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Paul VI Reorganizes
Council Commissions
(B y Msgr. James I. Tucek)
VATICAN CITY (NC)—With
only days to go before the end
of the second session of the
ecumenical council on Dec. 4,
Pope Paul VI has authorized a
reorganization of all the council
commissions.
Reorganization of the council
commissions provides:
—That membership in each
commission be increased from
25 to 30.
—That each commission, af
ter increasing its membership,
elect a vice president and a vice
secretary.
The surprise move, announ
ced at the Nov. 21 council meet
ing, was generally interpreted
here as having two aims:
The first, and more certain,
is to hasten the task of re
writing the schemas being sent
back to the commissions.
The second, and less certain,
is to forestall a delaying action
r which, reports say, is holding
up the revision of certain highly
controversial schemas.
There are two exceptions to
the provision for increasing
membership of council com
missions. They are in the Com
mission for the Oriental
Churches, which already has 27
members, and in the Secretariat
for Promoting Christian Unity,
which has only 18 members.
Of the five members to be
added to the other commissions,
one will be designated by the
Pope and four will be elected
by the council Fathers.
Inasmuch as the Pope has
recently added two members to
the Commission for the Oriental
Churches , the three necessary
to complete the number of 30
will be all elected.
Of the 12 to be added to the
secretariat, four will be named
by the Pope and eight will be
elected by the council Fathers.
The presidents of national
bishops’ conferences were ask
ed to meet as soon as possible
to prepare lists of no more than
three names for each commis
sion. A deadline of Nov. 25
was set for presentation of the
names by the presidents of the
national conferences.
On Nov. 27 the council Fa
thers were to be given printed
lists of the names thus turned
in. It was announced that the
Fathers would be free to vote
Lauds Reorganization
Of Council Commissions
(By Father Placid Jordan,
O.S.B.)
VATICAN CITY (NC)—Pope
, Paul Vi’s decision to authorize
\ the election of additional mem
bers to council commissions
(Nov. 21) has been hailed here
as the ideal solution of the pro
blem which for a good many
days has been of concern to
many council Fathers.
While it would have been
wrong to speak of an actual
deadlock, nevertheless an im
passe has existed. Therefore
there was an alarming prospect
of no progress in the debates
on the most vital issues before
the council. The impasse was
caused by what might be called
a dragging of feet on the part
of a minority determined to stall
’ the majority.
Under the new ruling, the
‘council majority will now be
able to appoint competent new
mdmbers to commissions, es
pecially to the Theological
Commission. Even more im
portant, it makes it possible for
the commissions to choose de
puty presidents and deputy sec
retaries who will reflect the
council’s predominant trends
much more adequately than was
heretofore possible.
Some observers feel it would
have been preferable to ar-
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range for the election of com
pletely new commissions. But
this would have entailed an out
right challenge to the authority
now in the hands of high curia
officials and caused frictions
that no one would have consid
ered helpful.
The procedure now to be
adopted will be truly democra
tic and definitely a step for
ward, inasmuch as it will bring
about a proper balance in com
mission deliberations. The re
organization of the commis
sions that will ensue from the
forthcoming council vote also
will emphasize the sentiments
of the overwhelming majority
of council Fathers in line with
their now historic pronounce
ment of Oct. 30.
On that date the council Fa
thers voted overwhelmingly in
an advisory ballot infavor of the
principle of the collegiality of
bishops and the restoration of
the permanent diaconate.
The true significance of that
vote has again been stressed by
the Pope, who said at his Nov.
20 general audience that the
Church is an organization, a
hierarchy established by Christ
Himself in which first place is
occupied by the Apostles, the
bishops, with Peter, the pope,
at their head.
It may now safely be said
than an intense study during
the next few months will en
able the competent commis
sions to provide formulas in
line with this basic concept that
will serve as the groundwork
for the council’s third session
next year.
Bible Amendment
Effort P
rogressing
WASHINGTON (NC)—A move
to force a House vote on a pro
posed constitutional amendment
permitting public school pray
er and Bible reading is "at the
halfway point,” Rep. Frank J.
Becker of New York told the
House (Nov. 20). Becker said
a discharge petition to bring
the constitutional amendment to
a vote had so far been signed by
108 Representatives; 218 signa
tures are required.
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for any one of their choice
independently of the names on
the lists submitted. Voting for
the members of the commis
sion was to take place on Nov.
28.
At the U. S. Bishops' press
panel after the council meet
ing, Father Bernard Haering,
C.SS.R., council expert, said
that reorganization of the com
missions will have two imme
diate effects: First, the elec
tion by the assembly of four
members to each commission
will increase the majority re
presentation in the commis
sions, and secondly, the com
mission will be able to work bet
ter and faster with additional
competent heldp.
The Southern Cross, November 28, 1963—PAGE 3
MEMBERS of the American hierarchy applaud Pope Paul as he joins them in- second session of Vatican Council II. His Excellency the Most Reverend Th
formally after addressing them in English at the Vatican’s Clementine hall. The J. McDonough, Bishop of Savannah is pictured in the back row fourth from^h* 3
Bishops held their annual general meeting in Rome where they are attending the right. ’ e
Prayer For The Suecess Of
The Eeumenieal Council
May the Divine Spirit reign to answer in a most comfort
ing manner this prayer which rises daily to Him from every
comer of the earth.
Renew your wonders in our time, O Divine Spirit, as
though with another Pentecost and grant that Thy Holy
Church, by uniting in a single-hearted and mounting prayer,
together with Mary the Mother of Jesus, and the Shep
herding St. Peter, may intensify the reign of the Divine Sa
vior, the reign of truth and justice, the reign of love and
peace.
Amen.
Bishop’s Council Of Men
Savannah Deanery
Outlines Program
SAVANNAH — Members of
the Savannah Deanery Bishops
Council of Men heard an outline
of coming activities at their
meeting held last Sunday at
Cathedral Day School.
Approximately two - hundred
men, including some from as
far away as Brunswick, Clax-
ton and Statesboro, authoriz
ed that the president appoint
a 1 committee to study the prob
lem of racial segregation in the
area.
Reporting in the absence of
The Spiritual Life chairman,
John Stiles, St. Francis Xav
ier, Brunswick (who arrived
later),' Msgr. John D. Toomey,
Spiritual Moderator, told the
men of plans to establish a
date, in each parish, for In
vestiture for the Holy Name
Society and of the suggestion
of Msgr. Daniel J. Bourke, St.
Mary’s, Augusta, to hold a
Family Holy Hour in January.
Tom McCarthy, St. James,
Savannah, and chairman of the
Vocations Committee, told of
the activity of the Savannah
Serra Club and of the program
of bringing Altar Boys to vis
it St. John Vianney Seminary.
Such a visitation is planned for
the third Sunday in February.
He also told of sponsoring the
Vocations Poster and Essay
Contest. Mr. McCarthy an
nounced that the Serra Club had
assisted in the production of
a film strip on St. John Vian
ney Seminary and suggested that
each parish should secure this
film for local showing.
The chairman of thecommit-
Britain Mourns
Kennedy
LONDON, (NC) — Prayers
for President John F. Kennedy
were said in Westminster ca
thedral here immediately after
news of his assassination was
flashed to the nation, and the
Psalm, De Profundis, has been
recited at all Masses since.
Prime Minister Sir Alec Dou
glas-Home was among thous
ands who attended a special
Requiem in the cathedral (Nov.
23).
President Kennedy’s Catho
licism was stressed in the many
tributes paid to him by Bri
tain. The Prime Minister said
in a telecast that the Presi
dent was a “man with a deep
religious faith dedicated to
healing the divisions between
men.”
The Anglican Primate, Arch
bishop Michael Ramsey of Can
terbury, said:
“He was a man of Chris
tian convictions with a deep
faith in God and it was this
faith which inspired his ser
vice of humanity.” '«
Archbishop Ramsey asked
all Anglican churches to pray
on Sunday (Nov. 24) for the
president and for the causes
for which he cared so much,
peace and racial brotherhood.
British television tributes to
President Kennedy the night of
his death were closed by Fa
ther Agnellus Andrew, O.F.M.,
who recited the Our Father
and De‘ Profundis.
tee on the Confraternity of the
Laity, Dr. Louis Castillian, Na
tivity Parish, Thunderbolt, re
ported on this year’s success
ful drive and urged continued
support of this annual drive.
John M. Brennan, Blessed
; Sacrament parish, Savannah,
chairman of the committee on
Catholic action urged each par
ish group to hold an Open House
in order to spread knowledge of
the Catholi c Faith. He also
told of hopes to televise a
Mass from a local church lat-
Percy Miller, Most Pure
Heart of Mary parish, Sa
vannah, chairman of the Catho
lic Charities Committee re
ported on the many works of
chairty done on the parish le
vel such as sending children
to Summer camp, clothing cam -
paigns and visiting the sick.
He also asked for the cooper
ation of each unit in report
ing such activities to his com
mittee.
Anthony Gannam of Sacred
Heart parish, Savannah, report
ed on the work being done to
combat Obscene Literature in
the area, reporting that 41
different organizations now
have committees working to
combat this evil. He asked for
the help of all stating "par
ents must set the example at
home as it is from us our
children learn.”
In commenting on the Cath
olic Action outlined for the
Council Msgr. Toomey, Spiri
tual Moderator said that through
such action "the Council would
move forward and develop into
the strong organization hoped
for.”
Julian Halligan president of
the Deanery Council reminded
that the success of this pro
gram "goes back to the grass
roots level—the parish. Here
rests the success or failure
of the organization.”
The Eighth Week
Vatican Council In Review
VATICAN CITY (NC)—The
Fathers of the ecumenical coun
cil in a momentous week com
pletely approved a charter of
sweeping liturgical reform and
saw Pope Paul VI intervene
to provide for reorganization
of the counil commissions.
Meantime they witnessed the
Fathers of the English-speak
ing world present a solid front
in favor of the document seek
ing to tighten the ties that bind
all Christians together.
The finalization of the whole
liturgy schema provides for
major reforms designed to lead
the people to full participation
inwardly and outwardly in the
Mass and other services of the
Church. The schema was pass
ed Nov. 22—only hours before
the Council Fathers were plun
ged into grief by the slaying
in Dallas of President Ken
nedy.
The schema was approved
with only 19 nay votes out of
a total of 2,178 cast. One vote
was invalid.
All that remained before the
document becomes the official
guide of the Church were the
ceremonies surrounding the
solemn proclamation of the
schema by the Pope. ———
According to Bishop Thomas
K. Gorman of Dallas - Fort-.
Worth, bishops could then au
thorize the use of English or
other vernacular languages in
the Mass and the sacraments
at once.
The day before the approv
al of the worship document,
the Fathers received word that
Pope Paul had arranged for en
largement of the existing coun
cil commissions from the nor
mal 25 to 30 members. The
council Fathers were to choose
the majority of the new mem
bers in a special election on
Nov. 28. The Pope was then to
appoint one new member apiece
to each commission. The com
missions themselves were to
elect vice presidents to suc
ceed those appointed by the
individual presidents 14 months
ago.
The papal intervention was
interpreted as a move to fore
stall any possible footdragging
by the commissions in the work
of revising council documents in
line with the consensus of the
Fathers.
The week’s council delibera -
tions centered on the proposed
schema on ecumenism.The or
iginal document had been ex
panded to include two new chap
ters, one on the bonds between
Catholics and Jews, and anoth
er upholding the right of free
dom of conscience and worship.
Albert Cardinal Meyer of
Chicago, the first of the day’s
speakers on Nov. 20, urged the
council to keep the two added
chapters despite suggestions
that they should be put in other
schemas. The Fathers in an
earlier vote had approved in
principle the first three chap
ters on ecumenism, but had put
off action on the other two
“There might be some dif
ferences of opinion on their
places in this (ecumenism)
schema or another,” Cardinal
Meyer said, “but it is the
opinion of numerous council
Fathers that the subjects of
these two chapters are inti
mately connected with the whole
News From
Pacelli High
Bv Llovd Heekin
COLOMBUS—The honor roll
was posted on the Pacelli bulle
tin board at the end of the first
quarter.
Those who earned first hon
ors by receiving no more than
two B’s were seniors Mike
Cerrone, Carol Keown and
Larry Magner, junior Jack
Guernsey, sophomore Jackie
Harrison and freshman Susan
Henderson, David Schermann
and Joan Key Zeranski.
The students who made sec
ond honors by receiving no
grade lower than B were sen
iors Lloyd Heekin and Bill Hig
gins, juniors Cheryl Dye, Anne
Federal, Val Lawrence andKa-
theleen Sweeney, sophomores
Kathy Bentley and Geraldine
Sweeney and freshmen, Becky
Bowick, Connie Campbell, Nan
cy Guernsey, Laura LaCombe,
Margaret Laughlin, Robert No
lan, Clarence Sappington and
Kevein Sweeney.
* * *
A group of Pacellians presen
ted a skit about National Educa
tion week. Buddy Haggart,
announcer, introduced Eddie
Doucette, Shiela and Sharon O’
Byrne, Doris Rice, Toni
Thompson, Anne Federal, Brian
Boyle and Madelaine Castro,
who told the origin and signi
ficance of Education Week, the
opportunities which the com
munity offers to educated young
people and the goals for which
we should strive.
question of ecumenism. Al
though the text can and should
be perfected, it is to be hoped
that the entire schema will be
approved as it stands.”
Archbishop Maurice Bau-
doux of St. Boniface, Man., and
Archbishop John C. Heenan of
Westminister, England, both
spoke out strongly in favor of
the schema. The chief means
of promoting understanding a-
mong Christians are “mutual
pardon, friendship and mutual
confidence,” said Archbishop
Baudoux.
Bishop Sergio Mendez of Cu
ernavaca, Mexico, called the
schema “the finest gift the
council can make to the
church.” But he asked greater
stress on “the importance of the
liturgical movement and the
Biblical movement” in promot
ing Christian unity.
Two French-speaking council
Fathers asked that ecumenism
be furthered by a less strict
law against Catholic participa
tion in the religious services
of non-Catholics. And a Span
ish Father, Bishop Jaime Flo
res of Barbastro, asked that
"the widest possible latitude be
allowed for participation in non-
Catholic religious services in
order to avoid the struggles
which are all too common among
those who should be living toge
ther in peace.”
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