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PAGE 12 GEORGIA BULLETIN THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1963 VATICAN COUNCIL NOTES Pessimistic Outlook On Council Results Unwarranted This is the first of a series on the second session of the Va tican Council by the GEORGIA BULLETIN'S managing editor, who has just returned after three weeks of coverage and conversations at the Vatican. BY GERARD E. SHERRY Last week we were talking about what seemed to be the meager accomplishments of the second session of the Vatican Council. On the surface, it would appear to be justified, for after two sessions only two de crees, Liturgy and die Com munications Media, have been promulgated by Pope Paul. Lost in all this is the rea lization that the bishops did well to legislate and vote upon even these two subjects. The docu ment on the Liturgy for in stance, runs into some 12,00 words, and represents a monu mental effort in prayer and study. Not only is this true for the Council sessions them selves, but also for the months before the Council and between sessions, by the Commission appointed to prepare the sche ma. Also not realized is that during the sessions only about two hours were allotted to de bate, five days a week. Each session day opened at 9:00 a.m. with a mass celebrated by a different bishop, and offered in the various rites of the Church. With the numerous announce ments to be made, the debate seldom got under way until around 10:00 a.m., and the ses sion closed a little after noon. The short time allotted to de bate was necessitated by the fact that the afternoons and evenings of each day were used by the Council Fathers to at tend Commissions, meetings of national conferences, and dis cussions with experts. Surpris ingly enough, during my stay in Rome, there was little time for social chitchat, even among journalists. Many meals of the bishops were working sessions and their lights burned until the early hours. Anyone versed In the work ings of our own state or na tional legislatures will come to understand how unwieldy a "Parliament" of 2,500 mem bers can become, especially when the right of free speech is honored and exercised. Some bishops took good advantage of the "Holy Liberty" laid down by the late, Lamented Pope John; So much so that they were, cut off by the Council Moderators. At times the debate became very repetitious; butfor those of us who believe in the democratic right of free speech it was to be expected and accep ted as the norm. The Decree on Liturgical Re form was promulgatedfirst be cause it wasthefirstitemonthe second session’s agenda; much of the work on it had beendone months before. It appears to me to be the most important, for it is obviously the vehicle for all renewal within the Church. Once these reforms are instituted, then renewal is well on its way. Hence, the Council Fathers have presented thefaithful with a tan gible gift which can only fur ther apostolic endeavors. Much will be said about the accomplishments (or lack of them) of this second session. Already, secular commentators are being pessimistic in their approach. They still wish to see the Council as the battleground between Progressives and Tra ditionalists. Some even suggest that the Traditionalists have successfully stalled any fur ther action of note. They paint the leaders of the Roman Curia as having successfully engi neered the delay in approval of the schema on ecumenism, es pecially the chapters on the Jews and religious liberty. They suggest that Pope Paul has backed the Curia in its alleged struggle with the majority of the Council Fathers. Yet it is obvious that the Holy Father sees the situation in a different light — and with good reason. He has made it plain that he is not the captive of any so-called bloc within the Council. Like his predecessor, Pope John, he has shied away from interven tion in Council discussions. This is not because of any inde cision on his part. After all, he told the Roman Curia that he wanted it reformed and its work updated; but he also realizes their ■"hard line" onmanymat- ters under discussion is moti vated by their concern for the defense of the Divine deposit. In their desire to fulfill their special role in the Church, Officials of the Roman Curia may at times appear unduly re pressive. Indeed, there is evi dence to suggest that their en thusiasm for their work has re sulted in injustice to individuals and groups. However, I would doubt if there was ever anything personal about it. In all walks of life, those with special re sponsibility are often obligat ed to take a "hard line". The Council debate points to the fact that many bishops (including Cardinals) are unhappy about Curia procedures; but the mis takes should never lead to wholesale condemnation. Personally, I think the basic thing wrong with the Holy Of fice and the Curia in general, is its public relations. While in Rome, I listened to a talk by an Official of the Holy Office, and was distressed at his disincli nation to answer even the most elementary questions. He seemed over-awed by the vow of secrecy under which he was obligated. In the circumstances, those present learned nothing new, and the official left us w ith the impression that he was only allowed to give a so- called "party line" on its work, most of which can be found in any good Catholic reference book. • So.too', the Holy Office is not served well by some of its sup porters in Europe and in this country, I had a talk with one eminent theologian who sug gested that anyone criticizing the Holy Office, or the Curia, is in bad faith. He labelled all critics, Liberals, who are tainted by secularism. He was so uncompromising that a Pro testant Journalist present com mented "God save them from their friends". It happened to be the same day that Cardinal Frings of Cologne, Germany, had entered the Council debate to deliver a devastating attack on Curia procedures. His re marks drew loud applause from the Council Fathers. I guess the critics are in good com pany. Even so, such disputes are in cidental to the major work of the Council. After all, there are many cardinals and prelates within the Roman Curia. Yet,on approval of the Liturgical De cree, there were only eleven negative votes. Hence, the ma jority of Curia bishops must have gone along with this ma jor reform. The pessimism of secular commentators is, in my judge ment, unwarranted. This is not to say that there are not diffi culties which lie ahead. There will be friction among the Coun cil Fathers, but never on the essentials. Renewal or reform is alw ays painful to some in our human society. What many of us seem to forget is that Vatican Council II is legislating for far more than mere human ends, and is under the special pro tection and guidance of the Holy Spirit. (To Be Continued) ‘SCAPEGOATS’ Protest Against Sudan’s Treatment Of Christians to bring religion into politics," The letter states that the con flict between North and South Sudan is fundamentally politi cal. The southerners (four million in number) are Africans, with African culture, speak Airlcan languages and worship according to pagan or Christian beliefs. The norther ners (eight million) are of Arab origin, speak the Arabic langu age, have an Arabic culture and customs, and are Moslems. THE GOVERNMENT is in the hands of the Northern Arabs, who have refused any form of autonomy to the South, In an effort to cement the two sect ions of the country, the Arabs decided to eliminate all dif ferences between the two parts, and resorted to the Islamizatlon of the South as a cure for the division. As a result, Christ ian missions and missionaries and anything that is related to Christianity is supposed to stand as an obstacle to Islami zatlon, and the abolition of dif ferences. The Sudan government has accused the Christian missions of disrupting national unity and of "interfering in politics," but this is seen only as a pre text for expelling missionaries from the South. The govern ment has taken all mission schools in the South and to date has expelled 163 miss ionaries, including 113 Ca tholics, It has also passed a Missionary Societies Act which, while claiming to re cognize religious freedom, is preventing virtually all mission activity. THE SSCA LETTER com plains of "racial and religious discrimination and persecution, political slavery and economic exploitation." A Su>(UvUfi£ioH 0$ 1U CfMVufici SulUtiK ‘TKaAeA /4 0 74*t$iMe .A gift subscription to the Georgia Bulletin might be just the thing /or a boy or girl away from home, a relative in the reli- gous life, a friend who moved but wants to keep up with doings in Atlanta. A SPECIAL CARD WILL BE ENCLOSED ANNOUNCING THE GIFT SUBSCRIPTION. ORDER THAT GIFT SUBSCRIPTION NOW. 1 Name , Address City. State Zip Code Gift From NAIROBI, Kenya (NC) — A vigorous protest against seek ing a religious solution for a political problem has been made by the Southern Sudan Christ ian Association. 'The Sudan is a full scale police state,” the SSCA says in a letter sent to all heads of Christian churches, to all heads of African states and to United Nations Secretary General U Thant, to denounce the religious persecution which the Sudan government is carrying on in Southern Sudan. "WE KNOW THAT miss ionaries are only the scape goats of an illconceived policy aiming at giving a religious solution (imposing Islam) to a political and cultural pro blem (the differences between South and North)," the letter says. "If Christianity and the Christian churches are in volved in the Southern Sudan problem it is because the Arabs seek a religious solution to the Afro-Arab conflict. This means A TALE OF CHRIST PAUSE FOR COKE •OTTKO UNI>«» AUTHORITY Of fMB COCA COL* COMPANY ar MARIETTA COCA-COLA BOTTLING CO. THE FELLOWSHIP DINNER, recently held at Drexel High Sc hool, was sponsored by the Student Council. Shown here is Fa ther Richard, C. P., principal, seated with members of the sc hool’s faculty. STUDENTS SPONSOR Drexel High Holds Fellowship Dinner Students from Drexel High attended a Fellowship Dinner, held recently in the school and sponsored by the Student Coun cil. In keeping with the season, the cafetorium was decorated by the boys and girls of the Student Council with fall leaves and turkeys. A special table was arranged for the faculty members. FATHER Richard, C. P., the Texas Chalice Washington, d. c. <rns; — A Solemn High Mass was offered here for President Johnson and the people of the United States at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Con ception. The "Texas chalice" was used at the service — the most precious of the shrine's chalices. The gold, 14-inch high chalice was last used at the shrine's dedication on Nov. 20, 1959. A gift of the Knights of Columbus of Texas, it is dedi cated to Mary, Patroness of the United States. principal, spoke a few words to the students before the dinner reminding them of the many th ings for which they should be grateful. George Terrell, president of the Student Council, also gave a brief address to the students. Quoting from H. W. Beecher he reminded the students that "The thankful heart will find in every hour some heavenly bles sing." The meal was prepared by mothers of the students who ge nerously volunteered their ser vices. The facilities of the Home Economics Department were used in preparing the din ner. Among those helping w ere: Mrs. M. Terrell, Mrs. F. Har ris, Mrs. A.M. Smith, Mrs. C. Jeter and Mrs. R. Reese, Home Economics teacher. GIRLS FROM the junior class, all Home Economics stu dents, arranged the tables and served the dinner. This is the second event at Drexel spon sored the Halloween Dance, also held at the school. Legion Of Decency The following revised pledge of the Legion of Decency will be recited at all Masses in the churches within the Archdiocese* Sunday, December 15. REVISED PLEDGE In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. I promise to promote by word and deed what is morally and artis tically good in motion picture entertainment. I promise to discourage indecent, immoral and unwholesome motion pictures especially by my good example and always in a responsi ble and civic-minded manner. I promise to guide those under my care and influence in their choice of motion pictures that are morally and culturally inspiring. I 1 promise not to cooperate by my patronage with theatres which regularly show objectionable films, I promise as a member of the Legion of Decency to acquaint myself with its aims, to consult with its classifications and to unite with all men of good will in promoting high and noble standards in motion picture entertainment. I freely make these solemn resolutions to the honor of God, for the good of my soul and for the welfare of my country. Amen. PRESIDENTIAL AWARD Highest Civilian Medal For Pope John XXIII (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1) we mourned six months ago: His Holiness Pope John XXIII. "HE WAS A MAN of simple origins, of simple faith, of sim ple charity. In his exalted of fice he was still the gentle pas tor. He believed in discussion and persuasion. He profoundly respected the dignity of man." President Johnson had an . audience with Pope John at the Vatican in August, 1962. THE CITATION accompany ing the medal for the late Pon tiff said; "His Holiness Pope John XXIII— dedicated servant of God. He brought to all citizens of the planet a heightened sense of the dignity of the individual, of the brotherhood of man, and of the common duty to build an environment of peace for all hu man kind." Miss Caulfield and seven ot hers received the medal "with special distlncition." Blue and white sashes were draped over the shoulders of these hon- orees. The ceremonies were witn essed by members of the cab inet and Supreme Court and a number of other dignitaries. The medal is a white star with small gold stars on a circular field of blue at its center. The star is set against a red back- bround framed in a gold design. The medal is attached to a blue and white ribbon which en circles the neck of a man re ceiving it. For a woman recip ient, the ribbon is shaped in a bow and can be pinned to the clothing. ONE OF THOSE receiving the medal from President Johnson was Genevieve Caulfied, a Cat holic who has spent a half-cen tury teaching her fellow blind persons to find fulfillment in a seeing world. Born 75 years ago in Suf folk, Va., Miss Caulfied losther sight in infancy through an ac cident. She studied at the Over brook School for the Blind in Philadelphia, Trinity College here and Columbia University Teacher’s College, then taught for seven years in New York City. IN 1923 SHE opened her first school for the blind in Tokyo. She went on to establish other schools in Thiland, Vietnam, the Philippines and other places in the Far East. She now wor ks in Bangkok, Thailand. Seve ral years ago she agreed to act as special adviser for a pro gram of medical treatment for blind children sponsored by Ca tholic Relief Services - Nat ional Catholic Welfare Confer ence in Saigon, Vietnam. She on^e summed up her phi losophy of life this way: "BEING BLIND merely me ans that you cannot see. It doe sn't mean you can’t live a full life if you’re willing to fight for it and rely with utter faith on the help of the Almighty every step of the way." Miss Caulfield’s citation for the medal read; "Teacher and humanitarian, she has been for four decades a one-woman Pe ace Corps in Southeast Asia, winning victories over dark— ness by helping the blind to be come full members of society'.’’ OTHERS RECEIVING med als included Ralph Bunche; James B. Conant, former pre sident of Harvard; retired Sup reme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter, former Gov. Her bert H. Lehman of New York, who died the day before the me dals were bestowed; Jean Moil- net, French statesman and An nie Dodge Wauncka, first wo man elected to the Navajo Tri bal Council. Peachtree Road Pharmacy Pick Up and Delivery Service Call CE 7-6466 • 4062 Peachtree Rd. Atlanta Antioch: Where The Divine Liturgies Began Antioch merits the title of mother of many I.Hurdles. In this city, the early Christians surrounded the “breaking of the. breiMl" with those ceremonies which have come through the years as a framework of sons: and prayer . . . Not too far from Antioch, in the village of MACHTA-AZAR. SYRIA, ome 130 Metchite Rite Catholics are a direct link to the early days of the Church. They are mostly poor farm laborers. They have been i*-v : nr to r**nafr the parish church which wi>s partly destroyed and . made unusable by Winter rains and The Holy Father t Mutton Aid >v j nc j Their services are donated for the Oriental Church a nd they have been unable to com plete the work because of their poverty. They have, appealed to us for funds to buy material, a modest sum of 81,600. We hope that enough of our readers will he able to help them. *h«s would be a most appropriate thank-you to the Christ Child who gave us the wonderful gift of the Mass or Liturgy as it is usually called in the Eastern Rite churches. The pa rishioners will long remember their benefactors in the lovely Melehite ceremonies. PALESTINE REFUGEES The plight of these persons is pitiful. For sixteen years, they have had to live in camps, leaving behind their homes, farms and jobs. The Holy Father has given us the task of watching over them in his name. We think of a poem by Cardinal Spell man: Somewhere—the place it matters not—somewhere I saw a child, hungry and thin of face— Eyes in whose pools life's joys no longer stirred. Lips that were dead to laughter’s eager kiss, Yet parted fiercely to a crust of bread. A FOOD PACKAGE, costing S10 will feed a child and his family for a month. Will you make this Christmas a happier one for them? $2 will buy a family a WARM BLANKET. THE DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES This curious, long-ago idea of some botanists held that God impressed a signature on many plants to show their curative powers. Thus the stalk of the ADDER S TONGUE resembled such a tongue. The plant cured the bite of adders and other venomous creatures . . . Most botanists dispute this intriguing idea but there is no disputing Christ’s teaching that man has God’s image and signature on him ... By educating a seminar-, i?n—JOHN DI MARCO, for instance or a Sister-to-be such as! SISTER CYRYSOSTOM. you can bring spiritual health (grace) and often physical health.to the many who do nok recognize Christ s central part in restoring man to his union with God. LILIES OF THE FIELD We read this fun-filled story of an itinerant Negro laborer and a very stable German refugee Mother Superior building a chap*l out oi dreams and prayers and everyday trust in Divine Providence. The words mirror marvelously the rising theme of the stoi\ which really hursts into song and matfnifi-. cence We thought yo much of the many priests in the Near and Middle East fared with just the same problems . ■ . Your STRINGLESS GIFTS enables us to help them where the need is greatest. A MEMORIAL CHAPEL is a lovelv way to re member someone. The cost: S2 000 to S6.000. A CHAPEL ITEM such as monstrance, cihorium. altar linens, sanctuary hell, etc.. ranee in cost irom fifty dollars to five dollars. Dear Monsignor Ryan: Enclosed please find ...... for Name ... Street City . Zone . * • • State miUgarEstOlissioasial FRANCIS CARDINAL SPILLMAN, Praiid.nt Mt^r. Ja»apk T. Ryts, Nafl Wy Wad all caaimaaUatla"* CATHOLIC NEAR EAST WELFARE ASSOCIATION 480 Uxipgton Av«. at 46th St. N«w Y or k 17, N. Y.