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GEORGIA PINES
Paper
BY REV. R. DONALD KIERNAN
I have a problem. I have often felt like sitting
down and writing one of those “Letters to the
Editor', but then when it is a major under
taking for me to just write a letter home I shrug
my shoulders and grin and bear it. My problem
is getting the local newspaper.
Bear with me while I unload my personal
gripes. A young, healthy and robust looking boy
had been assigned the paper delivery in this
district. He looks so healthy I wonder why he
doesn't deliver the paper to the door instead
of just throwing it. Anyhow, one day someone
was leaving the rectory and they almost were
knocked over by this southpaw performing his
daily ritual.
I THOUGHT A little correc
tion by indirection was in order.
He completely missed the
direction though. The next day
I found my newspaper on the
roof. Well when he came to col
lect I thought that if I gave him
a tip he would be more consi
derate.
This didn’t work either, for
the next three days I never re
ceived any papers at all. So the following week
I cancelled my subscription and decided to pick
up the paper uptown myself.
NOW ANOTHER problem has arisen. If I stop
by the postoffice there is no parking on that
side of the street where the newspaper rack is
located. Usually all of the spaces on the other
side of the street are taken up, so I have to burn
about a gallon of gas in order to get a parking
space so that I can purchase my five-cent prize.
Chase
I thought I had a solution to the whole problem,
when one day I noticed a newspaper rack in
front of the printing plant. The street is wide
enough there to allow double parking long enough
to make the five cent purchase. Well, the upshot
of the whole thing is that three days this week
no newspapers were in the rack at all.
OF COURSE I mentioned this whole problem to
one of the good men of the parish and his remarks
were, "Father, you don’t have any problems at
all. Why not write to the editor and have him
mail you a copy?’’ I guess that will have to be
the final solution but it does seem ridiculous
when the printing plant is only about a fourth of
a mile away from where I live.
Here we have an excellent paper. The editor
is the recipient of many national awards, the
sports page would rival many of the big city
dailies and the paper is served by the major
news services. As a matter of fact it is one of
the best daily papers in the State. (That is, the
last time I was able to read one.)
AS I RIDE down the street I see people rece
iving their papers and I think how lucky they
are. Then, occasionally, I see some lad tossing
one among the shrubs or leaving it on the lawn
during a driving rain storm and I often wonder if
the young boy gets some morose delight out of
his actions. Well all this is to no avail. . . . be
cause I still don’t get the paper.
I sympathize with those people who subscribe
to the BULLETIN and somehow or other never
receive the paper. Believe me, I’m on their
side and would do anything to help them. How
ever, I don't and can’t sympathize with those
people who receive two copies. Why not? Believe
me, let well enought alone. I can’t even get one.
QUESTION BOX
Non-Catholic Wedding
BY MONSIGNOR J. O. CONWAY
Q. WHAT IS THE BAHA’I GROUP? MY SIS
TER-IN-LAW MET ONE OF THE GROUP WHEN
HE PUT UP A POSTER IN HER STORE WIN
DOW, ANNOUNCING A HUMAN RIGHTS FORUM
THEY WERE SPCNSORING. HE VISITED WITH
HER ABOUT THEIR TEACHINGS AND LEFT HER
PAMPHLETS, BUT SHE WARNED HM SHE WAS
A CATHOLIC AND NOT INTERESTED IN A CHA
NGE.
A. Baha’i literature promotes it as the "One
Universal Faith," which fulfills the Jewish ex
pectation of the Messiah, the Christian hope of
the Second Coming, the Muslim prophecy of "The
Great Announcement," the Buddhist prophecy
about the coming of the Fifth Buddha, the an
cient Hindu longing for the return of Krishna,
and Zoroastian’s waiting for the
Shah Bahram.
I am not acquainted with ma
ny of these messianic or esc
hatological hopes, but they are
all supposed to be realized in
Baha’u’llah, whose name me
ans "The Glory of Allah," and
who was manifested to the world
about a century ago.
Baha’i has a Muslim back
ground, and its origins were in Persia, To un
derstand it we would have to go into the history
and legends of ihe Shiite form of Islam, as fo
und in Persia; and our column does not have
space for that.
To their prohpet, BahaV’llah, the Baha'i as
cribe an edifying list of teachings: the oneness
of mankind, free investigation of the truth, all
religions on one foundation, religion as the cause
of unity and in accord with science and rea
son, equality between men and women, the eli
mination of prejudice, universal peace and edu
cation, spiritual solution of the economic prob
lem, a universal language, and an international
tribunal.
However 1 find nothing in it of Sacraments
or Sacrifice, of redemption and supernatural gr
ace, of God as Father, the Son of God as Brot
her, the Holy Spirit as constant personal friend.
There does not seem to be even a hopeful vis
ion of an eternity of life and love in union with
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
W. FOR MY OWN SATISFACTION I SHOULD
LIKE TO KNOW WHO MAY OR MAY NOT PAR
TICIPATE IN A NON-CATHOLIC WEDDINGT
WHAT ABOUT USHERS, SOLISTS, AND THE
ORGANIST?
ARE THERE DIOCESAN REGULATIONS CON
CERNING NON-CATHOLIC WEDDINGS, OR
IS THIS DECISION LEFT TO THE INDIVIDUAL
PASTOR?
A. I prefer to avoid questions of this kind for
at least three reasons:
(1) Some doicese do have regulations, which
may annul my answers.
(2) Individual pastors have a variety of solu
tions of this controverted problem.
(3) The question itself is complex, and a re
liable answer should take many circumstances
into consideration.
Here are the principles: We may never take
active part in the public worship of non-Catholic
Church. We may not even offer the Sacred litur
gy wiih the Orthodox or receive Communion with
them; even though bothjarevalid and sacred. Our
joining them would assert our unity with them;
whereas in truth we are sadly separated. Until
union becomes real we may not fake it.
We may be passively present at these public
worship services when good strong reasons
urge it, and when there is no danger that we will
give scandal or will suffer any spiritual harm
ourselves When there is doubt about the pro
priety of such passive attendance the bishop ma
kes the final decision.
The ecumenical spirit urges us to respect
the firm convictions and honest customs of our
separated brethren, urges that we avoid offend
ing them because of our love for them, that we
recognize the closeness of our associations with
them by friendship and blood relationship, and
that we avoid a "holier-than-thou" attitude. In
other words we should show every social and
civil courtesy to them as long as it does not con
flict with our religious duties and convictions.
I have long maintained that most Protestant
marriages in the United States are not public
worship services, a considerable number of my
fellow canonists agree with me, and we have re
cently seen a private reply from Rome which sh
ows that our opinion has acceptance by some of-
ficals in the Curia. If this be true, then for suf
ficient reason, and in the absence of contrary
diocesan regulations, a Catholic may perform any
fitting function in a Protestant wedding (except
that of bride or groom). The Roman response to
which I referred permitted a Catholic to be best
man or maid of honor. It does not seem to me that
an organist who plays a march from Lohengrin
is participating in sacred worship of public and
official nature; and much less the soloist who
sings "Oh, promise me."
Even if it were a public worship I think spec
ial circumstances would permit bridesmaids,gr
oomsmen and ushers to be present. Their fun
ctions are social and decorative. And the offic
ial witnesses merely accept, in addition, a civil
function, required by State law.
In all of this I am presuming that the mar
riage itself is valid and proper. If one of the
contracting parties should be Catholic, or if one
is divorced, then a Catholic should try, if reason
able possible, to have nothing to do with any
phase of the ceremony or celebration. Even in
such case, however, special situations may re
quire certain social or civil amenities. Scandal
and cooperation must always be avoided; but re
ligion is not well served when grave offense is
given in its name. In circumstances of this kind
a Catholic may need the counsel of a kindly,
prudent pastor or confessor.
liturgical wf.f.k
Advent Piety-Hopelessness
(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4)
fasting and with prayer we prepare to celebrate
the Lord’s historic Advent. And as we wait, we
realize more keenly the bonds that unite us to
the Jewish people. The full meaning of Christ's
Advent can be known only to the Christian who is
as familiar with the Old Testament as he is with
the New. Old and New Testaments are one Bible,
one inspired account of God’s love for His people
and of die W ord He speaks to us.
DEC. 21, EMBER SATURDAY IN WINTER. Of
the seven lessons in the Missal, only the first one
and the last two are ordinarily read at Mass today.
The Exodus event is related to the Incarnation of
God’s Son as it is to His death and rising again
(First Reading), although perfect deliverance and
the abolition of "crooked ways" (Gospel) will not
be known until the "day of the Lord" (2nd Reading)
at the end of time. This "space-between” rejoices
in the w ork of Christ in Church and Word and sac
raments, even though opposition is real and paths
are not yet straight.
Saints in Black and White
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1963 GEORGIA BULLETIN
LITURGICAL USAGE
PAGE 9
ACROSS
1. Abbr. of Order he
founded
1. To no one a
to help everyone
(his motto)
8 Island
13. Air
14. Black
15. Mounts
17. Twisted
19. Viper
20. Word of disgust
22. Complete assortment
of type
23. Etat
24. Road sign
25. Hindu rate of
exchange
27. Kind of cloth
28. Svelte
29. Type of moulding
30. Punctuation mark
31. Level
32. Conflict
33. Sloe
3-1. Cricket team
55. And (Fr)
36, Coronet
57. To store
58. Remedy
>0. Plunder
1. Sun
44. Traitors
^5. Blessing
46. Colombia Indians
47. Full of bubbles
49. Site
50. Fairy
51. Fume
1 52. Stratum
53. Scold
54. Equal
55. Tenement
5 6 pole
57. Demand loan; abbr.
58. Knots
59. Dreary
62. Vassal
64. A person who comes
65. Title of respect; abbr.
66. Pace
67. To deck
68. Lamb
DOWN
1. Feline
2. Fresli
3. Aimless person
4. Alcana
5. Aid
6. Wand
7. Manganese; abbr.
8. The Order he founded
has flourished in . . . .
9. Harangue
10. Guided missile
11. Compass point
12. Pronoun
16. Salt spring
18. To observe
19. Straws
21. He founded an ordc.
for
23. He knew St. Thomas'
by hear.
24. A person of
Central Europe
25. Arbor
26. Semi-precious stone
27. Acids
28. Killed
30. Sect
31. Plan
33. Fervor
34. Type of jacket
36. Barter
37. Carbon
39. River in Austria
40. Earth
41. Indian Chief
42. Delete
4 3. Thread
45. Thrash
■»6. Biblical weeds
47. Nail
48. Noblemen
49. Expanses of water
50. Rhythms
52. Somnus
53. Irks
55. Quintuple
56. Epoch
58. Make edging
59. Hill
60. Enclose
61. Woman from a nh
63. Licentiate in Surgcrs
abbr.
64. Cadmium; abbr.
ANSWER TO LAST WEEK'S PUZZLE ON PAGE 10
‘Eighth Day’ An Ancient
And Mystical Tradition
(NC) — in referring to Sunday
as the "eighth day," the new
ly promulgated constitution on
the liturgy is not envisioning
some new kind of calendar. It
is instead harking back to al
lusions in the Psalms and
mystical writings of some of the
Fathers of the early Church.
The reference to the eighth
day is contained in the chapter
on the liturgical year, in which
Sunday, the Lord’s day, is de
scribed as "the original feast
day.’’ It states;
“BY TRADITION handed
down from the Apostles which
took its origin from the very
day of Christ’s Resurrection,
the Church celebrates the pas
chal mystery every eighth day;
with good reason this, then,
bears the name of the Lord’s
day or Sunday."
Tertullian, second century
Church Father from Africa,
wrote for the Christians: ’Tor
the pagans, there is only one
yearly feast; for you, every
eighth day.’’
FATHER JOHN H. Miller,
C.S.C., University of Notre
Dame liturgical scholar, ex
plored this concept of the
"eighth day’’ in his 1960 book,
"Fundamentals of the Liturgy’’
(Fides Publishers, Notre Dame,
Ind.).
He wrote;
‘THERE IS still another
symbolic explanation of Sunday;
some of the Fathers spoke of
Sunday as the eighth day.
pseudo - Barnabas (a first-
century letter originally as
cribed to St. Barnabas, who in
troduced St. Paul to the Apostles
after his conversion) was pro
bably the first Christian writer
to undertake an explanation of
why Sunday was observed by
Christians in preference to the
Sabbath. He has God speak:
The present Sabbaths are not
acceptable to me, only the Sab
bath which I have made, in
which, after giving rest to all
things, I will make the beginning
of the eighth day, that is, the
beginning of another world.’
‘Therefore, says Barnabas,
'We. . .celebrate. . . the eighth
day on which Jesus arose from
the dead, was made manifest
and ascended into heaven,’ . . .
"as pseudo-BARNABAS
indicates, the substitution of the
eighth for the seventh day is
an expression of the substitut
ion of Christianity for Judaism.
But there is also eschatologi
cal symholism in Pseudo-
Barnabas, and this is brought
out more explicity by Origen;
The number eight, which con
tains the virtue of the Resur
rection, is the figure of die
future world.’
"St. Ambrose too gives the
number eight the meaning of
redemption: The number eight
is the fulfilment of our hope. ..
For according to the Mosaic law
a male child was to be cir-
cumcized on the eighth day after
his birth, while in the New
Testament Christ arose from
the dead on the eighth day.’
"SO IMPORTANT was Uiis
day that die early Fathers gave
it a new number, in order to
bring out its entirely special
character as a day made by
the Lord. . . completely out
side the natural order of time,
a substitution for Judaism, the
beginning of the new world order.
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
Cathol'c 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 benefactor s
of our SEMINARY FUND.
ARNOLD VIEWING
‘The Leopard’ Is Spotty
BY JAMES W. ARNOLD
Luchino Visconti's film version of "The Leo
pard" gives as much sensual satisfaction as a
good symphony, even if the viewer hasn’t the va
guest notion of what’s going on. Unhappily, not
many Americans want their movies to be like
symphonies, and few will know, or care after a
while, what’s going on.
For "The Leopard," the public is probably
in three categories; (’) those who read the 1960
best-selling masterpiece (a rare enough descrip
tion) by the late Giuseppe di Lampedusa; (2)
those who haven’t read it but would if they could;
(3) those who haven't read it and couldn’t care
less.
Those in the third category
had better avoid the movie: they
will find it tedious and puzzling,
especially if they’re weak in
19th century Italian history. But
if they happen to be movie buffs,
they will find at least one very
long scene - an elegant ball at a
Palermo palace - among the
most excitingly beautiful ever
put on film, quite apart from its connection with
the story.
THOSE WHO have already enjoyed the book
are likely to be disappointed: the movie is rather
a simple picture compared to a rich tapestry.
Director Visconti has followed the novel closely
in spirit as well as action and dialog, but Lam
pedusa’s characters in the flesh are less lively
and profound than they are in prose.
Most to be envied are the uninitiated who will
take the trouble to read the book after seeing the
film. Their perception and appreciation of this
vastly human work may well be doubled by Vis
conti's imagery and emotional packaging. His
achievement has been to set up a context and
background in which, for the non-Sicilian, Lam
pedusa's art may be better understood.
The story, to oversimplify, tells how one
proud, but immensely civilized, Sicilian prince re
acts to the political-social revolution of Garibaldi.
He compromises, in the hope of buying another
century or two of life for his family and class. In
particular, he marries off his dashing nephew to
the beautiful daughter of a repulsive proletarian
who has become the new man of pow er and wealth.
The point "If we want things to stay as they are, *
things will have to change."
"THE LEOPARD" deals with important themes
- the reaction of an honest conservative to a world
turning upside down, the ingrained habits of cen
turies that continue the prestige of the nobles even
in democracy, the ironic notion that social change
is only an illusion and involves merely an ex
change of power. It also has genuine religious
feeling, which the film never quite touches. Yet
the central quality is the marvelous complexity
and attraction of its characters.
Unfortunately, character complication is the one
element movies find difficult to handle(c;. "Law
rence of Arabia"). It proves sticky even for Vis
conti ("Rocco and His Brothers"), the acknowled
ged father of modern Italian cinema. Some 25
minutes were cut from the version that won the
top 1963 prize at Cannes, and the English dubbing
is often clumsy. But the basic defeats are the cha
racter flaws in the script and the acting.
Burt Lancaster, the only American in the inter
national cast, is capable of strength, dignity, gent
leness, the stoic emotions of a man in conflict with
his times. But he is by habit much too violent,
and no more Lampedusa’s witty, compassionate
prince than Teddy Roosevelt (whom, in makeup,
he sometimes disconcertingly resembles).
FRENCHMAN Alain Delon has the nephew’s
looks and charm, but only his surface. The same
is true of minor characters - the prince’s pious
wife, his tragically proud daughter, his Don Ca-
millo-like Jesuit friend, the calculating mayor,
the monarchist church organist (all played by
capable Italians). Instead of complicated humans
they are transformed into one-trait characters;
their relations with each other are trite rather
than stimulating.
Oddly, despite her limits as an actress, Clau
dia Cardinale seems perfectly cast as the volup
tuous peasant (a "dressed-up shepherdess") on
the rise in the new society. She still has Cleo
patra and Lollabrigdia too much in mind, but
manages to be, as required, vulgar, sympathetic
and absurdly beautiful.
Among the novel's episodes omitted from the
movie are two of the best: Father Pirrone’s acute
analysis of the nobility ("they have reached a stage
toward w hich all those w ho are not saints are mov
ing, that of indifference to worldly goods through
surfeit"), and the prince’s remarkable death
scene, one of the most poetic in modern litera
ture.
In other places, Visconti improves on Lam
pedusa. There is the ball, virtually a lyric poem of
color and lush acres of silk, velvet, crystal and
sw lrling humanity (Visconti inserts a madly ironic
shot of Lancaster glancing at a side room filled
with spittoons). There are long shots of “bare
hillsides flaming yellow under the sun," and the
unbearable sense of dust—choked heat on the sum
mer-squalid streets. There is a lively staging of
the battle of Palermo, which captures in miniature
all the glory, misery’ and horror of war.
MY OWN favorite is the nephew’s farewell to
join the army. Lampedusa writes simply:
and he rushed off down the stairs." Visconti has
Delon say his goodbyes to the ladies on a broad
marble terrace, rush through the magnificent
palace to a coach-and-two, and drive off with a
gallant wave on a dirt road through the green of
vineyards toward stark golden mountains.
The movie has a final ironic twist that Lampe
dusa might have liked. As the coach carrying the
engaged lovers moves through the night after the
ball, one hears distantly the shots executing the
die-hard Garibaldini who w ould overturn this com
promise society. The drunken mayor signs, half to
himself, At last, there is no more to worry
about."
CURRENT RECOMMENDED FILMS:
For everyone: Lawrence of Arabia, Lilies of the
Field, The Great Escape.
For connoisseurs: Winter Light, 8 1/2, This
Sporting Life, The Leopard.
Better than most: The Haunting, The V. I. P.'s,
The Reluctant Saint.
God Love You
BY MOST REVEREND FULTON J. SHELN
Looking back on the recent session of the Council, 1 have the
feeling of having lived amongst four different "Churches.” There
is only One Church, but the emphasis in one part of the world is
different from another. All have the same end; the growth of the
Mystical Body of Christ and the salvation of souls. But they achi
eve it in different ways.
1. The Administrative Church. This is the Church in the deve
loped and prosperous countries of the world, in which, thanks
to material blessings, the emphasis is on service to the faith
ful—indeed spiritual service — in such works as schools, hos
pitals, press, social works, parish
“plants," etc.
2, The Canonical Church. This
Church is steeped in tradition and
customs. Here, the bishops, parti
cularly, and the priests live some
what detached from the people,, giv
ing profound spirituality to those
who practice the Faith, but worry
ing little for those who do not pr
actice, who are as lost sheep.
»
3. The Poor Church. This is the
largest group in the world, and is
not bound by national limits. Here the bishops are like Our Lord on
the Hill of Capharnaum surrounded by the hungry and by sheep
without a pastor. The wealth in which the Church bond deals ib
souls.
4. The Martyred Church. Here Our Lord relives His passion in
vast areas - not only behind the Iron Curtain, but even in North
ern Africa. One bishop told me of four of his priests being str
angled last week. Two priests in one country and two in ano
ther were sentenced to prison for three years for having trans
lated one of my books into their languages. We read Mass for
their intention every Tuesday,
What is our role in the face of these four Churches? Since they
are ail parts of the Mystical Body of Christ we have to make
Wood circulate through this entire organism. The blood is made
up oi aid to balance off our wealth, and above all, as St. Paul said,
to "fill up in our Body the sufferings wanting to the Passion of
Christ."
Certainly Christ suffered enough in His Phsyical Body, but we,
by self-denial, sacrifice, prayer and offering of our trials for
the Church everywhere, complete, in the Church, that Passion
which Christ daily undergoes in the world, Sunday after Sunday,
we appeal to you to be more than American, to be truly Catho
lic, to love the Church everywhere, to realize that 52 collect
ions a year for the parish and a few second collections a year
for the impoverished and bleeding Christ elsewhere are not en
ough. During this Christmas season, we try to be especially
generous with others. Will you share your generosity with the
Holy Father by sending a sacrifice to The Society for the Propaga
tion of the Faith?
GOD LOVE YOU to Mrs. M. F. W.for $10 "I promised the Lord
that if He would give me the strength to wash my living room
walls, I would send what it would cost to have the work done. The
walls never looked cleaner." . . .to V. M. V. for $35 "1 wanted
to spend this money for a new slipcover for a chair, but dec leal
to send it for God’s poor." ... to Mrs. L. F. b. for $6 "This
is one-tenth of what I earned for serving on the jury in our coun
ty."
MISSION combines the best features of all other magazines;
stories, pictures, statistics and details, human interest. lake an
interest in the suffering humanity of the mission world &nd send
your sacrifice along with a request to be put on the mailing list
of this bi-monthly magazine.
Cuv out this column, pin your sacrifice to it and mail it to Most
Rev. Fulton J. Sheen, National Director of The Society for the Pro
pagation of the Faith, 366 Fifth Avenue, New York, N. Y. 10001, or
your Diocesan Director. Rev. Harold J. Rainey, P. O. Box 12047,
Northside Station, Atlanta 5, Ga.