Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 5 - October 23, 1969
FAMILY CLINIC
(Jy John J. Kane, Ph. D.
Professor of Sociology
University of Notre Dame
I have read that sex
education should occur
within the home. This sounds
fine but it is an embarrassing
topic. No one tells us when,
and how, or where to give
this instruction. What do you
tell children? How old should
they be? Why shouldn’t
schools do this job? Teachers
can be more impersonal than
parents and it is less
embarrassing to them.
* * *
I’m afraid you have told
me a great deal more about
yourself than you intended.
When you say that sex is an
embarrassing topic, you are
saying something about your
own attitudes toward sex,
and if it is an embarrassing
topic and you find you
cannot discuss it with your
children, then I fear you must
have some rather
unwholesome ideas on it.
Please try to overcome that
for the sake of your children,
your husband and yourself.
It is my firm conviction
that sex education must be
given within the home. The
schools may later elaborate
on it, may enlarge the scope
of instruction, but the child
who is given adequate sex
instruction in his home will
be able to take such
instruction in the school in
stride, and as a matter of fact
may not even need it at all.
Let me try to give you
some kind of a blueprint
when, how and where of sex
instruction, recognizing at the
same time that every child is
different. In fact, here is a
great advantage with parental
sex instruction over the
school. Because the parent is
only dealing with perhaps
two to four children, and
then dealing with them one at
a time, he and she can decide
when the child is ready and
for what the child is ready.
The teacher dealing with a
relatively large class may not
be able to make such
distinctions or circumstances
do not permit them.
At the very beginning one
gives sex instruction whether
he or she knows it or not by
the way a husband and wife
behave in front of their
children. They should feel
free to express affection, a
morning or evening kiss, an
embrace and such in front of
children. This is telling
children, without words, that
it is perfectly acceptable to
show such expressions of love
even in front of them. It-also
gives children some tangible
evidence of how one
expresses love.
You begin to tell children
about sex when children ask
questions. It is necessary to
be quite careful at this point.
Children’s questions mean
much less than parents
sometimes think. If a child
asks, “Where do babies come
from?”, it is not necessary to
give a complete anatomical
and physiological description
and analysis of the processes
of procreation. A child
wouldn’t understand it
anyway. It is simply adequate
to say that the baby is carried
in mother’s body near her
heart until the time arrives
for him to be bom.
Children later may ask
more questions. Some of
these questions may be a bit
difficult to answer, or at least
most parents feel that way.
When parents explain to
children that baby grows
from a seed, children want to
know how the seed is
planted. Again, this can be
done very simply by stating
that father did it because God
so constructed his body that
men are able to do such
things, and women’s bodies
are so constructed that they
can receive these seeds.
Generally speaking, the
, .young child .will., be,
completely satisfied, - with
suph an explanation.
You ask where such
instructions should be given
and I would say almost
anywhere as long as there is a
certain amount of privacy,
and above all a certain
amount of casualness. Time
was when the parent,
especially the father,
summoned the boy to a
second story bedroom, closed
the door with an air of
conspiracy, and then with a
red face and pounding heart
began to explain the facts of
life. Generally speaking, the
boy had already reached the
middle or late teens, and the
father was in effect carrying
coals to Newcastle. If this is
done today, some students
tell me they feel sorry for
their parents, and sometimes
have to correct them on
details.
How sex instruction is
given is, of course, most
important. Some years ago
the Christophers had a set of
records in which they
illustrated the giving of sex
instruction. One point they
made which I consider rather
important was that sex
instruction, whether it be
given to a son or daughter,
should be given by both
husband and wife.
I don’t refer to young
children, but I refer rather to
children who are in their very
early teens or perhaps a bit
earlier and are beginning to
ask questions that demand a
more detailed explanation
than would formerly have
satisfied them. I think it is
wise for a husband and wife
to give instruction jointly
because this shows that they
have been involved in a sex
life of their own, that it has
been characterized by love
and affection, the bond has
been sanctified by God, and
there is nothing dirty or
vulgar about sex. As a matter
of fact, this last point is one
of the most important points
for parents to get across to
children.
Finally, I would point out
that sex adjustment in
marriage is much more
contingent upon healthy
attitudes towards sex than
upon anything else. I think
that sex instruction,
supported by instruction in
morality, can be most helpful
in assisting children to make
adequate sex adjustment
when they themselves marry,
and to reduce or prevent
premarital sexual activities.
TAXING CHURCHES
Disastrous Consequences
Seen If Exemptions Stop
The following story is the
first in a three-part series
covering the argument against
ending tax Exemptions on
church property as presented
in a brief by the United
States Catholic Conference
and filed in the U.S. Supreme
Court. The second article will
cover the historical argument,
and the third installment will
discuss the constitutional
debate.
BY KIM LARSEN
WASHINGTON (NC) -
It’s all a matter of
speculation, but the
consequences of ending tax
exemption of church
property could result in:
r
--Elimination of social
welfare services now
performed by the churches.
--Possible closure of
hospitals, old peoples’ homes,
schools, orphanages, and
other welfare-related
institutions run by churches.
--Foreclosures on churches
unable to meet tax burdens.
--Complete elimination of
small churches with little
financial resources.
-Government interference
in church business.
-Impairment of religious
liberty in the United States.
-Creation of an increase,
rather than a decrease, in the
tax burden on individual
citizens.
These possibilities are
discussed in a friend of the
court brief prepared by the
United States Catholic
Conference general counsel
filed (Oct. 17) in the United
States Supreme Court, which
will hear arguments this term
on church tax exemptions.
The case involves the
demand of a Staten Island,
N.Y., citizen that all church
property be taxed because
exemption forces him to pay
higher taxes.
Frederick Walz, in his suit
against the Tax Commission
of New York City, contends
that tax exemptions for
religious organizations
constitute an involuntary
payment by him to the
religious groups in violation
of his First Amendment right
to religious freedom.
USCC’s brief, which is
more than 100 pages long,
argues against prohibition of
present exemptions of church
property, and, besides
detailing possible
consequences if exemptions
are ended, presents historical
and constitutional arguments
in favor of retaining
exemptions.
William R. Consedine,
USCC general counsel, said
the brief is a “monumental
piece of research.” It required
the work of several scholars
and lawyers.
Associated with Consedine
in preparation of the brief
were George E. Reed and
Vincent C. Allred of the
USCC general counsel staff;
Father Charles M. Whelan,
S.J., of Fordham University
law school; Arthur E.
Sutherland of Cambridge,
Mass.; Alfred L. Scanlan of
Washington, and Francis X.
Gallagher and Joseph G.
Finnerty, Jr., of Baltimore.
Similar briefs in behalf of
church tax exemption are
being filed by the National
Council of Churches and by
the Synagogue Council of
America.
Exemption of church
property from taxes has been
so long assumed that there
has been little research of the
issue, Consedine said. He
believes the USCC brief fills
that void.
(Continued on Page 6)
CITIES LACK OF FREEDOM
Donald Quinn Quits
Saint Louis Review
Doris Answers
1^3
YOUTH
BY DORIS REVERE PETERS
ST. LOUIS (NC) - Donald
Quinn, managing editor or
the St. Louis Review,
archdiocesan newspaper,
since September, 1965,
submitted his resignation
(Oct. 17) to Cardinal John J.
Carberry and criticized what
he called a lack of freedom
for Review staffers.
“I believe that the
Review’s freedom and
enterprise are being limited
and c r i t i cisms and
instructions we have received
indicate to me that we do not
enjoy the cardinal’s trust and
confidence,” Quinn wrote in
his letter of resignation.
Quinn indicated that
Cardinal Carberry has closely
supervised the activities of
the Review and has
frequently criticized its
operations.
“For a newspaperman who
values the important role of
journalism such restrictions
seem to limit our ability to
properly do our job and does
considerable damage to the
morale of the staff.”
Quinn said he regretted
leaving the Review but that
“other job opportunities have
become attractive partly
because of obvious changes in
policy” initiated by Cardinal
Carberry, who was named to
head the St. Louis See in
March, 1968.
Quinn said he will become
director of communications
for the Citizens’ Conference
on the State Legislatures, a
national organization
headquartered in Kansas City,
Mo. The conference is
interested in reform and
increased effectiveness of
state legislatures and is
funded by various
foundations.
Quinn’s resignation is
effective Nov. 15 and he said
he will begin his new job Nov.
17.
Father Edward J.
O’Donnell, Review editor,
said Quinn’s position would
be difficult to fill, but
promised to make every
effort to maintain the high
standards of the newspaper.
The Review, with a
circulation of 97,000, has
been frequently cited for
general excellance by the
Cathloic Press Association
and has placed high in various
polls as being among the
leading Catholic newspapers.
Quinn, who has been a
member of the CPA board of
directors, came to the Review
in 1963 and was named
managing editor in
September, 1965.
SOME THINGS
CAN’T BE HURRIED
Dear Doris:
I’m 14 and know this boy
who lives near me who is 18.
He has asked me out a couple
of times but my parents
refuse, saying he is too old
for me. I could see their
objections if they didn’t
know him, but since they do
know him I think they are
unfair. I’m rather mature for
my age and think I should be
allowed to date him. What is
your opinion?
Mature for my age
Dear Mature:
A four-year age difference
at 14 could present somewhat
of a barrier; if not with the
boy you know, then with his
friends. And on a date you
are usually with other
couples.
You may be very mature
and knowledgeable for 14
and have a wide variety of
interests. However, neither
the age nor the years are as
significant as the experience
they provide.
Dating--even double
dating-with someone you
know well requires a social
skill and a sense of
responsibility which you
haven’t had the opportunity
of developing. You will
eventually acquire this skill
but it will be learned easier
and better within your own
age group whose interests are
the same as yours.
If your parents allowed
you to go out with this
18-year-old fellow just once,
they may prove their point
that hs is too old for you.
There is the possibility that
on a date with him and his
friends you would feel left
out and ill at ease.
SHOULD I TELL
MY PARENTS?
Dear Doris:
This summer when I
stayed with my girl friend we
went for car rides with two
boys she knows. My parents
don’t know this and I don’t
think they would approve of
it. If they find out I don’t
know what will happen. I’m
kind of shy and I thought this
would help me overcome my
self-consciousness with boys.
But now I have difficulty
facing my parents.
Madge.
Dear. Madge:
You will feel much better
when you face your parents
and explain about the car
rides. They will appreciate
hearing it from you rather
than from somebody else.
And I’m sure they will
understand, at least after
their first shock of
disapproval.
LEARNING TO LEAD
Dear Doris:
I have been elected
president of a science club in
our school. We have had two
meetings since school opened
and they were awful. All we
tried to do was agree on a
science project for the year,
but all we did was argue and
get nothing accomplished.
Any ideas?
President.
Dear President:
Ask the librarian for a
book on Parliamentary
Procedure. Read it well and
learn how you can direct or
plan the meeting to keep
arguments to a minimum.
Discussion is good but has to
be lead into efficient
channels.
If your club does not have
a moderator you might begin
the next meeting by electing
one. Then discuss the agenda
and procedures with him.
* * *
Mrs. Peters answers letters
through her column, not by
mail. Please do not ask for a
personal reply. Young readers
are invited to write her in
care of this paper.
CARDINAL HEENAN:
‘Synod Aim Is To Prevent Anarchy’
LONDON (NC) - John
Cardinal Heenan said here the
chief though undeclared
purpose of the Synod of
Bishops in Rome is to avert
“the undoubted peril of
anarchy in the church.”
If the Church is to remain
Catholic in fact as well as in
name, the synod will have to
act swiftly, decisively and
without undue secrecy he said.
The archbishop of
Westminster wrote a special
article for the Sunday Times,
major national weekly
newspaper, before leaving for
the synod. He said the most
delicate problem is how to
liberate local churches from
unwelcome directives of the
central adminstration in Rome
without creating national
churches.
“I take it the chief aim of
the synod will be to make sure
that the mind of the church of
the local level is disclosed to
the Holy See,” he added.
One important task for the
synod might be to define what
is meant by collegiality, he
said. This world means in
very general terms that all
authority in the Church is
derived from God, he
continued, Bishops, priests,
and laymen all have their
proper responsibility.
“If they have duties they
must also have rights—if only
the right to do their duty.
What remains to be
settled-and this is no simple
task-is the extent to which all
with responsibilities should
share the exercise of
authority.
“The Church of Rome for
centuries has been subject to
monarchic rule. Some think
too many relics of absolutism
remains in Rome ....
“The bishops at the synod
will examine and perhaps ask
questions about the manner in
which papal authority has
hitherto been excerised. On
their return from Rome they
will doubtless have to answer
similar questions from their
clergy and laity about the
deployment of episcopal
power.”
The cardinal also said:
“The Vatican has yet to leam
that needless secrecy is
self-defeating. There seems to
be little reason why the
preparatory documents of the
synod were not made available
to the public.”
Speaking of the “canard”
that Pope Paul VI wants the
synod to forbid any national
conference of bishops to issue
statements without consulting
the Holy See, Cardinal Heenan
said this proposal in fact came
from “the modest hierarchies”
of Korea and Zambia. Their
motive was undoubtedly to
safeguard orthodoxy, he
added.
The bishops of the
developing nations want to
keep their flocks
uncontaminated, but it is
“most unlikely” that
European bishops would
approve such censorship by
the Roman Curia, he stated.
The cardinal said that all
that had been disclosed about
the agenda was that the synod
would discuss the relationship
between national conferences
of bishops and the Holy See
and the relationship of
national conferences with one
another. He also said the
bishops from England, India,
the United States, Germany,
France and Belgium had
proposed that no papal
pronouncement gravely
affecting the whole Church
should be made without
previous consultation with
either the synod or the
national conferences.
The Holy See would be
urged at least not to publish
such decisions before giving
bishops the opportunity of
preparing their priests and
laity, he said.
Referring to Pope Paul’s
controversial encyclical on
birth control, Humanae
Vitae, he said Catholics
received their first
information from the press,
radio and television.
Of the Roman Curia, the
Church’s central
administrative offices, he said
it had become “a mythical
monster ... .Its critics have
created a picture of an
ecclesiastical mafia” with the
Pope as its prisoner. “If the
Pope is the prisoner of the
Curia he has appointed his
own jailers,” he added.
The cardinal went on to
note that Pope Paul has really
internationalized the Curia,
giving the names and the
Nationalities of the cardinals
heading its various
commissions.
The Church has been
strengthened by theologians of
the calibre of Father Karl
Rahner and Yves Congar,
whose attacks on the
establishment can only do
good, Cardinal Heenan said.
But lesser lights among
popular theologians are
harmful, he stated.
' /
No intelligent bishop would
want to excommunicate
priests and laymen who
merely rocked the boat, he
continued The problem is how
to deal with those who wanted
to sink it.
“It could be exhilirating to
fight the enemies of the
Church but unpleasant and
embarrassing 'to have to do
battle with those who claim to
be her sons.”
Cardinal Heenan, who is
attending the synod, also
issued a special pastored letter
to his diocese in which he said
the synod’s chief purpose is to
find means of bringing the
bishops, priests and faithful
closer to the Holy Father ....
“Beyond the fact that we
shall discuss relations of
Catholic communities with the
Holy See and with each other
there is little I can tell you.
“I wish the full agenda of
the synod had been published.
Then I could have sought your
views before leaving for Rome.
The agenda in fact is being left
very open.
“Pope Paul has spoken in
recent weeks about divisions
and even anarchy threatening
the Church. Catholics in
Britain are, thank God, a fairly
united body, but in some
countries the Catholic
community is pitifully
divided. Catholics loyal to the
Pope are bitterly attacked by
their brethem who have
rejected his guidance in both
faith and morals.
“What happens in one or
two countries concerns the
whole of the Church of God.
This synod could become a
turning point in the history of
the Church.
“There will be plain
speaking among the bishops
and between the bishops and
the Pope. We need the help of
your prayers.”
Cardinal Heenan appealed
to his people to offer Mass and
Holy Communion daily during
the synod for the intenttions
of the Pope and the bishops.
Bishop Derek Worlock of
Portsmouth, who is also
attending the synod as
assistant to its secretary
general, Bishop Ladislaw
Rubin, warned his people in a
diocesan letter to be wary of
press reports.
“It is not unlikely that no
matter what efforts are made
in Rone the reports which will
reach you will be inadequate,”
he said. “Unfortunately what
unofficial or dissident
elements have to say often
make better material for the
commentators than the
straight reportage facts.”
The synod, he said, “Will
be discussing how to put into
effect one of the key doctrines
of th£(Second Vatican)
Council-collegiality: how the
bishops of the Catholic
Church always in union with
the Pope and in no way
separated from him constitute
collectively the supreme
authority in the Church.”
SISTINE CHAPEL with Michelangelo’s famed frescos on walls and ceiling, was the scene of the
formal opening of the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops, gathering leaders of the Church from all
parts of the world. (NC Photos)