Funding for the digitization of this title was provided by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta.
About The Georgia bulletin (Atlanta) 1963-current | View Entire Issue (May 28, 1964)
PAGE 4 GEORGIA BULLETIN THURSDAY, MAY 28, 1964 the Archdiocese of Atlanta GEORGIA BULLETIN SCRVINO GEORGIA'S 71 NO«THM*» COUNTIES ****** Wli^ Official Organ of the Archidocese 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 Member of the Catholic Press Association 2699 Peachtree N. E. and Subscriber to N. C. W. C. News Service P. O. Box 11667 Telephone 231-1281 Norths ide Station Atlanta 5, Ga. Second Class Permit at Altanta, Ga. U. S. A. $5.00 Canada $5.00 Foriegn $6.50 Confident Step The establishment of new par ishes and the clergy appoint ments, announced in today's GEORGIA BULLETIN, once again accentuate the missionary char acter of our archdiocese. The Church within the archdiocese of Atlanta has today taken a confi dent step forward. Archbishop Hallinan has once more exerted vigorous leadership in (fulfill ing his trust as our chief shep herd and father. A strong sense of the unity among all members of the arch diocesan family is evident in this newest development. The Atlanta area has received two new par ishes to keep pace with its con tinuing growth. The less heavily populated sections of the arch diocese will experience a new surge of apostolic work. At the same time, zealous attention has been given to the important edu cational program of the Church. We all should rejoice in these signs of growth. It is particularly joyous to see the Church in Atlanta match its development to the fresh spirit of renewal at work throughout the Church universal. One im portant aspect of this renewal is a deepening understanding of the essential role exercised by the C hurch. The Church exists to serve mankind, to meet man's deepest needs, to be a witness to Christ. It is to be a “sign lifted up among the nations'' pointing clearly and constantly to the truth and love of Christ. To those who do not be lieve, the Church must announce the good news of salvation. To be lievers she must always preach faith, penance and all that Christ has commanded. She must invite the faithful to “all the works of charity, piety, and the aposto- late,’’ in the words of the Vati can Council. To see today's announcements purely as material and organiza tional changes would be to miss part of their meaning. Their real significance is that they manifest the continuous effort of the Church in the Atlanta archdiocese to present Christ to men's minds and hearts. End ‘Blackball’ The Knights of Columbus have often come under fire in almost every corner of the country for their membership procedures, mainly the “blackball” system which is alleged to contribute to racial discrimination. We are happy, therefore to report that two state groups of the K of C, Illinois and Colorado, have ap proved resolutions advocating the elimination of the “blackball” and urging more liberal member ship norms. When the Knights are criti cized, it is the fashion to claim that they are not a Catholic or- ganization--merely a fraternal order of Catholics. In asmuchas they seek the protection of the Church and work with it in many areas of endeavor, the Knights cannot disown the Church; neither can the Church disown the Knights. Members of the Knights of Columbus have a duty, there fore, to heed the voice of the Church, all the more so when it is the voice of the “Teaching Church.” Blackballing a n applicant for membership simply because of his color is neither Catholic nor fraternal; indeed, it is downright un-Christian and unworthy of any Catholic group. We therefore hope that the national officers of the Knights of Columbus will heed the voice of their brother Knights in Illinois and Colorado, and set a national policy which clearly condemns any form of racial discrimination--especial- ly as far as membership goes. The fact that there are some Negro members in all parts of the country, does not justify the national office of the K of C re maining silent on this matter. What is required is a strong statement from the Supreme Knight emphasizing that the fra ternal order forbids racial dis- crimination when considering membership. I Am the Resurrection GEORGIA PINES Built-In Excuses BY REV. R. DONALD KIERNAN The other day I stopped into the drug store to buy a cup of coffee. The store was nearly desert ed except for the druggist and his clerk. While I was waiting for the java to cool off before taking a sip, my eyes became fixed on the assorted line of greeting cards displayed in the local Apothe cary. Time was when if you missed a person’s birth day or anniversary the only thing left to do was to make a note of it and make sure that the same thing did not happen again the following year. NOW, HOWEVER, the store has on display such things as a belated birthday greeting with a built-in excuse for how such a dreadful thing happened in the first place. It’s sort of like vi carious lying. One particular card that I noticed had on the cover: ’This card serves absolutely no purpose”. Naturally I wonder what it said on the inside. The message continued: “except to say I hope that we are still friends”. I guess something like that would be ap propriate for the farmer who is always telling his neighbor to get off the party-line. I GREW ESPECIALLY interested in the assort ment of Father’s Day cards. Every year a few wags always manage to send me a Father’s Day card. One of these days the designers will get around to planning Monsignor’s Day and Bishop’s Day so that an appropriate greeting card will fit the occasion. Christmas cards, I think, have grown progres sively worse through the years. More power to those good hearts who are trying to put Christ back in Christmas. I think the depths were reached when I received a card last year with a Santa Clause sipping a martini. What connection those chari- catures have with the Holy Feast I fail to under stand. MAKING THE hospital rounds is always good for a few chuckles. Most of the cards found in the sick person's room I have never seen on display. One company even has a special card for whatever the sickness might be. It even has the home reme dies listed in case you lose confidence with the M.D, For the procrastinator a special card has been designed with a series of boxes outlined in which the sender merely checks off his message. This was especially designed for the college student short of funds and lacking the time in which to write home. “WELCOME TO YOUR new home”; “So you’ve just bought a new (second hand) car”; “Hope you like your new job”; “We enjoyed our day (week or month) at your home”; All occasions are now marked with a special card. There is hardly any excuse now to be thoughtless. I don’t know why mothers-in-law have to bear the brunt of so many jokes. Recently I saw a card, edged in black, and the title had something like, “I understand that you just had a visit from the First Sergeant”. NOW FOR THE perennial bachelor, intent on staying such, a card marks his plight with, “Do right and fear no man; don’t write and fear no woman”. Somehow or other though, we all enjoy receiv ing cards. To the sick, shut-in, and elderly, no doubt a card provides many a pleasant moment. When you think of the sender’s thoughtfulness; the time and energy consumed in purchasing it. the distress in trying to find the receiver’s Zip Code number then there is a lot more to the meaning of a card than just the opening and reading of it. There is hardly anyone so cold and indif ferent who is not at least touched by the thought fulness of a card. INDEPENDENT UGANDA The Wallace Invitation Your World And Mine It would seem that there is a question of propriety in the invi- -see if you can stump him!” tation of three members of the Legislature inviting Governor George Wallace of Alabama to address the General Assembly. At a time when: the members of this body are seriously con cerned with the element of time and the Governor is conscious about the expense of the special session, a speech by a man nationally involved in a politi cal campaign seems to turn the Assembly into a political arena instead of a legislative group ded icated to Georgia's concerns. We are not denying the right of the Alabama Governor to campaign and speak in Georgia, but we do question the timing and especially the place. R. DONALD KIERNAN BY GARY MacEOIN Uganda lies on the equator in the heart of Africa, watered by many of the lakes and rivers which feed into the White Nile. It was ruled by Britain from the end of the last century until it acquired its independence in 1962. Distance from the sea and other factors, however, made it less attrac tive to outside settlers than near-by Kenya. Its six million inhabitants, in consequence, include only about 50,000 Asians and 7,000 Europeans. Independent Uganda has found itself faced with a host of pro blems. The schools can hold only a fraction of those clam oring for education. The econ omy can absorb only a percen tage of those anxious to ex change their primitive tribal existence for a job paying a cash wage and enabling the holder to enjoy a slight improved level of living. TO ADD TO the pressures, Uganda has be come the unwilling host to great numbers of refugees fleeing from violence in neighboring states. The most recent influx has been the Wa- tusi from Rwanda, survivors of the massacres in which many thousands of members of this tribe lost their lives in late 1963 and early 1964. Even before the Watusi, however, there had been a much bigger influx over the past several years from the southern Sudan, an influx that may well continue indefinitely. Uganda has been acutely embarrassed by these refugees. They belong ta tribes who also inhabit its own territory, so that they can move freely across the border and settle among their fellow tribesmen. But when the more educated and enter prising move on into the towns looking for work, they swell the ranks of Uganda’s own unemploy ed. When the students seek to enroll inover- crowded schools, they can only be admitted by ex cluding Ugandans. And last year only one-fourth of all who sat for entrance examinations to secon dary schools in Uganda could find places. Or if they organize military units along the border with the object of returning and freeing their homeland, they bring protests from the government of Sudan. CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 IN MARYLAND Catholics For Wallace! BY GERARD E. SHERRY The claim by CBS News that the majority of Maryland Catholics voted for Alabama Gov. George Wallace in last week’s state primary election, should come as no surprise. According to CBS 55.5% of Catholic voters de clared for Wallace as compared with 41.7% of Protestants and 8.1% of Jews. The Negro vote only was decisive for Senator Brewster, Wallace's op ponent and technical winner of the pri mary. The CBS study was made in^ sL\ model precincts, where the white pop ulation was deter mined to be 75% or more Catholic. Four of the precincts were in Urban Baltimore, a cradle of Catholicism. The CBS study confirms only one thing — Catholics are no different than their fellow citizens when it comes to the problem of civil rights. Indeed, a case might be made that they are not as responsible in this matter as their Protestant or Jewish brethren. Let us here differentiate between Catholics and the Ca tholic Church. Of the Church's stand there can be no doubt. As Mother and Teacher She pro claimed that "racial (discrimination, can in no way be justified, at least doctrinally or in theory." REAPINGS AT RANDOM The American Catnolic Hierarchy also has gone on record many times to stress the basic unity of the human race. Last August our bishops again emphasized that “public authority is obliged to help correct the evils of unjust discrimination practiced against any group or class...we must provide for all, equal opportunity for employment, full participation in our public and private educa tion facilities, proper housing and adequate wel fare assistance when needed.” The American bishops went even further and urged us all to make the quest for racial har mony a "matter of personal involvement.” We must go beyond slogans and generalizations about color, they said, "and realize that all of us are human beings, men, women and children, all shar ing the same human nature and dignity, with the same desires, hopes andfeelings. We should try to know and understand one another.” Finally, our bishops pointed to the fact that “civic action will be more fruitful if all citizens openly and explictly proclaim the religious basis of racial justice and love.” Despite all this recent exhortation: despite the eloquent plea of Archbishop Lawrence J.Shehan of Baltimore just before the primary, a racist can didate almost takes the prize. How did it happen? Why did it happen? I suppose that the first answer is that Catholics in Baltimore, as anywhere else, listen less to their bishops than they do to the politicians. The Politicians offer something for the here and now; their half-truths sound plausable and attractive. The bishops are also concerned with our eternal destiny. Alas, for many of the laity, it is still too far off to worry about. Talk about pagan blind chance7 One wonders even about the influence of the Catholic Press. Both Maryland diocesan weeklies came out strongly against Wallace. The Catholic Review of Baltimore and the Catho lic Standard of Washington urged voters to choose on a moral basis and not on bias and prejudice. Many of the Catholics in Baltimore belong to ethnic minority groups. Sociologists have long been aware that such groups, once they achieve community status and a measure of prosperity tend to look down on other minorities—especial- ly those who replace them at the bottom rung of the economic or social ladder. A perfect example can be gleaned from the early Irish immigrants in New York and other cities. As they came up in the world, they took a harsh view of later arrivals—Italians, Ger mans, and East Europeans — who succeeded Asm and moved into the poor housing areas they had vacated. Later, these groups achieved their own status—and looked down on the Negroes who succeeded them as the under—privileged and for gotten minority. And in all fairness, we now see the phenomonon of affluent Negroes in the big northern cities look ing down on their successors, the Puerto Ricans 1 Much of the Maryl and Catholic intolerance can be attributed to this peculiar (but historically valid) kind of thinking...or, rather, emotion. We single out Maryland Catholics only because the CBS study concerned them.However, I'm sure that they no different than Catholics any where else. VNe ve only got to consider the recent events in Cleve and, where priests were Insulted by their own parishioners because these priests wanted the Negro to attain justice. There’s an awful lot of work to be done before we can say that Catholics are> any better than other Christians in the field orracial justice. A tremendous amount of courage a acrifice will be called for. Maybe also some n ’ an Sulsh and perhaps real sorrow. But lt f ° u faced prayerfully and delibe rately in 0 r that we practice what we preach.
