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SERVING 88 SOUTH - GEORGIA COUNTIES
The Southern Cross
DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH NEWSPAPER
Vol. 53 No. 32
Thursday, September 21,1972
Single Copy Price — 12 Cents
A FAMLV IN APPALACHIA struggles through a life of hardship, fighting a hostile environment.(NC Photo courtesy Office of
Economic Opportunity )." "
Suhdeacons Are Victims
Of Changes in Liturgy
BY JEROME FILTEAU
(NC News Service)
The major order of subdiaconate no
longer exists in the Latin Church
according to a new decree of Pope Paul
VI that goes into effect Jan. 1, 1973.
What happened to the subdiaconate,
and why has it been dropped after 1,700
years of Church tradition? The Pope’s
new decree, Ministeria Quaedam (Certain
Ministries), explains very simply that “the
functions heretofore committed to the
subdeacon are (now) entrusted to the
lector and acolyte.”
It might be more to the point to say
that subdeacons are the victims of history
-- of liturgical reforms, changing Church
practices, and new theological
understandings of the Church’s ministries.
The earliest Christian Churches had no
office of subdiaconate. The earliest
references to subdeacons that can be
found date back to the third century.
There is a mention of seven
subdeacons in Rome in 254 A.D.
Subdeacons at that time seem to have
INSIDE STORY
Columnists
4
"Know Yoor Faith”
Needs of the Elderly
I. 7
Shepherds in Wings
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Pg. 8
been quite important in the temporal
affairs of the Church. They were bishops’
secretaries and often their representatives
on important missions.
By the end of the ninth century, the
subdeacons of Rome performed many of
the duties now assigned to cardinals and
officials in the Roman Curia, the
Church’s central administrative offices.
They administered the Papal States, made
reports on the conduct of bishops, acted
for the Pope in reforming abuses,
admonishing wayward prelates, and
assembling councils. One of the signers of
England’s Magna Charta went by the title
“subdeacon of his lordship the Pope.”
For centuries the subdiaconate was
considered a minor order in the Latin
rite, and it is still a minor order in the
Eastern Catholic rites and Orthodox
churches. But about the end of the 12th
century it came to be considered a major
order in the Western Church.
Since then Latin-rite subdeacons have
had the same obligation as deacons and
priests to observe celibacy and to pray
the liturgy of the hours (breviary).
Several years ago this obligation for
subdeacons became largely irrelevant,
since it became a common practice to
ordain men to the diaconate the day after
they received the subdiaconate.
The subdeacon’s liturgical duties were
to read the epistle and assist the priest on
the altar at Mass. With the ligurgical
reforms of recent years, lay lectors have
been delegated to read the lessons from
the Old Testament and the Letters and
Acts of the Apostles. The specific
function of the subdeacon on the altar
has been reduced because it was normally
exercised only at Solemn High Masses.
Under the new reform decreed by
Pope Paul laymen will be installed as
lectors and acolytes by a liturgical rite.
“Thrust 1972” Begins
BY GILLIAN BROWN
Adult Catholics in many parishes are
beginning the new academic year with a
five-week adult education program called
“Thrust”, which has been the subject of
much discussion lately.
“Thrust 1972”, the second edition of
the program, was designed for use before
the General Elections in November. It
takes a hard look at American values, and
at some of the most deeply entrenched
traditions of American society, in the
clear light of the Gospel and of Old
Testament readings.
“Thrust” - which can be used as a
parish program or for private reading - is
made up of five articles, each ending with
a series of questions for discussion. Each
takes a look at one aspect of our society,
first from the point of view of what
America teaches, and thirdly from the
viewpoint of Jesus’ teachings.
Article One, “Blessed are the .. .”
focuses on the pursuit of happiness, from
the days of Abraham to today. The
second week, “Thou shalt not . . .”
concerns itself with morality and rules of
conduct. “By the Sweat of your Brow”,
the third article, takes a look at the
Puritan work-ethic, which teaches that
hard work makes a man successful and
that God has no use for the lazy.
“Children of God”, on the fourth
week, discusses that idea most Americans
have that God has a special place in his
heart for the U.S.A., and puts this
country before all others. “One Nation
Under God” - the final article, - sums up
the series with a discussion of what might
be called the American “civil religion” -
its creed, code and cult.
The “Thrust” articles, written by
Father William Coleman, are challenging,
and have been designed to help people
think about the real values they stand for,
particularly in view of the forthcoming
elections. The red-white and blue cover
keys the program to this election year.
“Thrust” is a publication of the
Department of Christian Formation. Its
cost, within the Diocese of Savannah, is
50 cents per packet of five articles.
Hundreds of copies are already circulating
outside of the Diocese itself, sent in
answer to requests which have been
coming in since early August from all
over the nation.
‘Respect Life Week’
Set for October 1-7
By NC News Service
Respect Life Week observance, Oct. 1-7, should avoid negativism and
instead be positive in voicing reverence for all human life, the U.S.
Catholic Conference has urged.
The USCC expressed this sentiment in a handbook distributed to
dioceses and parishes throughout the country to help guide pastors,
priests, sisters and the laity involved in promoting the week.
Respect Life Week is the result of a
resolution adopted by the National
Conference of Catholic Bishops at their
April 1972 meeting in Atlanta.
“The Spirit of Respect Life Week is
positive,” the handbook said. “Too often
the Church has been publicly
characterized as ‘anti-abortion’,
‘anti-materialist’, ‘anti-pacifist’, and too
little has been said about what Catholics
believe in and stand for.”
Respect Life Week offers the
opportunity for Catholics “to study the
problems and the issues which haunt our
society,” the handbook explained. It also
offers the opportunity to find out what
has been done and what can be done to
promote greater reverence for life, it said.
“This is not a rigid program,” the
handbook said. “Every parish will differ
in its application and use of the materials
available.
“But the impact of Respect Life Week
will depend on everyone and every parish
doing its part according to its own
circumstances, personnel and facilities.
The USCC handbook suggested that
one day a week be given to each of six
themes chosen as relevant to respect for
human life. They are: the unborn, the
poor, the aged, the young, peace and the
family.
Msgr. James McHugh, director of
USCC’s Family Life Division, told NC
News that it is expected that not every
parish would pursue the program in the
same way. “There is a great deal of
flexibility for the diocesan coordinator
and the parish priest,” he said. “We have
relied on the principle of local
determinism.”
More than 150 Catholic dioceses and
20,000 parishes are participating in the
week described as a “Catholic community
experience” of prayer, study and action
concerning human life.
“The summation of all the topics are
centered around the theme, “If you want
peace, work for justice.” This statement,
according to the handbook, “pinpoints
the cause of wars and also directs all who
are desirous of peace to make positive
efforts to achieve due respect for the
lives, property and rights of all men.”
Regarding the rights of the unborn,
the handbook stressed that the fetus is “a
creature of God with an eternal destiny
and its right to life must not be violated
by anyone.”
Respect for Life Week should seek to
focus “on the sanctity of human life and
threats to life in contemporary society,”
the handbook said.
to provide the kind of climate which
encourages older persons to participate in
community and parish activities and to
contribute to the work force and
volunteer activities,” it says.
Poverty, according to the handbook, is
surrounded by widely held myths which
make the search for solutions harder than
it has to be. Respect for Life Week should
seek to dispell those myths, the
handbook suggests.
To do this, the handbook suggests a
number of Respect Life Week activities
designed to familiarize people with the
needs and the problems of the poor. It
includes a “poverty quiz” which poses a
series of questions about poverty-related
issues.
Those who take the quiz are asked to
compare their impressions with the
answers that are later revealed to them.
The handbook also includes suggestions
for a variety of parish and community
activities for the poor.
FATHER JAMES LAUBACHER, S.S., former Rector of St. Mary’s Seminary, Roland
Park, Md. led the annual Retreat for Savannah Diocesan priests at Savannah Beach last
week (Sept. 11-15). Several of the priests attending had once been students of Father
Laubacher. He is shown above (r.) talking with Bishop Gerard L. Frey (c.) and Father
Arthur Weltzer.
HEADLINE
HOPSCOTCH
Gunman Steals Tuition
The handbook emphasizes, however,
that it is society’s duty not only to
protect the unborn but to create
conditions in which “each person (can)
live a full and satisfying life.”
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. (NC) - A gunman invaded the bursar’s office at Seton Hall
University here (Sept. 11) and escaped with just over $10,000 in cash and checks
which he stuffed into a shopping bag. Tuition deposits were being accepted at the
time, and after sweeping the money from the desk of Mrs. Mary Gross the man calmly
walked down a corridor past a line of more than 50 students.
The handbook outlines a variety of
parish and educational and action
programs on the issue of abortion and
recommends community involvement in
these. It includes a list of available print
and audiovisual materials dealing with
fetal development, abortion, and related
issues.
Needs of the elderly are also stressed
in the handbook. “Twenty million elderly
Americans must not be put on the shelf
but must be given opportunities to
remain productive, creative and in
contact with the rest of society.”
The handbook warned, however, that
respect for the aging “must not be paid in
empty promises, but in a deeper
understanding and positive action,
motivated by loving concern.”
“It is incumbent upon us that we help
Ecumenical Institute
JERUSALEM (NC) -- Notre Dame University’s Ecumenical Institute for Advanced
Theological Study, in operation near here since last November, will be formally
dedicated and opened in ceremonies Sept. 24-27. The ceremonies will include a
religious service, a reception and open house and an academic symposium on
“Salvation in Christ - the Problem and the Promise.” The institute is open to
theological scholars, men and women, from all Christian confessions in all parts of the
world.
Holy Name Convention
LOS ANGELES (NC) — Delegates to the Holy Name Society convention here Oct.
6-8 will focus their attention on youth, social issues, pornography and government aid
to private schools. The society’s president, Stephen Andrusisian of Minersville, Pa.,
said the delegates will strive “to enunciate in our programs the deliberations of Vatican
II and to draft a strong resolution supporting the traditional authority of the Pope.”
“One of the chief concerns of the Holy Name Society is to bring youth into the
apostolate of the laity through active participation in the Holy Name Society on the
parish level,” he said.