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/ PAGE 4 GEORGIA BULLETIN ■ THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 1964 the Archdiocese of Atlanta GEORGIA BULLETIN SftVINO GEORGIA'S 71 NORTHMM COUNTIES 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. P. O. Box 11667 Norths ide Station Atlanta 5. Ga. 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 Double Standards The chickens have come home to roost. The U. S. Government is reaping the winds of panic and destruction of its policies in Vietnam, when last November it acquiesced in the overthrow and death of President Diem. On the murder of the Viet nam President, we suggested that our government was making a mistake in heeding only biased reports from Saigon-based American newsmen. These re ports suggested that President Diem and his government were persecuting the Buddhist major ity. U. S. Ambassador Henry Ca bot Lodge is said to have con firmed the alleged persecution in reports to our government. The -majority of U. S. news papers gave widespread publicity to the alleged persecution of Buddhists by the so-called “Catholic Government** of Viet nam. Just before the murder of Diem, a United Nations commis sion was sent to investigate the charges Diem's death made the findings academic. However several of the U. N. investiga tors said that they could find no evidence of widespread per secution of Buddhists. This, de spite the fact that they did dis cover isolated instances of ex cesses by some Diem govern ment officials in their dealings with Buddhists. We said the chickens were coming home to roost. They cer tainly are. Since Diem’s death, the war against the Communists in Vietnam has not been very successful. Indeed, the govern ment holds less territory, and has less influence among the people. Just as important, alas those who claimed to be persecuted by Diem are now doing the same thing to Catholics. The Buddhist majority has pressured the present government not only to reprisals against Diem officials but also to others whose only crime seems to be that they are Catholic. What is disturbing is that Am- bassodor Lodge does not appear to be intervening in this wave of Buddhist excesses against Catholics. Indeed he seems to be acting the role of a Pilate-- applying a double standard to the Catholic minority in Vietnam. We can sympathize with the at tacks made on the ambassa dor position at a Vietnam Catr&lic demonstration on Sun day. We think he should take a far more objective role than is apparent at present. Schema On Jews LAST WEEK at the Catholic Press Association meeting in Pittsburgh, Rabbi Marc Tanen- baum emphasized o the Catholic editors the importance of the pro posed schema on the Jews under discussion at Vatican Council II. In the course of a very moving discourse, he said the decree on the Jews “was necessary for the Catholic Church and Christians generally as much, if not more, than it is for the Jews.** Per haps it would be better to say that it is for the sake of truth and its understanding, a cause all of us should be supporting equally , that the schema on the Jews is needed so badly in our contemporary world. Everyone remembers the as surance of Cardinal Bea when the matter was first presented to the Council Fathers, and his further words at the close of the session last year. Meanwhile, in some manner, the proposed text of the schema hasbeenmade known to the public; it has, in fact, been published in come newspapers. While this should not prevent any modification of the document, which is the real work of the Council, it does mean that any change in the essential thrust of the document, or any “water ing down,** will come under public discussion. It will be no help if the schema ends by creating more questions than it was initially in tended to resolve. Pope Paul has given some good advice recently which can aid the Council considerably and which has in this case already made its task easier. In his re marks to the representatives of the American Jewish Committee, the Pope distinguished between the religious and political impli cations of the Jewish situation. At once, he removed himself from the political area, where the for tunes of the state of Israel en gender certain tensions and con flicts, and directed his attention to the theological questions. Similarly, the Council can speak of those religious truths which have been a source of misunder standing for so long and seek to express them in unmistakable formulas that can guide Christian thought in the days ahead. Whether or not the schema on the Jews is transferred to the new Secretariat for non-Chris tians or remains where it is, does not appear to be a matter of first importance. Plainly, the Jews have a very special r ©la- tionshipwith the Christian Church not shared by any other religious tradition, and this unique status can be recognized. What is of first significance is the quality of the schema and its willing ness to put at rest for all time those misunderstandings of Christian truths which have on occasion been the roots of anti- Semitism. This generation, which has seen the Nazi genocide, should by historic right be the one to look into its own con science and,from this contempla tion, bring forth a thoroughly Christian answer to a problem too long left unattended. THE PILOT GEORGIA PINES Keep Off The Grass! REV. R. DONALD KIERNAN I would imagine that now my readers feel acquainted with my good friend from Savannah, Monsignor McNamara. Quite frequently I have mentioned his name in this column. Anyhow, he is the Rector of Savannah's, Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist. After my Ordination in 1949, I was assigned as his assistant. Nostalgically, the good Monslgnor would talk at at the table about his days on the middle Georgia missions. This was while he was serving as Pas tor of Milledgeville’s Sacred Heart Church. In particular he would talk about the physical chores in addition to the spiritual responsibilities a priest has in a "one man par iah”. Often he would refer to the Milledgevllle parish as a place where the priest was "pope and janitor". I never actually realized what he meant until I was assigned to Gainesville. The grounds around Saint Michael’s Church are very nice but they do require a "good Five years ago when I arrived in Gainesville and drove up to the front of the rectory I can re call ever so well making a comment to myself about the beauty of the landscaping. The ivy clad buildings and the golf-course lawn were a beauty to behold. But then the first week grew by and seemingly as fast the grass grew too. Soon 1 was to realize that if the grass were to be cut..,.I was elected "Janitor". The first few times were really fun but the routine grew monotonous. I REASONED with myself that the exercise was good for my avoirdupois, but to no avail. Grass cutting, believe me, is work. The next step was to go about the chore in a scientific way. Soon I bought a sit-on power mower, but this became so fascinating to the neighborhood children that the manicured lawn began to look like a man who has his hair cut by a rookie at the barber college. Of course, too, there was the usual ribbing. It was only a short time before I felt the necessity to disguise myself by wearing a broad rimmed hat and a pair of dark glasses. I felt like one of the FBI’s ten most wanted men and after all the only thing 1 was doing was cutting my own lawn. The next step was to purchase a push mower. Now this really did evoke the comments. "What’s the matter, Father, th^ parish too poor to buy a gas mower?" Comments such as this to, "Boy, what an actl". You see, folks, if you have never been to Gaines ville, the rectory is located on a busy street across from the hospital. Everyone who drives past feels the necessity to either blow a horn or stop to chat with "the Father". I can actually cut the lawn in the back yard in one-third the time it takes me to cut the grass in the front. MY DOCTOR friends from the hospital also vary in their comments too."That*s good for you. Fath er", all the way to "don’t overdo it, Father”. In the meantime with the score of sidewalk-superin tendent friends that I have, I am yet to have an of fer of assistance!. Last winter the climax was reached when the grass spreader planted the rye grass in a strip ped fashion. With this I came to the conclusion that I have never been blessed with the "green thumb". The good Monsignor was right about his "jani tor" prediction. With all the time and energy (plus $) I have put on that lawn, should yap ever visit Gainesville PLEASE KEEP OFF THE LAWN. It’s likened to a mortal sin in these parts. QUESTION BOX What About Stealing? Q. I would like to have you explain stealing to me. When is it a venial sin and when a mortal sin, and when is it no sin at all? The children seem to think when they take small things that aren’t worth more than a dime or so it isn’t called stealing. Must small things be returned before one can receive the sacraments worthily? A. Stealing is taking something which belongs to another person - something to which we have no right. It is always a sin. We may sometimes pre sume the permission of a friend to take small things, but if we are correct in our presumption that is not stealing. We have a right to it because of the own er's permission. If we are star ving we have a right to take food, if we cannot get it other wise. This is not stealing be cause our dire need gives us a right to it. Actually, in these days of social welfare this is an antiquated ex ample of theologians, to be applied with extreme care in practice. Police put you in jail for it. Children should be taught a positive attitude of honest, trust and respect for the property of others. But if the sin approach is used we must never tell them that taking adimeisa mortal sin. It isn't. We might try to impress them that venial sin is a very serious thing. They won’t go to hell for it, but it is contrary to their love for God. In any case I don’t think the fear of hell should be impressed on any young child. Theologians are not agreed as to the breaking point between a mortal and venial sin in the matter of stealing. Any set amount is arbitrary. You do serious harm to a poor man if you take his one and only dollar. Possibly a wealthy man might not be gravely injured if you took $50 from him. Yet, if they catch you they will put you in jail for it. So there is social evil involved as well as injury to the individual. Our society is based on trust and honesty. We know it is often violated in both word and act. And yet we consider dishonesty one of the worst social sins. And rightly so. The supreme law of Christ is that we love God and our neighbor. And there can be no love unless it be based on justice and truth. Q. Recently I came across a Biblical verse which has been puzzling me, I refer to St. Mark 9, 43 and 45, "Where the worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched." What is this "worm" which is twice mentioned? I would assume that it refers to a soul in some archaic translation. A. Interestingly you quote the two verses of St. Mark’s Gospel in which the word "worm" does not appear in our best Greek sources and it will not appear in the future Confraternity transla tion, now being prepared. EXTREMIST ARMS Please Don’t P-R-A-Y BY GERARD E. SHERRY One of the greatest paradoxes in our American life is that while some shriek loud and clear over the possibility of Communist take-over they seem oblivious to the apparent dangers from the extreme right wing. Several years ago California's Attorney General Stanley Mosk warned against the "Minute Men” who were training among the redwoods ready to repel alleged Com-, munist invaders.* Many suspected/ however, that they, were more interest ed in being ready for their own take-over if they could get the support. Of recent months we have the spectacle of another extreme right wing group called the Paul Revere Associated Yeomen, Inc., who have the unmitigated gall to use the title Pray for their organization which they claim is organized to "wake up Americans.” A recent issue of their newsletter gives an idea of their extremism. Having spoken of a conspiracy between Wall Street, Madison Avenue and the Jews to cooperate with the Russian Communists it as serts the following P.S.: "1) We believe a Goldwater-Nixon team will be nominated on the 2nd or 3rd ballot at the Republi can Convention, IN SPITE of the Eastern King makers - the Wall St.-Madison Ave. agents of the House of Rothschild and all their billions of dollars. ”2) We believe that a Goldwater-Nixon team will sweep to victory by at least a 60 to 40 vote; sweep liberals out of the House and Senate. "3) We believe that one. or more attempts will then be made to assassinate both Goldwater and Nixon, coinciding with planned riots and insur gency by liberals, pinks, reds and communists. ”4) We believe this insurgency will FAIL, af ter considerable bloodshed! ”5) We believe that every patriot should make his home an armed arsenal, to protect his family from this liberal-red insurgency; and that Ameri cans will REFUSE to register their arms! ”6) We believe that Goldwater will be a patrio tic America-first President from 1965 to 1972; and that Nixon will succeed him from 1973 to 1980 ... and that these 16 years will UNDO what the traitors have done to the U.S. from 1933 to 1964 ... and that America will once more become a great constitutional Republic, respected and feared by the whole world! ”7) We believe the UN - the ‘Tower of Babel’ is already cracking at the seams, and will col lapse with a ROAR! "These are far-reaching prognostications. May God implement and resolve them in favor of loyal, constitutional Americans. For "Man Proposes, While God Disposes." Any objective person cannot view the above quotation with anything but concern. The surpris ing thing is that the law seems powerless to do much about it and the right wing elements in our political society don't seem to be worried either. The genuine political conservative is essential not merely to the preservation of the two party system but also to the preservation of Democracy as we now know it. What bothers me is that most political conservatives I know simply write off the Paul Revere Group "as a bunch of nuts" who can do no harm. .ALAS, RECENT figures released by National Rifle groups disclose that thousands of rifles and millions of ammunition have been stored away in various parts of the country. There seems to be no check on the purchases or whether the arms and ammunition are being planned for anything other than hunting and recreation. I think it is about! time that responsible conservatives denounced the un-American and un-Democratic tactics of these ultra right wing groups which seek to destroy our form of government under the guise of anti-Com- munism. While some of us laugh at the alleged antics, some are training as snipers and demolition experts. They are using the same type of tact ics as the Communists and their ultimate aims are equally evil. REAPINGS AT RANDOM There is another side to this ultra right extremism. Most of the followers are also en couraged (besides being anti-Communist) to be anti-Semitic and anti-Negro. I have pointed out this latter hallmark of extremist groups many times before but somehow the political conser vatives don’t seem worried. In fact, I knew of one Jew who at one time was the angel of the most anti-Semitic rag in the country. His sole justification for giving his support was that the paper claimed to be both anti-Communist and pro-American, W e still have not learned the lesson thet both Nazi Germany and Communist Russia are equally anti-Semitic and anti-Christian. One gentleman told me the other day that the Paul Revere group has quite a lot of support from Catholics in some sections of the South and far West. I hope this i Sn »t~ true for I can think of nothing so in opposition to Catholic teaching than the belief that to be truly anti-Communist one must also beanti-Jewishandanti _ Negro.This apart from the fact that intimidation of our Demo cratic processes through false rumors and asser tions of insurrection by one group of our citizens is as un-American as you can make it. We hope that responsible conservatives will at least repu diate the actions and plans of such right wing extremists, even if they won’t privately use their influence to calm them down.