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t % 4 % % Archbishop’s Pastoral On The Spirit Of The Council My dear people: The Third Session of the Vatican Council began this week. Although I welcome the oppor tunity to be at home in Atlanta this fall (due to doctors’ orders), I regret very much that I cannot take my place with my fellow-bishops in Saint 1 Peter’s. For this will probably be the Session of De cision. In 1962, it was Ferment as we groped our way. In 1963 it was Tension as we felt the great renew al delayed by proce dures and debate. Now, except for the Liturgy already completed, the bis hops will move to decisions on the Na ture of the Church, the relation with oth er religions, and the pastoral task of bis hops in their diocese and the universal Church. In these areas, it will be the “people of God," "religious liberty" and “collegiality" that will be the focal points of debate. If there is time, the Fathers will move on to complete the discussion on Divine Revelation, the Lay Apostolate and the Church in the World Today. But, despite the useful procedures for compressing the Schemata and shortening the repetitious debate, it seems more likely that some of this material will carry over to a fourth and (possibly) final Session in 1965. The Eastern Churches, the Missionary Formation, Schools and the Sacrament of Marriage are also to be considered. THERE IS A RENEWED SPIRIT Father Campion, S. J. writing in America, speaks of a growing sense that “the Spirit of the Council has already so deeply penetrated the life of the Church that the actual conciliar activities as such seem almost peripheral." How true this is I Although we have many miles to go, and the work lies heavy ahead of us all, the Spirit of the Council ( which is really the Holy Spirit) has penetrated many phases and areas of our life. Catholics speak of their faith to Protestants in a warmer, more Christian way—and this is becoming a well travelled two-way street. Laymen speak to bishops and priests more freely; recommendations and cri ticism are more common. We are more con scious of our duty to the public communty, in social and economic problems that are moral at the core. Our Catholic instruments of edu cation are examined for flaws as well as stre ngths. And, most significant of all, we are speak ing to our God in worship with more conscio usness; we are more sensitive to His holy Word without losing our traditional adherence to His holy Sacraments. Each year, I have asked you to pray for the Council Fathers during these days so grave with responsibilities for them. This year, I was able to join with you in prayer as I offered Mass on September 14, the day the Session opened. In a more corporate way, our Archdiocese is asked to join— (a) In a penitential observance of the Em ber Days (September 23, 25 and 26) — let those who can, fast; and let all exer cise some mortification. (b) in the Solemn recitation of the “Our Father" together before the Homily on Sunday September 27. We will all be engaged in an intensive pre paration this fall for the liturgical renewal,— and this will also help us breathe this new air through the now'famous “open windows" of the Church. Each week, to inform our priests and people of the progress of the Third Session, I will write one article in a series called “Foot notes on the Council: the Great Decisions." I sincerely hope these will be helpful in under standing the moment of history in which we live. IN THE CITY OF GOD Perhaps the greatest gain for us all is the opportunity to “think and live Christian,” the chance to shed thatnarrow view of our interests. Our parish is the unit of our Salvation, but it ,1s not isolated from the Church universal. YOUR PRIZE-WINNING NEWSPAPER To be "parochial" is not to care about the Church in France, South Vietnam, the Congo, South Georgia, or even in the nearby neighbor hood. But to be truly “parish minded" means to be catholic, as well as Catholic. It means as the founder of Methodism, John Wesley said, “the world Is my parish." In explaining what a papal audience means, Pope Paul VI last week spoke of it as an ex perience of "living in God’s City, belonging to God’s people, being one with the Holy Church scattered all over the world." Then he describ ed the situation of each Catholic, in these con ciliar days, in these words: "Each of you has his own place. . . Each of you who is a faithful Son of the Church can say; This is my Church, This is my Spiritual country. As everyone looking at a map searches for his city and country, so before the picture of the universal Church. . . Each of you is Invited to feel the fact of your own incorporation into the Mystical Body of Christ which is the Church." And again in his opening address to the new Session Monday, September 14, Pope Paul stated: "We shall therefore strive, in loyalty to the unity of Christ's Church, to understand better and to wel come all that is genuine and admiss ible in the different Christian denomina tions that are distinct from us. And at the same time we beg of them to try to understand the Catholic Faith and life better and, when we invite them to enter into the fulness of truth and char ity which, as an unmerited blessing but a formidable responsibility, Christ has charged us to preserve, we beg them not to take it in bad part, but as being pro mpted by respect and brotherly love. For that* fulness of truth and charity will be made the more manifest when all those who profess the Name of Christ are re-assembled into one." ' If we had lived in 1524 when the Council of Trent opened, our mind might have been tom by confusion and bitterness. If we had lived in 1869 when the First Vatican was con voked, fear and anxiety could have been our tor mentors. We are blessed. Vatican II proceeds In a climate of hope and promise. It is worth our most fervent prayers, our most tireless efforts. Sincerely in Christ ARCHBISHOP OF ATLANTA of Atlanta SERVING GEORGIA'S 71 NORTHERN COUNTIES VOL 2 NO 37 ATLANTA, GEORGIA THREE DIOCESES CommonProgram POPE PAUL VI reaches priest’s Communion, in unison with 24 other prelates from many cor ners of the globe with whom the Pope concelebrated Mass opening third session of Vatican Coun cil II (Sept. 14). At left, Archbishop Enrico Dante, papal Master of Ceremonies, attends Holy Father. Entire congregation — bishops, priests and people— participated in Mass, responding in Latin and singing Ordinary of the Mass in Gregorian melodies. LESS LIBERTY THAN BEFORE Reconstitution Of Press Panel Causes Confusion VATICAN CITY (NC) — The U. S. Bishop’s press panel started its daily meetings dur ing the ecumenical council's third session amid confusion on the part of journalists over the role of experts and what was allowed them in light of the panel's new rules. One of the most popular ses sions in Rome during the last sessions of the council, not only for journalists but for anyone else who could crowd into the basement of the USO club, the panel this session was limit ed “strictly to the working press." Obviously, though, concessions were made to for mer panel members and a few others. RUMORS that the panel would have a different look were borne out when intro ductions were made. Elmer Von Feldt, director of the panel., explained that chaises were also made at the first session when four former panel mem bers were not present. He said that the panel was chosen by Archbishop Joseph T. Mc- Gucken of San Francisco with a view to obtaining “the best possible team after consulta tion with several others." The archbishop s aid others would be called upon from time to time to discuss aspects of their particular fields, but that the present panel would be the regulars. Before beginning work, the Charleston Administrator CHARLESTON, S. C. (NC)— Msgr. Joseph L. Bernardlnwas elected administrator of the diocese of Charleston (Sept.9) by the diocesan board of coun- sultors. He will administer the diocese left vacant by the trans fer of Bishop Francis F. Rehto the post of rector of the North American College in Rome. Msgr. Bemardin, a native of Columbia, S. C., was ordain ed in 1952. He has been chan cellor for the past eight years. journalists and panel members stood for a moment in private prayer for two members missing from the last time Father Gustave Weigel, S. J., and Milton Bracker. SOME CONCERN was ex pressed by several Journalists over restrictions on the ex perts announced on Dec. 28, 1963, by the council’s Coord inating Commission and rei terated at the opening meeting of the third session by Arch bishop Pericle Felici, council general secretary. Father Robert Trisco point ed out these were not new res trictions but that perhaps more stress was being placed on them this time. He said they were "never expressed quite so bluntly before." The restrictions on the ex perts—called norms— are three: 1- Experts are restricted to answering questions put them by CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 ARCHBISHOP Paul J. Halllnan presents a copy of the "Arch- dlocesan Directory of Liturgical Practices" to Msgr. Joseph E. Moylan, P. A., V. G„ pastor of Our Lady of the Assumption. A common program of li turgical practices has been es tablished by the Archbishop of Atlanta, the Bishop of Savannah, and the Administrator of the Diocese of Charleston, This action by Archbishop Paul J. Halllnan, Bishop Thomas F, McDonough, and the Right Rev erend Monsignor Joseph L, Bernardin will affect all of the parishes and Catholic institu tions in the state of Georgia and South Carolina, A direc tory setting out guidelines for uniform liturgical practices will be published by each dio cese and distributed to all priests. Basing themselves on the prescriptions of the Vatican Council’s Constitution on Sa cred Liturgy, the Liturgy Com missions of Atlanta, Savannah and Charleston have worked closely together to find the most effective means of pro moting the liturgical apostolate. The introduction of English into the administration of the Sacra ments on September 14 and in to the celebration of Mass on November 29 has been set as common policy by all these dio cese, ACTIVE participation by the laity in the celebration of Mass was one of the principal goals of .the Ordinaries of Atlanta, Savannah, and Charleston. To this end, prescriptions have been set out for full use of spoken “dialogue" and con gregational singing at Low Mass. The employment of lay men as readers of the Scrip ture selections and as com mentators during the Mass was recognized as a necessary ele ment of full participation. The position of the celebrant facing the congregation during the Mass has also been set as an important step toward full and effective participation. In existing churches this will fre quently mean the erection of temporary altars, which will be approved by a member of the liturgy Commissions. In new churches, the sanctuary will be constructed with a free-stand ing altar of sacrifice in order to allow Mass facing the con gregation. The design of the altar will be kept in strict con formity with the nature of the Mass as a banquet. IN ACCORDANCE with the Constitution on the Liturgy, the importance of the homily as a part of the Mass liturgy has been stressed. The homily will CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 For New Reform THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1964 $5.00 PER.YEAR AT OPENING SESSION Bishops’ Mood Most Difficult To Define The Most Reverend Robert E. Tracy is Bishop of Baton Rouge, La. He is attending the third session of Vatican Coun cil II and graciously con sented to sen<f along this dis patch concerning the opening ceremonies. ft ft ft BY BISHOP ROBERT E.TRACY SPECIAL TO THE GEORGIA BULLETIN The first thing to deal with in approaching an experience like a session of an Ecumenical Council is the matter of mood. What is the mood of this Third Session as compared with those of the other two sessions? Let me put it this way: In my view, the first session was, for most of us United States bishops, a period of uncertainty. After all, we were new at this sort of thing. We were looking around and making observa tions and preparing a stance. It was exhilarating all right, but we were feeling our way just the same. Ecumenical 'Councils were gatherings we had learned about in Church History classes. As semblies to be viewed with awe from afar, making infallible pronouncements, fulminating anathemas and on the whole very formidable, any way you chose to look at them. To find one’s self directly involved in such an historical setting was rather unsettling to say the least at first. So we were all envelop ed in a mood of uncertainty as we pulled down the kneelers * and picked up the electronic pencils to mark ourselves present at the first session, then the second session, THIS WAS quite a different period. Painters, 1 understand go through different moods (The Blue Mood, The Green Mood and so forth). Well, so do Council Fathers and our mood during the second session was quite different from the uncertainty of the first. In September, 1964, we had found our sea-legs and could move about without too much fear of toppling over. The scene had become familiar, not to mention the curious Council procedure, which had never been in the same room with Parliamentary Law. We began BISHOP TRACY to be with it, and I think we suc ceeded in making ourselves heard in an effective way. In the second session much of the hearing was obtained in ways that never reached the press but it was effective, nonethe less. Lines were drawn, stan ces defined and advances made during the second session, but in my view, much of this mat ter then went to commission and remained there, and there was a stalemate in December, 1963, but now we have the third session and the mood at first is hard to measure or define. I talked with a wide group ing of experts this morningjust after the opening session came to an end at the Press Center at No. 54 Via Delia Concilia- zione. Present were Fr. Fred McManus, Mr, and Mrs. Mich ael Novak, Monsignor John Naughton, Baton Rouge press chief. There was no consen sus on the prospects for vital significant action at the third session. My own opinion, how ever, is that we can’t miss a confrontation with extremely vital problems in this session. Personally, I am looking foiv 360 Years Old PORTLAND, Milne (NC)— Eight Sisters of Mercy who celebrated Jubilees at St. Jo seph’s convent here (Spet. 7) represent a total of 360 years in religion. The Jubilees ranged from 60 to 25 years. v/ard to fireworks as we get down to beating out some highly explosive issues like the world collegiality of the Bishops, re ligious liberty, the Jews, and so forth. At any rate all this must wait for further reporting today. Let us confine our remarks to what actually happened at St, Peter's this morning, WELL, first of all, some new features were wel. publicized long in advance of the opening session, so you have all heard about them, such as the Concel- ebration of Mass by the Pope with 24 Bishops from all around the world, including two Arch bishops from the United States. Archbishop Krol of Philadelphia and Archbishop Shehan of Balti more, Then there was the matter of admitting women observers to the Council for the first time in history, and the new rules for speaking in the Aula. All these things were duly reported in the NCWC News Services and there is no need to expand upon them, but let me give you an obser ver’s view of exactly what hap pened this morning. Well, my traveling companions, Monsig nor Naughton and Monsignor J, J, Gillespie and his brother, Fr, Augustine Gillespie, on my ad vice reported to Saint Peter’s at 7:30 a.m„ and as I had predict ed were ushered to seats much better than my own. 1 had to content myself with a seat back of the Cardinals while my com panions were chock-a-block with the Protestant observers, which means they had ringside seats. But I took great conso lation out of the fact that four Archbishops who came a little later had to be satisfied with squatting on steps in the aisle — Archbishops Hakim (Bagdad), Damiano (Camden New Jersey), Conway (Armagh, Ireland), and Heenan (Westminister, Lon don). Tbis was the batting or der on the steps Just opposite my position. THE GRAND ceremony began just a little after 9:00 a.m. Pope Paul entered the Basilica of Saint Peter's attended by the usual splendid entourage so customary at Papal functions for ages. But there was a dif ference; the Pope is clearly CONTINUED ON PAGE 10