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PAGE 2 — The Southern Cross, January 9,1969
ISO A RMS EM BIAFRA
CRS Head Says Nigeria
Charges Are ‘Groundless’
NEW YORK (NC) - The
head of one of the major
beneficiaries of the U.S.
government’s donation of
cargo planes to aid Biafran
relief efforts has dismissed as
“completely groundless”
Nigerian charges that the
planes may be used to ship
arms to Biafra.
Bishop Edward E.
Swanstrom, head of U.S.
Catholic Relief Services-one
of the religious relief agencies
which will share with the
International Red Cross eight
MSGR. JOHN TRACY ELLIS
was inaugurated (Dec. 28) as
the 50th president of the
American Catholic Historical
Association at the annual
meeting in New York. Msgr.
Ellis also has just become
president of the American
Society of Church History, the
first Catholic president of that
society. (NC Photos)
former U.S. military
transports for the Biafra
airlift-said the agencies “have
only one purpose: to bring
food and medicine to the
hundreds of thousands of
innocent humans facing
starvation.”
The bishop’s statement
was made the day after
Nigeria’s head of state, Maj.
Gen. Yakubu Gowon,
summoned U.S. Ambassador
Elbert Mathews and warned
him that the use* of U.S.
planes in the relief airlift
could have “serious
consquences.”
A Nigerian statement on
the meeting said the use of
U.S. transports-which will be
turned over to the relief
agencies and flown by civilian
crews-carried no guarantee
that they will not be used to
transport arms to Biafra.
The government-owned
Lagos Morning Post called the
U.S. relief aid “a hostile act.”
The Lagos government has
repeatedly charged that the
shipment of food and
medicine to Biafra-in which
it is estimated some 12,000
persons starve daily-is
prolonging the 18-month-old
war and contributing to,
rather than halting,
starvation.
The Nigerian statement
said the use of surplus U.S.
aircraft in the relief effort
would:
-“Directly and indirectly
increase the arms-carrying
capacity of the rebels.
Organizations like Caritas
have admitted they gave
space to the rebels in their
planes to carry whatever they
like. They would be able to
donate their present planes
entirely to the rebels for
traffic in arms.” (Caritas
I n t e r n ationalis, the
Vatican-based relief agency
which cooperates in the
airlift, immediately denied
the latter charge.)
--“Strengthen the rebel
leaders in their rejection of
land and water routes which
all international agencies
agree to be the most effective
means” to feed Biafra’s
civilians.
-“Encourage the rebels to
continue to resist and prolong
the war, thinking that the
U.S. government was now
prepared to intervene in their
favor . .. . ”
Bishop Swanstrom noted
that CRS, in cooperation
with Caritas, operates relief
programs in Nigeria as well as
in Biafra. He added:
“It is vitally important for
all to know that no relief
planes have ever carried arms,
ammunition or personnel
which would in any way
further the war for either
side.
“We have continually
expressed our readiness to
accept inspection procedures
which would be acceptable to
the Nigerian government as
well as the Biafra leaders.” He
noted that Nigerians have
inspected International Red
Cross planes, and suggested
that International Red Cross
or Portuguese Red Cross
personnel inspect planes
flown by the religious
agencies from the Portuguese
island of Sao Tome.
“All the agencies,” he said,
“have stated over and over
again our strong desire for
land and sea routes along
with the possibility of
daytime flights to bring in
relief supplies.
“But under the present
situation the only method
open to us for providing relief
to the innocent facing death
by starvation is the night-time
relief flights.
“We have no other
alternative but to continue
these emergency procedures,”
he said.
(In Lagos, the U.S.
Embassy later released a
statement that the U.S.
donation of planes was
“motivated solely by pressing
humanitarian concerns.” The
statement also noted that the
U.S. government has given
“massive” aid to the federal
government’s relief programs
through the International
Red Cross.
(“This humanitarian
concern,” it said, “applies
equally to both sides.”)
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TELEVISION PROGRAM - Kindergarten pupils of Sacred Heart School, Warner Robins
presented a Christmas Nativity Program over Macon’s WMAZ TV during the Christmas season.
They were accompanied by their teacher Mrs. John J. Hildebrand and room mothers Mrs. Daoust,
Mrs. Herr, Mrs. Stewart and Mrs. Schuhart. Pictured (1-r) are: first row-Brian Newberry, second
row-Sylvin Schuhart, Christine Norman, Melissa Kowalczk, Lynn Stewart, Cassandra Monroe,
Catherine Daoust, Kathleen Casey, Annette Rainey, Marian Julian and Valerie Kleiser; third
row-J. R. Kuhl, James Cohen, Russell Chaput, Mark Dabrow, Glenn Schroeder, James Cole, Eddie
Cato, Mark Brantley, James Gregory and Richard Sager; fourth row-Stephanie Kutay, Valerie
Brown, Diane Baumann, Susan Gawliek, Patricia Rehl, Lisa Joy, Paula L Homme, Barbara
Karwoski, Mary Harpe, Alfreda Stinson and Maureen Herr. Not present were Karen Brady, Regena
Lester and Nicole Charbonneau. (Olson Studio Photo)
FR. ARMSTRONG
New Christopher Head
Rabbi Nissim called the
Pope’s message to Helou and
the article in L’Osservatore
Romano “a total war” on the
faith and the land the
Almighty gave His people.
NEW YORK (NC) - After
23 years as director of the
Christophers, Father James
Keller, M.M., announced he is
entrusting leadership of the
movement to Father Richard
Armstrong, M.M., who joined
the Christopher staff in 1960
and has served as assistant
director.
Father Keller, 68, cited
age and health factors as
reasons for the move. He said
he will remain at Christopher
headquarters here and devote
himself to research, writing
and serving as special
consultant.
Father Armstrong came to
the Christophers after
completing studies at the
Graduate School of
Journalism at Columbia
University. He was ordjfined
at Maryknoll, N.Y., in 1959.
As director, Father
Armstrong will have sole
responsiblity for editing
Christopher News Notes, a
seven-times-a-year pamphlet
sent free to more than one
million persons. Other duties
include a weekly TV program
carried by 230 stations, a
daily column in 72
newspapers, and supervision
of courses and seminars at the
Christopher Center in
Midtown Manhattan.
In an editorial headed
“The Pope’s Position” (Jan.
3), the Jerusalem Post said:
“We have become used to
Security Council
condemnations as having no
moral justification or value.
But we expect a different
approach from the spiritual
leader of over 500 million
Roman Catholics.”
“COMMUNITY CONCERN for our Fellow Man” was the theme
of Christmas at Our Lady of Lourdes, Columbus. Eighth grade
C.C.D. students (top photo) presented a live manger scene to
which students of other classes carried their offerings for the
poor. Gifts of the students of Our Lady of Lourdes School were
placed before the altar at the parish Mass on December 18th and
the idea of the presence of Christ among men today, with its
resultant emphasis on charity towards all, keynoted the Bible
Service in preparation of the reception of the Sacrament of
Penance on the last day of school. Seventh grade students
(lower photo) of Our Lady of Lourdes school volunteered to
give a party and gifts to less fortunate children rather than have
it themselves.
The paper said that it does
not “underestimate the
potential influence this [the
Pope’s] attitude may have on
the policies of many Catholic
and possibly non-Catholic
nations as well. There is no
doubt that they derived
solace from the message to
their president, and this may
also lead members of terrorist
groups based there to feel
they have significant
encouragement from Rome.”
The editorial concluded by
commenting on Rabbi Nissim
criticism of the Pope: “On
the other hand, Chief Rabbi
Nissim would appear to have
overreacted to the word of
the Pope, and his use of the
phrase ‘total war’ in his
statement yesterday was
unfortunate. Moreover, he
ignored certain friendly
gestures of the Pope and
noticeable reapprochements
between Israel and the
Vatican that took place after
the six-day war [June,
1967].”
Father Keller started the
Christophers in 1945.
The basic idea of the
Christopher movement,
which has no memberships,
branches or dues, is to
motivate persons to make a
positive contribution to such
fields as government,
education, labor relations,
literature and entertainment.
In talks to thousands of
people throughout the United
States, Father Keller has
stressed the need for people
who believe in God and the
dignity of the individual to
work harder for good than
others do for evil.
The Christopher motto is:
“Better to light one candle
than to curse the darkness.”
Middle East—
/
(Continued from Page 1)
Speaking here at Mount
Zion at the annual memorial
service for the 6 million
victims of the nazis,
Warhaftig said also that the
Vatican was silent “when
Arab terrorists caused the
murder of innocent Jews”
recently in the Mahane
Yehuda market in Jerusalem.
Warhaftig added: “We
must learn the lesson from
what happened during the
period of the genocide, not
only concerning those who
perpetrated the crime but
those who kept their peace
and raised no voice in protest.
The policy of silence
continues in our day.”
The rabbi called Pope
Paul’s message to Lebanese
President Helou a political
declaration. He said that the
Pope had been silent when
innocent travelers on the El
A1 airliner were attacked at
Athens and when shoppers
were murdered by Arab
terrorists in the Jerusalem
market (Nov. 22), but had
spoken out only after the
material things-the aircraft at
the Beirut airport-had been
damaged.
Rabbi Nissim said that
although the Holy See
“preaches peace on earth,” its
hands have been “stained
with innocent Jewish blood
in past generations as well as
in our time.”
The rabbi also alluded to
an article (Dec. 31) in
L’Osservatore Romano which
said: “With Jesus the last
circumcision was carried out;
those which came after Him
had no further significance
but were steps on a staircase
going into a void.”
HAIGHT STREET
Home Of New
Catechetics
SAN FRANCISCO (NC) -
Haight Street was made world
famous by the hippies. In the
world of catechetics it is
famous for the “On Our
Way” religion series written
by Sister Maria de la Cruz.
She is a member of the
Helpers of the Holy Souls and
from their convent on Haight
near Market Street goes about
the business of revolution
izing the teaching of religion.
Msgr. John Scanlon,
archdiocesan director of the
Confraternity of Christian
Doctrine, calls her work the
most singular contribution
that has been made by the
archdiocese to the CCD in the
United States. “It was the
first breakthrough in religious
education that proclaimed
the value of Christ’s message
to the world,” he said.
The “breakthrough” began
in 1955 when Sister de la
Cruz, a veteran of teaching
assignments in such diverse
locales as Paris, Mexico,
Harlem and Hunter’s Point,
was working as a supervisor in
the CCD office. She saw the
need for a graded religion
series and teachers’ guide
which would use the
“kerygmatic” approach-
-showing children “the good
news and value of Christ’s
teaching without
systematically memorizing
answers from the Baltimore
catechism.”
Soon the “On Our Way”
series-today used in about
75% of U.S. dioceses-was on
its way to an immediate
success. When the Second
Vatican Council opened in
1962, some 12 million books
had been sold and the series
translated into a dozen
langauges, including Irish.
In the “On Our Way”
series, the child learns about
God through his own
experiences and through
them discovers that God’s
love and law permeate his
life.
This is especially true in
the seventh and eighth grade
books rewritten by Sister
Laetitia, another Helper of
the Holy Souls, and Father
Cyr Miller, a veteran youth
worker in the archdiocese.
Called “Light on Life,” it
uses familiar things such as
the radio, TV or telephone to
show how Christ can be
found therein.
but the book does not stress
confession before first
Communion. It leaves the
matter of first confession up
to the child and his parents.
Book three concentrates
on the life of Jesus. By this
time the child is ready to
discover how God is active in
his life here and now. He was
also introduced to confession
through communal
penitential celebrations. In
book four, individual
confession is encouraged.
Some objections have been
raised to the series by critics
who feel there is not enought
doctrine presented in the
texts. Father Francis Buckley
who collaborated in
producing the catechism
emphasized that the teachers’
guide must be used with the
texts. He suggested there is
enough material in the guides
for adult study groups. “In
this way the parents can learn
the new moral theology right
along with their children,” he
said.
Special emphasis is placed
on the Holy Spirit and the
formation of conscience in
book four. Father Buckley
said: “The contemporary
moral theology of the Church
is put into children’s language
in this book.” The moral life
of a Christian and how a
Christian should treat his
fellow man is stressed. Books
Five and six are still in the
process of revision.
Each lesson is divided into
two classroom periods with
extensive material in the
guide for each session.
“Teaching this series is more
difficult than just memorizing
answers,” Sister de la Cruz
said. “We want to present the
Word of God so it is
intriguing and understandable
and will become part of the
child’s life.”
Business?
Convention?
Vacation?
The book starts with
adolescent self-discovery.
Successive lessons are based
on signs of human
relationships involving the
group, family and school. The
adolescent goes on to
discover how the things and
events around him can lead to
Christ.
Sister de la Cruz said the
“On Our Way” books should
be used as a unit and not
individually. She believes that
children must identify with
their religion when they are
young, “otherwise they are
just floating around.” She
also feels that respect for the
child should be shown as he
progresses through stages of
development.
With this in mind, book
one in the revised series
introduces the child to the
Father, Son and Holy Spirit
as persons and initiates him
into the mystery of the
Trinity.
Book two brings out the
meaning of the Mass in
relationship to Christ, along
with a greater understanding
of the Eucharist. It also
begins guidance in forming a
conscience and leads the child
toward an awareness of his
relationship with God and
other people.
By this time the child is
ready to receive Communion
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