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GEORGIA PINES Operation Understanding Saints in Black and White ABB0T MUM SAYS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1963 GEORGIA BULLETIN PACE 5 ST. MARGARET OF SCOTLAND jr 76 j BY REV. R. DONALD KIERNAN This is a true story. There is a military school located within the territorial bounds of Saint Michael’s parish. Every Sunday some one hundred arrive by bus to attend the nine o’clock Mass. Occasionally some of the cadets bring classmates with them as visitors. For many, this is the first time that they have ever been in a Catholic church. One Sunday while I was hearing confessions, before Mass, a young cadet entered the confess ion box. There was absolute silence for about two minutes. I thought the boy was examining his conscience. Then, thinking perhaps he did not know I was in there, 1 decided to clear my throat as a sort of signal that I was on the other side of the 3creen. STILL NOTHING HAPPEN ED. Finally, I said something like, “do you wish to go to con fession?’’. “No Sir,” was the reply. Astonished, I asked what he was doing in the confession box if he did not want ot go to confession. “Is that what this thing is?’’, the young cadet replied. Then he added, “Reverend, have you ever goofed?’’. (Now I absolute ly refuse to put the answer to that question in print.) The young cadet continued,“you see, Rev erend, this is the first time I have ever been in a Catholic church. I am a visitor. Some of my classmates told me to stand in the line outside and when it was my turn to go behind the curtain, the priest in there would tell me what seat I was to occupy”. IT SEEMS THAT some of his classmates had an unusual sense of humor. I often wonder though how many people who visit a Catholic church for the first time are just about as confused as this cadet was. There must be literally thousands of questions in their minds. Legion are the stories of the Irishman who vsi- ted a Synagogue for the first time. Then there is the story about the Protestant boy who went with his chum to a High Mass and asked hundreds of questions. When the Catholic boy returned the visit to his friend’s church he felt obliged to ask some questions in order to demonstrate his interest. When the Preacher went up into the pulpit and took off his watch the Catholic boy nudged his friend on the side and said, “What does that mean?”. “Nothing at all”, replied the little boy as the Preacher continued to speak on and on. NEXT WEEK IN OUR Archdiocese the Coun cil of Catholic Men will be giving their non- Cathoiic neighbors an invitation to visitwiththem in their parish church. For months now, men have been meeting in a sort of “indoctrination course” and on November 11th, the doors of all Catholic churches will be thrown wide open and the royal carpet of welcome will be given to everyone in the com munity. GUIDED TOURS WILL be given to all visitors and a short resume of sacramentals such as holy water, statues, vigil lights, stations of the cross etc. will be given by men stationed at various places round the church. All in all this gigantic undertaking known as “Operation Understanding” will be a big hand shake to our neighbors to come visit with us and let them know how welcome they are whenever they want to visit a Catholic church. Come see us. QUESTION BOX True Or False Paper? BY MONSIGNOR J.D. CONWAY Q. PLEASE NOTE ENCLOSED MASONIC PAPER GIVEN TO ME BY A NON-CATHOLIC CO-WORKER, CALLING ATTENTION TO ARTICLE, “A PONTIFF FREEMASON,” ON FRONT PAGE. MY FRIEND OR FALSE.” WANTS AN ANSWER, "TRUE A. False. The story that Pope Pius IX was at one time a Freemason is one of those libelous canards which refuses to remain dead no matter how often it is shot full of holes. Poor Pope Pius IX had many enemies who tried to defame him by many fantastic stories. The story that he had been a Mason is one of the more fantastic, though less vicious, of these libels. It comes in various versions: One has him joining as a youth at Sinigaglia, which did not even have a Masonic Lodge at the time. Ano ther has him joining at Philadelphia, Pa. The weakness of that story is that the good man was never in the United States in his life. The version in your paper, “The Masonic Chronicler,” of Chicago, is credited to the "Ca- ifornia Freemason,” and presents the most tecent version, dreamed up by a Mr. Dudley Vright, editor of an English Masonic journal, alout 1922. It has Pius joining at the Eterna Cttena Lodge of Palermo on 15 August 1839 D. Wright was not very literate, but at least he had the* Pope’s name right, Mastai-Ferretti. your paper has it inverted: Derretti Mastai. There are numerous weaknesses in D. W.’s story: By 1839 Mastai had been an Achbishop for 12 years and was within a few months of being named Cardinal. He was then Bishop of Imola. and records indicate that he was in that northern Italian city during the entire month of August 1839: certainly not absent long enough to go all the way to Palermo (Sicily) to make an utter fool of himself. The weakness of these stories is illustrated by faked photographs, showing Mastai, as a priest-before becoming a bishop—wearing Mas onic insignia. It is interesting to that photography tad not been invented at that time. Q. gossip is taking about people’s fa- LTS OR SAYING BAD THINGS ABOUT THEM. '0 WHAT EXTENT IS IT A MORTAL OR VENI- L, SIN? IF YOU TELL YOUR HUSBAND (WHO HLF-WAY LISTENS TO W HAT YOU ARE SAY- DS) GOSSIP, IS IT A MORTAL SIN? v. I suppose Idle gossip is mostly in the venial category. Malicious gossip may well be mortal. If your husband only half listens, and then only half believes what he hears, your biggest fault in telling him gossip is that you distract him from his newspaper. Q. YOU HAVE WHETTED MY CURIOSITY* WHY THE PROHIBITION AGAINST ILLEGT1- MATE CHILDREN ENTERING MANY RELIGIOUS ORDERS OR BECOMING PRIESTS, EXCEPT THROUGH DISPENSATION? WHAT IS THE HIS TORICAL BACKGROUND OF THIS PROHIBITI ON? A. In 336 the Emperor Constantine, hoping to lessen the number of “irregular” unions and alliances, issued laws which severely res tricted the civil rights of children of such un ions, notably their right of inheritance. Constantine intended his regulations to be tem porary, but the great imperial law-maker, Just- tinian, in the sixth century made them a per manent part of Roman law. However, he per mitted illegitimate children to be "legitimated” by subsequent marriage of their parents, or by imperial decree. Children born of incestuous or adulterous unions could not be legitimated in such manner. About the twelfth century the Church adopted much of Roman law into its own discipline, in cluding the rights of illegitimate children and the possibility of their being legitimated by sub sequent marriage or by a rescript of the Pope. The purpose back of such legislation is not to punish innocent children, but to form the con science of society; stressing the sanctity of marriage, and the evil of sexual relations out side of marriage. However, since the primary effect is actually to punish innocent children, it is surely time that this entire discipline should be re-thought. Since my first article is this subject appeared a few weeks ago I have received many indignant letters. There general tenor is that there are no illegitimate children; only illegitimate parents; and it is not right to visit the sins of the par ents on the children. Some writers demand how they can go about getting the law changed. Pos sibly respectful letters to the bishop might be a step in the right direction. I cannot guarantee their efficacy. Q. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF A PARISH IN A SMALL TOWN WHICH HAS A CARD PARTY ON AN EMBER DAY AND SERVES REFRESHMENTS —FOOD? I WAS REAL SURPRISED. A. It is all right if all those attending the card party are past 59. LITURGICAL WEEK Whose Is This Likeness?’ Marian Doctrine Should Draw Christians Closer CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 ^ THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, MASS AS ON SUNDAY. Faith supplies, of course, for our defects of sign and symbol. Faith sees Christ at Mass, no matter what the degree of partici pation or non-participation, no matter how help ful or unhelpful the surroundings are. Faith sees Christ at Mass, teaching His people, making present through them His perfect offering of His life to the Father, binding them together in divine life through a Holy Communion. But how much faith can be strengthened and ener gized by the proper use of signs, by intelligi ble language, by altar, by close and commun al participation. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, MASS AS ON SUNDAY. Why, then, give back to Caesar what is Cae sar's, and to God what is God’s” (Gospel). It is above all at Mass that we see “what is God’s a community of persons forgiven and divinized by Christ, manifesting their true dignity as persons precisely in Community because man was not made to dwell alone, exercising char ity in their common prayer and praise, their common listening to the Word of God, their com mon celebration of the sacrificial meal. SATURDAY NOVEMBER 9, DEDICATION OF THE ARCHBASILICA OF OUR SAVIOUR. To day’s Mass of the dedication of a church which is the Pope’s cathedral and therefore the cen tral church of the Christian world draws together all we have said this week about the church building and the Eucharistic gathering which is its purpose. Zacchaeus in his decision— “Lord, I give one half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold” (Gospel)—tells us more about the nature of the Church than any number of dogmatic treatises. Her name signifies 6. Soil 10. Shack 13. Scottish servant 14. Tune 15. Uncle Sam 16. Exist 1 7 . Dismay 19. Contused 21. Flightless bird 23. Type of auto 25. Untidy person 26. Cans 28, Country in Himalaja Mrs. 30. Trite i.3. Cotton pod ’5. Forgive y. After a while .'8. Containing nitrogen .0. C rank i Accomplished 13. Dextrose •5. S'vi'Mfh Gentleman * 7 . Formerly called Acadia; ahbr. i"3. C.ontr. of I would V. Particle !. Sedate ■ i. Clear s 6. Theme 58. To pass again 61. lofty 63. lawful 65. Furtively 66. She was one . 68. Crash TO. Possessive pronoun 71. Dismounted 73. Color qualities 7 5. Seamen $ Organization; abbr. 76. Painting process 79. She had .... children 81. Musical abbreviation 82. Metal 83. Male foal 85. Bargains 87. Auditory organ 88. Ogled 89. Swiss song DOWN 1. Jumbled type 2. Guido’s Highest note 3. Mountains 1. To Mellow 5. Director 6. Creole State; abbr. Circle 8. Manners 9. Abuses 10. She won her to sanctity 11. Exercise 12. Young boy 1 3. Twins 16. Ty pe of concrete 18 Rover 20. Jot 22. Items 24. Mentions 2~. Spore case 29. Resides 31. Cut of meat 32. Terminates 34. Evening 36. Purport 39. Song 41. Dresses 44. Repulse 46. Retort 48. Formerly Mesopotamia 49. God (Fr.) 51. Finger 5.3. Fabric 55. Visionary 57. Proa 59. Collapses 60. Sugar solution 62. Yap 64. Mercy 67. Relative 69, Intcgrater 72. System of weights 74. Lean to ~6. Digit ”7. Period “8. Alegar «;». Hindu cymbals 8 ». Government Finance Dept; abbr. 86. " Dcum” ANSWER TO LAST WEEK’S PUZZLE ON PAGE 7 ROME (NC)— “Our Lady should not be a subject of div ision between Christians, but a symbol of unity,” said Abbot Christopher Butler, O. S. B., of Downside Abbey, president of the English Benedictine Con gregation. He spoke at a press confer ence arranged here by the Brit ish Hierarchy for a discuss ion of the council proposal on the Blessed Virgin. A VOTE IS to be taken by the council on whether it should be debated as a separate schema or incorporated as a chapter in the schema “On the Nature of the Church.” A proposal on the matter pre pared at the request of the Brit ish Hierarchy and a similar one sponsored by the Bishops of Chile, Abbot Butler said, complement each other and may be combined “to gain massive support.” THE ENGLISH draft differs from the council proposal in giving greater emphasis to Biblical sources than to dogma tic pronouncements on the Assu mption and Immaculate Con ception. Besides the English and Chil ean proposals, Italian, Spanish and French Mariological drafts ARNOLD VIEWING The Caretakers’ BY JAMES W. ARNOLD The film is “The Caretakers.” The story con ference might have occurred last year in an office some where in Hollywood: Producer: I’ve called you together to start thinking on a great new picture idea. Writer (nastily): You want to make a musical out of “The Grapes of Wrath.” Story editor: Why not? Fits right Into the folk singing craze. More subtle than just filming a hootenanny. Casting director: We could get Burl Ives as Grandpa Jo- ad. . . Producer: You simple tons have no idea, do you, what's really the Coming Thing, what’s going to be Big next year. Writer: On TV it’s doctors, nurses and lawyers, with teac hers, social workers and maids edging up on the outside. Producer: Superficial, my boy. Look deeper: into the guts of Jthe thing. What do they all have in common? Casting dir.: Pretty girls, tough leading men, Writer: Tension, souped-up conflict, sex. But that’s TV. Producer: You’re missing the point. Uplift, that’s what they’ve got. The public wants sex, violence, terror, plus social purpose. Shock, with a point. Storyed.: I don’t know, chief. Americans are jaded. How much juice can you get from an or ange? I mean, after “La Dolce Vita” and “Cleo patra”. . . . Producer: Ahl But you speak of normal, rout ine shock. There’s a whole world still unexpl ored. Look at the psychiatrists on TV. Remem ber “David and Lisa”? Shock with a point. And it cost only $250,000. Writer: You mean the trend id to nuts? Producer: Precisely. Insanity. People are very- much afraid of insanity, I want to scare them to bits. They’ll love it. Story ed.: How do we work in the social pur pose? Producer: We’ll make it honest, frank, power ful, with an idealistic young psychiatrist. . . Casting dir.: Strong, virile, talks in gutty spurts, like Hemingway. Writer: It’s falling together now. Make it a woman's hospital. Young women. The heroine, of course, is crazy. Tears off her clothes a couple of times. Goodness, the possibilities. . . she tries to run away but gets into the man’s ward by mistake. They start moving toward her, leering, snapping their fingers. . . Producer: Just be sure to save room for the message. Casting dir.: This calls for goofy camera angles and closeups, you know, rolling eyes, sweaty faces. And loud, jazzy music. We can get Elmer Bernstein. Story ed.: My analyst can’t say enough for group therapy. Writer: Good. We can work in at least one prostitute. . .then a sultry Latin type, and a shy exquisite beauty with droopy hair, like Maria in “West Side Story." We want a typical group. Casting dir.: We'll need typical pretty nurses and a surly young doctors. Lot of kids are out of work. Producer: Marvelous. Holds down the budget. But now about the message. . . Writer: The heroine’s part is high-powered, with all that screaming, sweating and tearing. Demands a gifted, mature talent. Remember, od dball roles won oscars for Hayward and DeHavi- lland. Casting dir.: Got just the girl. Polly Bergen. A singer who wears clothes well. Story ed.: Fellows, I know just the right pro perty. A novel, poorly written, but with a mes sage, for killings and three rapes. Time said the author seemed like kind of a madhouse Grace Metalious. Producer: Superb, social significance. Magnif icent. Writer: You want shock, huh? Why not do it literally? I mean, actually show some dame going through electro-shock. Casting dir,: Sounds horrible. Writer: Actually it doesn’t hurt a bit. Almost miraculous cure. But it’ll terrify the custom ers, especially those with sick relatives. Producer: Now that’s what I call a message. Story ed.: Still not enough conflict. We need something bigger, more cosmic than idealism, terror or sex. Writer: How about the liberals against the con servatives? Old squares trying to hold the young Doc down? I can see the big scene now before the board of trustees. . . Casting dir,: I see the hero as deeply sensi tive, literate, kind of a young Dr. Schweitzer. How about Robert Stack? I mean, Eliot Ness is sort of a therapist, don’t you think? Producer: Well, if we can’t have Burton or Cary Grant, . . Writer: We need a finish - a real blast, but with the message tugging at your heart. . . Story ed.: What if the prostitute turns out to be a nice girl? Writer: After that, I mean. I've got itl Some nut who’s beeh a nothing for seven years sud denly decides to burn down the hospital. She’s standing there with the torch, see, and Polly comes up in her nightie, tears in her eyes: “W'e want you, Edna. . .” The conference is fiction; “The Caretakers,” unfortunately, is real. Produced and directed by- Hall Bartlett ("Unchained”), the movie edits Dariel Telfer’s book down to one attempted mur der, one attempted rape, no attempted taste. Among the cast; pretty nurses Diane McBain and Susan Oliver, pretty inmates Janis Paige, Sharon Hugueny and Barbara Barrie, And pretty conservative Joan “You come in here and try to change everything” Crawford. Oh yes. the message. After two hours of hys teria and shock, one learns that insanity is not to be feared and that the mentally ill can be helped by gentleness and understanding. have been submitted to the coun cil. THE GREAT interest in the topic, Abbot Butler said, is re flected in some 600 suggestions received by council preparatory- commissions. “We feel, “Abbot Butler added, "that in consider ing them two aspects should be stressed, first the progress of Scriputal research and secon dly, ecumenism. “W'e should deal with Mary from a Biblical viewpoint, rea lizing that the separated bre thren insists on Christ being the only source of our redemption, while Mary is the type of all those who by faith have enter ed into the redeemedfellowship. Since she illustrates in her person the meaning of the Ch urch as the supreme example of faithful discipleship, the Mari ological draft logically should be part of the ecclesiological one. “WE FEEL strongly that we should go back to the Biblical foundations and other sources we have in common with the se parated brethren, especially the Eastern Church Fathers whence Catholic devotion to Our Lady originates.” A Protestant reporter in the audience questioned these Bibl ical foundations of Mary's role as not beingconclusive. Abbot Butler acknowledged that Orthodox theologians dis like formal definitions on Mary' because they tend to rational ize a mystery. But, he said “all Christians could meditate together on what the Bible tells us about the Mother of God, which would help the cause of unity, whereas further elabora tions of dogmatic definitions now valid for Catholics only- might raise further obstacles to this cause.” AT ANOTHER press confe rence, Father Aloysius Grill- maier, S. J., of Frankfurt, Ger many, stressed the necessity in discussing the Mariological is sue not to assume a sharp div ision between “Maximalists” and “Minimalists.” This, he said, would only cloud the problem and create an unhappy atmosphere for discussion in the council, which is expected to be rather controversial. The council, he said, is seeking “a well proportioned Mariology based on Scripture, one in keep ing with the pertinent state ments of the late Pope John when he proclaimed the inclu sion of St. Joseph in the Ca non of the Mass and with Pope Paul's Christological emphasis in his council Inaugural ad dress. The Mariological teach ing of the Church , he said, should be made known in terms understandable to this age, es- pacially to the separated Chris tians. W'e should see to it that our Christology is not neglect ed by an overemphasis on Mar iology, Father Grillmaier concluded. Seminary Fund Remember the SEMINARY FUND of the Archdiocese of Atlanta in your Will. Be quests should be made to the “Most Rev erend Paul J, Hallinan, Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta and his suc cessors in office”. Participate in the daily prayers of our seminarians and in the Masses offered annually for the benefactors of our SEMINARY FUND. God Lo ve You BY MOST REVEREND FULTON J. SHEEN ROME...The Church is holy. We say this dally In the Creed, but here in Rome we see it in action. As an American bishop I often desire, as did the woman in the Gospel, to touch the robes of some of our missionary and persecuted brothers in the episcopacy. Al most all of the more than 2,200 successors of the Apostles are in St. Peter’s at least half an hour before Mass begins. Many are at the altar of St. Pius X and the tomb of John XXIII, but most of them are at the altar of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. Every morning three priests hear their confessions, while many who can not be accommodated on kneeling benches kneel on the marble floor. Each morning as they file in, and each noon as they exit, one is reminded of the scarlet cord of Rahab. When the spies of the Jews were sent across the Jordan they lodged with this woman, who asked to be spared when the Israelites came to possess the land promised by God. They gave her a sign: “Let down a scarlet cord.” The Fathers of the Church said this symbolized salvation through the Blood of Christ, In any case, the bishops fil ing through the main door of St. Peter’s look like a scarlet cord seeking salvation for the sinners of the world. Let me tell you the - story of just one,-whose name we cannot give for fear of reprisals. We inquired how he read Mass during his years of torture in a concentration camp. He answered that once a week he was given raisin bread. He would take out the rai sins, pour a little water on them and, when they fermented, use drop of wine a day for the consecration. These hundreds and hundreds of holy bishops in our midst all have one thing in common: they are all either very poor, or at least poor in spirit. Though I dislike being a beggar for these poor apostles and their missions, I suffer it for their sakes and pass on the pain to you. Two priests in the United States recently sent great sacrifices for these Christ-like missionaries. Other holy priests, we know, will do the same. And the laity, instead of giving to those who already have so much, will begin to give to those who have nothing. If you cannot send anything, say a prayer that some of that holiness may rub off on this beggar for the holy missionaries of the Lord. GOD LOVE YOU to B. L. P. for $25 “At the suggestion of one of my princely surgeons, instead of a fee for his services, I send you this for your Missions.” ...to Mrs. Y. G. for $20 “This was put aside to fall back on; we will fall back on the Good Lord and send this to you.” ...to Mrs. J.T. B. for $5 “In thanksgiving for a ‘no malignancy’ report.” WORLD MISSION, a quarterly magazine of missionary activities edited by Most Rev, 1-ulton J. Sheen, is the ideal gift for priests, nuns, seminarians, laymen. Send $5 (5.50 for foreign mail) 1 for a one-year subscription to WORLDM1SSION, 366 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York - 10001. SHEEN COLUMN; Cut out this column, pin your sacrifice to it and mail it to Most Rev, Fulton J. Sheen, National Director of The Society for the Propagation of the Faith, 366 Fifth Avenue, New York, N. 10001, or your Diocesan Director.