Newspaper Page Text
CHANGE FOR CHANGE SAKE
THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 1964 GEORGIA BULLETIN PAGE 5
Liturgical Renewal
BY REV. LEONARD F. X. M\YHEW
Edmund Burke, the English leader who defend
ed the rights of the American Colonies, once
said: "A dispostion to preserve and an ability
to improve, taken together, would be my stand
ard of a statesman, *' Whatever shortcomings
might be found in this cautious statement by those
whose views lean toward either extreme, it does
contain a relevant insight for today's Catholic.
The renewal of Catholic worship has become so
involved, in the minds of most of us, with change
in externals that the underlying motives- minds
of most of us, with change in externals, that
the underlying motives - the “why” of these
changes - may be lost sight of.
Change does not normally
take place in the Catholic
Church either suddenly or
merely for its own sake. This
is true of the liturgical chan
ges which are absorbing the at
tention of the Catholic world to
day. These changes have been
prepared for over a long per
iod of time- well over a gene
ration - and only through the
laborius efforts of many
individuals and groups. The Church has moved
gradually. Pope Pius XII recognized and approved
the efforts of pioneers in liturgical work in an
encyclical (Mediator* Dei) as early as 1947.
Step by step, during the ensuing years, ad
vances were made both by individuals and in the
official policies of the Church. Finally, as Arch
bishop Paul J. Hallinan has written in How To
Understand Changes In the Liturgy, “the Vati
can Council has crowned these experiments with
new liturgical laws built upon the most cogent
doctrinal and pastoral principles.”
THIS LATTER point is of cardinal importance.
There is no such thing in an affair of this kind
as change for the sake of change. For the
Fathers of the Vatican Council, as well as for the
bishops, priests and laymen who are dedicated
to liturgical renewal, there is only one import
ant consideration - the spiritual benefit of the
Christian people. The basic insight that led to the
present situation is the recognition i that the
faithful were not deriving the maximum bene
fit from their Sacramtsntal life. The Council
Fathers declared their aim clearly; ' Christ’s
faithful should through a good Understanding
of the rites and prayers, take part in the sacred
action conscious of what they are doing with
devotion and full collaboration. This full and
active participation by all the people is the aim—
to be considered before all else.” Each change,
each newly introduced practice, each reform is
based on this aim. Moreover, even these parti
cular changes all have their own definite and im
portant reason.
Another consideration may be helpful for those
who find the changes in liturgy confusing or dif
ficult to accept. Change is normal for the Church.
The Church has always been ready to change
non-essentials in order to do its work more
effectively. The fundamentals- for example, of the
Mass and Sacraments- always remain the same,
because they have been instituted by Christ.
The fact remains that each age in the Church’s
long history has introduced changes to meet its
own needs. The Mass was celebrated in Greek
in the first ceturies. The change to latin was
dictated by the faithful’s use of latin in every
day life and ignorance* (in the western Church)
of Greek. Even in our own time changes have
been made. Frequent Communion is a recejit
phenomenon, as older people will recall. The re
laxed fast before Communion and the introduc
tion of evening Masses has been of immense
benefit to countless souls. The restored Holy
Week services returned these magnificent cele
brations to the experience of the faithful,
A SPIRIT of faith dictates for all of us- not
slavish obedience, but reasoned and free ac
ceptance of the mind of the ‘Church and the ef
fort to know and possess that "mind” in our
selves.
QUESTION BOX
The Great Pretense?
BY MSGR. J. D. CONWAY
Q. I heard these words in a sermon, "Let us not
pretend that we are something that we are not.” I
ask you, is this possible? The first little sin we
commit we are told to tell it only to the priest.
From that moment we have to pretend thatwe are
something that we are not. God has given us a soul,
mind and conscience. These do not show, and if
He had wanted them to show He would have let
them.
There comes a time in life when we have to be
civil to someone whom we bitterly dislike. We are
so afraid our dislike will show that we make a
great effort to lean over the other way. Again the
great pretense.
A. This is another of those “being - honest -
about - your - honesty” questions.
The primary requisite is that
we be honest with ourselves
about ourselves; that con
science work with clarity and
accuracy, and that we face up to
its findings. It is seldom impor
tant that other people know our
secret sins; it is highly impor
tant that we recognize and ad
mit them frankly.
The second essential is that we be honest with
ourselves about other people, and about external
reality in general. We must be sure to judge peo
ple justly and charitably. We must sincerely
search for truth, both from experiment and from
reliable authority; and we must look that truth
straight in the face when we find it. But here one
of the first truths we should learn is the humility
of honesty: to recognize the limitations of our
knowledge. We should never deny to ourselves
what we really know; but we must be able to ad
mit to ourselves how little we know.
The third form of honesty is with other pople.
Here we must keep in mind that no one virtue alone
can rightly rule our relations with our neighbor.
Not even love? True love comes equipped with
justice, honesty, prudence, respect and a variety
of other virtues. Otherwise it is sentimentality.
Possibly love’s most needed virtue is prudence:,
sound judgment. Loving honesty to our neighbor
may restrict our frankness - often. Prudence is
the moderator of all other virtues. Rarely can ex
tremes be virtues. Honesty unrestrained becomes
bluff, boorish and boresome. Our neighbor has no
right to tell him about the secret sins of others.
Neither may we in charity - or prudence - tell
him the whole truth about himself.
Prudent honesty is not mendacious but it does
observe the social amenities which prudence has
established. Extremism in honesty might urge you
to tell each person you meet precisely what you
think of him. The result would often be extremely
painful to both of you - especially if he is bigger
than you.
When we meet someone we "bitterly dislike”
prudence will guide charity to handle the situation,
restraining honesty to its virtuous moderation. But
it will then prod honesty to admit frankly our own
failure of charity in this bitter dislike.
Extremism in the cause of honesty is seldom a
virtue.
Q. My husband calls himself a Catholic, but he
has not made his Easter Duty for the past two
years. This worries me greatly. What would I
do in the event of death?
He goes to Mass only when he feels like it,
and having a hangover every weekend he doesn’t
feel like it too often. Last spring he hospital
ized me with a broken nose. Should I just divorce
him? We have a year-old baby.
A. Dear lady, you have my deep sympathy,
but this problem is much too complicated for my
column. I suggest that you consult your own priest.
He may be able to help. But I have a surfeit
of similar problems in my own parish, and I
am usually unable to do much about them, ex
cept listen with sympathy— and be thankful
for celibacy. My confidence in my wisdom as a
marital counsellor decreases as age and ex
perience Increase.
HOPE FOR LEPERS
Your World And Mine
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4
basic needs in a normal way. Finally, all through
the area are located treatment centers for mild
cases. Nobody has to travel more than three or
four miles for his twice-weekly medicine and
check-up.
Bishop McGettrick was fortunate in that pro
ject came when research had finally determined
the origin of leprosy and was developing effec
tive remedies. The disease is caused by a germ
akin to the organism producing tuberculosis. Spre
ad from the skfh or nasal secretions of an in
fectious patient, it enters the body through breaks
in the skin. Overcrowding, malnutrition, poor
sanitation and hot humid climates facilitate its
transfer.
TREATMENT until 1950 was by twice-weekly
injections of a thick oil, effective only against one
of the two main types, Sulphone drugs adminis
tered orally have since come into universal use
and are effective against both types. What this
means is that the Ogoja program is a terminal
one for the entire region. More than two thousand
are discharged as cured each year, and the month
ly load of new cases is already lower than the
numbered cured. Within a couple of generations,
the foci of infection will be eliminated and lep
rosy will be only a troubled memory where from
time immemorial it had ravaged and lacerated at
will.
By the time they are cured, many children and
adults have lost fingers, toes or limbs, others
are horribly deformed. This is where the magic
Dr. Hans comes in. He transfers sinews to reac
tivate clenched fists, grafts bones to restore a
grip, turns a twisted foot toes-front again. Then
the physical therapy department, headed by a
cheerful Sister from New England, teaches the un
locked hands to spin, weave, sew, work leather.
Instead of helpless dependence, they can be self-
reliant and self-supporting.
Current project is a model farm and fish pond
being developed by two Austrian farmers. The bis
hop hopes it will help him feed his many dependent
lepers, while teaching the peasants better agri
cultural methods and adding protein to the starchy
diet.
Saints in Black and White
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Villages With Church Aid
ACROSS
1. French coin
6. voice
10. soft
13. prudent
68. desert spot
70. Maxwell
71. streak
73. not ever
75. corrode
14. 12 month of Jewish 70. He had great devo-
- Sacra-
tion to
ment
79. prongs
81. international lan
guage
82. over there
83. rawbened
85. An authorized offi
cial
87. entity
year
15. compass point
16. World War II
soldier
17. Author of fables
19. Gabriel’s horn
21. rudiments
23. tinge
25. Moslem noble
26. ruminate ...
28. Labor Union leader 88. swirl
30. falls 89. raise
33. the flank DOWN
35. opposed to vprso 1. Francium; abbr.
37. Jacob's t\vin brother 2. Pit for roots; Maori
38. He was born in 3. periods
4. a bone of the nose
40. sphere
42. bark
43. senior
45. positions
47. Nova Scotia; abbr
48. Degree
.50. relish
52. restrain
54. disease
56. steamship
58. character
61. Great Barrier island 16. street urchin
63. Increased 18. gift
65. work 20. 320 rods
66. will 22. to address: archaic
5. trlfoll
6. exist
7. high in pitch;
music
8. unwavering
9. recession
10. He had this disease
11. unit
12. moist
13. clasp (Roman'
24.
27.
29.
31.
32.
34.
36.
39.
41.
44.
46.
48.
49.
51.
53.
55.
57.
59.
60.
62.
64.
cereal grasses
quiets
sedate
distress
eats
plaque
ancient
brown color
steel
musical composition
bristles
and Andy
wash
fortification
Russian money
small pieces of fer
menting dough
rearrange
He recited It daily
Muse of Lyric
Pcetry
fermented drinks
He was called
“Preacher of
Love
cotton thread
Spanish title
exigency
network
secondary
King Alfred's sister,
abbr.
bread winner
pouch
Empire State; aboi
Football position;
abbr.
ANSWER TO LAST WEEK'S PUZZLE ON PACE f
WASHINGTON (NC) — The
Catholic Church in Pakistan is
encouraging its people to live
separately from the Moslem
majority in specially creat
ed villages to give them a sense
of Christian community life.
The program was described
here by Archbishop Joseph Cor-
deiro of Karachi, the first citi
zen of his country to be rais
ed to the episcopacy.
"THE villages began several
years ago with the influx of
Catholics from farms into the
cities,” he said in an interview.
Most of Pakistan's Catholics
are in the poor classes, and
many were reduced to wretch
ed poverty in the urban areas.
"Most of these people al
ways want to get back on the
land, but they could not be
cause they had sold theirfarms,
said the archbishop. "What the
Church did was buy land and
create a village for 50 or 75
Catholic families. There we are
able to serve them and to teach*
them economic independence by
developing skilled trades.”
ANOTHER prime reason
for the villages, Archbishop
Cordeiro explained, is to fos
ter and protect the faith of the
Catholics, many of them con
verts from Protestantism, in a
country where Christians make
up less than 1% of the popu
lation.
Asked if he thought such a
separation would breed mis
trust between Moslems and
ARNOLD VIEWING
6 Circus World 9 Disaster
BY JAMES W. ARNOLD
The best moments in "Circus World” are the Grant,
disasters. Once producer Samuel Bronston turns
over a 4000-ton freighter at a Barcelona pier, and
hundreds of people, lions and monkeys splash
aimlessly about. Later on, the BigTop burns down
in the biggest conflagaration since Mra O’Leary’s
cow. The racket and confusion, on each occasion,
are delightfully appalling.
Otherwise, this big ($8.5 million) Cinerama
epic, shot in Spain, is an incredibly old-fashioned
soap opera about a sinful-but-
repentant aerialist (Rita Hay
worth) who returns to her true
love (John Wayne) while over
coming the animosity of her
misunderstanding daughter
(Claudia Cardinale). Barely has
so much non-acting talent been
gathered under one tent with
so much indigestible dialog.
PEOPLE who should know say the turn-of-the-
century circus background is realistic. Certainly
it is relentlessly cheerful, despite a somber score
by Dimitri Tiomkin and humor typified by a running
gag in which Wayne genially kicks a midget in
the pants.
Story details may have to be left to cryptolo-
gists, but near as I can tell, hero and heroine
once had an adulterous affair which led to a sui
cide dive from the trapeze by Rita’s husband. She
fled in shame, leaving Wayne to bring up her
child. As the film opens, 14 years later, long-
suffering Wayne is still smitten. He takes his
circus on a European tour, half in hopes of finding
Miss Hayworth, half to steal acts from other cir
cus impresarios.
The breathtaking moments come hot and heavy.
In one, Rita, a dumpy and tattered stranger, wat
ches from afar as her daughter prepares to per
form, They talk, and like each other right away.
"Was your mother in the circus?” Rita asks
wistfully.
She cannot bear to leave, and much against his
virile better judgment, Wayne gives her a job -
any little task will do. One day as Rita’s practicing
on the ropes, she spots her husband’s vengeful
brother, glowering like Vincent Price, She faints.
"Did I upset you?” he asks gently. In the hospital,
Wayne 4s smoothly comforting and reassuring;
“You’ve got guts, Lili.”
ALL GOES swimmingly for another reel, but
finally the brother (Richard Conte) tells the daugh
ter of the scandal by delicately scrawling “sui
cide” in what looks like blood across her wardrobe
mirror, adding appropriately garish news clip
pings and wall posters. This sets up Miss Cardi-
nale’s big Denunciation Scene, and one is not likely
to forget her shrieking at Wayne and Miss Hay
worth, in broken English, "You kill my fodderl”
For sheer balderdash, however, nothing tops the
scene in which Wayne finds Rita’s room in a
sleazy Hamburg bordello. The room, furnished as
starkly as a monk’s cell, has a three-foot crucifix
on the wall and religious baubles in the closet amid
the empty bottles. The script tells us she had tried
to "get lost” in a convent at first, and implies,
rather vaguely, that convent and bordello are com
parably extreme avenues ofescape,The scenario,
sadly, is the last work of the late Ben Hecht, in
collaboration with Julian Halevy and James Edward
The climatic fire, with all three principals
swinging in the rafters engulfed in flames, is
suitably spectacular, and may have revealed a
subconscious urge by director Henry Hathaway to
send everything up in smoke. Regardless, the show
goes on that night as usual. My six-year-old son
was amazed: "It’s better-lookin’ now than it was
before I”
IN SPITE of everything, "Circus World” has its
points, especially for young children who can ig
nore the story and acting and concentrate on the ■
circus performers, clowns and animals. Most cir
cus sequences are beautifully shot, often with mov
ing cameras, and zestfully edited. Photographer
Jack Hildyard (“River Kwai”)contributes several
lovely moments: a view from above as circus folk
rush from the bottom of the screen, toward a long
aisle of trees to greet an approaching wagon, a
stunning shot of roustabouts striking the huge
blue canvas among swirling yellow ropes.
Cinerama, if still far from aesthetic, is func
tional. If you can get used to the clown's smile
shaped screen, the vertigo when the camera pans,
and the fact that everyone seems to walk down
hill, you may note with satisfaction that the screen
can take in a whole circus ring and a full side
view of three swinging trapezes. Bronston has al
so selected impressive locales to simulate the
European circus palaces of the 1900’s.
The veteran Hathaway, who has been in movies
since 1908, hasn’t directed any great pictures late
ly. But he had a mess of them 15 or 20 years ago,
when his films (“House on 92nd Street,” “Kissof
Death,” "Call Northside 777”) were known for
their hard-bitten realism. His best moment here is
a corny but imaginative sequence in which Wayne
first sees Rita and pursues her through the noisy,
delirious rush of circus and Wild West acts hurt
ling in and out of the arena. When he finally catches
her, they are perspiring in a lonely bistro in al
most absolute silence.
IN FAIRNESS, Miss Cardinale gives signs of be-,
ing an infectiously entertaining light comedienne
when producers can forget her image as the logi
cal sultry successor to Sophia Loren. But her
gowns and good-natured posses, A-1 Legion rating
notwithstanding, seldom leave much to the imagi
nation.
CURRENT RECOMMENDED FILMS:
For everyone: It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World;
Bridge on the River Kwai.
For connoisseurs: Tom Jones.
Better than most: What a Way to Go, Black Like
Me, Becket, Fall of the Roman
Empfre, The Pink Panther, Is
land of the Blue Dolphins.
Christians, the archbishop said:
"I hope it doesn't breed mis
trust. At the moment the pre
servation of the Catholics’faith
is more important than integra
ting them into society. I believe
they will be fairly integrated in
time.”
HE NOTED that some Catho
lics already hold high positions
in public life. Several Catholics
are high-ranking military men,
and a Catholic serves as chief
justice of the Pakistan Supreme
Court.
Archbishop Cordeiro hopes
that Pakistan’s Catholics will
heed President Kennedy’s ad
vice and will ask what they can
do for their country. He is
very hopeful that the new Sec
retariat for non-Christian Reli
gions established under the dir
ection of Paolo Cardinal Marel-
la will create better under
standing among religious grops
in his own country.
"IT IS too early to say, but
I’m sure this will be a great
means for establishing con
tacts,” he said. "There Is no
question of unity with Moslems,
but there are great opportuni
ties to create understanding and
orotherhood among men.
"You must remember,” he
continued, "that Christians and
• .. t Mg y Mdftg p JMftttjti&j jttg ft
Moslems have many points in
common. Both are strict mono
theists. They believe in com
munity prayers and religious
fasts. We can stress these
points in common when we talk
with Moslems.”
THE 46-year-old Oxford-
educated archbishop declared
that the liturgical changes have
been the most valuable result
of the Vatican dialects in Pak
istan, and work is now under
way to transcribe folk themes
into liturgical music.
In another area, he said na
tive vocations to the priest
hood are proceeding satisfac
torily. Four or five priests
are ordained each year for the
approximately 350,000 Catho
lics in west Pakistan. Never
theless, the Archdiocese of
Karachi is the only see in the
nation under the full direction
of native clergy.
ARCHBISHOP Cordeiro was
born in west Pakistan of an
aristocratic family that came
originally from the Portugese
colony of Goa, now a part of
India. He attended school in
Karachi, entered the seminary
of Kandy, Ceylon, and after or
dination in 1946 he received
his masters degree in education
from Oxford University in Eng
land.
Seminary Fund
Remember the SEMINARY FUND
of the Archidocese of Atlanta in
your Will. Bequests should be made
to the “Most 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
It is the wounded who know best how to bring sympathy to the
wounded. That was why, if the God-Man was ever to have full
compassion for the hungry in this world, He had to be hungry. If
He was to offer hope to the despairing atheists, He would have to
feel that loneliness, which He did when He cried out on the Cross:
"My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” If God had not
come down into the slums where He had “nowhere to lay His
head,” the slum dwellers of Latin America might have com
plained: "What does God know about human suffering?”
Some of this Divine compassion has passed into the soul of a
little girl in Ohio, She quoted a passage from MISSION magazine
and then wrote as follows; "Just as you said,
someone cannot realize the sufferings of another
until he goes through them himself. For now I
understand a little better how the poor in Asia
and Africa are suffering. You see, I have to
wear a brace on my back. 1 used to have self-
pity, but now, when I think of those poor suffering
children, it is like comparing the earth with the
sun. With this letter I am enclosing $1.30. I was
going to spend it on a present for my mother,
but when I thought it over, I could not buy much
for $1.30, while a European or an Asian mother
could buy food and medicine for herself and her children. Please
send this to the Missions for me.”
could buy food and
medicine for herself and her children. Please send this to the
Missions for me.”
How beautiful to know there are such souls in our midst who help
redt . the rest of us Catholics 1 As Our Lord, Who said to the
soldiers in the Garden: "Take Me and let the others go,” this
child thinks of the Missions even when Our Lord leads her into
another Gethsemane. How she inspires us priests to be victims
as was Our Lordl May she inspire you who are woundless to
wound yourself with a sacrifice that you may be blessed by the
scarred Hands of Our Lord.
GOD LOVE YOU to Mr. and Mrs. J. McC. for $5.20 ‘This is
the money we would have spent on wine to go with our dinner. We
send you our sacrifice to buy wine for the Holy Sacrifice of the
Mass in the Missions,” „„to Mrs, A.N.T, for her jewelry
“With this note are a few pieces of jewelry which I hope you can
sell and then give the money for the poor of the world. I would
like to help more often but my husband and I must clothe and feed
our six growing children. Sometimes the going is rough, but we
know how blessed we are compared to millions of other families
in mission lands,” ....to A.L.F, for $4,726.38 “God has been very
good to me and I am most happy to give back to Him a portion of
the material goods He has blessed me with.”
The color of each of the WORLDMISSION ROSARY’S decades
symbolizes one of the five continents of the world where mission
aries are laboring to bring souls toChrist.Those of you who can
not go to the Missions can strengthen those who work in your place
by praying for them. To receive the WORLDMISSION ROSARY,
which has been blessed by Bishop Sheen, send your request and an
offering of $2 to The Society for the Propagation of the Faith, 366
Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10001,
Cut out this column, pin your sacrifice to it and mail it to Most
Rev, Fulton J. Sheen, National Director of the Society for the Pro
pagation of the F^ith, 366 Fifth Avenue, New York lx, N. Y. or
your Archdiocesaii Director, Very Rev. Harold J v Rainey P. O t
Box 12047 Northside Station, Atlanta 5, Ga.>