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PAGE 8 GEORGIA BULLETIN THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 1964 THE CATHOLIC PRESS-9 Council Exemplified Freedom And Apostolic Frankness BY REV. LEONARD F.X. MAYHEW There can be no reasonable excuse for ignoring th'- fact that the Catholic Church Is going through a period of transition. The various evidences of change are too obvious and too numerous. While the most striking dramatization of evolution is certainly the Vatican Council, the distant stage of papal policy is not the only plane upon which we can discern the beginnings erf new directions. The pattern of new ways replacing old passes through the sphere of ideas in theology, liturgy, philosophy and history. The vigorous awakening of an intelli gent and fully emmitted contribution from the laity toward a solution of the issues which face the Church is a still nascent but very encouraging phenomenon. A new approach, reasonable, humble and, best of all, loving, is addressed to our separated brethren, including those who do not believe or have ceased to be lieve, as Pope Paul indicated in his Easter Message. THESE signs of aggiorna- mento, of up-dating the Church, do not remain In the sphere of abstractions or in the hands of theoreticians solely. This is the most solid basis for hope in their ultimate, lasting effect. Every where in the Church, including our own archdio cese, our own parishes, our own newspaper, our own Christian Unity Commission, we find welcome signs of renewal. At the same time, in order to avoid mere random change becoming a substitute for well-directed progress, due consideration must be given to guiding principles, eventual aims and the over-all pattern that is shaping events. The Catholic Press, in the present context, is the focus of many influences which characterize the chang ing condition of the Church. One of the most im portant of these is the place of freedom both of expression and of initiative relative to the role of authority. All of the main currents of transition within the Church seem to converge in a renewed emphasis on the essential freedom of the Christian. It is commonplace to see the era being Introduced by Vatican Council II as the logical next step follow ing the four centuries of reaction to the Protes tant Reformation. The Council of Trent and the Counter Reformation were largely defensive measures. They closed Catholicism in upon Itself as a protection against the heterodox Individualism of Protestant doctrine. VATICAN Council I contributed to this men tality, perhaps accidentally, by its only partial definition of the teaching authority of the hier archy and the consequent emphasis on the Paper. Uniformity, traditionalism, stress upon authority, antagonism toward whatever was "outside” have been the marching orders. The future, as pro jected by the teachings of Pops John and Paul and the attitude of the present Council, will be marked by openess, diversity and broader areas of freedom. Karl Rahner, S.J., and many other eminent theologians, conceive the present state of the Church as the end of a period which began with the establishment of Christianity as the of ficial religion of the Roman Empire. Catholic life and thought can - and must - no longer be tied to forms and practices deriving solely from Euro pean society and political structures. The Church has lost its control of society but it is also freed of the limitations which that control imposed. It is free to change and adapt to new and different situations as it will. The Catholic Press has a clear and vital inte rest in this new atmosphere of freedom. Likewise, the Church has a vital Interest in a vigorous and responsible Catholic Press, if an honest and pro ductive liberty is to survive. It remains, then, an extremely necessary task to understand what this .freedom Is, what It demands, how far It extends. As John XXIII pointed out In Pacem In Terris, freedom demands not only that Its limits not be exceeded but also that It be exercised to the ful lest. Today's re-awakened appreciation of freedom within the Catholic Church shows no evidence of being inimical to the traditional and necessary respect for authority. Catholic moral theology has always Insisted on the primacy of a free conscience, "that which Is deepest and most In trinsic In man," as Pius XII named it. There Is no question of any doctrinal change. Freedom of the human person and authority In the Church have no conflict. They demand each other. Cardi nal Newman, the "absent Council Father" of Vati can II, saw this clearly; "The general sense of right and wrong, which Is the first element of religion, Is so delicate, so fitful, so easily puzz led, obscured, perverted. . . this sense. Is at once the highest of all teachers, yet the least lumi nous; and the Church, the pope, the hierarchy are In the divine purpose the supply of an ur gent demand." (Difficulties of Anglicans). This Is simple enough to see In the abstract. What difficulty there Is, appears when these Ideas are reduced to practice. If there is an as pect of this question of freedom and authority which is characteristic of our time, it is the strug gle to achieve sufficient balance to live up to the demands of freedom as well as the proper use of authority. The danger is that, when freedom is exercised in a concrete situation - by an edi tor, for example - the adherents of authorit arianism (as distinct from true authority) will panic into a defensive positlpn, as if the whole fabric of the Church were being threatened. Where can we find a more refreshing example of Catholic freedom than in the Vatican Council? There is nothing more orthodox or more authenti cally Catholic than an Ecumenical Council. The present Council exhibits a very different picture from the close knit, tightly controlled, centralized bureaucracy that many - inside and outside the Church - have imagined the Church to be. The Council Fathers have exercised their freedom of discussion (and disagreement) with enthusiasm, unhampered by interference from higher authority or by any guilty consciousness of being untrue to their Catholic principles. The example of Vatican Council II in this regard must be seen as completely relevant to the role of the Catholic Press in the modern world. In all Its various forms, from books to news-weeklies, the Catholic Press forms an important link in the com munications among Catholics, between clergy and laity and between Catholics and our separated brethren. In The Council in Action (Sheed and Ward, 1963) Hans Kung's reflections on freedom and frankness set an obvious standard for the Catholic Press; "For everyone taking part In it, the freedom of the Council is a great and decis ive experience...Thus a virtue came Into Its own again which had for long been almost forgotten in the Church; the virtue of apostolic frankness. And everyone felt what a liberating thing this frank ness was, a liberation from fear, from sham, from Inaction. "THIS FEARLESS assertion of freedom in the Council Is Indeed what Is needed If there Is to be a true renewal of the Church... The Council's free dom has not expressed Itself in negative, de structive carping and rebellion, but has kept pressing on to constructive proposals. The Coun cil has thus so far manifested an astonishing openess concerning the needs of the Church and the world and the great tasks which cry out for fulfillment today. There are indeed, as In every reforming council, a conservative wing and a pro gressive wing. But so far, even after violent de bates, It has always been possible to re-estab lish communications, and that in a fundamentally frank and open relationship." The Catholic Press comes close to fulfilling the demands of its task, only when it takes as its pro gram the assertion of freedom and "apostolic frankness" exemplified by the Council Fathers. Freedom and authority have very different bounds in the several spheres of Catholic life and thought. Many of the practical difficulties experienced by those responsible for the Catholic Press arise from their own or their readers’ misunderstand ing of where these limits lie. In defined matters of faith and morals we have the utmost, unques tionable certitude of Catholic Faith. Yet, even here freedom has a role. Theology can only remain productive, if speculation within the bounds of de fined doctrine is allowed to strive freely for new insights and a deeper understanding of revealed truth. Admittedly, this is not the concern of most of the Catholic Press. Yet, the complaint is fre quently heard that little freedom for new or mino rity opinions is allowed in many American theolo gical journals. Censorship of whatever species is no substitute for mature and reasoned discussion, even in theology, nor is It in the spirit of the Vati can Council. THE USUAL arena in which the relationship be tween authority and freedom must be determined by the Catholic Press is not theological in the strict sense. It has to do with matters of disci pline, of policy, of the application of principles to concrete issues, either in strictly ecclesias tical questions or problems in the secular order which have moral implications. This can become a complicated business, Indeed. The first offense against Catholic freedom can be labelled an exaggerated sacrallsm. Such an at titude would deny the Church's right to speak on any matter not immediately connected with her domestic affairs. Within the Church, an exagge rated clericalism would resent any expression of opinion by a layman in matters of theology, morals, liturgy, policy, and so forth. These errors are basically one and the same. They represent a supposed monopoly of certain subjects by certain groups. Neither conforms even slightly to the con ception of the Church presented authoritatively by recent Popes. Teaching authority and disciplinary jurisdiction belong exclusively to the hierarchy, within very definite limits. Even the supreme teaching au thority of the Pope is limited, as Vatican Council I made clear In its definition of papal infallibility. The application of philosophical and moral princi ples to concrete questions inevitably produces a healthy diversity and can only be effective in an atmosphere of free discussion. The Catholic Press does and can not claim to share the apostolic authority of the hierarchy. It must, if it is to be true to its mission, attempt to make the connection between the certitude of principle and the some times problematic conjunction of principle with practice. The Catholic Press will be successful to the degree that it represents accurately to its readers Catholic doctrinal and moral truth plus an intelligent approach to current problems. THOSE RESPONSIBLE for the Catholic Press must both possess freedom and allow it. They must courageously exercise their prerogative to speak in a truly Catholic spirit on the real issues and the hard problems that face us. The informa tion they present must be accurate and complete. At the same time, the temptation to create new or thodoxies out of their particular school of opinion must be avoided. Out of fear of a loss of populari ty they cannot afford to avoid unpopular stands. No failure of nerve may be allowed as an excuse to temporize for political advantage. Editorial free dom and responsibility go hand in hand. Most importantly of all, perhaps, the Catholic Press ought to be an instrument of freedom. "Dialogue" has become a catchword of out time. It is a good word, however, and a good idea. Dia logue between Catholics and non-Catholics, be tween clergy and laity, between conservative and liberals - all can most effectively be promoted by a free and freedom-respecting Catholic Press. The formula involves intelligence, maturity, charity and absolute commitment to the full im plications of Catholic Faith. AND AUDIENCES Bishops Urge Maturity For Film Makers THE BISHOPS then turned to the responsibility of audiences, commenting that "to have great artists in the film medium, there must be a great audience to receive them?" The legion's efforts to this end, they said, have included giving special recommendat ions to superior films and the "more fundamental" policy of urging film study in schools. Recalling the endorsement of film study in the council’s de cree and in Pope Pius XII’s encyclical Miranda Prorsus, the statment said progress in this area "has been slow but there have been encouraging be ginnings." It cited film study courses and film festivals in high schools, colleges and seminaries. at the same time, it said, "high optimism is not yet warranted." it blamed edu cators for failing to appreciate and act upon the importance of the "communications revolut ion" and said: YOUNG people are still taught as if films and television did not really exist, as if the media had influence neither upon the formation of their lives nor upon the molding of 20th century culture and values. . . . "In the past, when films were, for the most part, escapist en tertainment designed to appeal to the most unlettered member of the mass audience, educators might have been permitted the privilege of ignoring them, To day they do so at the risk of falling to assist young people in developing a taste for the good, the beautiful, the truly human. "As Christian educators they ignore films at the risk of rendering the good news of salvation totally Irrelevant to a confused world." The Bishops emphasized that moral ratings of films will con tinue to be a principal function of the National Legion of De cency. "If legion services were necessary in the past, they are even more required today," they said. THEY CALLED the record of the American film industry "entirely commendable" and noted that last year 85% of American movies were rated by the legion as acceptable for at least some segment of the audience. But, they added, "during the past six months the national office has been confronted with efforts on the part of power ful factions in Hollywood to re vive the 'anything-goes' policy of pre-Production Code days." "If these producers were to have their way, nudity and vari ous forms of voyeurism would become standard elements for film treatment," the statement declared. A "new and far more seri ous problem," it continued, is "the growing tendency on the part of some film-makers to challenge the Judaeo-Christlan vision of man." WHILE THIS is more pro nounced in some foreign films, "nevertheless in Hollywood productions there sre already enough signs to Justify con cern," it said. Specifically It cited what it called "covert attempts to condone and even promote" premarital sexual in dulgence. It accused films of this sort of being "funda mentally dishonest" in treat ing this theme in a glamorized and falsified manner. Referring to the Legion of Decency Pledge taken annually by U. S. Catholics, the Bishops noted that it does not impose any new obligations but simply puts into words the duties of any sincere Christian in his attitude toward films. 'The purpose of the pledge," they said, "is to provide Ca tholics with the annual op portunity of making a corporate witness to their Faith in those matters which pertain to a mature and Christian choice of film entertainment. By their pledge they freely commit themselves to a support of the Legion's apostolate." THE STATEMENT outlined the legion's review operation and said it merits "con fidence." It noted that review ers include movie critics and other professional laymen, priests, husband-wife teams, student counselors, and the Motion Picture Department of the International Federation of Catholic Alumnae. "No film of any consequence is classified without a qualitat ive analysis and consideration of the written opinion of 30 to 40 (frequently more) of these reviewers," it said. The Bishops' statement pointed out that the ecumeni cal council so far has adopted two decrees—one on the liturgy and one on the mass media. It cone uded: "Both documents are con cerned with a world of signs and symbols — the first di rected to God, the second to men. . .Through the liturgy we live among the signs and sym bols through which God speaks to us and we to God. Through the cinema we live among the signs and symbols through which man speaks to his fellow man. "May the signs and symbols of the film medium speak to all men of who they really are- made in the image and sign of God." THE CHILDREN of SS. Peter and Paul School, Decatur, will present their second annual Spring Festival on Sunday, April 19 at 3 p.m. in the school cafetorium. The theme, "The Sound of Music Around the World", will feature through songs and folk dances, the three vocal groups vWitlng such countries as England, Ireland, France, Canada and Mexico. The finale will pay tribute to our own United States. Student accompanists for the program will be Johannah Low, Paula Broyles, Mary Cebulski, Angela Courchaine, Deborah Faust, and Mary Schmich. All proceeds from this festival will be used to buy books for the newly-opened school library. L - R. Front Row; Paula Broyles - Johanah Low Karen Knapp - Do'nald Norton.Standing in rear Lawrence Hauch. It’s all right, Father, he can drip dry!" A HOUSE FOR GOD IN CHITTISSErV CHITTISSEItY is a neilected village Ih Southern INDIA. When It rains there on Sunday morning, moat of our Catholics cannot get'to Maas . . . CHITTIS- SERY has no chapel of lta own. When the roads’ are flooded oil Sunday morning, our Catholics can’t walk to the chapel five miles away . . .’ We have a priest in CI1ITTIS- SERY—by name. FATHER AUGUS TINE TIIATTIL—but we have no houie for God. Would you like to help us build one? . . . The land has alreadv been purchased, the men in CIIITTISSERY will volunteer Tbt Holy Psibtr’j Mumo* Md-' their labor, but we need $2,500 for for tht OrunulCkttKjf. building materials. Will you give $1, $5, $100 for this house for God?'. . . Perhaps you’d like to build this chapel all by yourself, as a MEMORIAL CHAPEL fer a loved one. If so, please write to ns now . . .There are at least 2,000 Catholics in CHITTISSERY, all of them poor laborers. Please help. THE WAY TO REMEMBER NAMES, we’re told, Is to link them with people ami names we already know . . . When think inp of the missions, remember this name: THE CATHOLIC NEAR EAST WELFARE ASSOCIATION. Catholics are few in our 18-eountry mission world—and part of that world is The Holy Land . . . Want to help? Make yours a “Stringless Gift." Tell us to use it wHere it’s needed most. □ IT TAKES" A’ GOOD MEMORY to list quickly our 18 mission countries. THr names of some begin with “1": Iraq, Iran, India. The names of some begin with “E”: Egypt, Ethiopia. Eritrea . Then there are the others: Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Greece, Palest’ :c, for instance . . . You can help in many ways: □ By building a parochial school. Cost: $2,500 to $6,000. By sending a DOLLAR A MONTH to one of our MIS SION CLUBS—the DAMIEN CLUB <for lepers). ORPHANS’ BREAD (food for orphans), PALACE OF GOLD (care for the aged), MARY’S BANK (trains Sisters), CHRYSOSTOM CLUB (trains future priests). By Joining this Association. Offering: $1 a year for an individual, $5 for a family. You share in the graces or 15,000 Masses. sacred article for a mission chapel. RADIO APPEAL Vocation Prayer Urged VATICAN CITY ^C)~ Pope Paul VI has told the world's Catholics that they have a duty to foster vocations not only be cause of the Church’s need for them, but also because the num ber of vocations to the priest hood are a "precise and indis putable index of the vitality of the Faith." In an appeal broadcast over Vatican Radio on the World Day of Prayer for Vocations (April 12), Pope Paul cited the words of St. Matthews "The harvest is great but the laborers are few." POPE PAUL also composed a prayer asking God for an in crease in vocations to commu nities of Brothers and Sisters. The Pope said that vocations are few "compared to the in creased necessities of pastoral care." He added: "Few they are in consideration of the exi gencies of the modern world with its uneasiness, its need for light and guidance." THE CHURCH, the Pontiff said, stands in need of "teach ers and directors who are pro gressive yet sympathetic for the past" as well as of voca tions to care for "the great numbers who have strayed from Christian ideals and who are indifferent...but who still need to see in priests and Rellgous the living example of a per fect Christian life." "Above all there is a great need for dedicated hands on the mission field, where so many of our brothers need to be cate chized, helped and consoled." THE POPE said the voca tion rate is an index to a peo ple's Catholicity because "where vocations to the priest hood and religious life are abun dant, there the people live gen erously in accord with the Gos pel. There, too, you find good and fervent parents who are not afraid, but rather happy and honored, to give their children to the Church." In his prayer, Pope Paul ask ed God that today's youth may "share Your thirst for that uni versal redemption for which You daily renew Your sacrifice upon the altar." The prayer appealed for "many young men who may prolong here Your mission and edity Your Mystical Body, the Church," and also for "generous hearted young women who may grow in their desire for evangelical perfec tion and may dedicate themsel ves to the service of the Church and their neighbors, who so des perately need such assistance and charity." □ □ □ By donating a Mass Kit $100 Altar $75 Vestments $50 Monstrance $40 By buying the dress, shoes Chalice $40 Stations $25 Ciborium $40 Censer $20 Statue $30 Linens $15 Crucifix $25 Bell $5 veil for a little girl who next month will receive The coat: $10. her FIRST HOLY COMMUNION. REMEMBER THE SISTER who taught you in grammar schoo ? Chances are. if she were near you now, you’d do anything in the world for h*r» . . . One thtnu vou can do—in her memory, as it were—is help train another Sister ... We need sponsor.* for 547 vouna ladies who want to become Sisters. Two ol them for 547 ywnguu i He#rt Convent Jn In(lla _ slS TEH MARY CHARLES and SISTER MARY ST ANY . . . sponsor Sister costs only $300 for the entire two-year training, oi $150 That’s less than the average smoker spends for . please write to us. year . cigarettes MASS STIPENDS ARE THE TYPICAL ONLY MEANS OF DAILY SUPPORT. MISSIONARY’S Dear Monslgnor Ryan: Enclosed please find.. Name Street .for. Pltv Zone State iMillear Sst 01isslonsj& f KANCIS CARDINAL SPIUMAN, President Mtfr. U»pk T. lyee, Seed eit aemnealeetiees tet CATHOLIC NIAK «AST WILPAKi ASSOCIATION 400 Lexington Avt. of 44th St» 1 N. Y.