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PAGE 2 GEORGIA BULLETIN THURSDAY. AUGUST 22, 1963
‘DISCRIMINATION EVIL’
ANGE BUT TRU
AT PHILADELPHIA
Bishops Reiterate Racial
Stand As Moral Question
Following Is the text of the
Joint pastoral letter of the Ame
rican Bishops on racial har
mony issued this week.
Nearly five years ago, we the
CAtholic bishops of the United
States, proclaimed with one
voice our moral judgment on
racial discrimination and
segregation. This judgment of
November, 1958, simply reaf
firmed the Catholic positional-
ready made explicit in a much
earlier statement in 1943.
In the present crisis, we wish
to repeat those moral principles
and to offer some pastoral sug
gestions for a Catholic approach
to racial harmony.
WE INSIST that "the heart of
the race question is moral and
religious. It concerns the rights
of man and our attitude toward
our fellow man. . Discriminat
ion based on the accidental fact
af race 01 color, and as such
injurious to human rights, re
gardless of personal qualities
or achievements, cannot be re
conciled with the truth that God
has created all men with equal
rights and equal dignity."
of race or qualities or achiev
ements, cannot be reconciled
such a judgment with the Chris
tian view of man's nature and
rights."
These principles apply to all
forms of discrimination and se
gregation based on prejudice.
In our immediate and urgent
concern for the rights of Neg
roes, we do not overlook the
disabilities visited upon other
racial and national groups.
IT IS our strict duty in con
science to respect the basic
human rights of every person.
Our beloved Pontiff oif blessed
memory, Pope John XXIII,
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stated this fact in his encycl
ical "Peace on Earth." He pro
claimed that, "in human socie
ty, to one man's right there
corresponds a duty in other per
sons: the duty, namely, of ack
nowledging and respecting the
right in question." He not only
condemned racial discriminat
ion but asserted that "he who
possesses certain rights has
likewise the duty to claim these
rights as marks of his dignity."
Respect for personal rights
is not only a matter of indiv
idual moral duty; it is also a
matter for civic action. Pope
John stated: "The chief concern
of civil authorities must. . .be
to insure that these rights are
acknowledged, respected, co
ordinated with other rights, def
ended and promoted, so that in
this way each one may more
easily carry out his duties."
We know that public authority
is obliged to help correct the
evils of unjust discrimination
practiced against any group or
class. We also recognize that
every minority group in Ameri
ca seeking its lawful rights has
the obligation of respecting the
lawful rights of others. On this
point. Pope John wrote:
'"SINCE men are social by
nature they are meant to live
with others and to work for one
another's welfare. A well-
ordered human society requires
that men recognize and observe
their mutual rights and duties.
It also demands that each con-,
tribute generously to the estab
lishment of a civic order in
which rights and duties are ever
more sincerely and effectively
acknowledged and fulfilled."
These truths being under
stood, no Catholic with a good
Christian conscience can fail to
recognize the rights of all citi
zens to vote.
Moreover, we must provide
for all, equal opportunity for
employment, full participation
in our public and private edu
cational facilities, proper hous
ing, and adequate welfare assi
stance when needed.
BUT MORE than justice is
involved. There is also the
divine command: "Thou shalt
love thy neighbor as theyself."
Our present Holy Father,
Pope Paul VI, at the beginning
of his pontificate, reminds us
that "Revelation teaches us to
love all men, whatever their
condition for they have all been
redeemec by the same Savior;
and it obliges us to offer ot
those who have least, the means
of arriving in dignity at a more
human life."
It is clear that the racial que-
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sition confronts the conscience
of every man, no matter what
hi s degree of direct or indir
ect involvment. Indeed, the
conscience of the nation is on
trial. The most crucial test of
love of God is love of neigh
bor. In the words of the be
loved Apostle: "If anyone says
T love God' and hates his, bro
ther, he is a liar, for how can
he who does not love his brther,
whom he sees, love God whom
he does not see?"
WE CAN show our Christian
charity by a quiet and coura
geous determination to make the
quest for racial harmony a mat
ter of personal involvement.
We must go beyond slogans
and generalizations about color,
and realize that all of us are
human beings, men,women, and
children, all sharing the same
human nature and dignity, with
the same desires, hopes, and
feelings. We should try to know
and understand one another.
To do this we must meet and
talk openly and sincerely and
calmly about our mutual pro
blems and concerns. There are
many ways in which such meet
ings can come about peacefully
and naturally and fruitfully. For
example those In the same type
of work can readily discuss the
problems caused by racial bar
riers. Physicians of one race
can talk with those of another.
So can businessmen, teachers,
lawyers secretaries, farmers,
clreks, and other workers. Par
ish and diocesan associations
can be common meeting grou
nds.
Our important task is to break
down the barriers that have ca
used such grievous misunder
standings in the past. Where
barriers have existed for many
decades, deep misunderstand
ings have all too often arisen.
These should be faced, not in
a spirit of debate, but with a
desire to open doors of under-
s tanding.
IT IS only by open and free
exchange of ideas that we can
understand the rights and obli
gations that prevail on both
sides. Such knowledge is the
prelude to action that will re
move the artifical barriers of
race. We must act to remove
obstacles that impede the rights
and opportunities of our Negro
brethren. We should do our
part to see that voting, jobs,
housing, education and public
facilities are freely available to
every American.
We can do this in our own
area of work, in our neighbor
hood, in our community. We may
act through various lay organ
izations of the Church, as well
as with civic groups of every
type.
In many parts of the nation
there are interracial commit
tees representing the major re
ligious faiths as well as the
important aspects of civic life.
We bless and endorse such ef
forts to secure interracial har
mony and to implement it in
every day affairs.
BUT civic action will be more
fruitful, and its results more
lasting, if all our citizens op
enly and explicitly proclaim the
religious basis of racial just
ice and love. Accordingly we re
peat simply: Love one another,
for this is the law of God. Re
vere in every man his human
dignity, for this is a gift of
God.
United, as men and women of
every faith and race, we can
heal the ancient wounds of div
ision. Thus our nation will re
flect Its true greatness, a grea
tness founded on the moral prin
ciple that all men are froo and
equal under God.
In all these endeavors, we
must remember that they labor
in vain, who seek to work with-
our Almighty God. Our daily
prayer for giidance will give
us that confidence and courage
we need to seek racial justice
and harmony in ous land. Above
all, it is our prayer that the
love of God may infuse our tho
ughts and actions, so that we
may revere in every man the
image of the Eternal God.
Final Vows Set
Sister Mary of Providence,
G.N.S.H., a member of the fa
culty of Immaculate Heart of
Mary Parochial School faculty
•will take her final professionat
the Mother House of the Grey
Nuns of the Sacred Heart in
Philadelphia on Saturday.
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LUTHERAN THEOLOGIAN
Liturgy Strong
Bond For Unity
WEBSTER GROVES, Mo.,
(NC)—-The liturgy can serve
as a strong bond of unity among
Christians, a Lutheran theolo
gian said at Webster College
here.
The Rev. Arthur C. Piep-
korn, professor of theology at
Concordia Seminary in Clay
ton , Mo., told an audience of
teachers who are attending a
summer course on liturgy and
music at Webster College that
the "liturgy, especially, in the
Sacrament of Holy Communion,
emphasizes our unity in
Christ.*'
THE MORE the liturgy can
show people their unity in
Christ, greater Is the hope for
Alhambra Ask&
Tax Relief
CLEVELAND (NC)—The Or
der of the Alhambra at its
30th biennial international con
vention here called for tax re
lief for parents of retarded
children in a resolution ad
dressed to President Kennedy
and Congress.
The 2,000 delegates from the
U.S., Canada and Mexico, sug
gested that such relief might be
provided by a double income
tax exemption for each handi
capped child.
THE RESOLUTION said the
parents bear heavy medical,
losjiital and therapy expense in
cheir efforts to help handicapp
ed children become useful
members of society.
Liturgy Expert Proposes
Atonement For Race Sins
the unity of all Christian Chur
ches, Rev. Piepkom said.
The worship of the people is
important to any notion of the
Church or of unity because the
"liturgy is the means of affirm
ing one's faith and liturgy be
comes a part of the people,"
the theologian added. "It is the
corporate action of die entire
body of the people of God in that
place."
Returning to the theme of
the Eucharistic service as a
source of unity. Rev. Piepkorn
explained that Lutherans be
lieve Holy Communion is the
true Body and Blood of Christ.
The Sacramental union takes
place at the consecration
through the recitation of the
words of institution, he said.
LUTHERANISM has had a
liturgical movementfor the past
30 years, according to the
speaker. MsJ6'r L n t h e r a n
Church bodies have formal
commissions which study and
exchange infoanation on the
liturgy. Response, a magazine
published by the Lutheran So
ciety for Worship, Music, and
the Arts, is similar to die Ca
tholic liturgical periodical,
Worship, he explained.
The Lutheran professor
praised the current liturgical
revival in the Catholic Church.
Steps toward liturgical changes
in the Latin Rite, such as the
reception by the laity of Com
munion under the form of bread
and wine, could foster more
harmonious relations between
Catholics and Lutherans, Rev.
Piepkorn said.
PHILADELPHIA (NC)—Ca
tholic should ask God's forgi
veness for tardiness in enter
ing the fight against racila dis
crimination and segregation in
this country, a priest-canon
lawyer told the 1963 North
American Liturgical Week
here.
Father Frederick R. Mc
Manus, Washington, D.C., a
member of the canon law school 1
faculty of the Catholic Univer
sity of America, told some
8,000 persons, one of the lar
gest groups ever to attend the
annual liturgical convention,
this is "a day of crisis, of
moral crisis brought on by our
sins of our brothers and the
sins of our fathers."
"PERHAPS they have been
sins of omission, perhaps we
clothe them in long words like
racial discrimination or segre
gation, but they are truly sins—
of hatred and injustice and in
equity, of love neglected, or
inhumanity, indeed as has been
said, of clasphemy against God
in His creatures, our Negro
brothers and sisters," said the
former president of the National
Liturgical Conference.
Father McManus delivered
his message before celebrat
ing die opening convention Mass
(Aug. 19) in huge Convention
HalL
"The Liturgical Week would
be a hollow shell in 1963, an
idle pageant moving in a
vacuum if—for all our causes
to rejoice—we did nor grieve'
and sorrow and repent at the
racism both mild and violent,
which surrounds and Infect
us," said the editor of the
Jurist magazine.
"WE ASK the forgiveness
of God our Father because we
Catholics have been almost
the last, instead of the first,
to reject the loathsome doct
rine, tendency and feelings of
racial Injustice," Father Mc
Manus said.
"We ask God's forgiveness
if we have prattled on about
the natural law in other con
texts of morality, but have not
made the obvious, die human
application to our Negro bre-
then," he continued.
"We ask God's forgiveness
because we have had to be re
minded of our moral obli
gations by civic leaders and,
often enough, by non-be
lievers," he said.
"We ask God's forgiveness
that, long ago, we did not choose
to be a small and despised
Christian sect, known to all
men as the champion of love
and justice, of liberty and to
lerance," Father McManus as
serted.
"WE ASK God's forgiveness
because there have been Ca-
VOTES APPROVAL
House Supports Church-
Related College Assists
WASHINGTON (NC) — The
House firmly supported the
place of church-related col
leges in Federal aid to higher
education when it approved a
$1,195 billion "bricks and mor
tar" bill.
By a vote of 287 to 113,
approved last week a three-
year program to help all acc
redited colleges and univer
sities finance new classrooms,
libraries and laboratories not to
be used for sectarian instruct
ion.
THE BILL provides that col
leges can seek either an out
right grant for one-third of the
cost of a construction project or
a 50-year, low-interest loan for
up to 75 per cent of cost. Aid
requests would bei channeled
through special state commiss
ions which will assign priori
ties.
Although the chamber has ap
proved in the past a variety of
aid programs whose recipients t
include church-related institut
ions, the debate on the college
bill marked one of the few times
it has engaged in prolonged and
lively discussion on the issue.
Hie measure now goes to the
Senate. Majority Leader Mike
Mansfield of Montana said he
thought it has a "good chance,"
although the Senate education
subcommittee has yet to finish
work on its Senate version.
THE HOUSE rejected two
amendments related to the Ch
urch-State question, It turned
down by a voice vote a proposal
to insert a clause designed to
encourage a Supreme Court
test of the constitutionality of
aiding education in church-
related colleges.
It also voted down, by a non-
recorded vote of 136 to 62,
a move to confine the bill's assi
stance to public institutions.
THE LEGISLATION does
stipulate that the Federal funds
cannot be used to help build
facilities to be used for sect-
arain instruction, religious
worship or "primarily” for a
program of a school or depart
ment of divinity.
With the backing of House De
mocratic and Republican lead
ers, a bipartisan team repre
senting the committee which
tholic churches and there are
Catholic schools practicing a
racial segregation that we know
is a vile injustice to our fel
low members of Christ's
Body," he declared.
"We ask God’s forgiveness
for being sanctimonius and
self -righteous*^-perhaps coun
seling a falsely prudent obe
dience to unjust laws, perhaps
urging moderation on those
whose pain and want we do
not dimly comprehend, proud
perhaps because our laws do not
discriminate and segregate of
ficially or formally," Father
McManus added.
"We ask the forgiveness of
God our Father for our sins,
for our inmost feelings and
our outward neglects, for our
selves and our brothers and
our fathers. And may this Li
turgical Week, in all its pray
er and praise of God, be a
public act of sorrow and re
pentance for the crimes against
God in our Negro brothers and
sisters—and indeed an act of
purpose and intend for the fu
ture," he said.
"The night is surely dark.
We are the servants of the Lord,
who must be ready, watching and
waiting. The light we hald, as
we look for the Lord, is made
the brighter at this moment
if we confess our sins, in or
der that our sacrifice may be
clean,** Father McManus said.
ILLNESS RUMOR DENIED
Cardinal Mindszenty
In Very Good Health
NEW YORK (NC) -- Jozsef
Cardinal Mindszenty, 71. Pri
mate of Hungary, is in "very,
very good health" and in "very
good spirits," too.
The report came from Tur
ner Shelton, principal American
diplomat at die U. S. Legation
In Budapest, who denied re
ports that the prelate's health
is failing.
SHELTON spoke by telephone
from Budapest with A. J. B.
Adams of the Catholic News,
archdiocesan newspaper.
Adams was checking radio,
news service and other press
reports that the Cardinal was
suffering from diabetes and as
thma and was "getting weak
er."
Since the 1956 Hungary revolt
when the prelate was liberated
from prison. Cardinal Minds
zenty has resided in asylum at
the American Legation in Buda
pest. Efforts of Hungary's rul
ing communist officials to have
him surrendered to them have
been refused by U. S. authori
ties.
Shelton, charge d’affaires at
the legation, was quoted by
Adams as saying: "No doctor
has been here. No doctor has
been in to see him at all.
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OCTOBER 1 TO OCTOBER 9, 1963
wrote the bill defeated a ser
ies of crippling amendments.
The so-called "judicial re
view" amendments, introduced
by Rep. John B. Anderson of Il
linois, was voted down after
Rep. Charles E. Goodell of
New York told the House it
amounted to abdication of legis
lative responsibility and asks
the Supreme Court: "Will you
please come in and tell us whe
ther we are doing right or
wrong?"
The amendment to strike pri
vate colleges from the bill was
introduced by Rep. D. R. Mat
thews of Florida. He said there
will not be enough tax money
to take care of public edu
cation if private institutions are
assisted.
Defenders of including pri-
' vate and other church-re
lated colleges in the measure
argued that their inclusion has
been a Federal policy for de
cades.
THEIR determination to il
lustrate this was pointedly
shown when they dealt with an
objection of Rep. W. R. Poage
of Texas.
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