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PACE 4 GEORGIA BULLETIN THURSDAY, MAY 16, 1963
the
Archdiocese of Atlanta
GEORGIA BULLETIN
SIRVING GCOROIA'S 71 NORTHCRN 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
Telephone 231-1281 U.S.A. $5.00
Canada $5.50
Foreign $6.50
Second Class Permit at Decatur, Georgia
2699 Peachtree N.E.
P.O. Box 11667
Northside Station
Atlanta 5, Ga.
Parish Support
Recently we have had several
letters complaining about the
imposition of tithing in some of
our parishes. And the complaint
has been based, not so much on
the principle, as on some of the
literature that has been used to
further the aims of tithing. Hav
ing seen it ourselves, we are
inclined to agree that some of
the authors of tithing literature
appear to know little about pub
lic relations. More important,
some of their theology is ques
tioned by competent theolog
ians.
Alas, it is freely taken for
granted that we Catholics are
generous in our support of the
clergy and the Church; but on
what estimate this is based, and
againstwhich standard it is judg
ed generous, is not so obvious.
Only a little experience of tak
ing up collections in church, up
on which after all, the parish
depends for most of its income,
shocks by the frequency with
which the dime or the quarter
is made the offering. If each
Catholic were to seriously ex
amine his conscience on the
subject and compute his average
contribution in a year and com
pare it with the average annual
expenditure on personal plea
sure -- cigarettes, tobacco,
movies, ball games , and so
forth, the results would, we are
sure, surprise.
There are few, if any, who
measure their contributions to
the support of their pastors and
the Church by the taxes they
have to pay to Caesar for very
much more doubtful returns. It
is probably true to say that
the average Catholic's total an
nual contribution to the clergy
and the Church fall well below
expenditures on pleasure, vaca
tions, hobbies, clothes, volun
tary hospitalization, subscrip
tions to trade unions, business
associations, sports, and social
clubs. In fact, money paid in
church collections is the lowest
item in per sonal and family bud
gets.
We are in sympathy with the
principle of tithing. Its useful
ness has been proven through
out the country. However, we
feel that where it is introduced,
other parish appeals should be
done away with. A family which
is giving its fair share to the
parish should be free from the
obligation to Support other
"gimmicks." After all, there
are still the archdiocesan and
national appeals to which he
must also contribute in a gene
rous manner.
Naturally, there are still too
many people who do not give
their fair share in support of
their parish. It is to these people
that we must appeal, not by
scathing, but through love.
Concern For The World
We have been chided recently
for interest and comment on so-
called secular or social matters.
Some readers are of the opinion
that we should stick to religion
and mind our own business about
everything else -- especially in
relation to racial matters, Medi
care, and the United Nations.
We wish these readers would
take the trouble to look at the
recent encyclical, Pacem In Ter
ris, by Pope John XXIII. The mad-
date for our concern and interest
is clearly there. So, too, his late
lamented predecessor, Pope Pius
XII , also stressed the mandate.
He said:
‘‘To wish to draw the exact
line of separation between rel
igion and life, between the natural
and the supernatural, betweenthe
Church and the world, as if they
had nothing to do with each other,
as if the rights of God were val
ueless in all the manifold real
ities of daily life, whether human
or social, is entirely foreign to
Catholic thought and is postively
anti-Christian. The more, there
fore, the powers of darkness
bring their pressure to bear, the
more they strive to banish the
Church and religion from the
world and from life, the more
there is need on the part of the
Church itself of steadfast and
persevering action in order to
reconquer and to place all fields
of human life under the most
sweet empire of Christ, so that
His spirit may breathe more
abundently, His law reign with a
more sovereign sway, and His
love triumph more victoriously.
Behold what we must understand
by the Kingdom of Christ!
This task of the Church is in
deed arduous, but they are sim
ply unwitting deserters or dupes
who, in deference to a misguided
supernaturalism, would confine
the Church to the "strictly reli
gious" field, as they say, whereas
by so doing they are but playing
into the hands of their enemies."
‘I'VE GOT IT... MORE BIRTHS TO GET RID OF THIS STUFF!'
NATIONAL CONCERN
Disturbing Adolescents
BY REV. LEONARD F. X. MAYHEW
Disturbed and disturbing adolescents have ach
ieved a conversational ascendancy that rivals
even the weather. In sheer volume of words
spoken, written or thought, the problems of the
abolescent years would appear our number one
national concern. When the anti-social and self-
defeating activities of teen-age children reach
acute proportions, they become the basis of stat
istics and the content of analyses. Delinquency,
promiscuity, adolescent marriage and divorce
rates, school drop-outs - all are periodically
studied and restudied. As distinct from the weat
her, some effort is made to "do something about
it."
Even the less dramatic manifestations of the
teenagers’ conflicts receive their due of attent
ion and discussion. The high schools, pastors
and beleagured parents pool their concern and
confusion. Their recurrent lament is the ina
bility to understand the implied plea is for in
formation. The whole process of maturing that
intervenes between childhood and adulthood is a
profound mystery to most of us.
AN article (Jubilee Magazine, May 63) by
Robert J. Cambell M. D., Chief of the Outpat
ient Psychiatric Service of St. Vincent's Hospital,
New York, demonstrates how much help could
be had from psychiatry and psychology. The
understanding of the adolescent process that
these fields could provide, if their data were
translated into understandable terms, would form
a foundation upon which a practical approach
to the problems might be built.
The obvious aim of adoles
cence is the formation of a
socially competent individual
! based on sexual development.
Maturity implies the achieve
ment of a balance among the
drives built into human per
sonality and the transfer of
these energies from the paren
tal society onto some object
of personal fulfillment, nor
mally someone of the opposite sex. The person
ality is a dynamic unit whose energy and drives
arise from the very fact of life itself.
In Dr. Campbell’s words: "In the area of
sex and the teenager (this) means that sexual
energy is present and is no more removable than
the biological energy that makes the hair grow
or the heart beat." It is essential to understand
LITURGICAL WEEK
and accept the processes of puberty and adole-
sence as normal and understandable growth and,
if possible, to communicate this mentality to
the young persons themselves.
THE DRIVES and energies of the human per
sonality are then a normal and constant part of
life. In the infant, insofar as they are operat
ive, they are directed exclusively to himself.
The first awareness of environment will after
ward be directed to the parents. At this stage
and as the child's awareness is extended to
include other individuals and institutions, the
beginnings of conflict are born. The necessity
of choosing between the objects of desire, the need
to delay their achievement, the absolute impossi
bility of obtaining some or all of them - all
this tension contributes to the particular per
sonality of the child, especially according to how
well or poorly it is guided by those in authority.
This stage and the years of sexual latency be
fore puberty are the preparation for adolescence.
With the dawn of adolescence an intensly new
world of choice and conflict comes into being.
Swift and drastic change can be a threat even
to a stable and mature adult. For the teenager,
limited by his inexperience, the abrupt physical,
emotional and social changes associated w ith pub
erty- typically engender chaos. The task to be
accomplished during adolescence is the fusion or
balancing of the drives built into personality.
The normal intensification of the sexual impulse
needs to be made understandable to the adoles
cent. The stages of social development, from gene
ralized interest in the opposite sex to exclusive
attraction of one individual, ought in turn to foster
the maturing process.
Various stages within the psychology- of the
abolescent lead to a determination of the form
and object the sexual impulse will assume. It
is to be expected that these adjustments w ill be
accompanied by unpredicable behavior, guilt,
confusion, anti-social activity . These symptoms
are signs of the conflict within the teenager.
They are / many times^his defense or escape from
reactions within himself which he cannot manage.
The dangers they imply are obvious.
Our society hastens the start of adolescence
intensifies its confusion and defers its end. Lack
of equilibrium at this period is normal, easily-
accounted for and well documented. Anticipation
erf its appearance would allow responsible adults
to offer more effective guidance and better pro
tection against the manifold dangers.
Road That Leads To Life
"Can you loop the loop?”
BY FR. ROBERT W. HOVDA
(Priest,of the Pittsburgh Oratory)
MAY 19 FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.
"He It was who put me on the road that leads
to life," we sing in the Offertory Hymn. "He
has not allowed my steps to falter," so the Lord's
rising again is completed by His return to and
everlasting glory with the Father.
This week's feast of the Asscension (Gospel)
Is the inevitable conclusion of our Easter cele
bration. The "road" is Jesus Christ and the
"life'' to which it leads is the unalloyed hap
piness and fulfillment we call heaven. His sav
ing work of assuming "manhood into God" is
finished only with his return to the Father.
The pattern is perfected.
It remains for us to be fitted by faith and grace
Into it. So the First Reading teaches about the
Christian's responsibility as he looks into the
"law of freedom" established by that pattern.
The Gospel prepares us, too, for the days of
asking (Rogation) which precede Ascension. Our
asking will be not only for peace and plenty
and profit but also that the whole of human life
and activities may become part of the pattern
of return to the Father.
MONDAY, MAY 20 ROGATION DAY. Our "ask
ing" is based on two certainties. One, that
rain and dry- weather (First
Reading) and bread (Gospel)
and all the "Creatures" and
earthly realities for which br
ead stands are good and are
relevant to God's plan and God's
pattern.
Two, that we have in Ch
rist a relationship to the Fat-
|her which involves utter con
fidence. The First Reading is
also concerned that our asking be in the frame
work of unity and solidarity with the community
of disciples: "confess your sins to one another
and pray for one another."
TUESDAY, MAY 21 ROGATION DAY. The pro
cession before Mass calls on all our brothers
and sisters, in the Faith to pray with us and for
us, to join in our asking. This “litany of the
saints" expresses the Christian's conviction that
he never prays alone, even in the moments of
his most private dialogue with God. Always he
prays "in Christ" and therefore in real union
with all of Christ's members.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 22 ROGATION DAY. VIGIL
OF ASCENSION. The Mass of the Vigil may be
celebrated in place of the Rogation Mass. "Glor
ify me with thyself, with the glory- that 1 had
with thee before the world existed," prays
Our Lord in the Gospel.
The Father answers this prayer with the As
cension event. The First Reading points to the
CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
NCCW-FPA STUDY
Focus-Latin
America
BY GERARD E. SHERRY
Latin America was the central theme of the
recent annual convention of the Catholic Press
Association at Miami Beach. Experts, including
American missionary priests and laymen, work
ing in the area, spent many hours presenting
die situation. We all realized that we had not
given enough attention in our newspapers to the
pressing problems of our southern neighbors.
It is therefore good
to make known the
work of those U. S.
Catholics who fur
ther the work of the
Church through so
cial as well as spir
itual activities in
South .America. Last
week we had evidence
of the high concern
erf Pope John XXIII. In a letter written to Richard
Cardinal Cushing, Archbishop of Boston, the Pope
expressed "profound joy" at the contribution
made by- U. S. priests and lay volunteers in
the countries of South America. The Pope went
on to stress that "the greatest efforts be made,
as far as possible, during this time, so that
they- may- assume added significence as the ec
umenical council’s priceless gift to the Catholic
peoples of the Western hemisphere."
IT IS for this reason that I also want to re
commend a project of the National Council of
Catholic Women entitled "Focus: Latin America."
It is a study and discussion program preparec
by the NCCW with the assistance of the Foreig:
Policy- Association of New York City. There an
nine fact sheets plus an introduction to the pro
gram. Among the subjects taken up are "Allhs
for Progress": "Mexico- Land and Liberty"
"The Four Hundred Year Lag;" "Hunger br
Land;" "Urban Explosion;" "Coffee-Tin and Bin-
anas'’; "Communist Inroads” and "Democncy
and Leadership.”
Various diocesan groups of Catholic wenen
have launched this study which is followel by
questionnaries to be answered by members as
to their views of the subjects under discu;sion
The whole project has an excellent professional
touch. The material is well prepared, aad is
presented in simple language. TTie NCCW aid the
Foreign Policy Association are to be congraulated
on their enterprise in giving American Citholic
women an opportunity to "know” Latin Anerica.
NATURALLY, there is opposition to the
program; and it comes from the same tiiesome
groups - the ultra Right Wingers - Catholics
and non-Catholics alike, who are bent on sabota
ging the project at any cost. And it cat all be
traced back to their perennial opposition to the
Foreign Policy Association, in my ow» state
of Georgia, various grand juries have assumed
the right to declare the FPA a subversive
organization or a pro-Communist organiza
tion — or something else. The main bone of
contention is that years ago some FPA pamph
lets were written or edited by persons of ex
treme Left Wing views. There were other pam
phlets written by "middle-of-the-roaders” which
also came infor criticism. This because both sides
of the questions were presented; and recognition
of Communist China was among the recommen
dations made.
Opponents of the FPA keep harping about a
certain Vera Micheles Dean, whose pamphlets
raised many eyebrows — and not only those
of the ultra Right. This lady is no longer doing
work for the Foreign Policy Association, and she
has not for some time. Despite this, FPA critics
keep using her as the club in their vendetta
(and that is all you can call it)against the organi
zation.
But the Foreign Policy Association should not
have to be defended. Its officers and board of
directors are composed of most dedicated Amer
icans. The FPA draws its support from many
leading Republicans and Democrats, as well
as many religious leaders. I can say without re
servation that no responsible Catholic leader
has found it necessary to condemn the group or
to warn Catholics away from it. Yet I know that
some Catholic members of the ultra Right would
want us to believe that the organization is dan
gerous and has left Wing sympathies. Nothing
could be further from the truth.
THIS IS not to say that the Foreign Policy
Association has not made mistakes in its choice
of writers or research consultants. What group
hasn’t? Even the Georgia grand juries condemning
the FPA have admitted theirs. All but one of the
county grand juries involved have cleared the
FPA of the "subversive" tag. The lone holdout
is Bibb County-and who knows...? The important
thing is to rectify the mistakes of judgement and
proceed on with the job of furthering the cause
of American Democracy.
The NCCW project " Focus Latin America"
is a vital contribution to world understanding.
We are, through it, made aware of the problems
in South America and are inspired to concern
and activity- in behalf of those less fortunate
than ourselves. One would wish that members of
the ultra Right would stop sniping at the NCCW
and the FPA. They would be better Served by
thinking up their own programs to help the peoples
of the whole world. Maybe then we can take them
seriously.
REAPINGS
AT
RANDOM