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PAGE 2 GEORGIA BULLETIN THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1964 NEWSMAN EXPLAINS How Poor Are The Latin Americans? The Bishops of the United States are sponsoring an organized ef fort to aid the Church in Latin America. The Alliance for Pro gress is being revamped. The Latin American Bishops are pushing for an overall renewal of the Church there. The follow ing article dealing with the poverty in the area, was writ ten by the editor of Noticias Catolicas, Spanish language ed ition of the N. C. W. C News Service. BY JAIME FONSECA N. C. W. C. NEWS SERVICE How poor are Latin Ameri cans? Twenty million families— half the total population— live on an average of $55 a month. The more diligent manage to make up to $ 100. A middle mass of 18 mill ion families have an income of $200 a month. Some have earn ings of up to $500, but not all the time. THESE families average from five to six members. Next comes the big jump, to the contrast so typical in Latin America, between the rich and the poor; 3% of the population or about 1.2 million families have an income of $800 a month, and many make as much as $1,200. Close to them come the top rich, 2% of the Latin Americans receiving about 20% of the total income. These are the 800,000 families earning $1,600 a month or more. These figures vary according to countries and regions, but C & S REALTY COMPANY *'Specialists in Commercial and Industrial Real Estate" Suite 200 Henry Grady Bldg. Atlanta 3, Ga. Warehouses, Stores. Mfg* Plants, Acreage, Shopping Center Dev., Subdivision Dev., Industrial Dev., Insurance 524.2052 MIKE & STEVE SERTICH are the ones given as the more representative by experts of the U. N. Economic Commission for Latin America. THE FIGURES mean little unless you visit with these fam ilies. At Sao Paulo in Brazil Don Manoel Tejeria gives a party for some visiting American businessmen. He is the owner of a large coffee plantation and has substantial investments in real estate. His mansion is adorned with original paintings, the furniture comes from Europe, and the house has the latest electronic gadgets from the United States. Don Manoel has a large family, several ser vants, two cars, but otherwise he is a frugal man, devoted to his children, and pays fair wages to his workers. He con tributes generously to church and charity drives. His earn ings, he tells his guests, are at a standstill because of the in flation gripping this country. Aside from import duties on his luxury items he pays little taxes. Among his neighbors and fr iends are high government and banking officials, a few indust rialists and importers and other landed families. The Te- jelras have counterparts in and Peru, except that their in comes may come from mining cattle ranches or manufactur ing. AT EL SALVADOR a suc cessful architect, Eduardo Strayer, earns about $1,000 a month. Besides his home in an exclusive neighborhood, he owns a cottage in the country side. His grandparents came from Germany, but he is for all practical purposes a full— ! blooded Salvadorian. Among his costumers for modern homes and commercial buildings are coffee growers, high govern ment officials, a few managers with American or European firms and other professional men. I was invited to the birthday party for TonyFuentes in Quito, Ecuador, the five-year-old son of a llnotypist I had known for many years. Ramon, a Young Christian Workers' leader, is one of my best sources of in formation but never before had he gone so far as to have me at his home. I found out why. They had lived in a shack. This time Ramon and his wife—an Office Equipment Business Machines Sales -Service -Supplies PHONE ■. y x«,xia 525-6417 %H4f PHONE 525-6417 172 WHITEHALL STREET, S.W. ATLANTA 3, GEORGIA “PET.*yoii bell” PET Mil* COMPANY V J DAItY DIVISION For Convoniont Home Delivery In Atlanta Call 636-8677 attractive mestizo girl - had just moved into theirnewhome, a modest house in a row of doz ens built with Alliance for Pro gress funds. The party was a gay, simple affair, with about 15 children from neighboring homes. Their Sunday clothes were carefully mended. The furniture was equally modest. Ramon still had to put some finishing touches on the house, but it was pleasant. They had saved for six years and now had been able to put a small down payment on it. He makes about $40 a week. They have three children THERE ARE millions of families of skilled workers, like the Fuentes, semi-skilled laborers in construction and farmers all over the continent. They provide the bulk of the government's budgets through indirect taxes, mostly on im ports. At the lower level are the farm hands, the thousands of unskilled city "peones", the maids and their dependents, and those street vendors thatfillthe capitals of Latin America. They live in slums or huts. There is a mass of Indians along the Andes and the Sierra Maestra, and Negroes and Mulattos in sectors of Brazil and Haiti that don't even "be long" to any economic group, because they do not receive any cash pay for their labors, and produce just enough to subsist. "FIVE families in a hundred consume 30% of all the goods and services, while 50 live on 20% of available goods, and the other 45 consume the rest," a young communist remarked. "In less technical terms, the wealthy class spends extravag ant sums to maintain its so cial prestige,while large multi tudes live in subhuman condi tions, undernourished, cloth ed in rags, ill-sheltered, un schooled and sick." Someone figured that the rich families in Latin America spend 15 times more than the poor. In the countries of Western Europe, the rich spend only nine times as much as the poorest. "If we could only change the lavish habits of the rich, we could increase investment in local manufacturing andfarm- lng, and raise the Income of many poor families," the economist said. MOST LATIN Americans are earnest, hard-working people. Out of 206 million, about 58.5% are economically active and manage to produce some $60 billion worth of goods and ser vices a year (Americans pro duce $600 billion). On the aver age, the people south of the Rio Grande are 3 times poorer than those of Western Eruope, and 10 times poorer than U. S. citizens. The "whys* of so much pov erty and contrast are many. Re cent studies^ highlight the following: —Geography: good farm land is scarce on the continent; there are vast expanses of usable soil but they are difficult to reach. Rainfall is uneven, high ranges or deserts isolate communi ties; except for La Plata River, most of the big rivers go to the jungles or sink into deserted lands. Port facilities are few, railroads and highways are ex pensive to build and waterfalls for power are farfrom populat ion centers. While rich in most minerals, Latin America is poor in coal— a must for heavy industry. 9nAuna+ice in all iU JL it'd, written, uje u^ute it. . . Sutter & McLeftan 1422 RHODES HAVERTY BLDG. JAckson 5-2086 WHERE INSURANCE IS A RROr*SSION NOT A SIDCLINI s Agriculture; 53% of the Latin Americans live from the soil, yet they cannot produce enough to feed themselves, bring in dollar exchange for mechanization and fertilizers, and accumulate the savings needed to capitalize for indust rialization. The big "latifun- dios" — often worked by share • croppers- waste soil and manpower as the owners are content to extract a comfortable profit for their Immediate needs only. Much of the burden of earning real money falls on the modern big plantations in the Caribbean, Central Amer ica and the coastal, tropical pl ains of South America; they produce coffee, bananas and sugar. The La Plata countries KING REX and Queen Rosemary are shown with their Court at the Knights of Columbus 7th Annual Charity Mardi Gras Ball held recently at the Atlanta Biltmore. Mrs, James D. Hogan, of St. Joseph Council, Marietta, was queen and Joseph J. Zwicknagel, of Fr. Thomas J. O'Reilly Council, De catur, was King Rex. sell wheat, com, meat and wool. THESE ARE the raw mater ials, along with petroleum and minerals in Venezuela, Chile and Bolivia, that make all these countries dangerously depen dent on a one-crop, one- pro duct economy. Any fluctua tion in world prices spells dis aster. Economists figure that 14 of these nations lost $700 million in one year recently as the result of a slight decline in world prices. For instance, coffee has dropped more than 50% since 1955. The families have seen their income declin ing 1% per year since 1955. Americans do not realize it, but the Latins have been in a real "depression" over the last eight years. Food and mineral exports in the area have faced a decline of more than $ 10 bil lion a year in the last decade. —Inflation: The tremendous difference in the "terms of trade," the name given to the deficit resulting from exporting raw materials at low prices and importing manufactured pro ducts at rising prices, has re sulted in spiraling inflation. Using 100 as representing the cost of living 10 years ago, Bolivia’s costs have gone up 3,350%, Chile’s 1,160%, Bra zil's 500%, Argentina’s 600%, Uruguay’s 300%. The currenc ies have suffered devaluations that hurt most the savings and wages of the poorer classes. In all, bread, meat, bus fares and clothing cost four times more now than in 1953. —People: The fact that the 163 million mouths of 1950 are now 206 million and will be come 300 million by 1975 is not helping things. Each year some 30 million new workers knock at the doors of farms, factories, offices and shops looking for jobs. Only a frac tion find work. Unemployment is high. Argentina, with a labor force of 7 million, has 500,000 jobless. Venezuela had 350,000 men idle a few months ago. And this country, along with Mexico, Columbia, Brazil and the coun tries of Central America, are among the areas making real economic progress and opening more job opportunities. —Industrialization; More manufacturing is underway—to diversify products, provide for local needs and savings, invest ment capital is scarce (with U. S„ Western Europe and Ja pan supplying a good deal now). Native millionaires invest in manufacturing only as an ex ception to the rule. There is lack of skilled labor, and out side of Brazil, Mexico, Argen tina and Central America, in ternal markets are weak and small. Most governments take up industrial and trade pro grams because private sources cannot do it. There is another factor in the poverty of many Latin Ameri cans: they do not care to be rich. Juan Sanchez, a mestizo vendor in Taxco in southern Mexico, would fold up his tent and put aside his tourist souv enirs promptly at five to go home and watch from his hill the beautiful sunset rather than exert himself to become rich. THEOLOGIAN SAYS Holy See Has Condemned Use Of Oral Contraceptives Father Ford is a well-known authority on medico - moral issues and comments on the use of contraceptive pills. The author is professor of moral theology at the Catholic Uni versity of America and coauthor of a recently published book on moral questions in marriage. BY JOHN C. FORD, S.J. (N.C.W.C. NEWS SERVICE) In discussion of the con traceptive pill one cardinal factor is often omitted. It is a surprising omission: The Holy See has already authoritatively condemned the use of the pill as a contraceptive. On Sept. 12, 1958, Pope Pius XII clearly and explicitly re jected as immoral the con traceptive use of drugs, or pills, or medicines, which "by pre venting ovulation make fec undation impossible." THERE CAN be no doubt that he intended this teaching to be binding in conscience. He ap peals to previous authoritative documents on direct sterilizat ion, whether permanent or tem porary, He appeals, for in stance, to the Encyclical Castl Connubll (1930), to a decree of the Holy Office published with papal approval (1940), and several of his own allocutions, notably the Address to the Mid wives (Oct. 29, 1951). Of this latter address he said the following year: "Mindful, however, of the right and duty of the Apostolic See to intervene authoritatively, when need arises, in moral questions, in the address of 29th October last we set out to enlighten men's consciences on the pro blems of married life." FURTHERMORE, in his ad dress of Sept. 12, 1958, in the section devoted to sterilization and the sterilizing drugs, he rebukes moral theologians who defend the use of sterilizing drugs for the purpose of pre venting conception; says they are in error; and threatens their opinions with ecclesiasti cal condemnation, 'The Holy See finds itself then," he says, 4 In a situat ion like that of Blessed In nocent XI, who saw himself more than once obliged to con demn moral theses put forward by theologians animated by in discreet zeal» and a rashness showing little discernment." It is obvious therefore that the Holy See, through Pius XII, was acting authoritatively when it condemned the contraceptive use of the new pills. IT IS true that theologians do not consider that such moral pronouncements are proposed to the faithful like an article of faith, taught with infallible authority. But it is part of Ca tholic teaching that even when the Pope does not use his su preme infallible power, his authoritative pronouncements call for acceptance, and, where moral matters are concerned, are binding in practice on the consciences of Catholics. The contraceptive pill as we know it today does not differ in any significant way from the pill condemned by the Holy See. No new medical factors have been made known which make its contraceptive use to day morally different from the contraceptive use which Pius XII declared immoral five and one half years ago. CONSEQUENTLY, unless and Or Even ‘Ember* Tingsing, Burma—A person can get just too liturgical, con cluded Father Lawrence Mc Mahon, S. S. C., of Chicago, Ill, as he was baptizing a gro up of infants here recently. A parishioner handed theColum- ban missionary a slip of pap er on which was written the baby’s name - Feria, taken from the Church calendar for December 14, the baby's birth day. Father McMahon explained that feria means a day upon which no saint is honored and suggested Rita as a better name. "But although I baptized her Rita," said the missionary. "I’m sure she’ll always be Feria to her parents. 1" until the Holy See gives Its approval to some other teaching (a highly unlikely eventuality), no lesser authority in the Church, and least of all a pri vate theologian, is at liberty to teach a different doctrine, or to free Catholics in practice from their obligation to accept papal teaching. This does not mean that there is nothing left for Catholic theo logians to say about the pill. Theologians are still dis cussing certain of its uses to determine whether they are really contraceptive. In Chapter 16 of our recent book "Marriage Questions" (Vol. II of "Con temporary Moral Theology," Newman Press) Father Gerald Kelly and 1 try to contribute to this discussion by explaining some of these possibilities. FURTHERMORE, there is well founded hope that medical science will discover soon a pill which will regulate ovulation with enough precision to make the use of rhythm secure and effective. This is just what Plus XII hoped would take place. Theological journals will continue to publish the speculat ions of moral theologians on these problems. Some of these speculations are merely tentat ive, and among the most recent ones some are proposed for consideration of and correct ion by fellow theologians. Such publications cannot be con sidered definitive of practical, moral obligations on which the Holy See has already given its decision. Catholics should realize, too, that not only those theologians who tend to enlarge the legiti mate scope of the pill, but those who tend to restrict it, are equally concerned over * the trying problems married people face today.The moral dilemmas occasioned by generous mar ried love, generous in its self donation, generous in its fruit fulness, are the preoccupation of all the theologians concerned. Neither they nor the married Catholics can hope to solve these dilemmas by ignoring the teaching of the Holy See, HE KNOWS To Know What’s Cooking? Ask Bro• Zaccarelli BY BILL RING (N. C. W. C. NEWS SERVICE) WASHINGTON — In a quiet, dignified manner, Brother Her man E. Zaccarelli, C. S. C„ has been hopscotching about the countryside cooking up a storm about cooking. With the personable, soft- spoken Brother, who is stat ioned at Stonehill College, North Easton, Mass., it's not just a question of what’s cooking, but who and how much. That’s why he’s scheduled the 8th annual Catholic Food Service Work shop for Brothers and nuns en gaged in the culinary art from Aug. 2 to 15 at Stonehill Col lege. "LOOK AT it this way," said Brother Zaccarelli during a stop-off here in the nation’s capital. "Preparing meals for a family of four or five often becomes a vexing problem for many a housewife. But multi ply that family by 20,50 or even 100 and you begin to get some idea of the situation faced by a Religious in charge of prepar ing and serving the meals in a motherhouse, college, semin ary, novitiate, hospital or some other large institution.” It could be said that Bro ther Zaccarelli’s proposition starts out on that old premise of "any goof can cook an oeuf"—even though it doesn't rhyme in French~and goes on from there. It’s not as simple as throwing a steak or a couple of chops and a few vegetables on the fire—there’s a lot to be learned these days about nutrition, diet, menu planning, food purchasing, storage, sani tation and scores of other short cuts in the art of making it cheaper when cooking by the dozens. AS BROTHER Zaccarelli put it, the business of knowing how much and what kind of staples and canned goods to buy in creases and changes almost daily as new innovations in frozen foods are introduced. ’There were a couple of Brothers in charge of the kit chen of a Midwest community who attended one of our work shops,” Brother Zaccarelli said. "They were able to ef fect a saving of between $4, 000 and $5,000 a year in food purchases alone as a result of their studies." Brother Zaccarelli received his kitchen baptism when a 13- year-old high schooler in his native New Castle, Pa., He got an after-school job as a bus boy in a restaurant, was pro moted to dishwasher and had advanced to salad chef when he decided to enter religious life. HIS FIRST assignment in the Holy Cross Brotherhood was in Stonehill College’s food ser vice department, which he now directs. He remembered: "After I was assigned the job, I found I had lots to learn de spite my experience. I just was untrained." So off he went to Cornell University’s school of hotel and restaurant admini stration and later he took ad vanced courses here at George Washington University. ’That’s another mistake too many religious communities make—they are reluctant to send their members to secular institutions for studies," Bro ther Zaccarelli said. He started out some 15 years ago by conducting a small-scale cooking school at Stonehill Col lege. It proved worthwhile, so he elaborated on the courses and in 1956 conducted the first workshop with some 30 Brothers and nuns as pupils, "NOW WE HAVE all we can handle," he said. "Our work shops run from 10 days to two weeks. They are attended by some 200 Religious from 45 communities in 31 states and Canada. We have ample facili ties on the college campus to accommodate our students. We now are having lectures in French as well as English for the benefit of the increasing numbers of Canadian Religious who attend our courses." Experts in the field of food- for - thought - about - food serve on the faculty. They tackle problems dealing with food pur chasing, preparation, storage, menu planning, diets, nutrition- even what to do with leftovers. Brother Zaccarelli, who has conducted such workshops in various sections of the country, remarked: ’This summer we’ll be getting into the ecumenical spirit of the times. We have six Episcopalian nuns register ed for the course." 42,990 Cubans Are Relocated MIAMI (NC)—Catholic Relief Services - National Catholic Welfare Conference has relo cated 42,990 Cuban refugees since 1961, A total of 73,978 of the exiles have been resettled to other areas of the U.S. since the re settlement program began Feb. 1, 1961. Combined efforts of Church World Service, United HIAS, and the International Res cue Committee have arranged transportation for 30,988 of the exiles. TAX RETURNS TURNER AUDITING SERVICE 2355 MATHEWS ST. N.E. CE 3-3584 AN INVESTMENT IN TOUR SON’S FUTURE %ocy $ cross | N NEW ORLEANS, LA. A Leading Preparatory School for Boys, conducted by the Holy Cross Brothers. Grades 7 • 12, both Boarding ail( / Day. ► Character Training H nd Christian Doctrine ► College Preparatory Courses ► Supervised Study Periods ► Training in the Fine Arts ► Complete Athletic Facilities For information write: 0k. H OOmimtm. HOLT CROSS SCHOOL ••« 44. 4M0 OMpWiM S(.*N*w Orleans, La. 70117