Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 4—The Southern Cross, September 1, 1966
Most Rev. Thomas J. McDonough, D.D.J.C.D., President
Rev. Francis J. Donohue, Editor John E. Markwaiter, Managing Editor
Phone 234-4574
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Subscription price 85.00 per year.
One-Sided Protests
A recent witness before a congressional
committee inquiring into the extent of communist
influence in the anti-Vietnam war protest move
ment - a retired Marine general - was assailed
by pickets with cries of “Murderer.”
From other quarters have come charges that
the United States is fighting a * ‘dirty and im
moral war” in southeast Asia.
However, we have yet to see or hear of pick
ets from any anti-Vietnam war organization
decrying the widespread campaign of terror
being carried out by the Viet Cong and their
North Vietnamese mentors against the civilian
populace of South Vietnam in an attempt to
disrupt the up-coming Constituent Assembly
elections there.
A case in point is the recent razing, by
Viet Cong terroriests, of four villages which
could not by any stretch of the imagination, be
considered military objectives, leaving more
than 5,500 persons homeless and dispossessed
of every thing they owned.
Ten thousand pounds of clothing have been
air-lifted to the victims by CRS-NCWC, in
ternational relief orangization of American
Catholics.
grams of terror against helpless civilians.
Protesters have complained bitterly about
the oppressive nature of the South Vietna
mese government which, they charge, denies
political freedom to its people. But, in the
face of Viet Cong threats against the lives
of those who dare to exercise freedom of
choice by voting in the coming elections, these
same protesters are engulfed in a great silence.
We are not here arguing either for or against
the morality of war in this day and age. Neither
are we extending any brief on behalf of the
present regime in Saigon. And we willingly
stipulate that one need not, necessarily, be a
communist or red sympathizer in order to
question this nation’s involvement in the Viet
namese struggle.
But, if the motives of non-communist pro
testers are so simon-purely objective and
spring solely from the dictates of conscience,
they need to demonstrate to the American peo
ple, who overwhelmingly reject their position,
exactly how one-sided condemnations and
objectivity can be equated, and how a just con
science can be appalled by violence inflicted
by one side in an armed conflict while re
maining blithely tranquil in the face of vio
lence and terror by the other side.
But we have yet to hear so much as a word
of concern from those who so roundly and
readily denounce the United States every
time there are civilian casualties in what
are clearly military operations and not pro-
Until they can do that they ought not to be
surprised that their amazing ambivalence con
tinues to be the object of such popular con
tempt.
(F.J.D.)
Let Medicare Work
According to an editorial in the catholic
Star-Herald of Camden, New Jersey, medical
fees for those 65 or over in the New York area
have risen as high as 300 percent since the
advent of Medicare. It seems the reason for
the sharp increase is the fact that doctors
were carrying many elderly people of sub
standard means for as little as $3 to $5 per
visit for years. Since Medicare some doctors
have trebled their fees to these people, to
bring them in line with the customary charges.
The paper notes, however, that the govern
ment pays 80 percent of such fees for the
elderly, whereas the patient pays the remain
ing 20 percent, and observes that if doctors take
not only the 80 percent from the government but
also the 20 percent from the elderly poor, these
.people will find themselves almost as hard-
pressed as they were before Medicare, and
the monetary benefits will accure mostly to
the doctors.
We hope doctors will reflect on this obser
vation before they begin to hike their charges
to Medicare patients, so as to allow the law
to accomplish its purpose of relieving the
country’s elderly poor of what can so easily
and so often be a crushing burden.
(F.J.D.)
THE PRIEST’S ROLE
The People’s Church
Rev. William V. Coleman
The Fathers of Vatican II took a long and
thoughtful look at the role of the priest in today’s
Church. The fruits of their meditation mark one
of the most inspiring and down to earth of the
Council documents, the Decree on the Office and
Life of Priests.
Christ himself had a three fold function in
this world. He was a priest, a prophet and a king.
It has always been
the teaching of the
Church that priests
inherited a share in
each of these of
fices. Emphasis,
however, at least in
recent years, has
been on the role of
sacrificing priest.
While the Council in no way minimizes this
work of the priest, it does not treat it first
or at greatest length. It is the office of prophet,
the spokesman for God, which seems to capture
its imagination. Here the Council seems to see
the very heart of priestly work, in proclaiming
the teaching of Christ in season and out to a
waiting world.
It cautions priests to adapt the teachings of
the universal Church to the circumstances of the
lives of their people. It commands them to seek
solutions for social problems and to proclaim
these solutions when they are found. Teaching
God’s People has always been held in high esteem
from ancient Hebrew days. Seldom in the past
century has the Church taken so strong a stand
on the rights and duties of its priests to speak
to the world in words it can understand on pro
blems which are real today not yesterday.
Since people are not always ready for such
speaking out and may feel that the clergy do not
belong in some areas, the Council Fathers ex
hort the priest to persevere in difficult times but
above all not to abandon his task of making
Christ real to his generation.
This call to leadership finds an echo in the
Liturgy where the priest functions as the center
of God’s People worshipping ti e Father. Here
endowed with the power of Christ he makes pre
sent the Body and Blood of Christ so that all,
priest and people, may together offer the Son
to the Father.
The priest is exhorted to renew the liturgy
in terms that his people can comprehend, to
study the new theology of the sacraments and
interpret this to the man in the pews with clarity,
simplicity and urgency.
Christ’s office of ruler in the Church is de
scribed in His own terms as that of Shepherd.
Here the priest is granted the gigantic task of
uniting the People of God into a community cap
able of worshipping the Father. They are to do
this through education of all men, through
exhortations in the Spirit of Christ and by serv
ing everyone, especially the weak and the poor.
“The office of pastor is not confined to the
care of the Faithful as individuals but also in a
true sense is extended to the formation of a
genuine Christian community. . .embracing not
only tlie local church but the universal Church
as well.”
This sense of unity is called for especially
in relationships among priests of a diocese
and with their bishop. Loyalty is the key to all
working together. Priests are cautioned never
to enter into a spirit of competition but to stand
steadfast in their defense and help of one another.
This is true especially in the lives of priests
who work among the poor and indigent. The Coun
cil calls for a more equitable distribution of
parochial wealth so that all Catholics may
have a share in the good things God has given
to their more wealthy brothers.
“Every priest in his own way represents the
person of Christ Himself. He is also enriched
with special grace thus serving the people com
mitted to him and the entire People of God so he
can more properly imitate the perfection of
Him whose part He takes.” With these words the
decree exhorts priests to holiness of life through
service to God’s people.
With the coming of the decree on the
Priesthood, the days of the clergy neatly con
fined to their rectories with lives centered ex-
clusivesly in the parish and the parish school are
at an end. An exciting and demanding future calls
to today’s priest. The past can never again be
relived.
(Continued Next Issue)
Se%ie& On
^Vatican 11
'Do-CtCrttCttfo
PROBLEMS OF THE GHETTO
It Seems To Me
Joseph Breig
I have not the slightest doubt
that the American people, Ne
gro and white, will solve the
problems of the ghetto and of
full equality regardless of
race and color.
The question is how soon?
How soon
S will enough A-
mericans -and
this includes
the wealthy and
m i d d 1 e-class
awake fuUy to
the gravity of
the situation?
How soon will the reali-
zaton become widespread that
the salvation of the cities—
of the inner cores of the great
population - commercial -in
dustrial - cultural complexes
—is one of the nation’s top
priority tasks?
This ranks in importance
with the problem of the warm
Vietnam.
It outranks, in my opinion,
the race to the moon.
The colossal strength of the
U. S. all through the terrible
trials of our times — of
World War I and II, the Cold
War, Korea and the rest —
has been rooted in the coun
try’s unity.
It is an unbreakable unity
because it is voluntary. It is
a free unity, a democratic
unity based on confidence that
America has opportunity and
a square deal for everybody.
But now there are Ameri
cans who feel penned in, denied
opportunity — condemned to
idleness, destitution, inhuman
living conditions.
This is the basic cause of
the desperation underlying the
riots in the cities.
Whoever contributes in any
way to that desperation—even
by the slightest word or deed-
in my opinion is showing him
self at this moment in history
to be a thoughtless American.
Whoever contributes to dis
sipating the desperation is
proving himself to be a
thoughtful and truly patriotic
American.
What the Negroes in the pov
erty and loneliness of the
ghettoes need is hope.
Every kindness to them,
every effort to improve their
lot, every attempt to open
doors into the future for them,
gives them reason for hope.
Every contemptuous word
or glance, every injustice and
indignity, every opposition to
measures taken to make things
better for them, gives them
additional reasons for hope
lessness.
To me, it is unspeakably
shocking anddepressingto see
some people trying to wash
their hands of responsibility
in this matter by saying that
after all, THEY were born
into poverty, and worked
themselves up in the world
without help.
That is pride speaking. The
truth is that they were helped
in many eays by many agen
cies. And the health and
strength by which they im
proved their lotwasaprefect-
ly free gift from God.
Our past experiences of
poverty ought to make us
more, not less, understand
ing concerning the needs of
others. It ought to make us
eager to help. Ingratitude is
an ignoble and ugly thing.
“Wouldn’t you think the Sisters would leant to modernize?” (NC Photos)
CABBAGES AND KINGS
Rev. William V. Coleman
On Policy
September seems the best time to restate
the policy which motivates Cabbages and Kings.
Many of our readers still labor under delusions
as to my intent and seriousness and the im
plications of what I say.
First, let me be quite clear on one point.
I say what I think in this column. It repre
sent my thought, not necessarily that of the
Bishop of the Diocese or the
editorial staff of the Southern
Cross. I always hope that they
and all my readers will be so
enlightened that they will see
the crystal clarity of my argu
ment but am content with the
opportunity to speak my mind
in these pages.
Second, contrary to the belief of many I do
not write on one side of an issue to stimulate
controversy. I write what I think is true and do
my best to present this truth in as provocative
a manner as I am able so that you, dear reader,
will have as difficult a time as possible passing
over it.
Third, I am not a Communist. I really do not
Wve a card nor do I subscribe to anything that
is not Catholic doctrine in its deepest and widest
sense. I do read and reread the great encycli
cals of Pope John XXIII, Pius XII and Paul VI
and often report them directly in this column.
This, of course, for some is Communism. If
it is, let them make the most of it.
Fourth, the N.A.A.C.P., Southern Leader
ship Conference, S.N.C.C. nor any other or
ganization, from the Klu Klux Klan and the
Birch Society to the Black Power Boys, has
a hand in its composition or publication.
Fifth, this column supports no political can
didate or party. It has and will in the future
point out the foibles of those who speak foolish
ly in public when this in the public interest.
Lastly, I do not enter into controversy with
those who respond to my articles. Because I
have other work besides that done in the field
of journalism, I respectfully decline to enter
into sustained discussion. This I would enjoy, if
time permitted, but time does not.
This is a rather dull statement of fact but
perhaps a necessary one from time to time.
If you feel that what I have said in this column
does not represent the truth please do write
a letter to the editor and explain your side
of the question. I always welcome the other
side of the coin. Searching together we may be
able to .help the readers of the Southern Cross
determine the truth in contemporary issues.
QUESTIONS
Our F aith
Msgr. Conway
Q. Person past 60 years of age, receives
Communion almost daily, goes to Confession
each five or six weeks. Have read at various
times; “Once a sin has been confessed and
forgiven in confession, FORGET ABOUT IT!”
Yet when in the confessional (there is really no
sin to confess, receiving Communion each day)
merely expecting to receive the benefits of a
sacrament the priest will insist that you AGAIN
confess a sin of your PAST LIFE in order that
he may give you absolution.
Why must we be absolved of
the same sin TWICE? Why isn’t
it enough to say, “for all my
past sins I am sorry?”
A. There can be no sacrament
of penance in ordinary circum
stances without a confession of
sins. Moral theologians hold
it doubtful that the vague, general statement,
“For all my past sins I am sorry,” is sufficiently
explicit to assure you of receiving the sacra
ment validly. In administering the sacraments
we cannot act on probabilities. I might personally
consider this general confession sufficient. But
we must be on the safe side when we are dealing
with the sacraments.
I would suggest that you accuse yourself of
past sins against charity—or veracity, chastity,
justice or temperance. Avoid details. I have
another suggestion which may be better: try a
real, thorough, mature examination of con
science, with special emphasis on love for your
neighbor — all your neighbors — and see if
you don’t come up with some real live sins
committed since your last confession.
A. I wonder if you can tell me whether a book
called,“Miss Lonlyhearts” by Nathaniel West
is on the Index of Forbidden Books?
A. I have never heard of this book, but I can
assure you that it is not on the Index. That In
dex, by the way, is no longer in force; it has been
retired to Limbo — the Limbo of the Fathers.
Q. Recently I heard that if we are to truly
love our neighbor as ourselves we must be as in
terested in HIS salavation as we are in our own.
Psychologically speaking this would seem to be
impossible, but should it be striven for as an
ideal motivation? It wouldn’t leave much time
for the important things of life, like speculations
on the anti-Christ, apparitions, whether God is
black or white, whether Latin is spoken in heaven,
etc.
A. Don’t you wish everybody did it? We would
have a beautiful peaceful world to live in.
