Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2—The Southern Cross, February 7,1974
Pope Takes Issue with Critic of Marriage Laws
BY JAMES C. O’NEILL
VATICAN CITY (NC) - Pope Paul
VI has rejected criticisms leveled at the
Church’s marriage laws by a prominent
Italian Catholic lawyer.
The Pope defended Church law in a
speech to his annual audience for judges
of the Roman Rota, Church high court,
and other courts.
The Pope was clearly referring to a
speech given at the recent opening of
the juridicial year of the Rome
vicariate’s tribunal by Prof. Pietro
D’Avack. The professor, who is dean of
ecclesiastical law at the University of
Rome and former rector of the
university, characterized the present
Code of Canon Law as being “decrepit,
out of date and paradoxically
inhuman.”
The professor, who is also a lawyer
licensed to practice before the Roman
Rota, shocked assembled judges and
lawyers of the Rome Diocesan tribunal
by stating that the Church is wrong to
claim the primary end of marriage is the
procreation of children.
In touching on this incident, Pope
Paul began his comments by urging his
audience to have “trust in the legislation
of the Church.”
The Pope said that he could not hide
the surprise experienced by himself and
others “resulting from some criticisms,
excessive in their expression and not
always well founded, regarding the
present canonical legislation on
matrimony, delivered by a very
authoritative person in a place and on
an occasion which were worthy of a far
more reverent and objective language.”
Although not mentioning D’Avack by
name, the Pope hastened to explain why
he had brought the subject up, because
it was a departure from his normal habit
of prescinding from personalities.
“We have just indicated this known
episode to you so that you too, since
you are experts interested in the matter,
may know that we do not share any of
the judgments there pronounced on the
present discipline of the Church on such
an important theme.
“It is true that following the negative
comments of the speech there were
those that were positive, and of such we
take not with loyal recognition. But it
seems to us that the value affirmed in
these second comments, instead of
confirming the first (negative) one,
correct them.
“Thus the resulting judgment
regarding the worth of the existing
canon law on matrimony still merits
trust today, as it interprets and teaches
the sacred and fundamental norms for
man, matrimony, the family and
society, even if, in conformity with the
teaching of the recent (Second Vatican)
Council, we hope these norms will be
formulated in a more complete and
modern legislation.”
In the major portion of his speech,
Pope Paul dwelt on the nature of the
role of the Church judge and on the
qualifications he must possess in his
special calling. Said the Pope:
“Your mission is sacred because it
comes to you from our apostolic
authority. It is from the investiture of
our priestly and pontifical power that
you derive the authority that makes you
judges, that is, teachers, guardians,
interpreters and functionaries of the
divine and human law that governs the
Church.”
Precisely because of the religious
origin and character of their duties,
which “touch the frontiers of the divine
and therefore of the transcendent and
the mysterious,” judges and the Rota
must possess many specific professional
virtues, the Pope said. Those virtues, he
said, include “interiorly and exteriorly a
style of severity, of selflessness and of
strong and patient magnanimity.”
The Pope also made the point that
the judges present are not called on to
judge the law “which has been entrusted
to you only for its rational and normal
application.”
Parents of Deaf Boy Win Their Court Case
WEST HEMPSTEAD, N. Y. (NC) -
All Harry and Jane Greve wanted was
the right to decide that their
eight-year-old deaf son, Michael, get a
Catholic education in a school of their
own choosing.
Originally, the Greves had no
intention of turning this into a court
test case, but it became one. Now, after
more than a year of litigation, the
Greves have won their case.
The Second District Appellate Court
in Brooklyn has upheld a lower court
ruling that a child with a severe hearing
handicap has the right to receive help
from the state to overcome his
handicap, even while attending a
non public school.
St. Thomas School is less than two
blocks form the Greve home. Most of
the neighborhood children go to school
there. Michael would have had to travel
by bus if he attended a public school.
Before the Appellate Court decision,
Mrs. Greve said in an interview with the
Rockville Centre Diocesan newspaper,
The Long Island Catholic, that she and
her husband were fighting for freedom
of choice. She said that if Michael were
to go in the public school system, the
family would have little control over his
program.
She pointed out that the school
district would have the right to transfer
Michael to a special school for the deaf
and could arbitrarily move him from
one classroom to another.
St. Thomas is a family kind of school,
Mrs. Greve said. “The teachers all seem
to really care about the students, and
they know their pupils’ brothers and
sisters.”
Davitt said that education specialists
in the state legislature are preparing
legislation to spell out more clearly the
rights of children in obtaining health
services from the state. He said the
problem is in the interpretation of
Section 912 of the state’s education
law.
“It is our understanding that a
revision of the section will make it
abundantly clear that cases such as this
can be avoided in the future and a child
who has a serious hearing problem
won’t have to wait over a year for help
when he needs it,” Davitt said.
GOV’S HONORS PROGRAM
' THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION was administered by Bishop
Raymond W. Lessard at Sacred Heart Church, Warner Robins, to 76
youths and adults from Sacred Heart Parish and Robins Air Force Base.
Pictured with Bishop Lessard and the confirmands are Father Walter L. Di
Francesco and Chaplain, Father Howard Krick.
The ruling has thus set a precedent on
which parents of other handicapped
children in nonpublic schools may base
their requests for special aid.
“Of Course, the problem wouldn’t
have arisen, except his parents chose to
give him a religious-oriented education
in a Catholic school,” said J. Alan
Davitt, executive secretary of the New
York State Council of Catholic School
Superintendents.
“It’s obvious that a boy with a
hearing problem deserves all the help he
can get,” he said.
Michael needs special supportive
service from specialized itinerant
teachers who get their salaries from the
state and, until the Appeal Court’s
decision, did their tutoring exclusively
in public schools.
Michael attends St. Thomas the
Apostle School. His parents wanted him
to continue there for several reasons.
They not only wanted him to get his
Catholic education but they wanted him
to be in an environment with normal
hearing children.
The West Hempstead School Board,
however, told the Greves that Michael
could receive special supportive services
only if he attended a public school.
“Of course, that’s a bunch of
hogwash,” Davitt said. “Hearing is
obviously a health problem and health
problems are supposed to be solved for
all children. That’s what the law says in
New York.”
In somewhat more refined terms the
Appellate Court said the same thing by
upholding the January 1973, decision of
the Supreme Court of Nassau County.
“Neither the public school
authorities,” the appellate decision
states, nor “the parochial school
authorities, nor anyone having to do
with supplying this aid would, in our
view, use the special ‘hearing aid’
teacher to teach religion ...”
MEDICAL
HOME
Accommodations for 31 Patients
Planned Socials
TV in Every Room
Chorus and Church Service Weekly
• RN Living on Premises • Nurses On Duty
• Semi-Private Rooms 24 Hours A Day
• Special Diets
Supervisor - Mrs. Tina Von Waldner, R.N.
Administrator - Charles Von Waldner
• Individual Care • Catholic Management
Regular Staff With Chief Of Staff
5609 Skidaway Rd. Phone 354-2752 Savannah
The Citizens
And Southern
Banks
In Savannah
Twelve convenient locations
in Savannah to serve you!
SOUTHERN
CROSS Ads
Bring Results!
Maxwell jo. Hote i &
House Uj Restaurant
Coffee Blend
Good To The Last Drop
Belford Co*
316 W. Congress AD 3-1171
YOUR SAVANNAH
REPRESENTATIVE
JULIAN HALLIGAN
INSURANCE
HALLIGAN BUILDING
PHONE 233-4792
Aquinas Students Semi-Finalists
Two Aquinas students, Matt Rice ’75
and Jean Picciuolo ’75 have achieved
semi-finalist status in the Governor’s
Honors Program sponsored by the State
Board of Education for pupils in public
and non-public high schools in Georgia
who have exhibited exceptional
abilities, unique potentials, and have
earned outstanding academic
achievement.
If chosen as finalists they will spend
six weeks during the coming summer at
the Wesleyan College, Macon, Ga. in one
field of academic concentration.
Jean, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Charles Picciuolo of Augusta will work
in art. She has been recognized in this
field for the last four years because of
her distinctive style, especially in
“duzka” (little souls) animals, as she
calls them. These whimsical creatures
are familiar to Augusta art show
devotees.
Jean’s application was screened
through an interview, and she earned
her status on performance,
recommendations, and interest.
Matt Rice, a member of the Aquinas
Math Team which placed second in
competition with 30 high schools
throughout the State, will, if chosen for
the Governor’s Honors Program, pursue
his interest in mathematics. Besides
being on the Math Team, Matt is a
member of the Aquinas Masquers’ and
played the role of Charlie Brown in the
fall production of “You’re a Good Man,
Charlie Brown.”
In addition, Matt is Treasurer of the
Junior Class, and is a member in good
standing in the National Honor Society.
Both students were interviewed in
Macon on Feb. 2, 1974.
GOVERNOR S HONORS PROGRAM SEMI-FINALISTS. Matt Rice (1)
and Jean Picciuolo.
t—
Valdosta News Roundup
> : >
BY GLORIA BAILEY
Like many of the parishes, St. John
the Evangelist Church rushed through
October and November in a hurry to get
on with Christmas activities. But at St.
John’s- we did our rushing with a style
that began with a dinner for newcomers
held on October 19, hosted by the
Community Relations Committee.
The next event was a Workshop,
sponsored by the Social Apostolate,
Liturgy, and Religious Education
Committees, which was held on October
21. The Workshop, which included
churches in the community, started off
with a specially prepared liturgy and
ended up with a feast. In between the
two were sessions geared toward better
understanding of social apostolate,
liturgy, and religious education.
Each participant chose the topic in
which he was interested, then went to a
specified room where people like Dr.
Margaret Hiers of Valdosta State College
and Father Fred Nijem of St. Benedict’s
in Savannah introduced him to new
knowledge and enhanced older
knowledge. It was a rewarding
experience for everyone involved and
the two hours allotted passed much too
quickly.
Soon it was November and the
Community Relations Committee and
the Women’s Club were in the spotlight.
The CRC held the first annual
Thanksgiving Ball, a successful “first”
which brought newcomers and
oldtimers together to the music of the
DBJ’s. The same weekend the WC had
its annual Christmas bazaar, setting out
their wares in the kindergarten room
and inviting everyone to look and buy.
It was a successful bazaar, and the
money is being used to remodel the
kitchen at St. John’s. (No doubt about
it we’ll be having more church dinners
when the kitchen is finished.)
The December came swishing along
and the parish was chin-deep (to mix a
few metaphors) in wrapping paper, toys,
cookies, and LOVE. The first part of
December was gone before we could say
Kris Kringle and the wonderful flurry
was on. On the 16th the CCD got into
the act with a party for the kids and
their parents. Surprisingly, the cafeteria
was packed and those who couldn’t get
seats stood up and sang Christmas carols
while the 3rd grade put on a play.
No, it wasn’t quite like that. The play
was performed to the background of
4th, 5th, and 6th grade voices (helped
out by their teachers.) Then everyone
had goodies, and parents got to know
teachers and each other. Even the kids
enjoyed themselves, aided, no doubt, by
cookies and punch.
After the CCD Social, there was still
plenty of LOVE left to share with the
community. The children of St. John’s
got a chance to donate their toys to the
Salvation Army to be distributed among
the less fortunate. Every time one
turned around there was some child
bringing his toys up to the altar.
The kids got into the act even more
when they brought gifts for the patients
at Lake Haven Nursing Home. We’re
proud to say that every one of the
eighty-odd patients received at least one
gift, while some got two and three.
Then the 4th grade CCD class,
thrilled with their singing part on the
16th, gave our Lake Haven friends
further joy by singing for them. Up and
down the halls the carolers sang and
smiled and the patients smiled back.
Moments into the 25th, the Midnight
Mass highlighted another Christmas, the
high point of December activites. The
newly formed choir sang “Gloria” as the
babe was ushered into the church
manger and into the people’s hearts.
Soon everyone in the filled-to-capacity
church was joining in.
Just a few days after the wrapping
paper was cleared up and the living
rooms denuded of their decorations, it
was January of 1974. There was the
usual Mass on the first, but St. John’s
really didn’t ring “out with the old and
in with the new” until the 14th.
That Monday evening marked the end
of Father Daniel O’Connoll’s stay with
us. He came to us, two short years ago,
fresh from the seminary, a shy Irishman
whose voice didn’t quite reach the
people in the back pews. But when he
left, he had th'e air of one who had been
at this wonderful priest-business for
years. God knows we’ll all miss him.
Father Gerard Murphy, our new
priest, assures us that he does not wish
to fill Father Dan’s shoes. (Besides, he
quips, I think he takes a size larger than
I do anyway.) At the Hail-Farewell,
everyone patted Father Dan on the back
and wished him luck in the future. Then
all welcomed Father Murphy and filled
him with cookies and names. (God help
me, I promptly forgot all of them, he
says.)
But Father Murphy will never forget
St. John’s because we’ve got a lot
planned for this year. Bible studies,
discussion groups, and Know Your
Religion courses are all in store. The
Thrift Shop, run by the SAC, is still
going strong. The CRC plans a Welcome
for Newcomers in February. It’s a busy
schedule, and even as you’re reading
this, we’re still planning.