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PAGE 4 GEORGIA BULLETIN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 1963
^ Archdiocese of Atlanta
GEORGIA BULLETIN
SERVING GEORGIA'S 71 NORTHERN COUNTIES
Official Organ of the Archdiocese of Atlanta
Published Every Week at the Decatur DeKalb News
PUBLISHER - Archbishop Paul J. Hallinan
MANAGING EDITOR Gerard E. Sherry CONSULTING EDITOR Rev. R. Donald Kiernan
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Sue Spence
Member of the Catholic Press Association
and Subscriber to N.C.W.C. News Service
2699 Peachtree N. E. Telephone 231-1281
P.O. Box 11667
Northside Station
Atlanta 5, Ga. Second Class Re-entry Permit Pending at Decatur, Georgia
L'.S.A. $5.00
Canada $5.50
Foreign $6.50
Spare Preston Cobb
Preston Cobb, Jr., a Negro,
was 15 years of age when he
killed a white man whom he had
robbed. Today, some two years
later, he awaits the electric chair
for his crime against society.
Timothy Wooten and Gary
Priest, both white and 17 years
old, killed another white man
in a robbery. They were recent
ly sentenced to life imprison
ment. No death penalty was ask
ed, mainly because of their youth.
The inconsistency in the pun
ishment meeted out to Cobb and
the leniency shown to the older
white youths, cries out for pro
test by all responsible citizens.
Equal justice under the law in
Georgia becomes a hollowphrase
in these circumstances.
We do not challenge the ver
dict in the Cobb case. After
all, the Supreme Court of the land
refused to reverse it. But we
do question the punishment
meeted out. All the more so,
when older white youths are
spared the supreme penalty fora
similar form of murder.
We would not change the sen
tence of these youths, forthe im
position of capital punishment is
not always the just answer in
murder cases. In the case of
Preston Cobb, Jr., some believe
Platform
Communion Breakfasts are a
wonderful institution. They can
reflect the spiritual unity of or
ganizations within the Church and
can be an aid towards the goal
recently set by Pope Pius XII -
brotherhood and unity through the
Eucharist.
The very term "Communion
Breakfast” denotes the spiritual
and is a constant reminde r of that
passage in the Acts of the Apos
tles - “when we were assemb
led to break bread...” We have
broken the Divine Bread at Mass
and have assembled in the pa
rish hall or hotel dining room
to break natural bread in uni
ty. Christ has nourished us spi
ritually and we take of the bodily
nourishment.
At these Communion Break
fasts there is a sense of spi
ritual uplift and we look forward
in that vein to the special speak
er who has been engaged in our
behalf. The priest or lay speak
er is expected to present a
homily in keeping with the solem
nity of Communion Breakfasts.
They are indeed solemn occa
sions with a definite spiritual
purpose and a definite spiritual
aim.
It is, therefore, to be regret
ted that in recent years, Com
munion Breakfasts in some areas
have degenerated into sounding
boards for all kinds of quackery
Disgruntled politicians, hysteri
cal anti-communists, hysterical
anti-anti-communists, so-called
Catholic "liberals” and Catholic
“conservatives,” all sfeem to get
around to selling false wares un
der the guise of truth.
it borders on the barbaric to take
his young life, just as they be
lieve it would be if he were
white rather than Negro.
The prestige of the state of
Georgia would be enhanced in
the eyes of both the nation and
the world, if the mercy meeted
out to the two white youths con
victed of murder could also be
exercised in the case of Negro
Preston Cobb, Jr, Our sin
cerity in relation to the easing
of racial tensions in the State
could be expressed in no bet
ter manner than in our working
for the commutation of the death
sentence awaiting Cobb.
All of us reading the facts of
this sad tale should do more
than murmur a tsk-tsk of agree
ment with those who protest that
Cobb’s sentence should be com
muted. We should not be guil
ty of pitying the boy, then for
getting him. Let us all actively
urge our new Governor, Carl
Sanders to intervene with the
State Pardon and Parole
Board not only in the in
terest of justice, but also in
the interest of our community
tranquility. Let him spare Pres
ton Cobb, Jr.’s life. Justice will
still be served and the quality
of mercy will still not be strained.
Gerard E. Sherry
For Quacks
Worst of all, their very antics
are destined to destroy thatunity
in faith which is witnessed at the
altar rails. They sow the seed of
mistrust against all legitimate
authority in the Church and in
the State. In nearly all cases,
theirs is the negative approach
and contributes nothing to the
solving of the important pro
blems of the day.
There may well be a place for
the political demagogue, for the
disgruntled "jjolitical” Catholic
- but it is not a Communion
Breakfast, nor, for that matter,
at any Church gathering.
Let s restore the Communion
Breakfast to its former role in
which we assemble "to break
bread.”
Historic
BY FATHER R. DONALD KIERNAN
It was high noon in Atlanta on Tuesday, January
15, and the bells of Atlanta’s mother church, the
Immaculate Conception, were ringing the Angelus.
It was at this precise moment that an Associate
justice of Georgia’s Supreme Court was adminis
tering the oath of office to the state's seventy-
fourth Governor, Carl E. Senders of Augusta.
It was likewise a historic moment in the
state, for it was the first time in decades that the
elected official had been the popular choice of the
people whom he was to represent the next four
years.
Nor was there any vindictivness noted in the
whole ceremony. The “keys of office” were being
turned over by the former chief executiye in a
manner of dignity and hope. The only thing to mar
the event was an airplane circling overhead car-
LITURGY AND LIFE
Two Pictures of A Bible
BY REV. LEONARD F. X. MAYHEW
Two photographs suggest some thoughts about
the Bible. At the opening ceremony of the Second
Vatican Council a Bible open to the Gospels was
solemnly enthroned in the nave of St. Peter’s
Basilica where the bishops were to hold their
discussions. A few days ago I saw a picture of
a contemporary French church in which an open
Bible is permanently exposed before the altar.
The two examples symbolize
a completely authentic and in
deed essential facet of Catholic
tradition. At the same time they
may well occasion some sur
prise to many Catholics, as well
as to non-Catholics. The autho
rity of the hierarchical Churc;
as represented by the Council
and the sacramental life of
the Church exemplified by
the altar and tabernacle are essentially bound
to the position held by the Scriptures in Catholic
faith.
IF THIS is not immediately evident to many
even within the fold of the Church, it is entirely
regrettable and is a defect that demands prompt
attention. The new spirit at work in the Church,
that has given rise to the liturgical revival, the
ecumenical movement, the renewal of theology,
the apostolate of social justice, and which is so
much in evidence at the Council, has largely been
nourished by a reawakened awareness on the part
of Catholic thinkers of the fundamental impor
tance of the Bible in the life of the Church.
There are many historical reasons why the place
of the Scriptures has become obscured to some de
gree. The low point of late Scholasticism placed
such exaggerated emphasis upon speculation for
its own sake that it largely lost sight of the ex
ample of St. Thomas Aquinas who practically de
fined theology as the science of Sacred Scripture.
FOLLOWING the Protestant Reformation Ca
tholic theology was involved in a “state of seige,”
being necessarily bound to concentrate on the de
fense of the role of tradition and the teaching au
thority of the Church against the extreme posi
tion of the Protestants. Too frequently theolo
gians confined their use of the Bible to the quo
tation of isolated texts to “prove” their theses.
Scripture study, in spite of the outstanding work of
scholars in the first century after the Council of
Trent, became mainly a polemic against heretical
views. The defensive freeze placed upon liturgi
cal change removed what would have been the most
effective stimulus to popular Biblical apprecia
tion.
The modern period of revived Scriptural scho
larship had its beginnings at the end of the last
century under Pope Leo XIIL The great landmark
of the advance of Catholic Biblical study came
under Pope Pius XII in 1943 when he gave offi
cial approval to modern scientific methods and the
study of the ancient languages for the interpre
tation of the sacred texts. Since then progress
has been steady on a scholarly level and the ef
fect on the popular and devotional life of the Church
is more and more evident.
WE CATHOLICS, who form such a small mino
rity in the South, run the danger of subconscious
ly considering the Bible as “theirs,” alien ter
ritory for us, useful principally to defend our
faith against attack. The woeful ignorance of Ca
tholics about the Scriptures taken alongside the
almost sacramental reverence shown the Bible
by our evangelical neighbors serves only to ag
gravate and distort the division between us. We
would be missing the point, however, if we
urged more knowledge of the Bible only in order
to convince our separated brethren.
THE MASS liturgy is the besc indication not
only of the Church's reverence for the Scripture
but of the living influence that the inspired word
should exert. In the Missal we do not use the
Bible as a dead relic of the past. The psalms and
readings are alive and meaningful in the context
of the Mass.
They effectively express the nature of true
religion in fully human terms that bear the un
mistakable mark of divine approbation. They
speak to the whole man - reason, w ill and heart -
of the good news of our redemption and our new
life in Christ. We discover in them the means to
articulate every nuance of our religious needs and
hopes.
The only path to knowledge of the Bible is to
read the Bible. The Gospels, for example, will
only have their full impact when each one is read
as it was written - continuously from beginning
to end. The pamphlet editions of the books of the
New Testament with notes and commentary, pub
lished by The Liturgical Press, are an ideal way
to grow familiar with the divinely inspired and
living revelation of our Faith.
GEORGIA PINES
Moment For The State
ring with it a banner...the last vestige of the ad
vocates of segregation. It was viewed with humor
by a crowd who were interested in Georgia's
future and the new horizons to be captured.
This was a new era. The
words of acceptance used by
the youthful governor reflected
this new era which had now be
gun. There was a promise of
honesty in government, a plea
for cooperation among depart
ment heads, a word of hope for
Georgia’s education system,
and a challenge to Industry and
tourism. But first of all, Gover
nor Sanders asked all to bow their heads in a
moment of prayer for success in the great task
lying before him. This message then closed with
the words that in four years, “. . .Almighty
God might smile upon our humble efforts”. It
was a fine speech delivered by #fine Christian
gentleman.
By the time the ceremonies were finished on
capitol lawn, most of the crowd went to the cham
bers of the House of Representatives. Here the
oaths ^ office were administered to the other
elected officials, department heads, and the new
members of Georgia’s General Assembly.
It was an impressive sight, especially the oaths
being administered to the department heads, who
were the choice of Sander’s crew in guiding the
“ship of state” for the next four years. General
Hearn of Monroe, Colonel Connor of Roswell,
Mrs. Bruce Schaffer of Toccoa and others stood
before the television cameras and a battery of
photographers. These were the staff who were
chosen to aid the young Governor. If anyone in
CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
SOME JOB
Teachers-
Parents
BY GERARD E. SHERRY
Some parents make me sick and tired. Es
pecially those who are always talking about have,
ing no say in the running of the parish school.
I find the protests hollow, because many of the
complainers are not doing their job as parents,
and want to leave everything to the Sisters at the
school.
This was brought into sharpfocus this w eek with
the disclosure that eighth graders in one of our
parochial schools held a farewell party for a mem
ber of the class leaving town. The party took place
in a Catholic home.
Instead of having fun,
time was spent with
some of these child
ren (Let's face it—
that is what they are)
separating into boy-
girl couplesforkiss-
ing and the like. Don't
be shocked, dear
reader; it is happening all the time, and many
parents don’t give a hoot, even when it concerns
sub-teens.
REAPINGS
AT
RANDOM
The most galling part of this episode is how
ever, is that some of the parents of the child
ren attending the party complained to the Sister
Principal of the school. One parent observed,
“What are our Catholic schools coming to?”
Shades of the Mad-hatter at the Tea party.
The root cause of such conduct by our young
sters lies not in the failure of Catholic teachers,
but in the failure of Catholic parents. The Sisters
are not the prime educators —- the parents are.
This education includes spiritual formation, which
gets its emphasis through the example of God
fearing mothers and fathers. Let’s face it. Catho
lic education is being undermined mainly in the
home, not in the school. Let’s look at a few more
reasons why teachers want to be left alone to
teach, without having to assume burdens and re
sponsibilities which belong only to parents.
It is estimated that the life of the average stu
dent can be broken down as follows:
• 900 hours a year in the classroom
• 3,285 hours a year in sleep
• 4,575 hours a year “left over.”
In other words, the teacher has the child for
about ten per cent of his life each year, or at
least should have, and during that 900 hours the
same teacher is expected to produce a well-
rounded, fully adjusted individual who will be
able to read, write, subtract, divide, behave, and
in all things be a credit to his family, Church
and community. In spite of ever increasing
demands and constant interruption our teachers
perform wonders.
Teachers must be qualified, credentialized, ap
proved, screened, immunized, loyalty tested, in
vestigated. Schools must be accredited, evaluated,
affiliated, coordinated, centralized, decentraliz
ed, superintended, supervised, inspected. Pupils
must be tested for ability, reading readiness,
for sight, hearing, TB, bad teeth. They must be
immunized, indoctrinated against Communism,
warned of the dangers of narcotics, taught the
art of safe driving, and everything which the pa
rents cannot or will not do. The teacher must at
tend institutes, seminars, demonstrations, fa
culty meetings, night classes, lectures, enrich
ment courses. During class hours they will be
requested to collect lunch monies, donations to
worthy causes. In our Catholic schools they
must promote the sale of Christmas seals and
“pagan babies”. Which reminds us of the puzzled
neo-pagan father who asked his pastor to please
explain what was a “pagan baby.”
“Leave us alone” is the justifiable plaint of
our muchly badgered teachers but they are re
signed to the fact that things are going to get
worse before they get better# and all of the time
they are going to be blamed not only for Johnnie’s
illiteracy but also for his criminal wave and
alarm ing delinquency.
A few months ago a group was beating the
drums to stop Christmas caroling in our schools
and to help keep Christ and Christmas as far away
as measles, polio and smallpox. Not long ago we
read about a group of ministers who met with a
certain City School Board in order to explain how
teachers can teach “about religion” without
necessarily teaching religion. A good trick if it
works,but does not this remind you of the man who
refused to go Into the water until he knew how to
swim?
So to the growing army of educationists who
profess to know so much about education and so
little about the problems of educators we say,
leave them alone, which might be another way of
saying mind your own business.
Naturally, we are not telling the parents to
mind their own business. After all, the education
of their children is their primary responsibility.
They need to cooperate with the good Sisters and
lay teachers in both our parochial and public
schools. They can make a vast contribution to the
heavy- load on the teacher through a direct inte
rest and a disciplined concern for their offspring.
This, in turn, would make the concluding remark
not to obvious.
“And now, class, as I was saying before the
last Interruption — excuse me, but there goes the
fire alarm. Time for fire drill or is it nuclear
survival this time?”