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PAGE 6—The Southern Cross, November 14, 1963 Political Groups Active In Vietnam By Father Patrick O’Connor Society of St. Columban (N.C.VV.C. News Service) SAIGON, Vietnam (NC) — Feverish activities are report ed among the elements of poli tical parties here, including Buddhist groups, which are eager to take advantage of what ever opportunities the recent military coup may present. The Military Revolutionary Committee is said to be not entirely at ease, uncertain who may be joining in these acti vities and what they may lead to. Saigon was outwardly calm three days after the coup (Nov. 4) but armed soldiers were much in evidence. Early mob violence, mainly youthful, was directed against buildings, newspaper offices and automobiles associated with the Diem government. Military authorities made little or no effort ot prevent it. No attacks were made on any Catholic in stitutions in Saigon. Anxiety is felt for the fu ture, especially regarding a militant Buddhist student group. Speeches made at Xa Loi Pa goda (Nov. 3) were strictly political. The official allegation that the late president and his bro ther committed suicide is wide ly disbelieved by non-Christ ians also. The allegation is de finitely untrue, as this corres pondent has reported. No thing but rumors were avail- ble regarding the burial of the two men. There was no at tempt by any crowd to find and desecrate their bodies. As of Nov. 5, the American embassy here had made no public protest against the vio lent deaths of the late Presi dent an his brother or aginst the allegation that they had committed suicide. Among the 14 generals on the 22-man Military Revolutionary Committee, two are Catholics. The president of the commit tee, Maj. Gen. Duong van Minh is not a Christian. Iron, Bamboo Curtains Keep 111 From Council By Father Placid Jordan O.S.B. ROME (NC)—The Iron and Bamboo Curtains are keeping 111 Catholic Bishops from at tending the Second Vatican Council, according to the most complete survey that can be made here. This total may not be com plete, due to the difficulty of checking all pertinent sour ces. With the arrival of four more bishops from Poland, 27 of that country’s prelates are now here, out of a total of 70. Tra vel permits had been ap plied for by 64, which indicates “Improvement In Attitude TowardChurch” CHICAGO (NC)—Father Thurston N. Davis, S.J., editor in chief of America magazine, said here that- there has been a dramatic—and favorable— change in the attitude of non- Catholics toward Catholics. “Two Johns”—President Kennedy and the late Pope John XXIII—' 'have changed the pub lic face of Catholicism in the contemporary world,” Father Davis told the 25th annual meeting of the National Confer ence of Christians and Jews (Nov. 10). While Pope John and the ecu menical council have been bringing about an updating of the Church, he said, Mr. Kennedy’s actions as President have “scotched the old Protestant worry that a Catholic in the White House would bring the pope in by underground from Rome.” Formerly, that Jesuit editor said, “because undeniable roadblocks of prejudice stood against them, Catholics did not feel entirely welcome in the overwhelmingly Protestant cul tural milieu of this country. “That day has passed. We Catholics should now recognize its passing and live up to the obligations that this change of atmosphere imposes upon us.” Turning to Catholic-Jewish relations, Father Davis ex pressed the belief that “Catho lics have some way yet to go in their effort to comprehend and more deeply sympathize with the Jewish community.” He said Catholics and other Christians should be more vocal in protesting anti-Semitism, in cluding the persecution of Jews in the Soviet Union. He said it is “most unfair” to blame all Jews for “the crusading efforts of a few indi viduals and organizations that have been so prominent in the fight against prayer and Bible reading in the public schools.” Father Davis referred also to the controversial play ' ‘The Deputy,” by German author Rolf Hochhuth. Scheduled for Broad way production early next year, it sharply criticizes Pope Pius XII for allegedly failing to speak out against nazi persecution of Jews. Father Davis called the play a “calumnious attack” on Pope Pius and said American Catho lics could make their own the comment of Archbishop John C. Heenan of Westminster when the play was about to open in London. Archbishop Heenan said: “My Jewish friends will say what is necessary. They know the record of Pope Pius XII and I am quite happy to let them say whether or not he was their friend.” that the Polish government re fuses to allow 37 to come to Rome. As at the first session of the council, all 28 of the bishops from Yugoslavia were able to come this time. The same is true of the Soviet Zone of Ger many, with its seven bishops. The only East German bishop absent is Auxiliary Bishop Josef Freusberg of Fulda. He remained at his home in Er furt because of his advanc ed age. Since all of the Catholic bi shoprics in the Soviet Union are vacant, the Catholics of that nation are not represented in the council. Nineteen exiled Ukrainian Rite prelates came from the United States, Canada Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Franee, Germany, Italy and Yu goslavia. Also here is Archbi shop Josyf Slipyi of Lvov who was released from a Soviet prison earlier this year. The exiled White Russian Bishop Bolesiao Sloskans, now residing in Belgium is present. Absent again are the three bi shops of Bulgaria and the four of Rumania. Of the three Baltic states absorbed by theU.S.S.R., which have a total of eight Ca tholic bishops, only the exiled Lithuanian Auxiliary Bishop Vincentas Brizgys of Kaunas, now living in Chicago, and the exiled Latvian Bishops Anto- nijis Urbss of Liepaja, now re siding in Spain, and Jazeps Rancans, Auxiliary of Riga, now living in Grand Rapids, Michi gan, are able to be here. The contingent from the Czechoslovakian hierarchy in creased from three to four in the second session, out of a total of 15. Conspicuously absent are Archbishop Joseph Beran of Praque and four other bishops recently released from gov ernment confinement, but to all indications, not yet fully free. Also still absent are Jozsef Cardinal Mindszenty of Eszter- gom and other prelates from Hungary. Only five of that coun try’s bishops obtained exit per mits to come to Rome. The three bishops of Albania were refused such permits by their Red rulers. Regarding the Far East, as during the previous council ses sion none of the 10 bishops of North Vietnam were allowed to leave the country. The same applies to the Chinese hier archy, at least 17 of whom are jailed and all others ex iled. St. Patrick’s P.C.C.W. Plans Many Activities AUGUSTA — St. Patrick’s Council of Catholic Women held their November meeting at the Rectory with Mrs. H. B. Rob erts, President, presiding. Mrs. Harry B. Arthur, chair man of St. Mary’s Guild, told the members that she was send ing a birthday gift to the child selected by the Council as their “Birthday Girl” for the year at St. Mary’s Home, Savannah. Father Seikel announced that Mass would be celebrated on Thanksgiving Day at 10:00 a.m., followed by a Family Holy Hour. The Council voted a gift of cash to the Red Cross to be used for gifts for patients at the Vet erans’ Hospitals for Christmas. The Bishops’ Annual Clothing Drive will be held this month, and all members were reques ted to bring their donations to ‘A GEOMETRICAL FANTASY’—The new parish church of St. Maurice de Duvemay, in Montreal has been described as ‘‘a geometrical fantasy in concrete, glass and stone.” The parish program matches the avant-garde style of its church architecture. The parish income comes solely from tithing and the Sunday offering. Eighty laymen act as Mass commentators and readers, singers, Mass servers and ushers. No fees are charged for funerals, marriages, and baptisms, and gifts on such occasions are refused. Father Jean Corn is pastor. (NC Photos) -Savannah Knights Of Columbus Open Meeting Nov. 20 SAVANNAH — Savannah Council 631 will be host to the Catholic Men of Savannah and Chatham County on Wednesday, November 20th, when an "Open Meeting” will be held in the main Ballroom of the K. of C. Home, it was announced by James G. Burke, Membership Chairman. The purpose of the affair is to portray to the Catholic Men REV. LAWRENCE LUCREE of the area the Knights of Col umbus story, said Burke. Featured on the program will be the Rev. Lawrence Lucree, Asst. Rector of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, John M. Brannan, Past State Deputy of the Georgia State Council, Knights of Columbus, and John R. Caterisan, Insurance Agent of Savannah Council. Joseph K. Ebbewein, Grand Knight of Sa vannah Council, will serve as Master of Ceremonies. Fr. Lucree will tell the ga thering of the many ways that the Knights of Columbus can and, does serve Holy Mother Church locally and nationally. Brennan will familiarize the men as to what contributions they can i make to the Knights of Colum- 1 bus and the Catholic Community by becoming members of the Order, as well as what benefits can be derived by the indivi dual himself. Caterisan will explain the many Insurance features of the Order. Chairman Burke further an nounced that a film entitled "Noble Heritage,” which de picts the history and programs of the Knights of Columbus, will be shown. He stated that the film and the address will be brief and that the entire pro gram should not last more than an hour. A Steak Dinner with all the trimmings will be served Ban quet Style promptly at 7:15 JOHN M. BRENNAN'- p.m. by the Culinary Committee under the direction of John Buckley, chairman. Lecturer Thomas M. Buttimer is coor dinating arrangements for the evening. The officers and members of Savannah Council are hopeful that many of the. men will be anxious to obtain membership in the order, following this portrayal of the Knights of Columbus story. A large attendance of mem bers as well as guests is ex pected and urged. All Catholic men of the Savannah area are invited to attend. Text Of Communique On Antisemitism Statement VATIC^s|| CITY, (NC)—Fol lowing is the text of the com munique issued on the state ment on anti-Semitism issued to the ecumenical council Fa thers (Nov. 8): This morning there was dis tributed to the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council a draft on “The Attitude of Catholics Toward Non-Christians, Par ticularly Toward the Jews” (De Catholicorum Habitudinead Nonchristianos et Maxime ad Udaeos). This draft was prepared over a period of two years by the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity, of which Au gustine Cardinal Bea is pre sident. It is to form the fourth chapter of the schema on ecu menism, the first three chap ters of which had already been submitted to the bishops. The document is entirely re ligious in its content and spiri tual in its purpose. It is out of an ever-growing appreciation of the Church’s sacred heri tage that the council pays at tention to the Jews, not as a race or a nation but as the chosen people of the Old Testa ment. The clear and unequivo cal language of the text gives the secretariat confidence that no other motive will be read into it than that of the all- embracing love of the late Pope John who himself had wished that the theme be prepared for the council Fathers. The draft deals first with the deep bond that ties the Church to the chosen people of the Rectory for packing and shipping. A Rummage Sale will be held on November 23rd, at the cor ner of Ninth and D’Antignac Streets. Mrs. Roberts requested that in lieu of members exchanging gifts at the December meeting each member should bring an article of clothing for children from infancy to six years of age. These will be sent to The Holy Father’s Warehouse in Rome, for distribution to needy children throughout the world. the Old Testament. According to God’s merciful design, the Church has its roots in the covenant made by God with Abraham and his descendents. This plan of salvation for all mankind finds its culmination in the coming of Jesus Christ, son of David and descendant of Abraham according to the flesh. Through Him the divine call first given to the chosen people of old is extended through His Church to the entire world. A second point the draft makes is that the responsibility for Christ’s death falls upon sinful mankind. It was to atone for the sins of every man that the Son of God willingly of fered himself on tne Cross. The part the Jewish leaders of Christ’s day played in bring ing about the Crucifixion does not exclude the guilt of all mankind. But the personal guilt of these leaders cannot be charged to the whole Jewish people either of His time or today. It is therefore unjust to call this people “deicide” or to consider it "cursed” by God. St. Paul, in his letter to the Romans, assures us that God has not rejected the people whom he has chosen. The document presented goes on to affirm that the Church can never forget that it was from Abraham’s stock that Christ, His Blessed Mother and the Apostles were born. In keeping with its object ives, the council document does not propose to deal with the various causes of anti-Semi tism. However, it does indicate that the sacred events of the Bible and, in particular, its account of the Crucifixion, can not give rise to disdain or ha tred or persecution of the Jews. Preachers and catechists, the text states, are admonished never to present a contrary position: furthermore, they are urged to promote mutual under standing and esteem. It is clear therefore, that both the contents and purposes of the document are purely religious. It cannot be called pro-Zionist or anti-Zionist since it considers these as political questions and entirely outside of its religious scope. In fact, any use of the text to support partisan discussions or particular political claims or to attack the political claims of others would be com pletely unjustified and con trary to every intention of those who have composed it and pre sented it to the council. Some recent newspaper accounts have mentioned the immediate possibility of an offi cer observer to the Second Vatican Council delegated by the World Jewish Congress. The incident referred to is not a recent one but took place in the summer of 1962. The Sec retariat for Promoting Chris tian Unity did not consider the proposal seriously at that time and is not doing so now. Jewish Leader Hails Statement ROME, (NC) — Zachariah Shuster, European director of the American Jewish Commit tee, commented in a statement distributed here: “The American Jewish Com mittee hails as a historic event the presentation to the ecumeni cal council of the decree con cerning Christian attitudes to ward the Jews. . . ‘ 'T o His Eminence Cardinal Bea we pay special tribute for that insight, that combination of deep religious feeling and humanism that he and his sec retariat have brought to the building of this great work. . . “Acceptance of this decree will make it impossible for anyone to instigate hatred for Jews and claim sanction or support in Church teaching or dogma.” Father Thomas Stransky, C. S. P., of the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity, denied reports cited by a re porter in a question at the American Bishops’ press panel that the Papal Secretariat of State had brought pressure on the unity secretariat to pig eonhole the statement on the Jews. Poland Seizes Books Sent To Cardinal PARIS, (NC)—The World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations revealed here that a shipment of 60,000 pub lished copies of Stefen Cardi nal Wyszynski’s sermons—a gift it was sending to the Po lish Cardinal — were confis cated by the Polish government. It said it has protested to Poland’s communist leader, Wladyslaw Gomulka, but with out reply. The World Union, repre sented 36 million members of Catholic women’s organizations throughout the globe, had dis patched the copies of Cardinal Wyszynski’s public addresses in a special car. The publica tions, printed in France, were aimed at helping Poland prepare for the celebration of the mil lennium of Poland’s conversion to Christianity. WUCWO said the shipment was seized and or dered destroyed by the Polish government on arrival in War saw. The World Union telegraphed a protest (Oct. 11) to the Po lish customs headquarters which it said had informed the Warsaw archdiocesan chan cery of the confiscation. But it received no reply. World Union officials then contacted the Polish Embassy in Paris and were assured that their protest would receive an answer before the conclusion of the WUCWO congress, then in session. The telegram to Gomulka was sent after the congress ended and there had been no word from any Polish government source. In the wire to the Com munist party first secretary, the WUCWO asked Gomulka to revoke the order to destroy the books. It called the confiscation a violation of freedom of con science and of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights— to which Poland is a signatory. It charged that the incident re presents ideological segrega tion, which it said is even more pernicious than racial segre gation. On receiving no reply from Gomulka, the WUCWO said (Nov. 4) it felt obliged to bring knowledge of the confiscation into the arena of public opin ion. AnswersCharges On “Martyr Church” Exhibit ROME (NC)—The director of Rome’s “Martyr Church” ex hibit has answered Yugoslav charges that the exhibit’s sec tion on persecution in Yugosla via twists history with the chal lenge: “Let them prove it!” Father Domenico Chianella, S.J., said: “We have taken these photos from documented books on communist persecution of Catholics in Yugoslavia.” Father Chianella was refer ring to a charge by Yugoslav spokesman Dusan Blagojevic that the display is a “distortion of historical and long known facts,” and another by the Bel grade government paper Borba that the exhibit’s photos really show Orthodox victims of Croa tia’s wartime fascist govern ment. Croatia is one of six republics in the Federated Peo ple’s Republic of Yugoslavia. Father Chianella showed a list of 362 Croat bishops, priests, seminarians and Bro thers killed by communists from 1940 to 1951. The list— which includes the dates, pla ces and circumstances of each murder—was drawn up by a Vatican official and published by Nouvelles Editions Latines of Paris. To another charge by Borba that the exhibit, which has dis plays on persecutions in all communists - dominated coun tries, is contrary to the spirit of the late Pope John XXIII, Father Cnianella replied that Pope John had sent his bless ings to the exhibit. The Jesuit showed a letter from the Papal Secretariat of State conveying the Pope’s good wishes for the exhibit. Father Chianella emphasized that the exhibit was set up on his “private initiative” and that neither the Jesuits, the Secre tariat of State, the Holy See, nor the ecumenical council have anything to do with it. Key To .Democracy MONTREAL, Que. (NC)— Concern for the well being of the family is the criterion of a truly democratic government, Quebec Premier Jean Lesage told 2,000 delegates to the an nual congress of Les Foyers Notre Dame here. “A government is good, bad or indifferent in the measure of its service to the family,” he said. The CYO is an organization based on parish units affiliated with the diocesan council. In turn, diocesan councils are affi liated with the National CYO Federation. In a recent letter from the national office rescheduling the fees and reviewing the benefits, the following list was included. 1. A sharing in the apostolic work of the bishops in the Uni ted States. 2. Plenary and Partial Indul gences granted by the Holy See. 3. Publications such as Youth Program Service, American Journal of Catholic Youth Work and Youth Week Kit. 4. The personal service of a trained youth leader from the National Office who will visit the diocese and assist in organi zing a CYO. 5. Voting privileges at the national convention. 6. The eligibility of a diocese to designate any of its youth as candidates for national elective or appointive offices. 7. Participation in National CYO Oratorical Contest or Out standing Catholic Youth of the Year Award. 8. Affiliation Charters. 9. Use of insignia, motto, pa tron, colors, uniform member ship cards and banners of CYO. 10. Eligibility of a diocese to use the National awards—Eagle of the Cross and Pro Deo et Juventute medal. In a new schema for the pay ment of affiliation dues to the National Office, assessment is set at 1/3 of .01<£ per capita of the total Catholic population of the diocese. Since we of Savan nah are listed as 30,978 popu lation, our fee is $103,26 total. To raise this sum, we propose WASHINGTON (NC) — Sister Domenica can go home now without fear of being locked out. Although her home cenventis now in Stafford, England, the much traveled 72-year-old nun is a native of County Galway, Ireland. So she took President Kennedy at his word when he issued that blanket invitation during his trip to Ireland last June, for all Irish to drop in and see him at the White House. And the President was true to his word. When he received Sis ter Domenica, she said her Mo ther Superior and other nuns to collect $10.00 from each parish unit of the CYO. This will provide us with the oppor tunity to designate all one-par ish cities and the largest par ishes of multi-parish cities to receive the publications without the additional charge. Since we automatically receive eleven free copies, these would go to smaller parishes, unable to< raise additional funds as easily as more populous parishes. If the larger parishes want to con tinue to subscribe to these pub lications, then they may do so for the added price. From the Pope, Apostolic Delegate, and Bishops come ap proval of the CYO method of affiliation and the parish as the sole basic unit, just as in Canon Law concerning the organiza tion of the church in general. No allowance is made for the basic unit to be inter-parochial, although naturally, interparo- chail activities planned by pari sh units are permitted and en courage with some frequency. * * # A plug is requested by Father Lawrence Lucree for the Turkey Dinner sponsored for the public by the Cathedral CYO. The delicious meal wil], be served Sunday, November 17th from 1-7 p.m., priced at $1.25 for adults and 75for children. threatened not to let her come back in the convent if she didn’t see the President. Sister Domenica is on her first U. S. visit. A history,,, enthusiast, she’s been touring historical spots in the capital area and in Baltimore, where she was staying with her sis ter, Mrs. Nan Horney. A neph ew, Joe Croghan, Baltimore sports announcer, accompanied her to the White House. A nun for 54 years, Sister Domenica spent 25 years as a teacher in Borneo and four years in a Japanese prison camp in World War II. person - to - person Service for ail. your lankiny needs SAVANNAH BANK & Trust Co. Savannah, Georgia Member F. D. I. C. DOWNTOWN SAVANNAH’S Newest And Finest Manger Hotel HOME OF THE FAMOUS PURPLE TREE LOUNGE AND COLONY RESTAURANT -—Can Go Home Now— Irish Nun Meets President