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OVER SIMPLIFICATION Good Guys, Bad Guys BY REV. LEONARD F. X. MAYHEW There is a tendency in many of us probably derived from our childhood experience watching cowboy movies to divide the world into good guys and bad guys. This convenient division of the hu man race is a staple of the classic western movie and, to a lesser degree, of its television step-child. It definitely has its attractive ness, It does away with the nec essity of doubt, for one thing. There is only one side to every question and it is crystal clear what attitude to take. This is fine for Saturday night at the movies but it makes a somewhat defective frame of reference for more serious considerations. It is surprising, however, how of ten supposedly serious and well-informed analy sts adopt such a mentality - even in matters of Catholic life and thought. When Pope John burst so refreshingly upon the scene, some enthusiasts seemed hell bent on downgrading his predecessor, Pius XII, Now - as is pointed out in another column in this newspaper - some are attempting the same maneuver with Pope John and Pope Paul, Unwar ranted contrasts are being drawn between Pope Paul’s first encyclical letter, Ecclesiam Suam, and the great social documents of Pope John. WE MAY leave aside, as of secondary impor tance, the error of mind or will which leads to such absurdity. In the matter of these papal teach ings and the guidance they afford, the solution is very easy. We may "go to the record" as a poli tical leader of a generation ago used to advise. We have the text of Pope Paul's message as we have the texts of Pope John’s, Every seriously committed Catholic with any aspiration to be well- informed owes it to himself and to the Church to read them for himself with an open mind. Far from being any retrenchment, Pope Paul’s letter - "this simple conversational letter of ours" he calls it - is an excellent summary of the present thinking and concern of those commit ted to aggiornamento 1 - renewal and reform. POPE PAUL was certainly aware that his first encyclical letter might be interpreted as a direc tive (or a ’corrective" in the minds of some) for the Ecumenical Council. At the very start he makes clear that this is not his intention: "It is not our intention to express ideas that are either; new or fully developed; the Ecumenical Council exists for that purpose; its work.,.is to be com mended and encouraged." The Pope captures neatly the three poles of Catholic thought most essential for a practical analysis of the state and needs of the Church. His words, in the first place, "ought to derive from the attentive meditation of the teaching of God." The knowledge thus derived from medita tion on the faith must be applied to "the present situation of the Church" and to "the contempo rary state of humanity in the midst of which our mission is to be accomplished," Nothing could be more completely in the spirit of Pope John’s mandate to the Church and the Council when he called for renewal. Anybody who would doubt this only needs to read further on as Pope Paul speaks of the "necessary reforms" and the "sweeping renovation" that must be accomplished in the Church. THE STARTING-POINT of Pope Paul’s teaching is the revealed word of God and, in particular, that part of divine teaching which conems the "nature, mission and ultimate destiny of the Church." To meet the changing conditions and needs of humani ty, the Pontiff invites the bishops, their follow ers and "the gathering of the faithful considered as a whole, which is the Church" to "deepen its consciousness of itself...to reflect on herself," In a deepened understanding of what the Church really is there will be discovered the energy and wisdom to fulfill most perfectly the supernatural task which we - the Church - must accomplish in this world. The second step in Pope Paul's teaching and program is to compare the "ideal image" of the Church, distilled from meditation on God’s word, with the "actual image which the Church pro jects today." In this comparison we find the Church faithful as always in essentials but also as always imperfect. From this insight "there arises the unselfish and almost impatient need for renewal, for correction of the defects which conscience denounces and rejects." This is the keystone of the "renewal and reform" of Pope John and Pope Paul-and of every faithful member of the Church. OVESTION BOX All Men Equal? Q? Will you please explain about "all men being created equal?" I thought that ever since God cursed Cain and His good moral man, Noah, cursed Chanaan that there was some kind of dis tinction. I didn’t connect it with color or race, just ancestry or descendants. A. God’s curse of Cain was a punishment for sin, teaching a moral lesson; that man should be his brother’s keeper. It does not imply that Cain’s descendants were Inferior. They were on the face of the earth; nomads, but so were the Hebrews. Possibly the most severe criticism of Cain, after his murder of Abel, is in the simple words: "Cain was the founder of a city which he named after his son Henoch." The Hebrew people had little respect for those who lived in cities, considering them im moral. In Noah’s curse of Chanaan there is possibly a bit of in feriority implied. Chanaan was the ancestor of the Jews’ worst enemies: the Chananltesi. To the author of the genealogies of Genesis they were indeed accursed peoples. And we must keep in mind that the people of those earlier days did not have the concept of the common brotherhood of all men, as children of the same Father in heaven - a concept taught by Jesus Christ, and frequently forgotten by His followers. When we enunciate the great principle of our Declaration of Independence that all men are created equal wemustkeepinmindits true mean ing; that all men are endowed by their Creator with the same inalienable rights, because they all share the same human nature. We easily observe that all are not equal in physical strength, mental ability, beauty, wealth, environ ment, or even spiritual opportunities. Pope John XXIII clearly stated the true mean ing of human equality in his Pacem in Terris; "All men are equal in their natural dignity . . . every human being is a person. . . endowed with intelligence and free will. By virtue of this he has rights and duties of his own, flowing directly and simultaneously from his very nature, which are there for inviolable and inalienable. "If we look upon the dignity of the human per son in the light of divinely revealed truth, we cannot help but esteem if far more highly. For men are redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. They are by grace the children and friends of God and heirs of eternal glory.’* The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted* in 1948 by the General Assembly of the UN expresses a similar concept in these words; "All human beings are bornfree and equal in dignity and in rights. They are endowed with reason and with conscience and should act to wards one another in a spirit of brotherhood." PRECARIOUS PAKISTAN Your World And Mine CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 Islamic concept of a theocratic state with the principle enunciated by the United Nations that the rights of the citizen are not affected by his religious allegiance. Its early attempt to create at least partially democratic Institutions ran into a stone wall. Conservative Islamic elements had an absolute control of public opinion and they Insisted on imposing their notion of a society in which the non-believer would enjoy at best a precarious toleration. As in other Moslem states, the solution was found in a military dictatorship which imposed an iron control on the media of communica tions. It has not yet solved any of the basic problems, ideological or economic, but it keeps substantial order and curbs the extremes of fanaticism. THE TINY Catholic minority of about 300,000, although too small to be politically significant, did not escape its share of pressures and tri bulations. Today, however, it has reached a satis factory equilibrium, as ( was assured by Arch bishop Cordelro, first Pakistani Archbishop of Karachi, when he received me recently in his modest home. Pastoral work for the Catholic community can be conducted freely, and there is no objection to a quiet radiation of Catholicism among non-Moslems. Accordingly, while growth of the Catholic community is mainly by natural in crease, there is also a gratifying number of con versions. Adult baptisms in a recent year were 13,600 , more than four percent of the entire Catholic population. Pakistan recognizes its desperate need to ex pand education in order to improve living con ditions, and it welcomes the contribution whjch Catholics are making. The country has more than 450 Catholic schools with 75,000 students. The population of non-Catholic students is particu larly high at the upper levels, so that the Cath olic high schools and colleges provide a direct service to the whole community. ARTIFICIAL though the basis for the State of Pakistan may seem, there is no likelihood of any kind of federation with India, even against the massive Chinese threat to the Sub-continent. The emotional gulf between Pakistanis and India is such as to destroy all reason. All of the help they have received from the United States, for example, is today forgotten, because of the sup port we have given India to strengthen her de fenses against China. All one hears Is the perfidy of the United States for arming Pakistan’s enemy. This violent reaction to every imagined slight prevents the non-Moslem population from ever feeling quite secure, The precarious ness of the balance was again demonstrated recently by the chain reaction to the disappearance of a venerated relic, a hair of the Prophet’s beard. Though the incident occurred in Kashmir, rioting soon spread to distant East Pakistan. Tens of thousands of peasants, most of them Christians (mainly Pro testants), were forced to flee through the Jungle to refuge in India. Such violence inevitably pro vokes counter-violence. One lives for ever in the shadow of a smoking volcano. Saints in Black and White ACROSS 1. Tab 5. 9. 13. v/Jtcyc 14. Of the shoulder 13. Aroma 16. The masses 17. Shear 18. Velocity per second 19. Press 20. Neckpiece 21. An arrangement of troops 24. Flightless bird 23. Monetary unit of various countries (pi.) 27. Form of address 28. Note of scale 29. Spar 31. Skin openings 32. Size or shot 33. Source 36. Shout 40. To summon 43. Energy 4'>. Scottish Explorer 46. I.and measure 47. Three (Italian) 48. Drown 50. Shabby 52. Court 53. Anti-aircraft; abbr. 55. He became one 56. A fish oO. Old German; abbr. 62. List 64. Pin 65. Dampen 66. Mistv 69. Bite 70. Tune 71. Scorch 72. Space 74. wen 75. This (Spanish) 76. Vulctide 77. Smooth material 78. Dark grayish blue 79. Obscures 80. Jog DOWN 1. He was born of .... parents 2. Animal of the cat family 3. Donkey 4. Comb, form: pus 5. He resumed his monastic life in 6. Mohammed'S son-in-law 7. Scruff 8. Tons Registered (of a ship) 9. He practiced the virtue of 10. Noble (German) 11. Blush 12. Danish coin 13. Skin: comb, form 16. Day (Latin) 17. He was born in .. 22. Cesium; abbr. 23. Strike 26. Japanese money 30. Crest 3J. Jetties 34. Rubbish 35. Pope called him to Rome. 37. Stray 38. Loiter 39. Sheltered 40 Houston 41; Mist (Scot) 42. One of the Cardinal^. 43. Blessed bread given to non-communicants 44. Germanic; abbr. 48. Rationality <9. Eyes (Scot) 51. He was endowed with' rare gifts 52. Invalid’s soft food 54. Bother 57. He lived as one 58. Airplantf; (French) 59. Costly 60. Attack 61. Silly persons 63. "The Quaker State” 67. Philippine servant 68. Branches 70. Vehicle 73. Stuff M. Sailor 76. Ex dividend; abb/. 77. He became one N argon 'ip ANSWER TO LAST WEEK’S PUZZLE ON PAGE 7 THURSDAY AUGUST 20, 1964 GEORGIA BULLETIN PAGE 5 ECCLESIAM SUAM Favorable Press Reaction Greets Pope’s Encyclical (N.C.W.C, News Service) U. S. newspaper reacted favorably to Pope Paul Vi’s first encyclical, Ecclesiam Suam, while noting that it re presents a more "conserva tive" approach to issues than that of the late Pope John XXIIL Here is a roundup of editorial comment on the encyclical: THE CHICAGO Sun-Times: "To some, the message meant a slowing down of the so-called modernizing process associat ed with Pope John. But the em phasis actually was on a re statement of the Church’s un changeability in matters of the spirit while adapting itself ex ternally to changing times." The Chicago American: "The world has never been more in need of guidance from religion than it is now - with wars brewing but not yet irretriev ably started in the East and West. The Pope’s offer to medi ate these crises comes at an opportune moment." THE WASHINGTON Post: "Even on a first and super ficial reading one point seems abundantly clear: the Pontiff has drawn limits both to the enthusiasm for Christian re union generated under his pre decessor and to the zeal for aggiornamento, or the adapta tion of the Church and its methods to the moods and con ditions of the contemporary world." The New York Herald Tri bune: "He is not stressing separateness, but unity; not diatribe, but dialogue. It is a stand that should find a sym pathetic echo in many hearts and minds; that could be of immense value in lay, as well as in religious, controversy." THE BOSTON Globe: "What the letter does is extend the area of dialogue, with all that implies, among the churches and to non-Christian religions. That dialogue, which has ex panded with such marked dis tinction here and in Europe, was among Pope John’s chief aspirations." The San Antonio Express: "If the ’circular* encourages further discussion on ways to ward greater agreement among Christians, it may yet become ’extraordinary.’ ** THE ATLANTA Constitution: "It was not a revolutionary document by any means. Rather it showed Pope Paul, a man of keen intellect, to be a conserva tive in the best sense of that much misused word: seeking to preserve the strength and good of the past, while at the same time taking note of historical facts of life and demonstrating compassion for human wel fare." The Cleveland Plain Dealer: "Determinations of the third session of the ecumenical coun cil opening next month will provide the real answers as to where Pope Paul’s influence will be directed, to the v liberal wing of the Church represented by a majority of the 2,300 prelates or to the curia, the ultraconservative ruling body." The Baltimore Sun: "In some respects his point of view seems more cautious and conservative* than Pope John's. The two share an intense fervor for world peace, however, and among the many points which will be pondered in the new letter . . . is the Vatican’s offer to assist contending parties in finding ‘honorable and fraternal solu tions’ for their disputes." Seminary Fund ARNOLD VIEWING Island Of Blue Dolphins BY JAMES W. ARNOLD "Island of the Blue Dolphins" has the distinc tion of being the only <non-DIsneyr film recom mended this year by the Legion of Decency as superior family entertainment. An offbeat pro duction by little-known professionals, it is an uncommonly pretty, often moving tale about a girl Robinson Crusoe, But it is simply an excellent children’s movie, with insufficient depth or skill to demand earnest adult attention. The film is based on Scott O’Dell’s much - praised 1960 novel, itself based on the true story of an Indian woman who lived a'ne on one of California’s Santa Barbara is lands from 1835 to 1853, The movie heroine (darkly pretty teenager Celia Kaye) and her young brother are accidentally left behind when their tribe, decimated by treacherous hunters, is evacuated to the mainland. She learns much about life and death, love and hate, good and evil before the rescue ship comes. THE TIME problem is a crucial flaw in the movie. The girl does not age, and the way the film is cut, the audience..could not think more than a year or two has passed at most. The im pact of her experience, and of the film itself, is considerably softened. The picture’s message, that there is a spirit of benevolence in nature that may overflow into the life of man, seems an optimist's answer to "Lord of the Flies," There, of course, child ren abandoned to nature were 'drawn irresistibly to the powers of darkness. Yet "Dolphins" is not all that profound. It merely suggests that through her experience in the wilderness the girl comes to accept human life with ita uncertain mixture of goodness ajid savagery, joy and heartbreak. The chief villains are a pack of nasty-looking wild dogs, led by a big, ugly renegade hound named Rontu, After the beasts kill her brother (there’s scarcely a mark on him), the girl wounds Rontu, but then pities him and spares his life. The monster then becomes as genial as any Hollywood good-guy dog. Later, Miss Kaye learns that kindness also wins over the other good-for-nothings in the pack. The moral is wholesome • enough,- but a touch too refined and pat for comfort. DIRECTOR James B, Clark has two things going for him. One is the spectacular scenery - jagged cliffs; swirling waters, endless variations in rock colors and formations - shot at Anchor Bay, Calif. (150 miles north of San Francisco), Cameraman Leo Tover ("The Snake Pitt") cap tures every breathtaking vista in the vicinity. Perhaps the best is a long shot from above o J a canoe pulling onto a shimmering beach between the blues of the Pacific and the browns and grays of the sand. A second asset are the dogs, scraggly, fear some creatures expertly tutored by Frank Weatherwax. The film’s best moments are in the fast cutting and deftly chosen shots when the girl attempts to bow-and-arrow Rontu, and later, when he defends her against unruly subordinates in the pack. The acting (except for Ann Daniel, a haunting- ly lovely child who visits the island and, luckily, doesn't have to speak English) is on the amateur side. Miss Kaye, Larry Domasin (the brother) and Carlos Romero (as the noble chief done in by a greedy white man) are compromised mainly by the dialog. It is often a crude mixture of United Nations rhetoric ("Let us respect each other’s rights and learn to trust each other") and Santa Monica suburbia-wlthout-contractions ("I do not know, I do not want to talk about it"). WHEN DEATHS occur, they are sudden andun- prepared-for, and director Clark tends to rely heavily on the trite image of the survivor- standing-sadly-by-the-fresh-grave. The closing sequence, in which the girl gathers her belongings and slowly passes the locations that will linger in her memory, while a fresh wind tosses her hair and the adjacent vegetation, is sensitively done - a sign that this, with a bit more sustained artistry, might have been much better than a merely good picture. Film-makers now have in their clutches for immediate projects several famous works by Catholic authors. The very next assignment for Oscar-winning director Tony Richardson ("Tom Jones") is an updated version of "The Loved One," Evelyn Waugh's black satire of Holly wood burial customs. THIS WILL be the first Waugh novel ever filmed, although M.G.M. purchased the rights to "Brideshead Revisited" in 1945 f->r $40,000. Rod Steiger willplay Joyboy, proprietor of a cemetery for pets, and the cast will include Robert Morse, Jonathan Winters and Sir John Gielgud. If one doesn’t expect too much fidelity to Waugh, he can count on something strange and delightful from Richardson, currently the hottest director around. Less certain are planned screen adaptations of G.K. Chesterton's philosophical thriller, "The Man Who Was Thursday," and Graham Greene’s theological drama, "The Potting Shed." The Ches terton work will be done in modestly hig bugget style ($5 million), with a script by veteran Richard Maibaum, who has warmed up for the task by scripting the first three James Bond movies. Unlike most of Greene’s novels, "The Potting Shed," originally a play, is something less than cinematic. The director will be Ted Post, whose current contribution to mass uplift is the forth coming TV series, "Peyton Place." Remetnber the SEMINARY FUND of the Arohidocese of Atlanta in your Will. Bequests should be made to the “Mpst Reverend- Paul J. Hallinan, Archbishop of the Catho lic Archdiocese .of Atlanta and his successors in office*'. Participate in the daily prayers of our semi narians and in the Masses offer ed annually for the benefactors of our SEMINARY FUND. God Love You BY MOST REVEREND FULTON J. SHEEN Why are there over 100 conversions a year per priest in many mission lands, when in the United States priests average only a little over two conversions a year? Because we are busier and must teach in schools? But the priests in the Missions have more work. In some parishes in Africa, the priests hear confessions five hours a day, four days.a week, in addition to caring for many missions and converts. The reason is probably this: here, we want people to come to us; in the Missions, they go out after the people. We are canonicals, that is, our re sponsibility is measured by those who are subject to Canon Law; Missions are pastoral, in the sense that "others who are not of the fold must be brought in that there may be one fold and one Shepherd." Just say that there were three conversions per priest per year in the United States, which is above the average. Is there a single priest who does not know twenty who left the Church during the year to follow one of the three concupiscences: sex, egotism and greed? Are we really growing, except by baptisms of Infants born to Catholic parents and by adding building to building? However one answers the question, those who love Christ can plainly see that we have to go out to those who are not coming in. The Com munists do not limit their zeal to Communists, politicians buttonhole voters and kiss babies, salesmen ring doorbells, and dog-food manufacturers hire town criers. Shall we have Christ huddle together in pews and be the keepers of the Light of Heaven and not cast fire on the earth? Welcnow that you faithful have worried about this complacency. You ask, "What can be done?" For one thing, you could imitate the girl in a dentist's office who makes thirty converts a year. . . and all with toothaches! Talk about Our Lord with others, invite them to pray with you. Go out into the suffering world where Christ is. If you have failed in this, then send missionaries, help edu cate a priest, deny yourself a luxury to pay for a catechist in Africa, take up a collection in your office for lepers. . .and send it to one who is responsible to the whole Church, namely, the Holy Father. GOD LOVE YOU to T.C. for $20 "Please accept my prayers and sacrifice to support a catechist for one month in the Mis sions.** ... .to Lori, Robin, Dicky, Kathryn and Barbara for $4.30 "We had a carnival to raise money to help the lepers. We hope this will help save all the little children who have leprosy." to Mr. and Mrs. F. K. for $150 "Last night we decided to forego our planned vacation trip so that our offering could travel to the Missions. At least we have a place in which to "stay home." . . . .to A.K. and D.B, for $10 "My fiance and 1 used to have din ner out. once a week. Now I have proposed that 1 cook the dinner and we send our savings to the Missions. You will be hearing from us every week." Find out how an annuity with The Society for the Propagation of the Faith helps both you and the poor of die world. Send your requests for our pamphlet on annuities, including the date of your birth, to Most Rev. Fulton J. Sheen, 366 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10001. Cut out this column, pin your sacrifice to it and mail it to Moat Rev. Fulton J. Sheen, National Direc^r of the Society for the Prop pagttion of the F%ith, 366 Fifth AVenue, New York lx, N. Y. or your Archdiocesaa Director, Very Rev. Harold-J* Rainey P, O. Box 12047 Northside Station. Atlanta 5, Ga.>