Newspaper Page Text
THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 1964 GEORGIA BULLETIN PAGE 5
QUESTION BOX
J.F.K. GodfatJier?
Saints in Black and White
ST. LUDGER-BISHOP 92
BY MONSIGNOR J. 0. CONWAY
Q. RECENTLY I READ AN ARTICLE IN THE
NEWSPAPERS WHICH STATED THAT PRINCE
RADZIWILL WAS GODFATHER FOR JOHN KEN
NEDY, JR. HOW WAS HE ABLE TO ACT IN
THIS CAPACITY CONSIDERING HE WAS NOT IN
GOOD STANDING WJTH THE CHURCH AT THAT
TIME? HIS WIFE DID NOT HAVE THE ANNUL
MENT SHE NOW HAS. PERHAPS ISHOULDNOT
CONCERN MYSELF WITH THIS, BUT A NON-
CATHOLIG FRIEND BROUGHT THIS UP ONE DAY
AND I WAS AT A LOSS FOR AN ANSWER.
A. The number of people asking this question
is exceeded only by those who are concerned
about the declaration of nulity granted to the
Princess.
1 have reviewed the requirements for a sponsor
in baptism, and can find no
reason why Radziwill should
not have been godfather to John,
Jr. It might be claimed that
he was excommunicated in no
torious manner by his attemp
ted marriage with a divorced
person. But this excommuni
cation exists only by law of the
III Council of Baltimore, and
presumably would not be known
to • non-American. Probably most American
Catholics do not know of it. And an excommu
nication is not incurred unless it is clearly
known at the time the law is violated.
Among the requirements for sponsor in baptism
there is no mention of "good standing” in the
sense we so frequently use it: namely that a per
son be able to receive the sacraments, or be
actually practicing his religion in an exemplary
manner. He must have some knowledge of his
religion, must be a Catholic, and must have the
intention of accepting the obligations of sponsor.
He must be designated as godfather by the parents
or guardians of the child, or at least by the min
ister of the baptism. He should be 14 years of
age, unless the minister for good reasons per
mits otherwise.
**•
Q. WHEN AND WHY WAS ROMAN ADDED TO
THE TITLE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH?
A. The title "Roman” was imposed on the
Catholic Church by the Anglicans, beginning in
the latter part of the sixteenth century. In gene
ral Catholics did not accept it willingly, because
they objected to the implication that there were
different branches of the Catholic Church, e. g.
English, Roman and Greek.
**•
Priests and Sisters may not be sponsors without
permission of their bishop or superior. Neither the
father nor the mother of the child maybe a spon
sor. The godparent must be in contact with the
child, either personally or by proxy, at the time
of the baptism. Some of my questioners inform
me that Radziwill was represented by a proxy.
This does not exempt him from any of the require
ments or obligations of a sponsor.
One questioner quotes to me the 1964 National
Catholic Almanac: "Catholics who do not practice
their faith or have only a poor knowledge of it
should not be asked by the parents to be spon
sors, no matter what their position or relation
and/or friendship toward the family might be.
. . Hence, parents should not be surprised if a
priest should refuse to accept such persons as
sponsors.”
This is a good guide, but it is not the law. And
parents do have a right to be surprised if the
priest refuses to accept the Catholic sponsor they
present, if he meets the requirements of law.
(Diocesan law may make additional requirements.)
***
Q. A PERSON WHO COMMITS A MORTAL SIN
LOSES SANCTIFYING GRACE AND THE RIGHT
TO HEAVEN. DOES HE ALSO LOSE ALLOFTHE
BENEFITS FROM GOOD WORKS, GRACES, MAS
SES, SACRAMENTS, PRAYERS, SACRIFICES,
ETC., THAT HE HAD ACCUMULATED UP TO
THE TIME HE COMMITTED THE SIN? IN OTHER
WORDS, IS HIS SPIRITUAL WAREHOUSE EMP
TIED EACH TIME HE COMMITS A MORTAL SIN?
A. Your language is rather figurative, and it
makes our supernatural merits seem like earthly
riches, accumulated by our own efforts. But
using your own language, the answer is yes. We
.have lost the virtue of love; so we lose all the
benefits of our love for God. We do not lose faith
and hope; we do not lose all the natural virtues
we have acquired by years of good living, but with
all these we are nothing unless we have love.
However, God is very generous. When we re
spond to His grace and repent, He restores us
to His love in a very full measure - probably very
near the same status we had before. This means
that he gives us again the merits we once had -
or at least a consoling measure of them. He may
still demand that we do penance.
Q. MY MISSAL SAYS THAT FROM SEPTUA-
GUAGESIMA SUNDAY TO THE END OF LENT
THE PRIEST SAYS BENEDICAMUS DOMINO
INSTEAD OF ITE MISSA EST. HAS THIS BEEN
CHANGED, OR WHAT? I HEAR THE PRIEST
STILL SAYING "ITE, ETC.
A. Your missal is a little out of date. Since
Jan. 1, 1961, Benedicamus Domino has been said
only in Masses which are immediately followed by
a solemn procession, like that of Holy Thursday.
However, I am not recommending that you get a
new missal at this time; more changes will be
coming.
***
Q. WHAT ARE THE DUTIES AND RESPONSI
BILITIES OF THE LAY TRUSTEES OF A CATH
OLIC PARISH? ARE THESE DUTIES AND RE
SPONSIBILITIES ESTABLISHED BY CANON LAW
OR BY REGULATIONS MADE BY EACH DIO
CESE? IS THERE ANY SIMILARITY BETWEEN
BEING A LAY TRUSTEE AND BEING A MEM
BER OF A CORPORATION'S BOARD OF DIREC
TORS? WHAT DOES THE LAY TRUSTEE CER
TIFY WHEN HE SIGNS THE ANNUAL PARISH
REPORT ALONG WITH THE PASTOR?
A. The position of lay trustee is established
by diocesan regulation, which determines his du
ties and responsibilities. In some states the lay
trustee is a member of the parish corporation;
and his signature may be required for the legali
ty of corporate acts. When he signs the annual re
port he certifies that - to the best of his know
ledge - it is a true report.
***
Q. PLEASE GIVE YOUR FULL AND HONEST
OPINION ON THE POWEROF "HEXING.” SOME
WOMEN MEMBERS OF OUR CHURCH BELIEVE
IN SPIRITUALISM AND THE POWEROR WITCH
ING OR HEXING.
A. And yours is a Catholic church? In the USA,
yet?
I cannot give you my full and honest opinion be
cause profanity is not allowed in this column.
***
Q. RECENTLY MY SON ATTENDED HIS FIRST
BOY SCOUT CAMP-OUT. ON SUNDAY MORNING
NON - DENOMINATIONAL SERVICES WERE
HELD, WHICH CONSISTED OF READINGS FROM
THE BIBLE WHEN MY SON RETURNED HOME
ON SUNDAY I SENT HIM TO THE EVENING
MASS AT OUR CHURCH. MY HUSBAND DIS
AGREED WITH ME HE SAID WHEN HE WAS
ABOARD SHIP, IN THE NAVY, THE NON-DE-
NOMINATIONAL SERVICE WAS ALL THEY HAD
UNLESS THERE WAS A PRIEST ON BOARD
WHO SAID MASS. I SAID THAT WAS ALL RIGHT
ABOARD SHIP WHEN THE RE WASNT A CHANCE
TO ASSIST AT MASS. WOULD MY SON HAVE
COMMITTED A SIN HAD HE NOT ATTENDED
MASS IN OUR CHURCH THAT EVENING?
ACROSS
1 Groups
5. Part
9. Increase
13 Printer’s mark
14. Sworcl
15. Fume
10. Poisonous
17. Woman’s nemo
10. And others (L);
abbr.
10. A musical
Instrument
20 Plural of Os
21 Neglects
24 Vase
25. Revised Standard
Version of the
blble; abbr.
27. Uncle when n
Spain
28. Exclamation
29. Filo
31 Ceremonies
32 Medic; abbr.
33. Football team
36. Talo
40. His father was
a
43. Musical direction
45. French resort
40. Possessive pronoun
47. Sesame
48 Intensity
50. Pair of horses
52 Virus disease of
the skin
53 News service
55. Make clear
56. Muddlo
00. Glacial ridge
61. Wink
64. Friend In Paris
65. Western Indian
66. He died on
Sunday
69. Furtive
70. Ragout
71. Settled
72. Pay
74. Revives Wine
75. Rattan
70. Portico
77. Potash Aluminums
78. River in Germany
79. Covenant
80. Beethoven's birth
place
DOWN
1. He converted
the ——
2. Great Lake
3. Detective
4. He Is one
5. Replace
6. Old Provencal
7. Page
8. A degree
H. Ho was committed
to the care of
St.
10. Value
11. Egg shaped
12 People of Wales
13. Deadly snake
16. Travel
17. Advent
22. Old Testament
23. Clear
26. Venerable; abbr.
30. Swordman’s dummy
stake
31. Pay
34. Permit
35. Stalk
37. Fit
38. Female name
39 Pigeon breed
40. Insect egg
41. Suffix denoting
origin
42. Youth Group
43. Menial
44. Century
48 He founded a
monastery at———
49. His Serene High
ness; abbr.
51. He became Bishop
of
52. Cry
54. Hawaii food
57. Fall
58 Prows
59. Chops
no. Swiftly
61. Endrlvc
63. Accomplish
67 Trig function
68. Western Alliance
70. Stupefy
73. Sine qua—
74. Road sign
70. Baseball term
77. Acad. Degree
ANSWER TO LAST WEEK'S PUZZLE ON-PAGE 7
X l:
KEVXO TER — Auxiliary
Bishop John J. Dougherty
t above), of Newark, and
President of Seton Hall Uni
versity. South Orange. N.J.,
will be the keynote speaker
at the opening session of
61st annual meeting of the
National Catholic Education
al Association, to be held at
Atlantic City. N.J.. March
31-April 3. 1964. ’’Catholic
Education and National
Needs" is the theme of the
convention.
Saint Returned
LONDON (NC)—The portrait
of St. Thomas More will greet
future tourists who visit his jail
cell in the Tower of London.
The portrait is bein g added at
the suggestion of the Tower's
governor, Col. SirThomas But
ler, who is not a Catholic. The
British martyr occupied the cell
for 15 months before his exe
cution in 1535.
Represents Pope
ATHENS (NC) — Catholic
Archbishop Benedictos Printe-
sls of Athens served as the
personal representative of Pope
Paul VI at the funeral Mass for
King Paul I of Greece in the
Orthodox cathedral of the An
nunciation here.
ARNOLD VIEWING
Strangelove’ Sick Joke?
BY JAMES W. ARNOLD
A. You give me additional evidence that wives
are usually right when they argue with their hus
bands.
»+*
Q. AS A NON-CATHOLIC WHO HAS A HIGH
RESPECT FOR YOUR CHURCH, I AM, HOW
EVER, MOST CONFUSED ON A VERY IMPOR
TANT POINT, WHY DO YOU NOT BELIEVE
THAT CHRIST'S REDEMPTION FULLY SATIS
FIED FOR OUR SINS? I FEEL ALREADY ATONED
FOR; AND NOTHING I CAN DO WOULD BE GOOD
OR NECESSARY TO ATONE TO GOD. DO YOU
FAIL TO ACCEPT GOD AT HIS WORD? IS THIS
WHY YOU HAVE CONFESSION? ARE YOUR SINS
NOT FORGIVEN UNTIL YOU CONFESS THEM?
THEN WHAT HAPPENS TO PEOPLE LIKE ME?
A. We do believe that Christ's Redemption fully
satisfied for our sins, and there is nothing we can
add to it. But we are permitted to join in it and
cooperate with it.
Confession adds nothing to the Redemption. It is
rather our acceptance of the graces of the Redemp
tion.
If we are guilty of sin and honestly repent be
cause we love God, then our sins are forgiven
before we confess them. For a person who Is not
able to go to confession nothing more is required.
You are not able to go to confession because you
do not believe in it. So you r sins are forgiven
when you repent of them for the love of God.
IN CATHOLIC PRESS
Journalistic Narcissism
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4
choice. The diocesan newspaper must present an
accurate portrait of the Church, as it actually
exists, from the Papacy to the parish. The Cath
olic journal needs also to be instructive. From
this point of view, a picture of the Pope, which
everyone will look at, is much less important
than the text of his encyclicals, which perhaps
only a few will read. This epitomizes one special
problem of the Catholic newspaper.
THE SECOND chief role of a diocesan news or
gan is interpretative. Editorial comment is
a privilege and responsibility exercised by all
newspapers. It also involves special concerns
for the Catholic paper. No editor can claim to
apeak authoritatively for the Church. For that
matter, no prudent editor will lightly claim to
represent even an unofficial consensus of Cath
olic opinion.
Editorial comment in a diocesan newspaper,
at its beat, will represent an intelligent and con
scientious attempt to assess Issues in the light of
authentic Catholic principles. It will be, as the
editors of The Commonweal recently declared, a
matter of "a vital requirement of Catholic life:
that in his day-to-day life the Christian is called
upon to apply, as a fallible man, his religious
principles to the flux and flow of human events.”
Let editors strive as mightily as they may for
objectivity, their editorializing will Inevitably be
personal to some degree. Here will begin the
labeling process: liberal, conservative, progres
sive, traditional, pro-, con-...
The special concern of Catholic editorial com
ment will be, of course, to retain sound connec
tion with authentic doctrine. But, there must be a
concern to exert some creative effort, also. Prin
ciples must be brought to bear in the often untidy
arena of real, not theoretical, problems. An ex
change of viewa among those who differ in opinion
or experience ought to be, not merely tolerat
ed, but initiated and encouraged. Out of honest
dialogue between clergy and layman, or between
liberal and conservative, for two examples,
there should come progress. This is also part of
Catholic editorial responaibility.
"Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop
Worrying and Love the Bomb" sounds more like
an essay than a movie. It turns out a little of
both, yet undoubtedly the best of the current cycle
of fantastic or satiric anti-military films ("Seven
Days in May," "The Victors").
Perhaps "Strangelove" maybe described as the
first animated sick Joke (it is a
broad spoof of thermonuclear
war) and even as ban-the-bomb
propaganda disrespectful to po
litical and military authority
figures. But neither charge au
tomatically disqualifies it as
either art or entertainment.
SICK HUMOR, while it may
violate some tastes, is legiti
mate humor, peculiarly suited to our grotesque
age. It merely stretches the comic principle of
incongruity to excessively offhand treatment of
excessively morbid material. Its success relies
on sanity in both artist and audience, on clear rec
ognition of the lunatic imbalance between gravity of
subject and levity of treatment.
(Falling decidedly in the sick category, for ex
ample, is a favorite Catholic novel: Evelyn
Waugh’s 'The Loved One," a satire on Califor
nia burial customs).
The sick joke trespasses on one ancient law of
comedy: that the subject not be genuinely painful.
"Strangelove” softens this by establishing an
aura of make-believe and farce. To the extent
that a viewer accepts what he sees as playful fan
tasy, the film will succeed for him as comedy.
EVEN propaganda may be tolerated if it doe snot
dominate and distort the product (as in "The Vic
tors”). "Strangelove” satirizes the U. S. and
Russian power elites - especially military and
scientific - by exaggerating their faults. Its point:
destruction is likely if we rely on weapons and
gadgets and neglect powers of mind and soul.
Basically it is a humanist attack on technology,
with special lumps reserved for the god of
science.
Comedy may well be the best approach to this
horrifying subject. It requires no acceptance of
incredible situations (as in "Seven Days”) or
uncomfortable identification with characters, all
of whom are wacky, larger-than-life caricatures.
One need only follow the film's mad inner logic
and ironic links to reality provided by producer-
director Stanley Kubrick ("Spartacus,” "Loli
ta”).
WHAT HAPPENS is that a balmy general (Ster
ling Hayden) dispatches a wing of B-52's to attack
Russia. (The key military, as in "Seven Days,”
are impatient with Cold War diplomacy). The dip
lomats, led by the U. S. president (Peter Sellers
in one of three roles), struggle with satiric inepti
tude to salvage the situation. They might succeed,
expect for the ironic heroism of a cowboy-pilot
(Slim Pickens) who single-handedly gets plane and
bomb to the target like hundreds of war movie
heroes.
PASTEL PORTRAITS (q SataJi &loum
16x20 $30.00
From life sittings OR photograph . Likeness guaranteed.
Call or come by Dan Martin Flowers.
3205 Peachtree Rd. N.E. 231-1161
“PET^you betl”
PET
MILK COMPANY
DAIRY DIVISION
For Convenient Home Delivery In
Atlanta Call 636-8677
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
Catholic 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 benefactors
of our SEMINARY FUND,
(The movie is preceded by an Air Force dis
claimer that these events could ever happen. While
this is probably true, the film’s fictional officers
make similar assurances with similar conviction.
The result: an added note of comic uncertainty.)
THE HUMOR is in the details of script and pro
duction. The Hayden character, dead serious, be
lieves the strike is vital to prevent Red conquest
via water fluoridation. His superior (an inspired
caricature by George C. Scott) thinks in terms of
pragmatics ("no more than 10 or 20 million kill
ed - topsl”) and public relations ("How can you
condemn the whole program for a single slipup?”).
Sellers, on the hot line to the drunken Russian
premier, dallies in polite small talk ("Could you
turn down that music a little?”)
In a scene reminiscent of "Seven Days,” a
character needs change to make a world-saving
phone call. A moronic colonel (Keenan Wynn) re
fuses to shoot open a Coke machine because the
act would violate private property.
The Pentagon "war room” set is ingenious-
a vast circular table surrounded by a hundred som
ber officials, while in the background, on an elec
tronic map, the planes hurry to their targets.
The camera work inside the plane - wobbly, grainy,
marred by reflections - scrupulously duplicates
Air Force documentary style. The process shots
of the plane skimming over Siberian landscapes,
pulsating cutting, stirring drumbeats on the sound
track — all add to the bllliant atmosphere of psue-
do-suspense.
THE SATIRIC use of music is comparable to the
same strained attempt in 'The Victors.” Kubrick
opens with a shot of a bomber being lovingly re
fueled in mid-air (music: 'Try a Little Tender
ness”) and closes with a montage of sunset-like
hydrogen blasts (music: "We’ll meet again...
don’t know where or when...”), (n context, the
comment is appropriate and funny.
Kubrick's point (as it was even in "Lolita”)
is strikingly moral. If true defenses are not found
in machines but in the character of men, there is
cause for concern. The heroic pilot is first seen
reading Playboy, the plane is covered with pinups,
nylons and prophylactics are in the survival gear
with the Bible; Scott, an outrageous religious hypo
crite, deals on the sly with a broad-comedy mis
tress; the chief scientist (Sellers as Strangelove)
is not really human at all, but a combined sadist-
fascist-sex fiend.
The only realism in "Strangelove” concerns
the absurd human self-confidence and frailty in the
face of an awesome challenge. Kubrick frightens us
by bringing us face-to-face with our own decad
ence. Yet it is a sign of hope that an artist had the
insight and freedom to make such a film; hope
will increase if we have the courage and sanity to
understand, and understanding, to laugh.
CURRENT RECOMMENDED FILMS:
For everyone: It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World; Lord
of the Flies, Lilies of the Field,
The Great Escape.
For connoisseurs: Winter Light, Tom Jones, This
Sporting Life, The Leopard.
Better than most: Dr. Strangelove, Love With the
Proper Stranger, Charade.
God Love You
BY MOST REVEREND FULTON J. SHEEtf
Is the Church in the United States getting fat? Americans pay 40
million dollars a year for pills to take off fatl Is there not some
need of the medicine of the Gospel to take off our spiritual fat?
Do we need large gymnasiums in our high schools when Africa
needs a Eucharistic hut? Can we afford elevators in three-story
rectories when an Asiatic diocese needs its first dispensary? Can
a missionary society be justified in making Wall Street investments
while their missionaries struggle to live on the interest? Does the
Church in America resemble the Church of Laodicea of the Apoco-
lypse? A frightening thought 1
Catholic people, we call on
you to preserve the spirituality
of the Church in the United
States. This is the way to do iti
Start with this truth: 'This is
My Body” are the words which
proclaim the Eucharistic pres
ence of Christ in the Church.
But remember that Christ also
has another body, another pres
ence which might be called a Sociological Presence. He lives in the
poor: "I was hungry...thirsty...naked.” What was? His Body.
The Eucharist is the "Fractio Panis” or the Breaking of Bread,
and charity to the poor is the sharing of our daily bread. In the
early Church, you would not have received the Eucharist without
bringing an offering to the poor.
Now for the application. The next time your parish, your diocese,
your alumni association has a "drive” for money, tell them you
will give on condition that per cent of it is given to the Holy Father
for the poor of the worldl If you need a school which costs a mil
lion, give $20,000 of it to the Vicar of Christ. You Catholic people
are the sheep which supply the Church with its financial wool. If we
priests who, on touching the Eucharistic Christ, forget His Socio
logical Presence in the poor, you must remind us of our dutyl
You laity helped save the Church when it was in danger of being
swept .nto Arianism. This time you are called upon to save us from
our prosperity! You are the givers; therefore, the power is in your
hands. Even if we ask you to make a donation for a tabernacle,
tell us that five per cent of it must be given for the Christ taber
nacled in an African leper. Christ is not in the rich because they
are rich; He is in them only because they are virtuous. But Christ
is in the poor because they are poor! Help save the Church in
America! Send your sacrifice to the Holy Father's Society for the
Propagation of the Faith, which helps the poor and poor churches
all over the world.
GOD LOVE YOU to Rev. R.F.E. and teenagers for $50 "We
want the Mission! to have ten per cent of our weekly income.”
....to Mrs. N. F.K. for $25 ”1 sold my cut glass punch bowl set,
and I am enclosing one-haif of the amount I received the amount
1 received for the Missions.” ....to a Grateful Student for $6
"I promised St. Francis that I'd double the cost of a lost book if
he would me find it, and give the money to the Missions.”
Find out how an annuity with The Society for the Propagation
of the Faith helps both you and the poor of the world. Send your re
quest for our pamphlet on annuities, including the date of your
birth, to Most Rev. Fulton J. Sheen, 366 Fifth Avenue, New York,
New York 10001.
Cut out this column, pin your sacrifice to ic and mall it to Moat
Rev, Fulton J. Sheen, National Director of the Society for the Pro
pagation of the Faith, 366 Fifth Avenue, New York lx, N. Y, or
your Archdiocesan Director, Very Rev, Harold-J. Rainey P. O.
Box 12047 Northside Station, Atlanta 5, Ga.