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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.