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SERVING 88 SOUTH - GEORGIA COUNTIES
The Southern Cross
DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH NEWSPAPER
Vol. 53 No. 33
Thursday, September 28,1972
Single Copy Price — 12 Cents
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Bishops’ Committee Calls
Amendment ‘Doctrinaire’
WOMEN’S RIGHTS
WASHINGTON (NC) -- A U.S. bishops committee has described a
women’s rights amendment to the Constitution as a “doctrinaire”
proposal that “may very well destroy the unity essential to a stable family
relationship.”
Despite its criticism of the “Equal Rights Amendment,” the Committee
on Women in Society and the Church took no position on the question of
endorsing the amendment, which is now being considered by state
legislatures around the country.
Archbishop Leo C. By me, committee
chairman, said that there is an “urgent
need for ending prejudice against women
at many levels of society.”
“While the committee is firmly
opposed to all legislation and practices
which discriminate against women,” the
archbishop said, “it feels compelled to
note that there are certain difficulties
inherent in the proposed amendment.”
Archbishop Bryne’s comments came in
a letter sent, along with the report, to the
Administrative Committee of the
National Conference of Bishops for
distribution to bishops around the
country.
“While professional women will benefit
in some ways,” she continued,
“low-income women will not. They don’t
have organizations to help fight for their
cause.”
The report discussed possible conflicts
between the present constitution and the
new amendment, and concluded, “it is
probable that the basic principles of the
Bill of Rights will prevail.”
A legal source told NC News, “If, for
example, a woman claimed discrimination
because the Catholic Church would not
let her become a priest, the constitutional
protection of freedom of religion would
almost certainly override the 27th
Amendment.”
Legal sources pointed to laws on
divorce, alimony, child custody, and
community property as some of the areas
which will be affected by the
amendment.
“One major effect on family life will
be the expanded right of women to
work,” one source told NC News.
“Pro-abortionists and Zero Population
Growth people testified in favor of the
amendment because they felt that it
would lead to more women working, and
that this in turn would force people to
limit family size more than in the past.”
Nixon Aide Speaker
BISHOP FREY (c.) EXAMINES ONE OF THE POSTERS
announcing the Southeastern Conference of the Catholic
Charismatic Renewal to be held at Aquinas High in Augusta,
iiisiiup TiCy \v, » upwn uU Conference on Irioay, 0*.tjbei
20th at 8:00 P.M. Over 1,800 priests, religious and laity from a
12 state area are expected to attend. Looking on are two of
the many priests from the Savannah Diocese who will be
attending: Msgr. Felix Donnelly (I.) and Ms^.. Marvin LeFrois.
Catholic Charismatic Renewal
(Following is the first in a series of three
articles by James Byrne, a leader of the
Catholic Charismatic Renewal, who will give
the opening address at the Southeastern
Regional Conference of the Catholic
Charismatic Renewal to be held in Aquinas
High School in Augusta, October 20-22, 1972.
Byrne is Director of the Communication
Center for the Charismatic Renewal. A graduate
of Notre Dame University, he is a coordinator
of True House, a charismatic Christian
community at the University, and Director of
the Intematinoal Conference on the Catholic
Charismatic Renewal held at Notre Dame each
. year in June.
The Promise
The purpose of Jesus’ mission was to
bring life to men. At one point he said, “I
have come in order that they might have
life in all its fullness.” He sent his Spirit
in fulfillment of that promise. It is
perfectly clear in the Church’s teaching
that the Spirit is the source of our
Christian life. The Fathers of Vatican II
wrote: “In order that we may be
unceasingly renewed in him (cf. Eph.
4:23), he has shared with us his Spirit
who, existing as one and the same being
in the head and in the members, vivifies,
unifies, and moves the whole body.
“This he does in such a way that his
work could be compared by the holy
Fathers with the function which the soul
fulfills in the human body, whose
principle of life the soul is” (ch. 6).
Pope Paul expresses his thoughts in one
INSIDE STORY
First Communion
Pg. 2
"Know Your Faith”
Pg. 5
Saint’s Blood Boils
Pg. 7
i
Shephards in Wings
Pg. B
succinct sentence: “The Church’s first
needs is always to live Pentecost” (Fate
Attenzione, Oct. 12,1966).
We receive the Holy Spirit in the
sacrament of baptism. It is through the
Spirit’s transforming work that we are
remade in the image of Christ. As St. Paul
says to the Romans, “But you do not live
as your human nature tells you to - if, in
fact, God’s Spirit lives in you. Whoever
does not have the Spirit of Christ does
not belong to him.
“But if Christ lives in you, although
your body is dead because of sin, yet the
Spirit is life for you because you have
been put right with God. If the Spirit of
God, who raised Jesus from death, lives in
you, then he who raised Jesus from
death, lives in you, then he who raised
Christ from death will also give life to
your mortal bodies by the presence of his
Spirit in you” (Rom 8:9-11).
Yet it seems clear that today many
Catholics do not experience in their daily
lives the transforming power of the Spirit
of Christ. This is not due to the teachings
of the Church - the modern popes, for
example, have encouraged us to pray to
the Holy Spirit.
The Second Vatican Council speaks
again and again of the Spirit and his vital
role in the Christian life. Nor is it due to
the fact that the Spirit has left the
Church. In fact, the Spirit is working in
the Church today with a power and
effectiveness which has never been
surpassed.
The liturgical renewal, scriptural
renewal, Vatican Council, cursillo, etc.,
are signs of this work. The problem lies,
more truthfully, with individual
Catholics, both religious and lay, who in
their personal lives have failed to take the
promises of Jesus seriously, who have
failed to claim them with the boldness
which his promises warrant.
For some, there has been a failure to
make a total act of self-surrender to Jesus
- a personal act of faith in him. For others
who seem to have made this full
commitment to Jesus as Lord and Savior,
there is a hollowness, a lack of life or
power.
In many ways these Catholics resemble
the disciples before Pentecost. They
believe in Jesus, have witnessed the
resurrection and ascension - but are timid
and afraid.
For all, it is clear that Jesus sent his
Spirit to make a difference. He said, “It is
to your advantage that I go away, for if I
do not go away, the Counselor will not
come to you; but if I go, I will send him
to you” (Jn 16:7). Our Lord clearly
intended that the Spirit would be the
force directing our lives day in and day
out - an ever-present reality to us.
The Acts of the Apostles and the
writings of St. Paul make it clear that this
was the case for the early Christians.
The teachings of the Church and her
shepherds make it clear that it should be
the case for us, as well.
Some have tried to explain away this
void by finding the Spirit at work “in a
more ordinary way.” Certainly
friendships, meaningful events, and such
things are good and are from God, but
the Christians in the early Church were
not speaking of them when they referred
to the experience of the Spirit.
We might well ask ourselves how many
(Continued on Page 2)
The brief constitutional amendment
states, “Equality of rights under the law
shall not be denied or abridged by the
United States or by any state on account
of sex.”
Already adopted by Congress, the
amendment must be ratified by 38 states
before it becomes part of the
Constitution. On Sept. 20 Pennsylvania
became the 21st state to ratify it, and
observers expect the ratification process
to be completed next year.
Federal and state legislatures will have
two years from the date of ratification to
bring their laws into conformity with the
amendment. After that period, numerous
court tests are expected for questionable
or non-conforming laws and practices.
The report to the bishops said that
“the 27th Amendment is cast in terms of
doctrinaire equality.”
“Under this mechanistic principle,” the
report continued, “laws creating benign
quotas designed to protect women may
not stand.”
Margaret Mealey, executive director of
the National Council of Catholic Laity,
told NC News, “We are opposed to the
amendment because we don’t think it will
really give equal rights to women. I think
protective legislation is especially needed
for low-income women, and the
amendment would outlaw protective
legislation.
Bishop Supports
Pentecostal Meet
Bishop Gerard L. Frey has issued a statement strongly supporting the
upcoming Charismatic Renewal Conference to take place in Augusta October
20-22. The meeting, expected to draw between 1,800 and 2,000 Catholic and
other ‘Pentecostals,’ will be held at Aquinas High School. (See advertisement on
page 8).
In his statement, Bishop Frey said he was “impressed by the people who
attend the meetings in our diocese.”
He declared that he was pleased by “how much it has helped their
(participants’) personal prayer lives,” and said he encouraged the movement
because “we want to keep them going in the right direction.”
The Savannah bishop, who has attended charismatic prayer meetings himself,
expressed very little apprehension about the groups which meet in various parts
of the diocese. “As long as the leadership is good and positive, you don’t have
problems. Problems come from lack of leadership,” he said.
Commenting on the future outlook of the charismatic renewal movement,
Bishop Frey said he sees the greatest benefit in the development and enrichment
of the prayer life of the people. “If we are to answer any of the problems we
have now or in the future . . .we have to begin with a strong prayer life,” he said.
The conference, which is open to all, will feature day-long workshops for
those who know little about the movement, for those who have had a minimum
of experience in it and for those who have been involved for some years.
Hour-long seminars will touch an over 20 aspects of the Christian life.
A Deputy Special Assistant to
President Richard M. Nixon will be the
featured speaker at the annual Columbus
Day banquet of Savannah Council 631,
Kinghts of Columbus, October 7th, at the
Council’s Chamber, Bull and Liberty
Streets at 8 p.m.
He is Father John McLaughlin, S.J.,
Ph.D., former associate editor of the
Jesuit weekly, America, who presently
serves as a speechwriter for the President
and has delivered campaign speeches on
behalf of Mr. Nixon.
A well known lecturer, he has appeared
at universities from coast-to-coast.
During the Biafram-Nigerian war,
Father McLaughlin produced a color
documentary for ABC-TV network’s
Evening News. His broadcasting
experience includes the production of
twenty-five hours of commercial
television programs and a host of
appearances on television and radio.
In 1968, Father McLaughlin reported
from Uppsala, Sweden, on the Fourth
Assembly oi the World Council of
Churches for America magazine, receiving
the Catholic Press Association’s 1969
award for The Greatest Contribution to
Ecumenism.
In 1970 he unsuccessfully sought the
United States Senate seat from Rhode
Island as the endorsed Republican
candidate. From mid-May to mid-June of
1972, he toured South Vietnam,
Thailand, Laos and Cambodia to examine
the refugee situation and other aspects of
the Southeast Asia war.
rev. john McLaughlin, s.j.
HEADLINE
HOPSCOTCH
New Missal Published
WASHINGTON (NC) -- A new provisional sacramentary containing some new Mass
prayers has been published by the U.S. bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy. A
spokesman for the committee said that the new sacramentary, an official book of
prayers used by the priests at the altar, will be made available to parishes through
diocesan liturgical commissions. The use of the new sacramentary is optional, said the
committee. The 1966 sacramentary presently in use may continue to be used also. The
new sacramentary contains the Mass formulas for Sundays and major feast days, along
with the formulas for some ritual Masses such as those for funerals, marriage, Baptism
and Confirmation. It also contains Masses for Indpendence Day, Thanksgiving, and
other American holidays.
AU Raps McGovern
WASHINGTON (NC) - Sen. George S. McGovern’s support for nonpublic school
aid was sharply criticized by a leader of Americans United for Separation of Church
and State. “Of course, Sen McGovern is only following President Nixon’s lead,” Glenn
L. Archer, executive director of Americans United said in response to the Democrat^
presidential candidate’s statement backing tax credits for the parents of nonpublic
school children. Archer said the tax credit plan is “radical and dangerous.” It would,
he said “destroy the line separating church and state.”
World Justice Primer
WASHINGTON (NC) -- The U.S. Catholic Conference’s justice and peace division
has published a primer on world justice for educators. The educational aid, entitled
“Justice in the World,” stemmed from a statment of the 1971 world Synod of Bishops
in Rome, according to a justice and peace division spokesman. He noted: “It (the
primer) is to satisfy the expressed needs of the teachers around the country, as well as
those of others in the task of educating, on how to deal with the synodal theme of
justice in the world, on how to get that theme down to the local classroom level.”