Newspaper Page Text
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Vol % 53 No. 20
SERVING 88 SOUTH - GEORGIA COUNTIES
The Southern Cross
diocese of savannah newspaper
Thursday, May 18,1972
Single Copy Price — 12 Cents
Former Astronaut Says Flight To Moon Renewed His Faith
NEW YORK, N.Y. (NC) - Col. Frank
Borman, commander of the first manned
flight around the moon, told an American
Bible Society meeting that the words of
the Bible were “never more applicable”
than now.
Borman, an Episcopal lay reader, read
from the Book of Genesis on Christmas
Eve, 1968, as Apollo 8 orbited the moon.
He said that the broadcast to millions
had elicited reactions from millions.
Asked in an interview whether many
queries had come from theologians
interested in a “theology of space” he
said he was “amazed” at the keen
concern of Pope Paul VI, whom he met in
1969.
“He was interested in what we thought
and felt as we looked back at the earth”
and in the meaning of “the concept of
man going beyond the earth and the solar
system.”
In his prepared remarks Borman, now
an airline executive, said that the voyage
was the “final leg in my own personal
religious experience.”
“As viewed from the moon, the
question of the validity or relevancy of
the Christian belief was utterly absurd.
After the flight, he was more firmly
convinced than ever in his rejection of the
idea that “the earth just happened” and
that the Bible “does not relate.”
Borman felt that “just as space flight
opened the universe to human contact, so
did Christianity herald the beginning of
an active code of moral conduct.”
The key to Christian belief is the Bible,
he continued, whose words are “both a
promise and a mandate.”
“They deserve to be heard by those in
our sophisticated society, who would
substitute secular institutions, or
reintroduce cults, worshipping everything
from reason, to drugs, to free love. They
deserve to be heard by tnose whose only
concern is with the here and now . . .by
those contemporary voices who are
constantly telling us that it is the things
we do that count.”
The 1970’s, he said, are showing “signs
of the declining impact of religion on ,
American life.” This may be one of the
most “crucial” decades in all church
history.
CPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE’ AWARDS
BANFF, Alberta - Representatives of the three Catholic newspapers cited for general excellence get together during the annual
Catholic Press Association meeting in Banff, Alberta. From left are: Don Zirkel, editor of The Tablet, newsweekly of the Brooklyn,
N.Y., diocese, winner in the 40,000 circulation category; Rosemary Borgert, of the St. Cloud (Minn.) Visitor, honored in the
17,000 to 40,000 circulation division; and Father Francis J. Donohue, editor of The Southern Cross of Savannah, Ga., which took
the general excellence award in the up to 17,000 category for the second straight year. (RNS PHOTO)
SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR
Southern Cross Is Winner
Of ‘General Excellence’ Award
BY JOHN E. MARKWALTER
THE SOUTHERN CROSS received the “General Excellence” award, in the under 17,000 circulation class, at
the Catholic Press Association’s annual Press Convention held last week at Banff, Alberta. This is the second
straight year that Savannah’s Catholic newspaper has been so cited by the judges of the annual competition.
Concerning the SOUTHERN CROSS,
the judges said: “The winner, THE
SOUTHERN CROSS of Savannah,
Georgia, is a repeater from last year. This
paper’s big-time quality includes fine page
1 makeup, artistic use of photos,
exemplary editorial and feature pages,
and gives coverage of teen-ager and school
activities. A smartly edited paper, it
comes by its consecutive first place rating
honestly. It won honorable mentions in
1968 and 1970, incidentally, and took
third place in 1969.”
Related Story On Page 2
In second place was THE GEORGIA
BULLETIN of the Archdiocese of
Atlanta. This gives the State of Georgia a
place of dominance in the field of
Catholic journalism. The judges stated
that the competition between the two
Georgia newspapers was extremely close
and decided by the slightest of margins.
Father Francis J. Donohue, Editor of
THE SOUTHERN CROSS, said that he
was naturally pleased with his paper’s
first place award, and congratulated THE
GEORGIA BULLETIN for its second
place finish. “These awards show the
quality of accomplishment possible
through the joint publishing venture
between THE SOUTHERN CROSS, THE
GEORGIA BULLETIN and THE
CATHOLIC BANNER of Charleston,
S.C.,” he commented.
THE SOUTHERN CROSS editor was
high in his praise of The Chalker
Publishing Co. and its employees at
Waynesboro, Georgia, where the two
Georgia and the South Carolina papers are
printed. “This national recognition would
not be possible without their dedicated
and loyal efforts,” he said.
Dr. Russell J. Jandoli, chairman of the
Department of Journalism of St.
Bonaventure (N.Y.) University, served as
supervisor of judging.
The judges were: Frank Angelo,
Detroit Fress Press; Albert Bloom, THE
JEWISH CHRONICLE; Donald E. Brown
of Arizona State University; Millard
Brown, BUFFALO EVENING NEWS;
Erwin D. Canham, CHRISTIAN
SCIENCE MONITOR; Don Carter,
MACON TELEGRAPH AND NEWS;
Thomas E. Engleman, consultant^
Princeton, N.J.; Harry E. Heath Jr.,
Oklahoma State University; Edward
Maher, former city editor, NEW YORK
JOURNAL AMERICAN; Ted Majeski,
UPI; C.S. McCarthy, Duquesne
University; Dick Stroble, Associated
Press; John Tebble, New York University;
Charles A. Welsh, Associated Press; Ralph
Williamson, HOME NEWS, and Kenneth
L. Woodward, NEWSWEEK.
INSIDE STORY
Repeal Vetoed
Pg. 3
'Know Your Faith’
Pg. 5
Readers Reply
D.C.C.W. Notes
Pg. 7
Pg. 8
ECUMENICAL MEETING
Catholic-Episcopalians See
Sharing Of School Resources
GARRISON, N.Y. (NC) — Shared use of Catholic schools as a “Christian mission for the entire Christian
community” was foreseen at a Catholic-Episcopalian meeting here.
Sharing Catholic school facilities with other churches was but one area of the “Contours for Tomorrow:
Episcopalians and Catholics View Their Future” discussed by 60 participants in a five-day meeting at the
Gray moor Ecumenical Center here.
Papers devoted to points of view on
contemporary problems separating the
two communions covered doctrinal
agreement, eucharistic convergence, the
role of the papacy in the Church, and
sociological and cultural factors.
In an atmosphere more open and free
than most official inter-church
conversations, some of the things which
have historically divided the two
communions were depicted no longer
important enough “to get in the way.”
Father Dulles, Jesuit theologian from
Woodstock College, cited the once crucial
preoccupation with indulgences as a case
in point. “It’s not even mentioned in the
documents of Vatican II,” he said.
The problem of doctrinal agreement
was summed up by Bishop Arthur A.
Vogel of the Episcopal Diocese of West
Missouri. “Agreement on the big things is
cheap; it’s easy enough to come by. It’s
the sharing of the little things, the things
by which we live every day, that’s
important now.”
“But those same little things,” he
hastened to add, “which comprise ‘my
world’ are not separated from the
so-called big things; they are rather
specifications of the one world we
understand as the new creation God is
achieving in Jesus Christ.”
The development in education “with
the sharing of personnel and programs for
the Christian instruction of youth and
continuing adult education,” was forecast
by Father Herbert Ryan, also of
Woodstock.
He suggested that the schools may
become Christian and not exclusively
Roman Catholic centers. “What had once
been viewed by some Christians as a sign
of denominational divisivenes may well
become the focus and base of an intense
ecumenical effort in the Christian service
of social justice,” he said.
The Jesuit priest, a Catholic
representative in conversations with the
Anglican communion at both the national
and international levels also deplored the
lack of in-depth literature for parish and
diocesan discussion groups.
To bring participants up to date on
current efforts, he traced the history of
both the Joint Commission on
Anglican-Roman Catholic Relations
ARCIC and the Commission on
Ecumenical Relations of the Episcopal
Church (ARCIC).
He explained that ARCIC is one of the
four dialogues which the Vatican is
conducting with world confessional
families. “It is the most advanced of these
dialogues and it has a clear agenda,” he
said.
“It oversees relations between the
Catholic and Anglican Churches and
offers by way of consensus, statements
after responsible research (which show) a
way through the doctrinal difficulties
that many feel stand as a barrier to
organic union between Roman and
Anglican communions.”
Referring to the doctrinal consensus on
the Eucharist released by ARCIC in
December 1971, he noted that this “may
act as a catalyst for many Roman and
Episcopalians to see that loyalty to our
traditions and doctrines does not imply
denial of the substance of the faith but
rather underscores how very great indeed
is the measure of our agreement once we
understand what the other is trying to
say.”
Commenting on basic doctrine and
diversity of interpretation, Father Dulles
told participants that “it’s not enough to
accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Messiah.
That’s doctrine, and doctrine has to be
seen in the light of Mission.
“Doctrine is somehow not true unless
it makes a difference in the way we
act . . .Let’s first see this difference,”
Dulles proposed, “and then we can talk
about it.”
All papers presented during the
conference will be collected into a book
to be published by Dimension Books in
September. The conference was
sponsored jointly by the Graymoor
Ecumenical Institute and the Episcopal
Church Foundation.
Leaders Shocked Over Wallace Shooting
WASHINGTON (NC) — Expressions of
shock and dismay were voiced by
political and religious leaders at the
shooting of presidential candidate George
Wallace in suburban Laurel, Md.
The Governor of Alabama received
messages of sympathy and regret from
persons of widely divergent beliefs.
President Nixon, who sent his personal
physician to aid in the surgery on
Wallace, asked “all Americans to join me
in praying for his (Wallace’s) safety and
full recovery and also for all the others
who were wounded in this senseless and
tragic incident.”
Cardinal Patrick O’Boyle of
Washington said “the senseless and
shameful attempt on the life of Alabama
Gov. George C. Wallace is a shocking
demonstration of how deeply the attack
on basic moral and human values has
struck at the vitals of our social structure.
Bishop Joseph G. Vath of Birmingham,
Ala., sent a telegram of condolence to the
governor’s wife, Cornelia. He said: “It is
frightening to think that a man in public
office is no longer safe when he attempts
to bring his political philosophy to
others. We can only condemn the violent
and un-Christian action that once again
strikes at one of our prominent political
figures.”
A telegram was also sent to Mrs.
Wallace by Bishop John L. May of
Mobile, Ala., expressing his “shock at
today’s (May 15) senseless tragedy. I
assure you of the prayers of all our
people for the full recovery of the
governor.”
“At such a time one thinks not only of
the individuals involved but also of our
nation,” said Fr. James Rausch, associate
general secretary of the U.S. Catholic
Conference.
Fr. Rausch is speaking in aosence oi
the USCC generaly secretary, Bishop
Joseph L. Bernardin.
HEADLINE
HOPSCOTCH
(f
Hospital Stops Cremation
ALBANY, N.Y. (NC) -- As a result of an article in the Evangelist, the Albany
diocesan newspaper, a local medical center has ceased cremating infants aborted after
more than 20 weeks. The article charged that the Albany Medical Center Hospital was
apparently violating health laws which require that fetuses of more than 20 weeks’
gestation must be buried or cremated by a licensed agency. City records showed that
the hospital was disposing of the aborted children in their incinerator.
'Mass’ Draws Criticism
CINCINNATI (NC) — This city’s May Festival of Music, traditionally a dignmea
climax to the music season, has become the center of a controversy over Leonard
Bernstein’s “Mass.” The production - the first since its world premiere at the opening
of the new Kennedy Center in Washington last fall - was labeled “a blasphemous
parody of the Mass” in an advertisement in the Catholic Telegraph, archdiocesan paper
here. The group which paid for the ad said the Bernstein work denied the divinity of
Christ and attacked “the doctrine of the Blessed Sacrament.” In a letter to the priests
of his archdiocese, Archbishop Paul F. Leibold said that Bernstein’s “handling of an
element that is evidently taken from our most sacred act of worship is in extremely
bad taste and offenseive to what we hold in great reverence.” Archbishop Leibold said,
however, that Bernstein apparently “has no real concept of the Mass, - it is possible
that he sees no problem in this matter.”
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