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( I % 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.