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DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH NEWSPAPER
Vol. 49 No. 20
SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5,1968
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ANGLICAN ARCHBISHOP Arthur Michael Ramsey of Canterbury is shown above exchanging
gifts with Pope Paul VT at their first meeting. Joint Anglican-Roman Catholic Preparatory
Commission has urged Pope Paul and Archbishop Ramsey to begin the ‘second stage’ of talks
looking toward eventual unity. (RNS Photo)
avoids condemnations
Vatican Orders Changes
For ‘Dutch Catechism’
VATICAN CITY (NC) -
The Holy See has published a
declaration on the
controversial Dutch
catechism, insisting that
despite some of the
catechism’s laudable aspects,
there are certain theological
points which must be
clarified.
At the same time the Holy
See was emphatic that the
declaration was not
condemning the catechism or
terming it heretical.
The declaration was drawn
up by a commission of six
cardinals set up by Pope Paul
VI for the purpose of
studying various aspects of
the catechism. At the time of
its release, the document was
published in Acta Apostolicae
Sedis, the Holy See’s only
official publication.
The results of the study
were made known by the
Vatican press secretary, Msgr.
Fausto Vallainc, at a news
conference at which he made
special note of the
document’s language with
regard to proposed changes
made by the Holy See’s
commission.
“Naturally the declaration
says nothing regarding the
opinions that are still
debatable, leaving these at the
full liberty of theologians,”
Msgr. Vallainc said.
Msgr. Vallainc also noted
that the tone of declaration is
very positive in its approach
to making changes.
“It recognizes the
uncommon qualities of the
new catechism; it praises its
pastoral, bibilical and
liturgical character; it
approves the effort made to
present the Christian message
in a manner suited to the
modern mentality. It should
be noted that the declaration
does not make any
condemnation, but underlines
those formulations which are
incomplete or inexact
without, however, ever using
the world ‘heresy.’ ”
The press secretary said
there are certain key terms in
the declaration which the
commission used to make
clear its basic intention. He
noted that the declaration
called on the Dutch catechism
to “declare certain ommitted
truths,” to “proclaim
openly.” to “expound
without ambiguity,” to “say
clearly,” to “put in better
light,” to “recognize clearly,”
to speak “in a more suitable
way,” and to avoid “every
obscurity.”
Catechism
Supplement
Planned
AMSTERDAM, The
Netherlands (NC) — The
Dutch bishops will issue a
special supplement to the
Dutch “New Catechism” (De
Nieuwe Katechismus)
containing corrections made
by a mixed study group of
theologians representing the
Dutch bishops and the
Vatican.
The corrections are based
on the report of the special
commission of cardinals
named by Pope Paul VI to
study the catechism. The
announcement of the
supplement was made the
same day (Nov. 30) that the
Vatican report was issued.
The eight-page document
was signed by the members of
the special commission. They
are Joseph Cardinal Frings of
Cologne, Germany; Joseph
Cardinal Lefebvre of Bourge,
France; Lorenz Cardinal
Jaeger of Paderborn,
Germany; Ermenegildo
Cardinal Florit of Florence,
Italy; Michael Cardinal
Browne of the Roman curia,
and Charles Cardinal Journet
of Switzerland.
The document is divided in
two parts-one on the history
of forming the various
commissions which studied
the Dutch catechism and the
eventual criticism by the six
cardinals, and a seoncd
doctrinal one which lists ten
points that he cardinals feel
must be changed in the Dutch
catechism.
The document pointed out
that “contrary to the wish of
the Dutch hierarchy and
without prescribed
correction, and English
translation of the new Dutch
catechism was published; and
likewise more recently a
German translation has
appeared and finally a French
translation. Besides, reserved
documents, of their very
nature secret, pertaining to
this affair have recently been
presented to the public.
Among them is even a letter
to the Holy Father himself.”
“This was done in a Dutch
newspaper and also in a book
published in Italy,” the
document said.
The document maintained
that these publications have
served “to frustrate the plan
of the Holy See to resolve in
mutual understanding with
the Dutch hierarchy a matter
of no small moment for the
good of the people of God.”
Because of these
publications and because the
catechism, in its unamended
edition, appeared in four
languages, the document
continued, “it seems
necessary ... to give this
present declaration a
compendium of the
j udgments of the
commissions of cardinals.”
The document then
preceded to list ten major
points in the Dutch catechism
which sould be subject to
change. They are:
1. God the creator (not
only of the world but also of
angels and of souls). The
catechism should teach that
God has created angels and
creates immediately
individual human souls.
2. Original sin or the fall
of all men in Adam. The
(Continued on Page 5)
t
ANGLICANS, ROMANS
Start Urged On
‘Second Stage’
Of Unity Talks
LONDON (RNS) — Pope Paul and the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury have
been urged to begin the second stage of Roman Catholic-Anglican talks “with an
official and explicit affirmation” of their unity in faith.
The recommendation was one of several made earlier this year by the
Anglican-Roman Catholic Joint Preparatory Commission, following its third and
final “official meeting” at Malta.
MARIAN FEAST DAY - The Feast of the Immaculate
Conception is celebrated by the Church on December 8. The
feast originated in the East about the 8th Century. In the 11th
Century, it began to be celebrated by the Western Church in
England and was finally put on the calendar of the universal
Church in the 14th Century. This painting is by the Spanish
artist, Murillo, and comes from a collection in the Del Prado
Museum, Madrid. (RNS Photo)
URGES PHASE-OUT
Jesuit Assails
*•
School Expense
The document, together
with a letter from the late
Augustin Cardinal Bea to the
Archbishop of Canterbury,
were published here by the
London Tablet, a Catholic
newspaper.
The commission’s report
was advisory - but Cardinal
Bea, who served as president
of the Vatican Secretariat for
Promoting Christian Unity,
told the Anglican Archbishop
that the Pope had approved
several of the recommenda
tions “to assure the
continuation of the work
done.” He also called for
further study on several
points raised by the
commission.
The report urged a wide
area of collaboration
including the sharing of
church buildings or worship
and administration; joint
seminary facilities; and
“where possible (the)
temporary exchange of
students.” The commission
expressed “hope that all
future priests of each
Communion should have
attended some course taught
by a professor of the other
Communion.”
In addition, it
recommended that the
liturgical calendars be
received only in consultation
with each other “and not (to)
take any unilateral action”
which would destroy the pre
sent unity of such obser
vances. It recommended the
development of a common
experimental lectionary,
readings for feast days, and
common responses and
hymns by the laity.
The commission urged that
this liturgical collaboration
“be taken up without delay.”
It also suggested joint
retreats, the exploration of
new forms of worship, and
sharing in non-Eucharistic
prayer, including “the
exchange of preachers for the
homily during the Eucharist.”
This exchange, it noted, is
made possible by “our
closeness in the field of
sacramental belief.”
“The increasing number of
mixed marriages,” the report
said, “points to the need for a
thorough investigation of the
doctrine of marriage in its
sacramental dimension, its
ethical demands, its canonical
status, and its pastoral
implications.”
“It is hoped,” the
commission said, “that the
work of the joint commission
on marriage will be promptly
initiated and vigorously
pursued, and that its
recommendations will help to
alleviate some of the
difficulties caused by mixed
marriages, to indicate
acceptable changes in church
regulations, and to provide
safeguards against the dangers
which threaten to undermine
family life in our time.”
It placed special emphasis
on an examination of the
validity of Anglican Orders,
not by a study of documents
of the past, but “in the light
of modern theology.”
The commission noted that
the demand for some measure
of inter-communion “is being
raised on every side” and
added that “in the minds of
many Christians no issue is
today more urgent.”
However, it said, “we cannot
sanction changes touching the
very heart of church life
without being certain that
such changes would be truly
Christian.”
The present preparatory
commission, it said, should be
replaced by a permanent
commission which would be
responsible - in collaboration
with the Vatican Secretariat
for Promoting Christian
Unity and the Anglican
Council for Foreign Relations
in association with the
Anglican Executive Officer -
for the relations of the two
Churches.
It also urged the
establishment of two joint
sub-commissions: the first to
“examine the question of
inter-communion and the
related matters of church and
ministry,” the second to
investigate “the questions of
authority, its nature, exercise
and implications.”
Members • of the joint
preparatory commission were
five Roman Catholic bishops,
five Anglican bishops, seven
Catholic theologians and
eight Anglican theologians.
Bishop Charles Helmsing of
Kansas City-St. Joseph and
Bishop J.H.R. Moorman of
Ripon were, respectively, the
Catholic and Anglican joint
chairmen of the commission.
Other Catholics were
Bishop Jan Willebrands of the
Vatican Secretariat, Bishop
William Gomes of Poona,
Bishop Langton Fox of
Menevia, Bishop Christopher
Butler of Westminster; Father
Louis Bouyer, Father George
Tavard, Father Michael
Richards, Father John
Keating, C.S.P., Father
Adrian Hastings, and Father
Camilus Hay.
Anglican members of the
commission were Bishop
W.G.H. Simon of Llandaff,
Bishop C.H.W. de Soysa of
Colombo, Bishop E.G.
Knapp-Fischer of Pretoria,
Bishop H.R. McAdoo of
Ossory. Canon James
Atkinson, Canon Eric Kemp,
Canon John Findlow, Canon
John R. Satterthwaite, Dr.
Howard E. Root, Dr. Massey
H. Shepherd, Jr., Prof.
Eugene R. Fairweather and
Prof. Albert T. Mollegen.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
(RNS) — A Jesuit sociologist
from the University of San
Francisco says that Catholic
elementary and secondary
schools are costing the
Church in the U.S. more than
$7.5 million a day to operate.
This was the estimate of
Father Eugene Schallert, S.J.
who added, “Those figures
are about seven years old;
now it is much more, I’m
sure.”
The figure, he said, does
not include the cost of
seminaries, colleges or
universities, only that for
high schools and grammer
schools.
The priest-sociologist, who
made a comparative study of
Catholic graduates of both
public and parochial schools
in California found that there
is no significant difference in
religious attitudes and
practices between the two
groups.
He reported that Catholics
who attended public schools
went to Communion as
frequently as those who went
to Catholic schols. The same,
he said, was true in the
observance of Church laws.
Both groups marry
“outside the Church” with
the same frequency, he
added.
Father Schallert cited the
cost figure and his study in an
interview with James F.
Colaianni, executive secretary
of the Liturgical Conference.
The interview was published
in Mr. Colaianni’s book, “The
Catholic Left,” portions of
which were reprinted in
“Parish Council,” a monthly
bulletin of the Liturgical
Conference.
The priest said he is happy
that the school system is now
being “phased out” and
noted that the faith “stayed
alive for 95 per cent of its
history without this kind of a
school system.”
“We would be a better
Church,” he said, “if we did
what the rest of the Church
has always done - just send
our children to a regular
school. This parochial school
emphasis is an American
experiment. In other words,
in a 2,000-year history we are
looking at a 50-year-old
phenomenon.”
Catholic higher education
is also in a very serious
predicament, he said. “I don’t
think our small women’s
colleges will last another 15
years,” he added. “They are
that close to collapse.”
Larger Catholic colleges or
universities will also close for
financial reasons in the next
25 to 50 years, “unless they
are supported by the state or
something like that,” he said.
The same holds true for
the University of San
Francisco, which is
maintained by the Jesuits,
Father Schallert said. “As the
drama of education continues
and develops - a very costly
development -- we are just
going to be left in the
boondocks.”
“We’re expending all our
energy in just trying to keep
the thing alive for the next
few years,” he said, “instead
of facing the fact that it’s
going to die and starting to
think about what we are
going to do next.”
NATION
HEADLINE /
HOPSCOTCH \
Abortion Fight
ST. PAUL, Minn. (RNS) -- A gynecologist and obstetrician
who has been elected president of Minnesota Citizens
Concerned for Life, Inc., says his committee will mobilize
Minnesotans to oppose efforts to liberalize state abortion laws
during the 1969 legislature. Dr. Fred E. Mecklenburg of the St.
Louis Park Medical Center said the committee plans to enlist
3,000 to 5,000 people to give its, views to Minnesota’s
legislators.
INGA’ Condemned
NEW YORK (NC) - The National Catholic Office for Motion
Pictures has evaluated the Swedish film “Inga” in its Class C
(condemned) category. “Inga” is a production of Cinemation
Industries, NCOMP noted. The formal NCOMP objection against
the movie stated: “Clearly a product for sheer exploitation, this
inept film about the initiation of a young girl into a life of
promiscuity is completely unacceptable because of its
sensational treatment.”
FAR EAST
Japan Catholics
Yugoslav Xmas
TOKYO (RNS) — Christians now number 959,602 among
Japan’s population of 100 million or nearly one per cent of the
total, acccoring to figures made public here. The present
percentage, 0.96, compares with a percentage of 0.58 in 1955
and 0.81 in 1963. Nearly all Japanese are Shintoists, Buddhists
or both.
BELGRADE (RNS) — The Roman Catholic bishops of
Yugoslavia have appealed to the government to recognize
Christmas as an official holiday. Their petition was supported
by Serbian Orthodox Patriarch Germanos although the
Orthodox observe the Christmas feast on a different day from
Catholics - Jan. 6, the Catholic Feast of the Epiphany. Most
offices and factories in Yugoslovia are closed on Christmas Day,
but the day is not a legal holiday. It is believed here that the
government may legalize the holiday as a gesture of good will
and to promote the improvement of its relations with the
Catholic Church.
INSIDE STORY
U.S. Policy Split? » Pg* 2
Religion Census Pg. 3
Readers 1 Reply Pg. 4
Movie Ratings Compared Pg* 6
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