Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

PACE 4 GEORGIA BULLETIN THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 1964 MARX-ENGELS tfie Archdiocese of Atlanta GEORGIA BULLETIN SMVING 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. ASSOCIATE EDITOR Rev. Leonard F.X. Mayhew 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 Moral Leadership Most of the news coming out of our Southland of recent date has been negative in nature in the area of Civil Rights. Riots, sit- ins, arrests, and legal disputes -- none of these things have done much to improve the crisis in this area of human relations. The last time we wrote about the racial situation in Birming ham, Alabama, it was to deplore the murde r of four innocent child ren -- the victims of a cowardly and brutal bombing attack on a Negro church. On this Easter Sunday morn the people of Birmingham showed that they were capable of much greater things in the interest of community harmony. More than 35,000 of them, white and Negro, sat together at an Easter service conducted by Evangelist Billy Graham in a local football stad ium. What some people thought impossible, happened, and an in tegrated citizenry found a com mon ground. Dr. Graham is to be congratulated on having the cour age to conduct this service de spite threats from a few extre mists who obviously did not rep resent the people of Birming ham. The success at Birmingham gives added impetus to the plea made last week by President Johnson to Southern Baptist lead ers. He asked them to help him pass Civil Rights legislation through educating their people from the pulpit. The President's plea, contrary to the opinions ex pressed by some, had a moral as well as a political motiva tion. Indeed, the problem of racial injustice is primarily a moral one. Those, therefore, who are ordained to preach the moral law , should,be the first to an swer the call from the Presi dent. The religious power struc ture in the South has grave re sponsibilities to ensure that the commandment to “love thy neighbor” is more than a pious quote. Where there is discrimi nation there is no love. As we have said before, if we cannot see the God-man in the Negro man we will also fail to see Him in eternity. Only in recent times have chur ches in the South (and we Catho lics are not sinless in this re gard) taken the necessary steps to further the moral leadership sadly lacking in this area of hu man endeavor. The recent cour ageous action by Atlanta’s First Baptist Church, under the lead ership of Rev. Dr. Roy McLain, in integrating its congregation should be an example for others to follow. What is needed now is a will ing acceptance by more churches and more clergy of their major role in educating their congrega tions to the justice of the Civil Right cause. For too long have the politicians been in control of the situation. Now is the time for us to demand that our legislators move from the obstructionist role to the positive role of states men. Indeed, we think it is only fair to ask that if they persist in their opposition to Civil Rights legislation that they at least offer something positive in its place-- something which will also en sure the Negro his rightful place in our American society, free from the stigma of a color line; free from discrimination in pub lic places; and with the guaran tees of equal opportunity to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happi ness. GERARD E.'SHERRY Clarification During the past five years rather frequent reference has been made to a speech that I gave as the President of the Nat ional Catholic Education Asso ciation in the 1959 meeting of that organization held in Atlantic City. Some of these references have misquoted me as ‘advocating” the elimination of the early grades of the Catholic Elemen- l Come on now—what am I bid besides three empty pop bottles?” tary School in favor of giving Catholic education to all children during the years of Junior and Senior High School. What I act ually said is this; ‘in certain localities where, with existing plant, personnel and resources, it seems impossible to provide full Catholic education for all Catholic children, the question has been raised about the advisa bility of offering to every child Catholic education at a certain level. ‘Since young children are more completely under the control of their parents, since it is common experience that during the young er years attention and interest can be held by extracurricular religious instruction and since neither of these conditions hold true during the years of adole scence, thought might well be given to a plan to provide all children with a Catholic educa tion, say from the seventh to the twelfth grade.’ Needless to say, Iwasthenand am now in favor of full Catholic education for every Catholic child whenever that is possible.” ARCHBISHOP LAWRENCE SHEHAN OF BALTIMORE Stone Age Stuff IN LATIN AMERICA Little Time Remains BY REV. LEONARD F. X. MAYHEW One of the most dramatic proposals made by Pope John XXIII was a "crash program" to aid the Church in Latin America in its efforts at self-renewal. The causes of the difficulties of the Church throughout this vast area, which in cludes about one-half the total Catholic popula tion of the world, are complex and deeply ingrain ed. Pope John recognized the urgent need to im prove the effectiveness of the Church in meeting the myriad problems that beset Latin America. As with the United States government’s Alliance for Progress, the threat of Communism was a strong stimulus to action, if not the fundamental motive behind the program. The time that remains to correct past failures in Latin America may be very short, perhaps too short. Pope John understood this. He mobilized all the resources of the Church for this urgent mission. Miss ionaries, lay and clerical, as well as finances are being directed to Latin America far more generously than ever before. In the United States, the Latin American Bureau of the N. C. W. C. has set up lay volunteer programs as well as the Catholic Inter- American Cooperation Program involving the hierarchy, religious orders, lay apostolate groups, educational institutions and many others. THE CHURCH in Latin America has on the whole awakened to its urgent task with enthusiasm. At a recent meeting of the Catholic Inter-American Cooperation Program, Senator Hubert Humphrey praised the role played by the Church in working for social progress in Latin America: "Through its teaching and example the Church has become a catalyst spurring governments into action,” he said. The "indifference and fatalism" which once marked ruling groups in Latin America no longer characterize the elite, he added. "To a significant extent, the change has been influenced by the re naissance of the Catholic Church in Latin America." A message from President Johnson to the conference struck the same note: "The bold and imaginative action taken by Church leaders in many Latin American countries has helped to give momentum to the twin goals of economic development and social justice to which our coun tries are pledged under the Alliance for Pro gress." ONE OF the new approaches adopted by the Church to meet the desperate situation in Latin America has been the sending of diocesan priests as missioners. Stirred by Church-wide ap peals for clergy to meet the vast needs of Latin America, Spain has led the way with two hund red and forty-three diocesan clergy taking up work in Latin America in 1963. Several dioceses in the United States have established programs for the same end. Three Chicago diocesan priests, who staff the "experimental parish" of San Miguelito in the shanty-town outskirts of Panama City, have stat ed their revolutionary aims: "to create "family" rather than organization; to build "Church" rather than schools or even churches; to form a saintly people and not merely saints; to form a committed not merely a knowledgeable people to strive for fulfilment of the law and not mere observance; to form Christians in society not members of Christian societies; to project the Faith not merely protect it; to seek the Truth rather than claim it." Their apostolate, Pope John said, is the concern of all of us. GEORGIA PINES Acts Of Thoughtfulness BY REV. R. DONALD KIERNAN As a matter of fact just last week I witnessed an act of thoughtfulness which impressed me, I was driving out to the convent of Our Lady of the Assumption in North Atlanta to give a confer ence to the Sisters of Mercy. At Lenox Square I was stopped for a red light signal. The wind was blowing real hard, hard enough to knock over a sign. Several persons walked by the sign without, I presume, even noticing it. A young boy in a military uniform happened by and noticing the sign stopped and picked it up. As if this was not enough, he glanced at it and then straight ened it out. I felt real proud when I recognized the military uniform as one worn by the Marist College cadets. The ceremonies of the past week with the huge crowds in attendance were certainly an inspir ing sight. Here in Gainesville, we had a terrific rain-storm. One certainly would have thought that it would have been enough to leave the church empty. Quite the contrary. One couple, who could not get their auto started and were unable to call a taxi, walked a distance of two miles rather than miss the Holy Week ceremonies This sure ly was inspiring, especially in an age when we are labeled as "soft". I UNDERSTAND that last week in Gainesville a person who was being operated on suddenly needed a rare type blood. None was immediately available in the hospital so the good Doctor him self donated his own blood right there on the spot. The most recent story at my "Coffee Club" was about a legislator from Lumpkin County who went to Atlanta to represent his county. Of course, this was back in the day when the state govern ment had just moved from Milledgeville to At lanta, Anyhow, he took the train into Atlanta, and not being familiar with the big city he asked the first stranger where the capitol building was located. The "city slicker" took stock of his "country cousin" and sent him in the direction of the farmer’s market. The newly elected law maker walked into the meat market and observed all the sides of beef hanging on the hooks. He pu: his own duffle-bag on the hooks too with the exclamation, "I guess we’re going to eat real good during this session." People. . .1 love them. What Is To Be Done? BY GERARD E. SHERRY The other day I came across some notes I had made on a talk given by my former boss, Bishop Willinger of Fresno, Calif. It was on communism—its origins and purpose. I thought it was very good because it was devoid of hyste ria and exaggeration. Here is the gist of what the bishop said: Communism did not originate yesterday. It aborted before you or I were born. More than a 100 years ago—a disorderly — cynical man- bitter and rebellious against society— wrote a couple of books. A gay fel low, wealthy, athe istic, revolutionary, collaborated with him. Their names w ere Karl Marx and Fre derick Engels. The "Communist Mani festo" and "Das Kapital" were the titles of the books. Filled with the theory and philosophy of atheistic Communism,— these books became known as the Bible of Communism. These men promoted war between the class es—between Capital and Labor—between the bourgeois and the proletariat. They believed that eventually Capitalism would destroy itself through warfare and economic depression. Refusing to await this eventuality—they called upon the workers of the world to rise up against the capitalists and to put an end to the exist ing social order by revolution. Violence was their road to success. Despite this vigorous appeal of Marx and Engels— the results were disappointing. Ano ther and more practical exponent of atheistic Communism was needed. In due time he ap peared. More than 60 years have passed since his arrival. He also wrote a book and called it: "What is to be Done?" What was done by that writer and his follo wers—explains our present day crisis and af fects the future of every inhabitant of this earth. When the book was printed at the turn of the century—its author was in exile. Living frug ally on small subsidies from the political un derworld-scorning all the values of his middle- class heritage—this man was the self-appointed leader of a handful of outcasts. In the judgment of property-owners, the .capi talists, statesmen, clergymen and military lea ders of his day, — this lawyer— and hft’circle of impractical agitators— were considered the lunatic fringe of society. The power—elite— of that day—ignored his pamphlets—they did not read his book. I doubt if many property owners, politicians, teach ers, statesmen, clergymen and generals of our times—have read that book. Yet that man and his impoverished disciples— inspired by Marx and Engels—exploited the prac tical, concrete ideas set forth in his book— "What is to be Done?” Their successors have seized two continents and set fire to all others by engineering the most skillfully executed pow er-grab in human history. Today whole libraries —as well as the graves of some 20 nations— and at least 40 million people—bear witness to the deadly political science of a movement—whose conquests—exceed the combined empires of the greatest conquer ors in history'—and whose ever-increasing capa bility to lay waste the world—has become the gauge of our own national and private object ives. That lawyer's name was Lenin. Thousands of miles removed from his home stead and six decades from the publication of his book, "What is to be Done?— Americans who never heard of Lenin—must face the con sequences of his indomitable will and his fear ful talent. Prior to his day—the various forms of Socia lism were sentimental day-dreams and freak experiments. But to Lenin—Communism was not a crackpot idea or lunacy; it was a power techni que. It was more than a philosophy—it was a religion without God—a revolution witKout free, man—a triumph of organized means and wea/ pons of unrestricted ethics. Under Lenin’s tutelage—Communists became international conspirators—and down through the years have sought to dominate and rule the world. Today they control two-fifths of the earth. They have swept behind their Curtains and Walls- some 900,000,000 people, They libel their com petitors—they poison the courts of public opin ion—they blackmail governments, they belittle presidents— rulers — prime-ministers or statesmen— in fact anyone—everyone standing in their way. And thanks to the materialistic philosophy in higher institutions of learning, — thanks to the subtle propaganda of an international fith column, —to unnumbered spies, Reds, fellow-travelers and followers of the line—theorized by Marx and activated by Lenin, — the Communists have never wanted for collaborators. They have never failed to find—men pretend ing to be intellectuals—men seeking notoriety- professors and students—eccentrics and geniu ses—traitors and sympathizers—politicians and would be statesmen—to overlook their frauds and forgeries—their lies and calumnies—their murders and slaves—their wars hot and cold— that are part of the blood-drenched record— they have written on every page of the history of the past five decades. And it all started with Lenin—who—weary of the talk—the conferences and the slogans—, asked the question—that all practical men— with a purpose good or bad—are obliged t 0 ask: "What is to be Done?" Oir position—-after all these years—is the result of our failure—to ask the same question —"What is to be Done?” — not against the up-side-down social order of the century—but against one—infinitely worse—COMMUNISM. REAPINGS AT RANDOM