS ROOM for plenty of difference of opinion as to who has been small-minded and unreasonable in this matter. And it might have occurred to Fleming that many Catholics feel an obligation to resist a federal aid bill that would de stroy religious education by a simple process of bankruptcy. Fleming’s article, in short, was unfair and unbalanced. It was bad journalism, and neither Fleming nor the Post has any cause to be proud of it. The Post, I am confident, would never suggest that Negro citi zens stop demanding their rights in order to avoid inter group tensions. Why is it bland ly taken for granted that Catho lics are out of order when they take their stand for some kind of school tax equity? THERE IS a musty smell, too, about Fleming’s’piece, as if it had been written a year or so ago and never updated. Not once does he mention the change in climate which has re sulted in a cooperative Catho- lic-Protestant-Jewish seeking for solutions at the present time, and almost an end to polemics. For one thing, though, I do thank Fleming. He says that in a Catholic school an arithmetic problem might read, “If a priest saves 800 souls from Purgatory with one Mass, how many will he save with 20 Mass es?” That mad, mad example of the confusing of religion with other studies ought to convince everybody that this sort of thing is poor pedagogy, leading to bad theology. The only right answer to so imbecilic a ques tion would be, “No one but God knows, Sister.” And God does not choose to tell us. 5 Year Council? ST. LOUIS—The ecumenical coundil may last three—or even five—years more, Auxiliary Bishop George J. Gottwald of St. Louis said here. Bishop Gottwald, back from the council’s second session, said it would take ‘ 'a minimum of three years” to cover all the draft proposals before the coun cil and noted that other council Fathers have speculated that it might require five years. who is a native of Greene, Iowa, and Auxiliary Bishop John F. Hackett of Hartford. The four had gone to the Holy Land during a four-day break in the Second Vatican Council, Nov. 1 to 4. They were riding in a taxicab to the airport in Tel Aviv when a truck struck their vehicle broadside. Pope Uses Gift Car VATICAN CITY, (NC)—Pope Paul VI went for a ride for the first time (Nov. 8) in the^ white Lincoln Continental pre sented to him in October by a group of alumni of Notre Dame University. QUESTION BOX Death Be Not Proud Jottings By Barbara C. Jencks "Now they have come, those afternoons in November, When all the air is still and branches are bare, And the long, lovely light that I remember Invades with luminous peace the untroubled air.” Sister M. Madeleva, C.S.C. * * * AT ONE time or other, most of us realize with a sudden and full impact that here ‘ 'we have no lasting home.” That somday, we know not where or when we are going to die. We experience this fact in the death of some one dear. . .on all Soul’s day and during the somber reminder that November brings in its illustrations of a dying nature. The fact walks with us but most of the time we are not aware of it or avoid it. Few find joy in contemplating death despite the fact that it means being with God. The previews of heaven found in scriptures fail to ex cite with their promise that “eye has not seen nor ear heard what God has prepared for those who love Him.” This battered world with its fear of nuclear attack and worries about Cuba and Russia and taxes and rents and unpredictable weather still is clung to as a pearl of great price. This is quite natural. FEAR OF DEATH is a nor mal attitude. I am told that only the saints, the mad and the young do not dread its daily approach. I have read of those who suffer the most painful ills, those who have borne great poverty cling wildly to life. It would seem to me that beside this normal fear of death, which is the unknown, most of us would push our deadline ahead be cause we are aware that we have accomplished so little in this life. One lifetime is given to each of us to become that per son which God has envisioned from all eternity. In the secret of our hearts, most of us rea lize that we have not ac complished what we might have. Father Hubert Van Zeller, O.S.B., my favorite spiritual writer despite his being an En glishman, has written that one of the saddest sights in the world is the “near-saint.” He says that the hunger for sanctity is not rare and it is granted to most everyone who knows any thing about God at all. Yet the British Benedictine goes on to make an interesting statement. "By the time most of us are forty it has become abundantly clear that we are failures. . . The truth is that all of us know in our heart of hearts how very far we have fallen short of what once we could have been. What - (Continued on Page 5) By David Q. Isn’t it a Christian prin ciple that persons of con siderable wealth are obliged to use their excess riches in favor of the poor? A. There is not question about it. One’s superfluous income, i.e., that which he does not need to live decently, and with dignity, is not left to his own discretion. Rather, as Pope Pius XI emphasized in hisQua- dragesimo Anno, “the rich are bound by a very grave precept to practice almsgiving, benefi cence and munificence.” THIS IS A SUBJECT we have had to return to more than once, evidently because it is still widely misinterpreted. Yet any one conversant with the rudi ments of Christianity should know that the possession of excess wealth entails obliga tions both in justice and in charity toward those who are in need. Such obligations are ex plicitly detailed throughout the New Testament, as for example, in the first Epistle of St. John; “He who has the goods of this world and sees his borther in need and closes his heart to him, how does the love of God abide in him?” SOME OF THE warnings on the subject by the early Church Fathers are electrifying. St. Augustine wrote: “One who pos sesses superfluous goods is in possession of another’s pro perty.” This was a conclusion he reached from the premise that ‘ 'the superfluity of the rich is necessary for the poor.” AND ST. GREGORY, the Great, commenting on the stoy of Dives, the rich man in the Gospel, wrote: “No one should Q. Liptak feel secure even though he can say, “I have not stolen any thing belonging to others, and what belongs to me I use law fully.’ For that rich man (i.e., Dives) was delivered into hell because he used the wealth giv en him for luxury and closed his heart to the misery of the poor.” JUST WHAT does constitute excess riches is more readily calculated in some instances than in others. Nor, is there a strict obligation to put all one’s extra wealth specifically in almsgiving. Thus, as Father Bernard Haering observes: “A socially sound and fruitful use of material goods in other ways may frequently prove more ad vantageous to the furtherance of the true welfare of our neigh bor than the distribution of alms. The sharp utterances of many Fathers of the Church de claring that there is an obli gation in charity, or even in 4 justice, to give all one’s super fluous goods in alms may rea sonably be interpreted to mean that there is a real obliga tion to devote the total super fluity to the welfare of one’si neighbors, primarily in the form of alms.” (The Law of Christ, Vol, II; The Newman Press: 1963) WHAT ALL this means in the concrete is that everyone who chances to have more than ade quate means should ask him self, sincerely and prayerfully, (1) just how much of his wealth is superfluous, (2) just how his superfluity can alleviate human misfortune. He should then pro ceed to implement his findings with prudence. cM) The Southern Cross P. O. BOX 180. SAVANNAH. GA. Vol. 44 Thursday, November 14, 1963 No. 19 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