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PAGE 4 GEORGIA BULLETIN THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1963 the Archdiocese of Atlanta GEORGIA BULLETIN SERVING GEORGIA'S 71 NORTHERN COUNTIES Official Organ of the Archdiocese of Atlanta Published Every Week at the Decatur DeKalb News PUBLISHER - Archbishop Paul J. Hallinan ' MANAGING EDITOR Gerard E. Sherry CONSULTING EDITOR Rev. R. Donald Kiernan 2699 Peachtree N.E. P.O. Box 11667 Northside Station Atlanta 5, Ga. Member of the Catholic Press Association and Subscriber to N.C.W.C. News Service Telephone 231-1281 Second Class Permit at Atlanta, Ga. U.S.A. $5.00 Canada $5.00 Foreign $6.50 A Christmas Gift COUNCIL GOALS Vision Deepening Man Of It is a sad commentary on our educational system in this state when a school principal is asked to apologize to a PTA group for no other reason, other than some parents did not like what he had said. Joseph Parham, Principal of Woodland (Talbert County) gram mar school quit his post in order to ease tensions in the school district. It was a great act of humility on his part, for he had done no wrong --he had merely exercised his right as a citizen to speak his mind. Mr. Parham had written a letter to a news paper stating that some 11 and 12 year olds in one of his classes had applauded at the news of the assassination of President Ken nedy. Nobody has denied the truth of his statement, but Talbert County school officials urged him to appear before the PTA to apo logize anyhow. Whether they know it or not, the citizens of Woodland, Georgia, have suffered a loss. It would have been more to the point if school officials had investigated the reasons for such a sorry spectacle as cheering children who had no respect for their slain president. It is the parents of these pupils, not Mr. Parham, who should have been held up for public scorn Who are these so- called Americans, who can bring up children in a spirit of hate and prejudice? They surely do not represent the majority of Wood land citizens, or the people of Georgia. Harper’s In the December issue of Har per’s Magazine, there appears an article entitled “Restraint onthe American Catholic Freedom” authored by a Catholic write r un der the pseudonym of Jon Victor. It is an empty piece, contain ing half-truths, and certainly not the work of someone well versed in the works of the Catholic press. The article rehashes the con troversy over the banning of four theologians from a Lenten series at Catholic University of Ameri ca. It suggests that the majority of Catholic newspapers were of ficially muzzled in relation to it. Nothing could be further from the truth, and we resent such ill-in formed observations. This newspaper made a strong, adverse criticism of the C.U. ban, even though we believe it con formed to the norms of.charity. No one, officially or otherwise attempted to muzzle us; nor would they have had need to. It was a legitimate area of comment, and we were only one of a number of Catholic newspapers which took a stand. What we really object to in this Harper article is the use of the C, U, incident as an excuse Honor Haven’t we had enough of hate and bigotry? Did President Ken nedy really die in vain? Or can we pick up the pieces from his assassination and start spread ing about a little love -- and mainly in the home. For if w e cannot teach the children to love, how can we expect them to know it when they have grown into po sitions of responsibility. Joseph Parham may be out of a job, but he has kept his honor and integrity. He could have stay ed and fought out the issue, but he saw this would have engender ed more hate and prejudice. We hope at least the children of Woodland have learned by his example and that the parents involved might try to make amends; not to Mr. Parham, for he is a big man, and well able to hold himself erect; but rather to their children, for whom they must answer to God. We might make one additional comment. In some areas of the Georgia school system, too much power seems to be in the hands of PTA groups. Principals and teachers seem to have less say than PTA’s as to what is good for their children. Indeed, it appears to us that teachers, who are the backbone of our educational sys tem, are given little considera tion or respect either by school administrative officials or the parents they serve. GERARD E. SHERRY to resurrect old gripes and scutt le but; and to justify it. We re sent, too, the assignment of blame for the C. U. incident to some church officials who were not involved. To suggest that the C. U. affair was systematic of “a further lack of freedom in the Catholic press” is outrageous, simply because it is not true. The anony mous author, alias Jon Victor, was seemingly fed his informa tion by some disgruntled Catho lics who have failed to grow up and mature in the field of legi timate controversy. The Harper’s article does a disservice, not only to the Ca tholic press, but also to the Church in general. It appears to us to be a rehash of a piece we rejected a few weeks after the C. U. incident was reported from the Catholic press. Not only does it contain nothing new, italso re surrects material as old as the hills which bears little resem blance to the real issue of free dom within the Church. No press in the world is any freer than the Catholic press in the United States. If some edi tors don’t take advantage of it, or don’t apply it in the spirit of pru dence and charity, that is not the fault of the Church. We wish that Harper’s Magazine (which states that the manuscript had been checked “by eminent Catholics”) had consulted editors who took part in the C. U. controversy. Perhaps then it would have been consigned to the waste basket, where we believe it belongs. GERARD E. SHERRY BY REV. LEONARD F. X. MAYHEW The second session of Vatican II has closed, with a third session already announced for next fall. This may come as something of a surprise and a let-down to those who expected dramatic changes to arrive quickly and who, rather nai vely, thought the Council might achieve its work in the first year. I do not feel that this is a dominant mood, however. Accounts in both the Catholic and secular press have seemed to indicate that the complexity of the Council's work has been only gradually grasped even by the bis hops. This has been communicated to the general public as well by the news releases and by the .several books attempting to analyze, more or less ’successfully, the issues at stake. There have been few predictions lately about the ultimate duration of the Council. There is a growing realiza tion that the renewal of the Church, which is the goal set for the Council by Pope John, is a very difficult and far-rea ching combination of complica ted questions. The Fathers must deal with hard issues and prudential judgments, many of them basic to the constitution of the Church. While there is very wide latitude within which they may choose their course, they must at the same time maintain fidelity to the divinely revealed truths embodied in the continuing traditon of the Church. If they are convinced of the need for adjustment and re formation (formerly a bad word, now heard rather often with regard to the Council). They must com bine a sense of urgency with a sense of history. All in all, there seems to be little room for doubt that the forces working for change and moder nization will win out. The direction cannot be turned back. BY REV. ROBERT W. HOVDA DEC. 15, THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT. To day's Mass paints with heavy strokes a vivid contrast between the Advent piety of Christians and the hopelessness of man's natural situation. With out the assurance of His coming, past and future, man is anxious and without peace (First Reading), is in captivity (Entrance and Offertory Hymns), has little understanding (Collect) and no ground for confidence and courage (Communion Hymn). The Christian's joy springs from his consciousness of free dom from all this. With John the Baptist, the Christian points to the Lord's coming, to a cer tain emancipation and liberty he already tastes in Church and sacraments (despite environ ment's sometimes choking wil derness) and which he longs to enjoy to the full in eternal life. MONDAY, DEC. 16, ST. EUSEBIUS, BISHOP, MARTYR. "For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father" (Gospel). Even the witness of suffering and martyrdom can not deprive the Christian of his joy (First Read ing), for his joy has a transcendent basis, cause and assurance. Indeed, to "take up the cross" is a requirement for discovering one’s "life," one’s relation to Christ and to those ultimate events which promise happiness. The way is not made straight without some digging and some grading, without some dsitress. TUESDAY, DEC. 17, MASS AS ON SUNDAY. THERE ARE CERTAINLY defects in the work ings of the Council, The faulty press relations, the over-emphasis on an untenable secrecy, the repetitiveness of many of the addresses have all been pointed out and criticized. Steps appear to have been taken to obviate or reduce these fai lings. The honest struggle to hammer out the right path for the Council to follow, even if it is time- consuming, is not one of these defects. On the contrary, it is eloquent testimony to the serio usness with which the bishops view their free dom and responsihiity for the entire Church. Like wise, it is childish to reduce the liberal-conser vative tensions within the Council to the plane of an ecclesiastical western, good guys versus bad guys. This kind of over - simplification milit ates against the creation of an atmosphere in which the final decisions of the Council can be fruitfully implemented. SOME OF THE ISSUES of Vatican II, like the decree absolving the Jews from exclusive blame for the crucifixion and the consideration of uni versal freedom of conscience, seem quite simple to American Catholics. Having largely resolved these questions, at least in theory, we are temp ted towonder what all the worry is about. Ot her questions, which are perhaps more central to the long-term effect of the Council, seem dis tant from our mentality. Of these probably the most far-reaching is the basic meaning of the collegiality (sharing of Authority_ of all the bis hops with the Pope. All the future policies and forms to be adopted by the Church, as well as the progress of Christian unity, will depend upon the final decision in this matter. The Fathers of the Council are no doubt deep ening their vision of the Church, the beauty of her holiness and the scandal of her weaknesses. This deepened vision is already filtering throu gh r« the mass of the faithful. John the Baptist, the Advent figure of today’s Mass, heralds Jesus’ public ministry as the Church heralds His final coming at the end of time. Es pecially in the Eucharist, where we "show forth the Lord’s death until he comes," are we witnes ses to the fact that time will have an end, a con summation. Then the bread and wine will have served their purpose, and Christ will be seen in all His glory. The sacraments, all of them, are signs of this fu ture event as well as memorials of past deeds. DEC. 18, EMBER WEDNESDAY IN WINTER. The Masses of these Ember Days are a kind of final preparation for the Christmas-Epiphany celebration, with references both to the historical incarnation of the Son of God and to the last things. We hear two Old Testament readings, messianic prophecies, and the Gospel announces their ful fillment—at least the beginnings of their fulfill ment, for its full flowering will come only with Christ's coming in glory. THURSDAY, DEC. 19, MASS AS ON SUNDAY. "Our God is coming to save us" (Communion Hymn)--this is the Being, the Ultimate, whom the Christian confronts in worship. Christianworship is not a matter of clients frantically searchingfor a disinterested God. God is the one who searches, who finds, who loves patiently while waiting for a free response of love. "The Lord is near" (En trance Hymn,) First Reading) always. Our Advent task is to make our antennae more sensitive to His current comings in Word and sacraments. DEC. 20, EMBER FRIDAY IN WINTER. With CONTINUED ON PAGE 9 ROME VIEW Sees Religious Liberty Stall GERARD E. SHERRY According to the NCW C News Service, the drop ping of a vote at the last session of the Council on the subject of religious liberty is somewhat of a mystery. Yet, to anyone present covering the Council it was obvious there were forces at work to try and kill it altogether. In this regard, I listened to a rather informa tive talk on the sub ject by Jesuit Father John Courtney Mur ray of Woodstock College, a few days ago in Rome, where he had a large hand in the preparation of the original docu ment. Father Murray said that it was "the American theological issue at the Council" and that the American Hierarchy was greatly pleased that it had finally appeared on the agenda of the Council, "not withstanding many efforts to block its discussion." Father Murray said: “THE SECRETARIAT for Christian Unity com posed its text before Pope John XXIII published his encyclical, Pacem in Terris. But the doctrine of the text is identical with ihe doctrine of the encyclical. The text presents the term of a lengthy development of theological thought in the matter, and the encyclical confirms by its authority the validity of this development. "There are, in general, two essential points of doctrine. First, it is asserted that every man by right of nature has the right to the free exer cise of religion in society according to the dic tates of his personal conscience. This right be longs essentially to the dignity of the human per son as such. "Secondly, the juridical consequences of this right are asserted, namely, that an obligation falls on other men in society, and upon the State in particular, to acknowledge this personal right, to respect it in practice, and to promote its free exercise. This, in a mode of general statement, is the heart of the matter. "Four reasons are seen for the proclamation of this doctrine. All of them derive from the concrete situation of the world today. "FIRST, IT is necessary today to state the true doctrine of the Church with regard to re ligious freedom in society, as this doctrine had been clarified by theologcal reflection and also by political experience, over the past few genera tions. "Secondly, it is necessary today for the Church to assume a universal patronage of the dignity of the human person and of man’s essential freedom, in an age which totalitarian tyranny has imposed itself upon nearly half the human race. "Third, we are living in the age of the reli giously pluralist society, as it is called. Men of all religions and men of no religion must live to gether in conditions of justice, peace, and civic friendship, under equitable laws that protect the whole range of human rights, actually including the right to religious freedom. It is therefore necessary for the Church to show the way to jus tice and peace in society, by encouraging the cause of human freedom, which is, as John XXIII taught, both an essential end of organized society and also the essential method and style of political life. "Fourthly, and finally, we are living in an age in which a great ecumenical hope has been born. The goal of Christian unity lies, of course beyond the horizons of our present vision. We do, however, know that the path to this far goal can lie only along the road of freedom - a social, civil, po litical and religious freedom. Hence the Church must assist in the work of creating conditions of freedom in human society. This task is integral to the spiritual mission of the Church, which is to be herself the spiritual unity of mankind and to assist all men in finding this unity. These, in brief, are the four reasons for the Decree on re ligious freedom. "THIS IN the conception of religious freedom that Is contained in the conciliar text and develop ed in the Relatio. One must have in mind that it will be the duty of the Council to establish the for mula, "religious freedom" within the Christian vocabulary, to define or describe its full sense and meaning, and to do this in such a way there may be at least general agreement among all Chris tians, Catholic and non-Catholic, with regard to the essential content of this formula. "The intention of the Decree is pastoral and ecumenical. Therefore, it undertakes to define the attitude that Catholics ought to maintain and exhibit toward their fellow Christians and towards all men. This attitude is based on the Catholic doc trine with regard to the necessary freedom of the act of Christian faith. "The Church has always fought for her own freedom, and for the freedom of her children. The question today is, whether the Church should ex tend her pastoral solicitude beyond her own boun daries and assume an active image." FATHER MURRAY’S remarks must be taken seriously. He has devoted most of his priestly life to the subject, and was called to Rome as an expert on the insistence of Francis Cardinal Spellman of New York. Father Murray’s views represent the entiments of many bishops attached to the Secretariat for Christian Unity, as well as a large number of U. S. Prelates. It’would be a pity i f those who fear religious liberty were able to sidetrack this much needed declaration. The subject will be re-introduced a' next Sep tember’s session on the Council. It is to be hoped that it will be overwhelmingly accepted by the Council Fathers. - Bizarre LITURGICAL WEEK Advent Piety-Hopelessness REAPINGS AT RANDOM