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GEORGIA PINES THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1963 GEORGIA BULLETIN PAGE 5 ‘...The Friends He Made’ ST. GREGORY THE GREAT BY REV. R. DONALD KIERNAN We were just a group of school children when Father John Griffin appeared at die top of a hill on which we were sliding to winter’s first snow st»rm. He was the new curate at Saint Mary’s Clurch in Taunton, Mass. Father Griffin became affectionately tied to us all when he asked for a ride down the hill on Bradford Street. I can still see this 6 foot 6 min, every inch preserving his dignity but trying dtsperately to hold on to a sled which must have been custom made for about a third grade schoolboy. AFTERWARDS, he visited the ’’clubhouse” anl to the joy of all the boys he asked to join anl then paid his dues in advance. As I look batk now he must have paid his dues for five yeirs in advance when he handed the treasurer a >ne dollar bill. The club had never seen so mich money before. I know now how proud our parents were of us the next Sunday in church. Father Grif fin’s sermon was about our club. We never realized it but the club rules closely resembled the ten commandments. Father Griffin was proud of us as we were of him. UNKNOWN TO us at die time it must have been’’rough” for hm living at the rectory when he organi zed of club into a baseball team and in a game which lasted all afternoon we defeated Father Tom \\lsh*s altar boys 3 to 1. As t:ne wore on we always felt free to call the gocj Father any time of day or night. He watted over us all long after the club had been di^janded and some went off to college and othe* were married. FATHER GRIFFIN had real bad eyesight and hearing afcjity. For this reason he turned down many a pastorate to remain at Saint Mary’s with Monsignor Dolan whom I am sure he loved as a father. A visit with him at the rectory was always a must for all • the boys whenever one returned to Taunton. No matter how old we were I am sure we were just **boys” to Father Griffin. Reminiscing, I realize what an inspiration he was to me, personally, and I know this is the feeling of all the boys at Saint Mary’s who were associated with him in any way. MY LAST TRIP home included a stop at the rectory. It was just like all the other visits I have had during these 14 years I have been in Georgia. The Father’s eyesight had grown pro gressively worse and he would practically stand on top of you before he would say, ‘‘Gosh but its good to see you". Then he would adjust the hear ing aid and finally after this ritual was over he would listen intently about Georgia as he did to our problems when we were little children. 1 don't know how many times he showed me a room in the rectory and said,” This is the Georgia room”. I knew that I was as welcome there as I was in my own home. FATHER NEVER drove an auto in his days at Saint Mary’s. He would brave the cold, snow and rain attending to the sick and needy. I don’t diink he ever walked too far though, for someone would always offer him a ride. Protestants, Jews and Catholics of Taunton all knew and loved him. He was truly all things to all men. My childhood was enriched for having known the good Father, and I'm sure that my vocation is due in no small way to his prayers and ef forts. This morning I received a notice that Almighty God had called Father Griffin to his eternal re ward. Now I realize that I am writing a column about a man who truly walked in the footsteps of the Master and whose only reward in life was the friends he made and the people he influenced for good. May he rest in peace. QUESTION BOX About Monsignors? BY MtfcsiGNOR J.D. CONWAY Q. IN OUR PAUSH WE ARE QUITE PLEASED WITH OUR PASTER AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW ft HOW HE CAN B PROMOTED TO A MONSIGNOR. HE Has BEEN A JRIEST MORE THAN 25 YEARS WOULD PETITIlNS SIGNED BY HIS PARI SHIONERS HELP?p SO, TO WHOM WOULD WE SEND THE PETITbNS. OUR PASTOR IS / BORN LEADER AND PRO MOTER: DM FACT TlERE AREN'T ENOUGH AD JECTIVES IN MY VOCABULARY TO DESCRIBE HIM. HOWEVER, WITj THE HELP OF A DICT IONARY, HERE ARE \ FEW REASONS WHY I FBEL HE SHOULD BE PROMOTED: MMGENETIC: DRA\* PEOPLE CLOSER TO THEIR RELIGION. O-BEDIENT: TO HIS SUIfcRiORS. N-OBLE: HIGH IN EXCELLENCE OR WORTH. S-ERENE: CLEAR AND CIaM IN DEALING WITH TROUBLES. I-NDUSTRIOUS: DELIGENr, HARD WORKING G-ENEROUS: LIBERAL IN >i£ SPIRITUAL AND CORPORAL NEEDS OF Hs FOLD. N-OTABLE: REMARKABLE ESPECIALLY IN HIS WORK WITHSCHOOLGiILDREN ANDTE- enagers. O-BSERVABLE: WORTHY OF CBSERVATION BY THE GOOD EXAMPLE HE S$TS TO ONE AND ALL. R-ESIGNED TO GOD’S HOLY WL.L. WOULD AP PRECIATE ANY HELP YOU -an GIVE US. A. I have omitted identifying de*Us that each pastor may see himself in your de*cription. My j advice, pray that the good man remim as he is. I have used my dictionary too, ani I find the following characteristics not entirely foreign to monsignorial ranks. (No of fense: these are th» results of an examination of conscience, in part facetious): M-Isanthropic; and occtsional- f ly mysogynist. O—bstinate: with strong adhe sion to the obsolete. S-waggering; and not very sub tle about it. I-ndolent; his past industry has received its reward. G—rouchy; glamorous in his robes; sometiiT«s greedy and gourmandizing. N-ugatory; nondescript, and occasionally nox- ous. O-dd. obstrusive, sometimes obtuse and office ious, but seldom odious. R-igid; rotund, and sometimes rich. Bur R- esign; Neverl RIGHT-HAND SIDE (VIEWED FROM THE AL TAR): BUT IN MANY THIS DEVOTION REQ UIRED TO BE A PART OF THE CHURCH FUR NISHINGS, AND IF SO COULD YOU EXPLAIN THE DIVERGENCE? EVERYTHING ELSE SEEMS TO BE STRICTLY PRESCRIBED. A. The stations are not required furnish ings of the church. They may begin on either side of the Church, or be all on one side. The only cautions I find are (1) that there should be reasonable space between them, and (2) that they do not seem to advance backward (and I will leave that for you to figure out.) Q. OF ALL THE QUESTION BOX COLUMNS YOURS IS TOPS I I SO ENJOY YOUR STYLE! SEVERAL TIMES RECENTLY I HAVE SEEN IN QUESTION AND ANSWER COLUMNS A REFER ENCE TO PLENARY INDULGENCES FOR THE APOSTLESHIP OF PRAYER MORNING OFFER ING. I NEVER TRY TO MAKE THEM (THE IN DULGENCES) BECAUSE, AS I UNDERSTAND, WE HAVE TO BE FREE FROM ALL ATTACHMENT TO VENIAL SIN. THAT DISQUALIFIES ME, I’M AFRAID, BUT ISN’T THERE SOME PARTIAL IN DULGENCE THAT MAY BE GAINED ALSO? A. I am not sure whether your fostering of my vanity is a venial sin or not. My accept ance of your flattery is only innocent comp ensation for the abuse I take so frequently. Your evident addition to Question and Answer columns is probably not a sin-—only an im perfection. - You do not need to say the Apostleship of Prayer offering to gain the indulgence. It is a very good prayer, of course, but you can use your own words; just offer your day to God, with its work and/ or its suffering. I wouldn’t be so diffident about the possib ilities of gaining a plenary indulgence. Even if you don't gain it in plenary manner you may gain a comforting part of it. Besides there are par tial indulgences grated for these same offerings I forget the details. Someone else asked me recently whether they were prescribed prayers to be saidfor the Pope’s intention in order to gain the plenary indulge nce of the morning offering. The answer is: JMo«Choose your own prayers. Confession and Communon are required, of course. M0ST CHURCHES I HAVE VISITED, And now no more questions about indulgences THL STATIONS OF THE CROSS BEGIN AT THE for a few months, please. liturgical week Emphasis On Time CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, MASS AS ON SUNDAY. If time, in the Christian view, is purposeful, is moving toward a completion (and not merely a mat ter of "round and round she goes”), then Sunday Mass is also muclumore than a kind of spiritual rhythm or periodic return to the same source. We should find in it an evolution, a progressive deepening and "firming-up” of our relation to Christ and to one another as the Church. OCTOBER 26, MASS OF ST. MARY ON SATUR DAY. Our Lady helps all of us give time its place and meaning by subjecting it to eternity, by refusing to isolate it from the infinite wis dom and purpose of God. Even though the Infinite entered human history to save us through her body, nevertheless the honor we give her is not limited to the physical and timely facts of con ception and of birth, "Shall we not say, blessed are those who hear the word of God, and keep it?” (Gospel). Saints in Black and White! ON COUNCIL ‘America’ Urges Report On ‘Ban’ ACROSS 1. Plus 4. Stalk 8. Lie 13. Cow sound 14. Pert, to flight 15. Easter flowers 17. Contact 19. Superior mushroom 20. That man 22. Cans 23. Cut down 24. Decade 25. Contemptuous sound 27. Old-fashioned 28. Calor 29. Concern 30. Restrain 31. Henry in Paris 32. Egyptian immortal heart; pi. 33. Dromedary 34. "The Little Flower” 35. Behold! 36. Engine 37. Dread 38 Belly <0. tower 41. German title t i. Rainbow 4 5. A sleeping place; colloq. Deal Tanning material He was for fourteen years 46. 47. 49. 50. Plantars 51. German Noble 52. Two 53. Small galley 54. Editors; abbr. 55. Drill 56. Pert, to cat 57. Myself 58. Chore 59. Overhead imaginary line 62. Spoils 64. Hymn of praise 65. Definite article 66. Inquisitive; colloq. 67. Slim 68. Deviate DOWN 1. Amount; abbr. 2. Common; Hawaiian 3. He was one of the of the church. 4. He was declared a four years after his death. 5. Ionian City 6. Eagle 7. Truman state; abbr. 8. Blossom 9. Made known 10. Leeched 11. Diminutive of Lillian 12. Errors excepted 16. Clips 18. Wheel tread pi. 19. Motor Inn 21. Plural of ens or being 23. " et Magistra” 24. Ribbon; comb, form 25. La famous opera star 26. Rich man 27. Satan 28. Mister when in West Berlin 30. Fruit of palm; 31. Esteem 33. Humorous 34. Span 37. Ethical 38. Front 39. March of 40. Second year student; abbr. 41. Proof 42. Oil; comb, form 43. Nidus 45. Drivel 46. Prism 47. Look 48. Neath 49. Pig 50. Salt 52. Calf 53. Unit of shekel 5 5. Forbids 56. Paws 58. Uncle when in Cuba 59. May; French 60. Exclamation! 61. Fresh 63. United Nations 64. Plural; abbr. ANSWER TO LAST WEEK’S PUZZLE ON PAGE 7 NEW YORK (RNS) — Ame rica, a Roman Catholic weekly, said here that it hoped "either a denial or a confirmation will be forthcoming” soon on re ports that two U. S.-published volumes on the Second Vatican Council have been banned from Rome bookstores. Affected by the alleged ban — reportedly laid down by the Vi cariate of Rome — are "Let ters from Vatican City,” by Xa vier Rynne and "Pope, Council and World,” By Robert Kaiser. Veteran observers in Rome have said booksellers withdrew the book upon request of the Vicariate. ACCORDING TO America in its Oct. 15 issue, the "reputa tion of well-meaning persons is involved." It added that bar ring an English-language book on the Council could constitute "a slap in the face to the Ame rican bishops as a whole.” America noted that the Rynne book had been reviewed exten sively in its columns. "Let ters from Vatican City" origi nally appeared in The New Yorker as a series of articles; its author or authors used the pen name Xavier Rynne. The New Yorker, in publishing the articles won a special commen dation for Vatican Council cov erage from the Catholic Press ". . .THERE ARE RUMORS and there are rumors,” said America in its lead editorial. ARNOLD VIEWING This Sporting Life BY JAMES W. ARNOLD In playwriting class the first rule is conflict. Take a characte •, put him in an impossible situa tion, let him sc .irm. The trouble is that if you’re honest, and the impossibility is not merely ap parent but real, you end up with a squirrel in a cage, an exercise in frustration. This is what happens in "This Sporting Life,” a British New Wave film about a rugby football star with an absolute need for love from a wo man who simply can't give it to him. The movie is so good it will certainly bring a roomful of awards to producer Karel Reisz "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning”). But it suffers from the typical defect of non-hero drama; the viewer observes in disinterested fas cination, but is unmoved. It’s like overhearing a ding-dong fight among the neighbors in which you are not, and can never be, seriously involved. THE PICTURE is also, obli quely, bare-knuckled social criticism of a brutal sport - the people it attracts, what it gives them and what it demands from them. Sports, for some reason, have never been handled in an adult man ner in American movies. Our approach is always childish: the athlete is either idolized sentimen tally as a demi-god, or depicted as the pawn of corrupt racketeers. The hero-types are either golden boys or fixers. Rugby seems much like our pro football in its excess of battered bones and flesh and uncom plicated violence, also in the ugly types who howl in its grandstands, man its front offices and loiter about its dressing rooms. (The ruggers are tough er in one respect: they wear only jerseys and shorts, with no protective padding). If only be cause noU.S. film has ever taken an honest look i* at any sport but boxing, "Life” seems fresh and powerful. Its realism is abetted by a brilliant photography-sound combination that seems to haul the spectator into the panting, grubby heart of the scrimmage. THE PROTAGONISTfRichard Harris) is a mus cled young miner-turned-pro athlete for whom the good things in life are basic: physical strength, wealth (as a means of TV sets, clothes, cars), public adulation and girls. Sociologists might de scribe him as the creation of a competitive materialistic society. He is arrogant, aggres sive, on-the-make, with animal needs and goals. Off the field, away from the booze and broads, he is restless and bored, admiring his physique in the mirror, poring over his press clippings, reading trashy novels. This adolescent-adult has his admirable qua lities: he is physically courageous, loyal to friends, kind and generous to children. Most of all, in his soul he senses the emptiness of his values, and seeks meaningful love with a sensitive, guilt- ridden widow (Rachel Roberts) who is half-re pelled by him. The superb animal qualities that bring success elsewhere fail him here. In the end comes the film’s real point: man was made to love, and without it all else turns to ashes. THE ARTISTIC danger in realistic description of the unpleasant is that the artist will become- too fascinated with the muddy details and spoil everything by titillating his audience with the sor didness he hopes to condemn. In his 1960 first novel, author David Storey (ex-miner and rugger) often wandered -aimlessly in the ooze, especially with a long Christmas party-orgy that dominated the book. In his screenplay Storey has avoided the bog (wisely cutting down the orgy to background) and concentrated on Harris and Miss Roberts. The film has some graphic sequences whose utility is argu able, notably in view of director Lindsay Ander son’s comment that "Life” is intended for a popu lar rather than art house audience. But they do not mar the impression that the movie states an im portant truth with power and beauty. CRmCS HAVE greeted "Life” in delirium be cause of Anderson’s inventive use of thefilmme dium and the gutsy performance by Harris, a 29- year-old Irishman who was one of the leading mutineers (on and off-camera) in "Mutiny on the Bounty." With exquisite irony, Harris emerges as a British Brando-image - sullen, flat-voiced, insensitive, the brooding tough guy who shakes a futile fist at the world. The type has become so familiar (the Inarticulate Ape is a standard hero in modern drama) that it is easy to over-praise the actor; much more clearly impressive and original is Miss Roberts* devastating portrayal of a woman so abused by life that withdrawal seems preferable to the risks of human involvement. Film fanciers will be startled at Anderson's highly effective devices: frequent, sudden cuts back and forth between present and past (a Fel lini trick in "8 1/2”); slow motion in rugby scenes to show weariness and depression; con tinuing the sound unbroken while editing the ac tion that occurs during the same scene; running the sound of the following sequence well into the finish of the current one. Only once do Storey and Anderson behave like art- house amateurs, in a comical sequence in which a spider on a hospital wall (does this happen in England?) is used as a multi-legged symbol for death. In many ways, the inevitable approach of dis aster in "Life” is comparable to the clean, straight lines of Greek tragedy. With memorable force, it describes (as Aeschylus put it 2500 years ago) "the way of wisdom's everlasting law that truth is only learnt by suffering it... God’s grace by solemn force makes us wise against our wills.” CURRENT RECOMMENDED FILMS: For everyone: Lawrence of Arabia, The Four Days of Naples, The Great Es cape. For connoisseurs: 8 1/2, This Sporting Life, The L-Shaped Room. Better than most: The Longest Day, Mutiny on the Bounty, The Haunting, The V. L P.’s. * ‘Some can be ignored or con temptuously dismissed as tri vial or patently false. But there are others that need to be nail ed promptly because the repu tation of well-meaning persons is involved. Such is the Vati can ’book affair,* which puts in jeopardy the orthodoxy of Ca tholic writers, reviewers, pub lishers and editors in America and Britain. "The two ’suspect” works were reviewed at length in the pages of America. There fate at the hands of ecclesiastical authorities is therefore a mat ter of direct concern...Doubt less as concerned as Ameri ca are the two distinguished bishops who graciously under took to write separate reviews of the Rynne book in these pages. "ALTHOUGH THE prelate - reviewers voiced many reser vations on its style and content, nothing in their remarks sug gested that ‘Letters from Vati can City* contained doctrinal errors or anything else to war rant banning them from Catho lic bookstores in America. The same can be said of similar reviews by churchmen in other Catholic organs which are now faced with embarrassment or worse by unverified but persis tent news stories from Rome.” America said it was "hard to believe” some of the reports published in the secular press — that the booksellers in Rome had been ordered to remove the two books and others; that the Vicariate had ordered destruc tion of letters detailing its or ders; that the Vicariate had acted on orders of the Congre gation of the Holy Office; that "doctrinal reasons "reportedly formed the basis for a ban. "SUCH REPORTS are hard to believe, either in their details or in their substance," said America. "Neither the Rynne nor the Kaiser book has been translated into Italian. The Vi- cariate’s alleged order, there- NEW MISSIONARY BISHOP- A Milvvaukee-bom priest. Father Arnold Cotey, 42 (above), of the Society of the Divine Savior (S.D.S.) will be among the 14 mis sionary bishops to be conse crated by Pope Paul VI on October 20. A missionar in Africa for eight years, he has been named first bishop of the newly established Diocese of Nachingwea, Tanganyika. fore, would mean that Church authorities in the City of Rome felt it their sacred duty to pro tect the simple faith of the vi siting English-reading Council Fathers. "In addition, such an order would be a slap in the face to the American bishops as a whole, who allowed such ‘dan gerous’ books to circulate wide ly in Catholic circles. And, frankly, it is difficult to ima gine the Roman authorities — whether the Vicariate, the Holy Office or the Curia in general — bothering about such books, which were gotten up in a few months for popular consump tion and which make no claim to theological significance." MR. KAISER, the editorial said, was reported that the Vi cariate and the Holy Office told him they knew nothing of the al leged order banning his book. "Perhaps Mr. Kaiser is sa tisfied with such an answer," said America. "Others await a more direct and open disavo wal. Justice delayed is justice denied; so, too, a prejudicial report left unscotched by those in a position to refute it is a wrong compounded." God Love You BY MOST REVEREND FULTON. J. SHEEN Rome. . .Each week this colurr . will be written from Rome, describing significant events of the Count il. In this, the first of the series, we refer to the fact that our gloriously reigning Paul VI is internationalizing the Curia I What does this mean? Whenever the Vicar of Christ steps onto the balcony of St. Peter’s he gives his blessing "Urbi et Orbi" — to the city of Rome and to the whole of the earth. Up to this time, the government of the Church, or the Curia, or the various Congregations have been entrusted principally to those who live in the "urbs," or the various Congregations have been entrusted principally to those who live in the "urbs," or the city' of Rome. Now, like the Pope 's blessing, the Curia will be made up not only of clerics 'from the "urbs," or the city, but also from the "orbs," or the world. In other words, the movement of the Church ,will be not just from; center to periphery, but also from periphery to center. The basis of the Mystical Body of Christ will be like the basis of the physical body of Christ, consisting of nerves that are both afferent and efferent, that is, going to Rome and coming trom Rome. Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe and Oceania will now sit at the "Sedes" in the Holy See. St. Paul wrote that for a long time he had desired to see Rome; Peter was already there. Finally a day came when Paul did see the Eternal City. In our time, the Bishops outside of Rome have also longed to see Rome. Now, like other Pauls, they come to Rome and find Peter— whose name is Paul. The feasts of Peter and Paul have always been celebrated together in the Church, but never were they more closely linked than today when Peter- is Paul VI. All roads will now lead to Rome, not just from Rome. But this pan-nationalization of the Curia is only the start of the breaking of other bonds: In addition to the Curia the Holy Father is internationalizing each parish, saying: "Africa belongs to you I It shall have something to say about your finances. You may not keep all you collect." The curia of your home is to be internationalized so that you set an extra plate at table, as it were, for the hungry man from the slums of Santiago. Colleges, hos pitals, schools, fraternal organizations — all must internationa lize their curias I Gone are the days when you could say: "We are Americans; we must be helped first". The lepers are at the side of your swimming pools, the hungry from Hong Kong in your cafeterias, the squalid and dirty from Recife in your lux urious reception rooms! Internationalize! You are part of the world! Your curia becomes the "Cura Animarum,” or the "Love of Souls." Internationalization means missionary! While lam away, do what you can to internationalize the curia of your business, your blessings, your prosperity. GOD LOVE YOU to M. J. D. for $5 "I am sending this for the poor of the world, because I am so lucky not to be one of them." . . .to J. S. for $25 "This was to be spent on a new class ring to replace the one I lost. I’m sure you can make better use of it.” . . .to J. H. for $50 "Asking your prayers." Find out how an annity with The Society for the Propagation of the Faith helps both you and the poor of the world. Send your request for our pamphlet on annuities, including the dateof your birth, to Most Rev. Fulton J. Sheen, 366 Fifth Avenue, New New York, 10001. Cut out this column, pin your sacrifice t it and mail it to Most Rev, Fulton J. Sheen, National Directo of The Society for the Propagation of the Faith 366 Fift Avenue, New York 1 , N. Y. or your Diocesan Directoi Very Rev. Harold J. Rainey, P.O.Box 12047; Northside Statio Atlanta 5, Georgia York