Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2-The Southern Cross, February 24,1972
AT ST. JOHN'S CENTER
Students Attend
Weekend Retreat
By Fr. Michael Smith
“How do you think of God” was one
of the key topics discussed by twenty
college students during a retreat held last
weekend (Feb. 19-20) at St. John’s
Center, Savannah, sponsored by the
diocesan Newman Apostolate.
Responding to various options on a
simple questionnaire, the students put
most emphasis on God being “a loving
friend,” who is “indulgent and
understanding.” Discussion centered on
the meaning ot this definite movement
away from viewing God simply as the
Supreme Being and Judge who rewards
and punishes mankind.
One student said, “Seeing God mainly
as a Judge and Supreme Being makes him
too distant and far away. It tends to put a
wall between us and him.” Another said,
“Love should be what moves us to do
good for others, not fear of hell or even
looking for some reward in the next life.”
Asked what is important to please
God, the students stressed “love of
neighbor,” and “fulfilling our duties in
life.” The importance they attribute to
this was evidenced in the closing Mass.
The students worked in small groups to
prepare the Liturgy of the Word. Each of
the three presentations stressed the need
to be true friends who are really willing
to give time to others.
In discussing moral questions, he said,
they showed a remarkable sensitivity to
what really helps or hurts people. Their
consciende formation had gone way be
yond merely following a set of rules. The
weekend with them gave me fresh hope
for the future. The students seem to want
a personal relationship with God and a
religion that has real meaning for life here
and now.
The students participating in the
weekend came from Valdosta State,
Mercer, Georgia Southern and Armstrong,
and included people from such far away
places as Nazareth (Israel), South Africa
and Panama. Sr. Michelle Teff and Fr.
Thomas Healy assisted in conducting the
retreat.
COLLEGE WEEKEND RETREAT at St. John’s Center, Savannah. Students from four nations and four colleges were among those
making the weekend retreat last Saturday and Sunday. Shown here are (standing, 1. to r.) Tom Beaman, Linda Ogle, Eddie
Beacham, June Swdenham (graduate student from S. Africa), Fr. Michael Smith (moderator). In left foreground are Eleanor Sanda,
partially hidden behind Steve Haltswanger.
G AND GP FILMS
Priest Gathers “Facts”
For “Parental Guidance”
NEW YORK (CPF) - A priest of the
New York Archdiocese has begun to
provide parents with the precise film
information they need to give the
“parental guidance” that the movie
industry claims they should exercise.
In a continuing feature called “Movie
Facts for Parents,” recently begun in The
Catholic News of the New York
Archdiocese, the priest has informed
parents that:
Kotch has an “unmistakable
off-camera sex scene reflected in actor’s
reactions” and “common expressions for
bodily functions” and “a few earthy
remarks.”
King Lear has “one stabbing with
pikestaff, accompanied by gruesome
sounds,” and “the eye-gouging scene (is)
gory, sadistic and explicit.”
To Find a Man features “abortion
dealth with in graphic verbal detail.
Language, at times, realistic to the point
of vulgarity. Religion viewed in a
disparaging manner.”
The priest providing these “Movie
Facts for Parents” is the Rev. Kenneth
Jadoff, an assistant at the Nativity of Our
Blessed Lady parish in The Bronx and a
consultant to the archdiocesan Office of
Communications, for which he also does
a weekly teen-oriented radio program for
rock station WABC.
In an introduction that accompanies
the “Movie Facts for Parents” feature in
The Catholic News, readers are informed
that only G (for general audiences) and
PG (parental guidance suggested, all ages
admitted) films are covered, since
children are unable to attend R and X
films, theoretically.
“Comments are purposely limited tc
those scenes,” reads the introduction,
“which may affect a parent’s decision to
allow a child to attend the film. No
attempt is made to describe any movie in
terms of plot, artistic merit or actors’
performances, since that information is
readily available elsewhere. The listing
makes no judgment but supplies critical
facts to parents. Since this is the only
purpose of the listing it is negative and
omits all other commentary.”
Father Jadoff is assisted in compiling
the “Movie Facts for Parents” by a
volunteer group of 30 reviewers, who
attend screenings and report back to him
any elements of a film that they believe
parents should know about before
sending their children off to see a G or
PG film - limiting their observations to
the way sex is depicted, the degree of
violence, vulgarities, treatment of
religion, etc.
Here is a sampling of “Movie Facts for
Parents,” as compiled by Father Jadoff’s
group:
BIG JAKE, Wester, P.G. — Revenge is
the motif for much of the action,
provoked by a cruel, bloody mass-murder
and kidnapping. A little “s.o.b.” talk.
Lots of ketchup.
BILLY JACK, Melodrama, P.G. —
Colloquial sexual terms used throughout.
Four nude scenes; skinny dipping
observed through field glasses; attempted
rape with removal of bra; torture/rape
molestation, action implied rather than
explicit; a bedroom scene involving
partial nudity of thirteen-year-old
prostitute and male partner. Violence;
brutal karate killing; beating with lead
pipes; shotgun killing, etc., etc. (Film
aims to teach morality by literal portrayal
of immorality.)
THE BOY FRIEND, Musical comedy,
G. — O.K.
THE COWBOYS, Wayne Western, P.G.
-- Humorous vulgarity. Some racial
degradations. Light-hearted confrontation
with ladies of the prairie. Gruesome fight
scene. Revenge and killing are shown as
signs of manhood.
EAGLE IN A CAGE, Historical
romance, P.G. — One most explicit sexual
grope; one mixed nude swim; one
teen-ager undressed by Napoleon; a
locker-room bare view of the Emperor;
much talk about sexual prowess; some
“later tonight” hints and earthy dialogue.
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, Musical
comedy, G — O.K.
THE GANG THAT COULDN’T
SHOOT STRAIGHT, Comedy, P.G. -
Lots of vulgarity, spiked with obscene
gestures. Mocking of armless Army
Veteran. Spoofing of religious practices
and degrading treatment of ethnic group.
Quick flashes of pictures of nude girls,
one disrobing.
HAROLD AND MAUDE, Comedy,
P.G. — Five grotesque scenes of feigned
suicide. Light-hearted portrayal of death.
One obscene gesture. Fun poked at
armless army man. Irreligious episode
with priest giving advice about sex.
HOSPITAL, Comedy, P.G. — Frequent
vulgarity. Still shot from a distance of
intercourse. One rape scene. Occasional
use of clinical terms to describe sex.
Constant portrayal of amoral conduct in
sexual matters, law and medical ethics.
Death viewed casually and with
disrespect. One really scary scene where
deranged patient tries to kill a doctor.
HOT ROCK, Comedy, P.G. — A little
coarse language. Perserverance in crime
shown to pay off with the likeable “bad”
guy finally winning in the end.
LONG AGO, TOMORROW - Two
scenes involving hero’s hand inside a girl’s
blouse. Coarse, vulgar gestures and jokes;
anti-religious sentiments. Nude pin-ups as
set decor.
NICHOLAS AND
Historical drama, P.G. -
romp.
ALEXANDRA,
One homosexual
SNOW JOB, Adventure, P.G. — Some
crude man-talk about sexual capabilities.
A few light-hearted vulgarities.
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BAXLEY FIRST COMMUNICANTS. (1. to r.) Lynn Padgett, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Edison Padgett; Rhonda Sue Morris, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Morris; Pam
Padgett; Billy Bange, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Bange; Vicki Chamberlain, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Joe Chamberlain; Carol Norton, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Morris Norton;
Gina Flinn, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bob Flinn.
AND EXPEL POPE
Vatican Feared Hitler
Would Occupy City
ROME (NC) — Vatican fears that
Hitler was planning to occupy Vatican
City and expel Pope Pius XII are
substantiated by documents of the time,
according to an American Jesuit
historian, Father Robert Graham. The
San Francisco priest reviewed the
Vatican’s concern and preparations for
hostile acts by Hitler in an article in a
recent issue of Civilta Cattolica, the
Rome Jesuit fortnightly magazine.
Father Graham is one of four Jesuit
historians assigned to prepare historically
docmumented volumes on various aspects
of Vatican diplomacy during World War
II and, in particular, the efforts of Pope
Pius XII.
In the article, Father Graham said that
as early as 1941 Vatican officials began
hearing rumors that Hitler was
considering moves against the Pope and
his sovereign independence. The papal
undersecretary of state at that time, Msgr.
Domenico Tardini, sent the report on to
the Pope and, although it was denied by
German and Italian officials, the Vatican
remained on guard throughout the war.
According to the report, Germany had
asked Italy to look into means of making
the Pope leave “because in the new
Europe there will be no place for the
papacy.” The Italian reply suggested “a
counter-proposal which consisted only of
a program of isolation and control of the
Pope within the confines of the Vatican,”
Father Graham reported.
Sometime later the papal secretary of
state, Cardinal Luigi Maglione, told a
meeting of cardinals that he was
preparing a document that would give
“special powers” to papal representatives
abroad in case the Vatican “were not able
to communicate with its representatives
abroad.”
Other steps were taken also, including
the hiding of important documents by
Pope Pius XII and by officials, of the
papal archives.
Some documents, said Father Graham,
particularly those dealing with Polish
problems, were microfilmed and sent to
the apostolic delegation in Washington
for safe-keeping.
Among incidents that caused serious
worry for Vatican officials were a series
of remarks attributed to, but later denied
by, various German diplomats in Rome.
In one case, the German ambassador to
Italy was reported to have said publicly:
“Oh the Vatican, this is a museum which,
within a few years, we will be able to visit
with a 10 lire entrance ticket.”
Another case involved a comment by a
German representative who had attended
Holy Week ceremonies in the Sistine
chapel and said, according to Msgr.
Tardini: “The ceremonies are very
interesting. But it is the last time. Next
year they will be no longer celebrated.”
In April 1943, a new German
ambassador to the Vatican, Baron Ernst
van Weizacker, was appointed. His first
assistant caused much concern in
diplomatic circles because he was Ludwig
Wemmer, a high official of the Nazi party
without diplomatic experience, but a
close associate of the violently
anti-Catholic, Martin Bormann, Hitler’s
closest aide.
Two months later, Hitler was enraged
with the fall of Benito Mussolini and
blamed, in particular, the Vatican and the
Pope. A documented private conversation
between Hitler and his top military aides,
which became known only after the war,
indicated Hitler’s thinking about the
Vatican.
The German leader is quoted as saying,
apropos of his plan to take control of all
Italy: “It’s all the same. I will enter the
Vatican immediately. Do you believe that
the Vatican bothers me? . . .Inside there
is, above all, the entire diplomatic corps
(of the allies). That’s not important to
me. The rabble is there and we will drag it
out. . .Then when its doru., we will
apologize, but for us it will be over.
Down there we are at war.”
#
DID1TT KMWJT
They Heard
“Top Man”
Two weeks ago (Feb. 13), members of
Catholic School Boards from throughout
the diocese met in Savannah to attend^a
workshop conducted by Father Olin J.
Murdick, national director of the
National Association of Boards of
Education of the National Catholic
Education Association (NCEA). The
NCEA is a professional organization of
Catholic teachers similar to the public
school teachers’ professional group, NEA.
The workshop leader’s position being
what it was, the attending Board
members were getting their information
from “the horse’s mouth.”
What they didn’t know was that Father
Murdick had been tapped for an even
more prestigious appointment, reporte
by NC News Service on Feb. 16, that
Director of the Education Department
the United States Catholic Conference
(USCC).
Father Murdick thus becomes what
many believe to be “top man” in Catholic
Educational circles.
He succeeds Monsignor Raymond
Lucker, who resigned upon being named
auxiliary bishop of the St.
Paul-Minneapolis archdiocese six months
ago.
The post remained vacant for so long*
said Dr. H. Giles Schmid, of the USCC
Education Department, because filling it
entailed finding not only the right man,
but a bishop willing to give up the
services of a priest with broad educational
responsibilities in his diocese.
1ST COMMUNION
Rites At
Baxley
Father William Leahy, Pastor of St.
Christopher’s parish, Baxley, officiated at
the First Communion services for seven
children last Sunday, (Feb. 13).
The ceremony was highlighted by a
procession in which the youngsters
brought the Missal, water and wine, and
the hosts to be used during the Mass.
The First Communicants received their
instructions in preparation for the
Sacrament from the Sisters of tbs*.
Atonement, from Douglas, who conduct
classes in Baxley every other week.
Mrs. Ray Ellis, of Alma, was the
organist for the Mass. Following the
ceremony, breakfast was served at
Holvida’s Restaurant for members of St.
Christopher’s parish.
IN ULSTER
Wall Of .
Silence
COLERAINE, Northern Ireland (NC)
— The investigation ordered by the
British government to probe the incidents
of Bloody Sunday in Londonderry on
Jan. 30 faces a wall of silence from many
of the still-living participants.
The first public sessions opened here
Feb. 21. Lord Widgery, British lord chief
justice, is trying to conduct a tribunal*
that will shed light - and secure facts -
on exactly what happened in the one and
a half hours of violence that left 13
people dead.
Lord Widgery announced at the outset
that he intends to restrict severely the
terms of reference of the inquiry to the
moments from when the Jan. 30 march
by Catholics protesting internment
without trial for suspected terrorists
(most of those jailed are Catholics)
became violent up to the moment when
the shooting ceased. The tribunal, he said,
will also hear only evidence that bears on
the actual geographical area of the
Bogside.
Actually, however, what the tribunal
will hear is based on the joint resolution,
Feb. 1, of the British House of Commons.
That resolution defined the matter as an
inquiry into “the events of Sunday,
January 30, which led to a loss of lives in
connection with a procession in
Londonderry.”
Several politicians, some Bogside
residents, and many Catholic and
Protestant members of the Northern
Ireland legal community are dismayed
that Lord Widgery himself then imposed
such strict limitations on the tribynal,
since the Commons resolution contained
the phrase “led up to.”