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GEORGIA BULLETIN PAGE 4 THURSDAY, MAY 21, 1964 the Archdiocese of Atlanta GEORGIA LETIN SMVINO OIOROIA'S 71 NOtTHMM COUNTIES IwSCT Official Organ of the Archldocese 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 ASSOCIATE EDITOR Rev. Leonard F. X. Mayhew 2699 Peachtree N. E. P. O. Box 11667 Northside Station Atlanta 5, Ga. Member of the Catholic Press Association and Subscriber to N. C. W. C. News Service Telephone 231-1281 Second Class Permit at Altanta, Ga. U. S. A. $5.00 Canada $5.00 Foriegn $6.50 The Publisher On Page One we publish the final article in our series of 12 on the Catholic Press. Its author is the man who makes the week ly appearance of this newspaper possible -- Archbishop Paul J. Hallinan. Our Catholic Press series con cludes at an appropriate moment, for next week some 500 priest and lay editors of Catholic news papers and magazines will as semble in Pittsburgh for their annual convention. In this Pen- sylvania city the joys and the travil of the Catholic Press will be discussed and thrashed out in order that its influence and ef fectiveness will be strengthened. Significantly, some of the most important men in the Catholic Press are always absent from our conventions -- the bishops who are also the publishers. While editors and their staffs ex pound at great length on what is right (or wrong) about our newspapers and magazines, sel dom, if ever, do the Bishop publishers have their say. Inas much as they are the only auth entic teachers within a diocese, we believe it more than approp riate to have their considered views and at frequent inter vals. Hence, we draw the attention of our readers to this final art icle on the Catholic Press writ ten exclusively for the GEORGIA BULLETIN by our publisher, Archbishop Hallinan. It is a long article but a necessary one. It explains our philosophy in sim ple language even if in great de pth. We believe we will all bene fit from its publication. Certa inly the staff of the GEORGIA BULLETIN subscribes to it and, we think, so will our readers once they have read and diges ted it. Vile Proposal Two officials of Fulton County have publicly advocated court- enforced sterilization to lower the county’s welfare bills. One of them declared such a mea sure “the only short-range ans wer to the problem" of caring for the children of persons com mitted to jail for law viola tions. Leaving aside allusions to the precedent set by Nazi Ger many’s use of sterilization to rid society of “undesirables", this vile proposal is no new comer even on the local scene. On February 19, 1957, Geor gia Senate bill 117, which would have legalized eugenic steriliza tion, was defeated in committee. Bishop Francis E. Hyland, then bishop of Atlanta, opposed the bill during the hearings and tes tified, “we cannot and we must not attempt to breed children as we breed cattle." Solicitor General Hinson Mc- Aulifee, one of the present ad vocates of enforced sterilization, stated on May 12 that such a law has not been passed because “everyone is afraid" of “some small groups" who oppose ster ilization. We presume Mr. Mc- Auliffe does not need reminding but we hasten to assure him that the Catholic Church is such 4 | _ , , a group. Whatever form proposals for legally enforced steriliza tion take, they have in common a completely debased conception of the human body and the hu man person. Absolute dominion over our bodies belongs not to us but solely to God. The mean est human beings are of suffic ient dignity to be free, in their physical and personal integrity, from the arrogant ec onomizing efforts of minor offi cials. What gross materialism: to reverse the end-means rela tionship between money and a man, made in the divine image! Communities certainly need to recognize the problem of crime and the many Wel fare costs. There are almost innumerable steps which ought to be taken by public and private agencies under the broad heading of education and the improvement of environment. The costs of crime and welfare will only be aggravated by the cheapened and demoralized philosophy implicit in proposals for enforced steri lization. 6 Becker Amendment’ We are not impressed by the panic pressures being applied by certain political . and religious groups in support of the ‘Becker Amendment" to restore Bible reading and prayer to public schools. When the Supreme Court ruled on this question last summer, we urged calm acceptance of the de cision and suggested that all try and live with it. This because, contrary to first impressions, the Court had not banished God from our public schools. Prayer and Bible study was not ruled out; merely the imposition of any one formula of prayer or Bible study-- a formula that might seem to favor or\e religious body at the expense of another. We are pleased, therefore, to note that one of the leading Catholic constitutional lawyers in the country, William B. Ball, of Harrisburg, Pa., has also urged caution in any steps to change the Constitution and re verse the Supreme Court ruling. He told the House Judiciary Com mittee that the country should try first to work out the details of the High Court’s formulation, re membering that its principles are neutrality, not antagonism, toward religion. Catholics have always been in the vanguard of those who advo cate a genuine separation of Church and State. It is the tra ditional view of the Catholic Church in America. For this reason, we believe the “Becker Amendment" should be defeated. However, if the fears of its sup porters are realized, and the Supreme Court ruling is used to eliminate religion from public life, then, and then only, would we favor amending the Consti tution. ^ U( N x Z+PUfolb Irresistible Force GEORGIA PINES Our Own BY REV. R. DONALD KIERNAN At one time there was a very popular car toon in one of the ecclesiastical magazines call ed “Julie (or Housekeepers are hard to get)”. Though humorous I really did not think it was too true to life. Possibly my own personal en counter with housekeepers has always been ple asant, but the ones I have known have been de dicated women with a deep sense of loyalty and a sincere interest in the parish. In our own newspaper, however, the GEORGIA BULLETIN carries a cartoon called “Specks, the Altar Boy”. I have never known anything so true to life. As a matter of fact, each week as I watch the newspaper be ing put together I can always recollect some young lad I have known doing or saying some thing just as humorous as the caption under “Specks.” I GUESS THERE are very few priests today who have not at one time or another served on the altar as a youth. It is probably from the inspira tion and example of our own parish priests that many of are priests today. Indeed, the greatest thrill a priest gets is one day to watch the Bishop confer Holy Orders on a young man who once was his altar boy. I don't know of any more inspiring sight than to see the parish “ruffians” all decked out in cassocks with clean, starched white surplices, looking like angels as they walk down the aisle in a procession. If, at any time, they are a joy and source of pride of their own parents they are equally as much to the parish priests too. SOMETIMES, GOING through a rehearsal (like Holy Week ceremonies) the priest wonders if the ceremony will come out like anything asked by the Liturgists. But like a miracle, the boys always seem to “come through” and do their very best. 1 guess at times the parents too suffer as much as the little tots. I have never yet known an Altar Boy who has not suffered from “first fervor”. Once they have learned the “Suscipiat,” . ‘Specks’ you can't beat them away with a club. The 7 a.m. Mass is not too early and should Father need a server for the next Mass, then they are only too anxious to stay around. All the while, the parents are dragged out of bed and made to stay around the church until the little angel has had his fill of serving for the day. GOODNESS KNOWS the number of mothers who have sent the little one off to church looking as if he had just stepped out of the ecclesiastical tailor shop. Hours later, returning home, our pride and joy looks as if he has just finished hand-to-hand combat with a demon. Don't feel bad though, Mother. Many a priest regularly includes in his Sunday afternoon chores the arduous task of hanging up cassocks that have been left on the floor by “the boys.” ITS FUNNY HOW there is a sudden absence of Altar Boys on Saturday mornings and during the summer months. Let there be a funeral or wedding on a class day and you would think that the annual state convention of Altar Boys was being held right in your own sacristy. Visiting priests are a challenge to the Altar Boy. The good Padre is always good for a “tip”. I guess the size of the “tip” determines whether the priest is a missionary or a secu lar. Anyhow, if a priest appears in sandals the “Boys” might not know what the Vow of Poverty means but they do know that there will be more praying than paying. WITH AGE WE all grow forgetful. Forgetful to everything except the Latin responses. This seems to be one thing a man never forgets. The other day a man came up to serve me and after Miss he confessed that this was the first time he had served Mass in twenty seven years and he did an excellent job. Whenever I walk down the aisle in a process ion I always feel sorry for the boys sitting in the pews instead of taking the time to become Al tar Boys. There is something about an Altar Boy that makes him a “regular fellow.” Though they might be likened to “Specks.” and thojgh we might joke and kid them . . . God love 'em, I don’t know what we would do without them. REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA Your World And Mine BY GARY MacEOIN The outside world tends to regard the Republic of South Africa as the sole surviving bastion of white supremacy in the Dark Continent, That is far from correct. The Republic is indeed the hard core of the resistance to the Negro’s claim to control his own destiny. It provides the will and tfie power to continue the rule of terror. But it is, part of d wider complex, for it is flanked by satel lites who increase its economic strength and provide political buffers against the pressures of African nationalism. This sphere of influence com prises almost all of Africa be low the tenth parallel south of the equator. It includes South west Africa, Angola Bechuana- land, Rhodesia, Mozambique, Swaziland and Basutoland. The total area is far more than that of the United States. The climate and soil are the best in Africa. It supplies most of the world's diamonds and half is gold, plus an abundance of copper and other minerals. THE WITHDRAWAL of the European powers from the entire equatorial belt of Black Africa has stressed the isolation of this bloc, and the ero sion of its position continues. The Federation of the Rhodesias has broken up because of the maneu vers of the white minority to perpetuate a politi cal and economic monopoly in the entire Federa tion. The result has been that Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland have gone over the side of Black Africa, while Southern Rhodesia is drawn more tightly into the South African orbit. What everyone is asking is whether the indepen dent African states are able to implement their undertaking to complete the "liberation” of the continent. I think the answer is quite clearly that they cannot. The Negro states living on both sides of the equator have no military potential, nor the economy to create one. The Arab states further north profess common cause with them, but even they are no match for South Africa. She is a more formidable adversary than Israel, and the>rab§ have found they cannot even match Israel in the field. CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 CEDAR RAPIDS Festival Of Faith BY GERARD E. SHERRY I was busy in the garden late Saturday after noon when the call came through. The main speaker at an inter-faith celebration for the Feast of Pentecost had suddenly taken ill and would I care to take his place at the Memorial Coliseum in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. What was involved was getting from Atlanta to Cedar Rapids and back the same day, for Monday is a busy time in our office. The diffi culty was, Sunday is a bad day getting planes early enough to travel long distances, and late enough to get home at a decent hour. Jet trans portation did the job and my 2,000 mile round trip was ac complished without any trouble. My only regret was that I had a good excuse for getting of the gar dening. The Cedar Rapids event was called a “Festival of Faith” and was in honor of Pentecost. It is believed to be the first inter-faith venture that actually commemo rates a feast day. For a small middle-west town the attendance was quite good: Several thousand of a congregation and almost a hundred priests and ministers from the surrounding area, along with a mass choir of four hundred, representing 30 church, college, and high school choirs. The order of service was also an impressive event. There was the Introit and the Collect for the day as well as a Litany for Unity recited by an Orthodix priest. It is worth repeating some of it: REAPINGS AT RANDOM Minsiter: For the many times we have looked at a speck in the eye of others rather than at their sin cere faith andperserveranceand good will. . . Congregation: LORD, FORGIVE US. Minister: For our sarcasm, narrow-min dedness and exaggerations in con troversy and our hardness and severe judgments of Thy Grace in their souls. . . Congregation: LORD, FORGIVE US. Minister: For the bad example we give in our lives, thereby discourag ing, lessening or even destroy ing the effects pf Thy,grace in their souls . . . Congregation: LORD, FORGIVE US. Minister: For our forgetfulness to pray for them often, warmly and with brotherly love . . . Congregation: LORD, FORGIVE US. Minister: In spite of differences in lan guage, color and nationality . . . Congregation: JESUS, MAKE US ONE. Minister: In spite of our ignorance of one another; of our prejudices and dislikes . . . Congregation: JESUS, MAKE US ONE Minister: In spite of all spiritual and in intellectual barriers. . . Congregation: JESUS, MAKE US ONE. Minister: O God, that there may be but one sheep fold for the one Shep herd . . . Congregation: BRING TOGETHER US SEP ARATED CHRISTIANS. Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox shared the platform and pulpit. Even the humns were well-chosen for general acceptance —“Holy Holy, Holy,” and “Holy God We Praise Thy Name.” To me, apart from being privi- ledged to give the address on ecumenism, the most satisfying partofthe hour longcere- mony was the recitation of the Apostles Creed and the Our Father by the assembled congre gation made up of so many different deno minational groups. How many people realize that such a gather ing would have been impossible and beyond the comprehension of Christians 20 years ago and 200 years ago. Significantly, however, it was not out of place 2,000 years ago. The Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox congregations in Cedar Rapids joined in the spirit of the first Pentecost and their presence at the Festival of Faith gave witness to their belief in unity. Whatever the problems before us, we have to acknowledge that such manifestations of brotherly concern are an essential beginning. We still have much searching to do in this inter-faith area, but we are talking together and this is a posi tive element. Gone are the days when the stumbling blocks of arrogance and pride substituted for dialogue. The essence of ecumenism is love, and this must be the positive reaction i n every approach to Christian unity, From the national point of view the Cedar Rapid® meeting might not appear important, To me, it was, because they were doing something together— something which people only tlUt about in many other places.