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I * “One-Fifth Of Our Citizens Are In Want” Christian Answer To Poverty In U. S. The following is the first of three installments of the text of a statement issued by the So cial Action Department of the National Catholic Welfare Con ference on aid to the impover ished of the United States. Full text will be carried over a three-week period. While the problem of poverty is as old as mankind, citizens of the United States have spe cial reasons to be concerned over its prevalence here. We are considered to be the weal thiest nation in the world, yet one-fifth of our citizens are in want. We are compelled to spend billions for armament, although slums and blight disfigure our cities and countryside alike. As a matter of conscience the American people offer aid to developing and impoverished nations around the world. Such generosity is good, but it should not blind us to needs here at home. From our abundance we are able to give generously, both in distant lands and within our borders. Our response should be from the heart, but it must not be purely emotional in nature. Sound programs will endure to the extent that they are based upon principle rather than feel ing. To aid in forming lasting convictions, the Social Action Department of the National Ca tholic Welfare Conference offers the following considera tions on the Christian view of poverty, our personal response to this challenge, and the func tion of society as it confronts the problem of want in the midst of plenty. * * * I. THE CHURCH AND POVERTY There is paradox in the Christian teaching on poverty. The Holy Gospels teach us to respect poverty, but they also oblige us to help the poor in their misery. Our Lord called the poor blessed. He asked His followers to sell what they had and follow Him, advice that was followed literally by the first Christians. Jesus Christ could say that He had not wheron to lay His head, and He was bur ied in another man’s tomb. St. Paul described the followers of Christ as the poor and the pow erless: * ‘Consider your own call, brethren; that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble. But the foolish things of the world has God chosen to put to shame the wise, and the weak things of the world has God chosen to put to shame the strong, and the base things of the world and the despised has God chosen, and the things that are not, to bring to naught the things that are; lest any flesh should pride itself before him.” (1 Cor. I, 26-29). St. James could say: “Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which God has promised to those who love him.” (James II, 5) The min isters of God were described as “poor, yet enriching many, as having nothing, yet possess ing all things.” (II Cor., VI, 10). This was but a reflection of the life of the Master, ' 'be ing rich, he became poor for your sakes, that by his poverty you might become rich.” (II] Cor. VIII, 9) The Church has been interes ted in the poor primarily because it sees every person as a child of God. While the world honors power, wealth, and ach ievement, the follower of Christ insists upon the moral worth of those who are neglected and even despised. He does not use worldly stan dards in judging personal ex cellence. A Saint Francis could cast aside his clothes as a sym bol of complete freedom from worldly attachment. A Saint Vincent de Paul could devote his life to the destitute and the oppressed. A Saint Camillus could wash the sores of the abandoned sick. All these have been honored because their love of God led them to cast their lot with the least of Christ’s bre thren. The Church has endorsed poverty by demanding it from those who have entered the sol emn religious life. These give up the right to use and dispose of worldly goods. They do this, not because the world that God made is evil, but in order to cut their ties to all that might turn their gaze from God and lead them to concentrate on the pass ing and corruptible. Yet, and herein lies the para dox of the Christian teaching on poverty, the Church also speaks of a form of poverty that hurts the soul, something totally dif ferent from religious de tachment from worldly goods. There Is a destitution that binds men to this earth, since it forc es them to use every waking mo ment to keep body and soul to gether. There is want that breeds bitterness and resent ment, even hatred. Pope Pius XII, in his Christ mas Message of 1952, talked “of the consequences of pov erty, still more of the conse quences of utter destitution. For some families there is a dying daily, a dying hourly; a dying multiplied, especially for par ents, by the number of dear ones they behold suffering and wast ing away . . . sickness becomes more serious, because it is not properly treated; it strikes lit tle ones in particular, because preventive measures are lack ing.” * ‘Then there is the weaken ing and consequent physical de terioration of whole genera tions. Whole masses of the pop ulation are brought up as enem ies of law and order, so many poor girls gone astray, pushed down into the bottom of the abyss, because they believed that that was the only way out of their shameful poverty. * ‘Moreover, not rare is the case where it is wretched mis ery that leads to crime. Those (Continued on Page 2) Vol. 44, No. 34 10c Per Copy — $5 A Year WEEKLY NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 1964 In Savannah Lecture Divorce Laws Blamed For Broken Marriages SAVANNAH — "Nothing has done more harm to the concept of permanency in marriage than the lax manner in which civil law treats the contract of mar riage and its dissolution,” charged Monsignor Andrew J. McDonald, Savannah Chancellor in an address here last week. Monsignor McDonald was the last speaker in a six-week se ries of lectures on "Reform and Reunion Among Christians” sponsored by the Diocese of Savannah. His talk, entitled “The Church and Matrimony” was delivered Thursday, February 27 at Cathedral Day School auditorium. “Marriage is a true con-, tract,” he said, "freely enter ed into by a man and women who are free to do so. It is a true and binding bargain, sealed by mutual consent. "However, unlike other con tracts, in which terms are nego tiated and agreed to by the con tracting parties, the terms of the marriage contract are de termined by God, the author of this sacred institution. “Those terms are Children, Fidelity, and Permanency,” he said. The Savannah Chancellor said that, although various factors can contribute to bad marria ges "my experience convinces me that the principal cause is a lack of knowledge concerning the nature of the marriage con tract. "No one would think of enter ing into an agreement to buy a car or house without first read ing, very carefully, every word of the agreement. No one would think of entering a business con tract without a full understand ing of its nature and terms. Yet, people enter the most im portant contract of their lives, one which completely alters their state in life, blindly, with out knowledge of the responsi bilities it places on them. "The reasons for this lack of •knowledge are many,” he said. Sometimes it is due to poor ex ample on the part of their par ents, or to defective education. Certainly the image of marriage as It is presented in books, magazines, films and television have done little to encourage a proper concept of this holy un ion. But the principal blame for growing irresponsibility toward the marriage contract must be borne by the laxity of civil laws governing its dissolution, he said. Every marriage is a true con tract, Monsignor McDonald said, but "Jesus Christ raised marriage between baptized ^ Christians to the dignity of a Sacrament, conferring upon those who receive it the help of God, Himself, to shoulder suc cessfully every responsibility it imposes. "He ennobles and sanctifies their union so that when they are united in love with one another, both are united with Him.” Happiness in marriage does not preclude suffering and hard ship, he said, but difficulty is permitted by God to help hus bands and wives shed their sel fishness. "They can help to weld husband and wife so that they are ‘one in mind, one in heart and one in affections.” One of God’s greatest gifts to married people is a share in His own great power of creation, he said. "Children are not accidents of nature, but gifts from God, Who creates directly each and (Continued on Page 2) At Douglas Bishop Dedicates New Parish Hall DOUGLAS — Bishop Thomas J. McDonough dedicated the new Parish Hall and Catechetical Center for St. Paul’s parish on the evening of February 25th. The new structure contains four classrooms, an auditor ium and kitchen facilities. His Excellency blessed the new building and offered Ben ediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament at which time he addressed the more than two hundred assembled for the ceremonies. Among the visiting priests were Rt. Rev. Msgr. Andrew J. McDonald, Chancellor of the Diocese, the Rt. Rev. Msgr. Daniel J. Bourke, V.F., pastor of St. Mary’s on-the-Hill, Au gusta, and the Very Rev. Wil liam Ryan, O.M.I., Provincial of the Eastern Province of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Monsignor Bourke, who ser ved as an assistant at St. Paul's twenty-five years ago spoke following a supper held in the new Hall. Monsignor recalled the parish as he remembered it, when it was a part of the Cen tral Georgia Missions, served by priests stationed at Albany. tendance in addition to those mentioned above were: Reverend Gerard Moran O.M.I., former pastor, now at Sacred Heart Church, Prince ton, W. Va.; Reverend Wil liam Daly, O.M.I. and Reverend Raymond Crowe, O.M.I., sta tioned at Saint Paul’s;Reverend Paul A. Powers, O.F.M. and Re verend Lucian T. Furey, O.F.M., St. Augustine’s, Tho rn asville; Reverend William Lynch, O.M.I., St. Anne’s, Fayetteville, N. C.J Reverend William McBennett, O.M.I., Saint Patrick’s, Fayetteville, N.C.; Reverend Edward Ran dall, O.M.I., St. Jude’s parish, Sumter, S. C.; Reverend Her bert J. Wellmeier, St. Mi chael’ s Church, Savannah Beach; Reverend Lawrence Lu- cree, Assistant Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Savannah; Reverend William P. Dowling, Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Columbus; Reverend Edward Kelley, S.M., St. Joseph’s Church, Waycross; Reverend John Murphy, O.M.I. and Rev erend Alfred Watts, O.M.I Queen of Peace Church, Lake land. Also present were the Fran- DOUGLAS DEDICATION - Bishop Thomas J. McDonough is pictured as he addressed the more than 200 gathered for the recent dedication at Douglas. The Very Rev. William Ryan, O.M.I. is to the Bishop’s left. At the right is the Rev. Gerard Moran, O.M.I. Architect for the new building CiSiian Sisters ot the Atonement from Douglas and the Sisters of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis from Waycross and 35,000 Refugees Flee Pakistan was Benjamin P. Ritzert of Sa vannah. Construction was by the Jones Construction Company of Tifton. The buffet supper was serv ed by the ladies of the parish and missions. Members of the clergy in at A RAIN-SOAKED overflow audience heard the Rt. Rev. Msgr. Andrew J. McDonald deliver the last of a series of six weekly lectures on "Reform and Reunion among Christians” at the Cathedral Day School Auditorium Thursday, Feb. 27. Monsignor’s talk was entitled "The Church and Matrimony.” Series was sponsored by the Svannah diocese under the direction of Bishop Thomas J. McDonough. Cardinal Explains Boycott Opposition, Offers Program BOSTON, (NC) — Richard Cardinal Cushing, in a state ment addressed to comedian Dick Gregory, has explained his opposition to school boycotts sponsored by civil rights groups. The Archbishop of Boston said he thought neighborhood and living conditions are a far more pressing challenge to soc ial justice than racially im balanced schools, although he Pray For Our Deceased Priests REV. ROBERT F. KENNEDY March 12, 1930 Oh Cod, fVho didst give to thy servants by their sacredotn1 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. said these must receive "prompt attention.” He proposed (Feb. 28) a spe cial program of late afternoon or early evening study halls where school children in under privileged areas could do their homework, enjoy wholesome recreational facilities and, if need be, get "a good hot sup per.” The Cardinal maintained that the home "is the first and foremost classroom,” but he said that bad home conditions in some areas keep children from doing their home study. "Crowded, inferior living quarters, unemployed fathers, shattered families, distressed neighborhoods — these do not conduce to a full and harmonious education, no matter what the formal advantage of schooling,” the Cardinal wrote. The Cardinal addressed his statement to Dick Gregory, a Negro comedian who has thrown himself into the civil rights pro test movement, especially in the South. Cardinal Cushing, who pub licly opposed the school boy cott here (Feb. 26) which kept 9,000 children out of school in protest against de facto segre gation, noted that Gregory ex pressed disappointment with his position. Gregory said of the Cardinal at a press conference: "If I had to vote for one man to give the whole world justice, I .would have voted for him." In a "Dear Dick” reply, the Cardinal praised the comedian for "his willingness to sacri fice and suffer for his belief in the dignity of human beings. He explained that he opposed the boycott because he believes such demonstrations call atten tion to themselves and not the problem which prompted them; that they throw "emotional ob- (Continued on Page 2) Lakeland. U.S. Bishops WASHINGTON (NC)— Pope paul VI has named two new U. S. Bishops according to an announcement by the Apostolic Delegate, here. Msgr. Thomas A. Donnel- lan, Rector of St. Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie, Yon kers, has been named Bi shop of Ogdensburg. Msgr. Vincent M. Leo nard, Vicar General and Chancellor of the Diocese of Pittsburgh has been named auxiliary to Bishop Wright of Pittsburgh. TURA, India (NC)—Some 35,000 Christian refugees from Pakistan have arrived in India claiming they had to flee their country because of religious in tolerance and economic pres sure by its Moslem majority. About 20,000 of the refugees are Catholics. The rest are mainly Baptists. Some esti mates put the total number of refugees as high as 65,000. The Christian exodus is tak ing place along the heavily- populated border area between the Myemsingh District of East Pakistan and the Garo Hills of. northeastern India’s Assam state. Most refugees are land- owners who reported that they were driven from their homes by armed Moslems who took their cattle and their crops. Their flight follows religious riots in East Pakistan between Moslems and Hindus in Jan- John J, Gleason To Mark 95th Birthday uary during which a U. S. priest — Father Richard Novak, C.S.C., of Johnstown, Pa. — was killed. The refugees belong mainly to the Garo tribe, which inhabits both sides of the 100-mile-long frontier region. (In Pakistan, Communica tions Minister Abdus Sabur Khan denied (Feb. 25) that there had been a mass departure of Christians from his nation. In an interview in Karachi, West Pakistan, he said reports on the number of refugees were ex aggerated and false. He accused India of using unfair methods to’ stimulate the emigration of mi nority groups from East Pakis tan. (But reports from Catholic missioners in the East Pakistan border area stated that depar tures have been heavy from' their seven major mission sta tions there. All Catholics, they said, have left one mission. An other mission has lost-four- fifths of its people. Still another has lost one-half. In one mis sion, there have been no depar tures, but missionaries report ed that the people there are getting ready to flee. (Meanwhile, Pakistan’s For eign Minister Z. A. Bhutto said in Dacca, capital of East Pakis tan, that about 10,000Christians had fled to the Garo Hills. He declared that Pakistan wants them to return. He denied what he called a "malicious story" from India that 50,000 Chris tian tribesmen had crossed the frontier because of Moslem persecution). In the Indian capital of New Delhi, Primie Minister Jawa- harlal Nehru charged (Feb. 26) that two children had been killed and 11 persons injured by Pak istani troops “in a barbarous act of indiscriminate firing" on refugees. Earlier (Feb. 13) the Indian Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a note that the shootings were "cold-blooded murder” and urged Pakistan "to put an immediate halt to these acts." It called on Pakistan to punish those responsible for the shoot ings. Some refugees reported that as many as 300 people were killed in the incidents. Assam state authorities, who have set up 10 camps for the (Continued on Page 2) SAVANNAH — Mr. John J. Gleason, K.S.G. will observe his 95th birthday on Sunday, March 8 th. His Excellency the Most Rev erend Thomas J. McDonough, Bishop of Savannah, will offer a special Mass to mark the occasion at Mr. Gleason’s home. Present for the observance will be Mr. Gleason’s daugh ter, Sister Lillian, of the Con gregation of the Holy Cross. Sister Lillian is a member of the faculty of Saint Mary’s Col lege, Notre Dame, Indiana. For many years Mr. Gleason served as vice-president of St. Mary’s Home, and had served as president until in order to comply with Cannon Law, the Bishop of Savannah assumed the presidency. A life-long resident of Savan nah, Mr. Gleason was for more than half a century prominently identified with the cotton busi ness here. He retired in 1945. For more than a quarter of a century the major portion of Mr. Gleason’s time away from busi ness, and much of histimedur- ing business hours, was devoted to working in the interest of the Sisters of Mercy and the girls they care for at St. Mary’s Home. In 1938, his work for St. Ma ry’s Home was recognized by His Holiness Pope Pius XI, who conferred on him the honor of Knighthood in the Order of St. Gregory the Great. Open House Open House will beheld by parishes throughout the diocese from 3 to 5 p.m. either on Sunday, March 8th, or on Sunday, April 26th. Purpose of the open house is to enable visitors to ob tain a fuller understanding of the Church. Members of the various parishes will be stationed at points throughout in the church and will give an explanation of var ious rituals and appointments of the church. Sacred vessels, vestments, and altar appointments will be displayed and their use and meaning explained. The confes sional and baptismal font, will be shown and an explanation given of the Mass and other Catholic devotions including the stations of the cross and the rosary. MR. JOHN J. GLEASON, who will celebrate his 95th birthday Sunday, is pictured on his 93rd birthday with his daughter Sister Lillian. -- (Photo courtesy Savannah News- Press)