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YOUR PRIZE-WINNING NEWSPAPER SERVING GEORGIA’S 71 NORTHERN COUNTIES Atlanta VOL. 3, NO. 32. DRIVE FOR PRAYER AMENDMENT Attention Again Turning To Role Of Religion In School With the approach of another school year, it can be expected that public interest will heighten and there will be an expansion of dialogue on a subject of con tinuing national concern — the place of religion in the public educational system. Though controversy has quiet ed over the U.S, Supreme Court prohibition against devotional acts in classrooms, sponsors of a Constitutional amendment that would override the High Court ban and permit prayer and Bible-reading at this time are planning to revive their campaign. BROADENED discussion can be expected, too, on the other Leo Cardinal Suenens of Ma- lines - Brussels characterized as a “false dilemma for the Church” any supposed choice between remaining faithful to the past and being open for fu ture development. The cardinal said in a radio broadcast here that it is un wise and untrue to maintain that a “conflict of generations'* must exit in the Church regard- New Flag Over Serra Cottage SOUTH SAN GABRIEL, Calif. (NC) — A new American flag will soon be flying over the Mal lorca home of the founder of the California missions, Padre Ju- nipero Serra, as a gift of the East Los Angeles Serra Club. The new flag will replace an outdated 48-star flag at Father Serra’s home in Petra, Mallor ca. Father Serra, a Spanish Fran ciscan, served as a missionary in Mexico and California for 35 years before his death in 1784. The Serra Club is an organiza tion of Catholic laymen who promote vocations to the priest hood. i HEADS (’ II AKITI E S Msyr. Lawrence J. Corcoran, Columbus, O.. has been named secretary of the Na tional Conference of Catholic Charities, Washington, D.C. He succeeds Bishop-elect Raymond J. Gallagher/, re cently named by Pope Paul to be bishop of Layfayette, Ind. major aspects of the topic — the inclusion of "objective” Bible study and general cour ses on religion in public school curricula. Stimulated by the Supreme Court’s 1963 decision -- which found no constitutional prohibition against such sub jects provided they are free of sectarian slant and not pre sented in a devotional context — this topic continues to re ceive exploration in depth from educators and churchmen. While many might consider the drive for a “prayer amend ment*’ dead, in view of last year's unsuccessful Congres sional effort even to bring the subject to the House floor for debate, there are signs to bring “ONE WOULD think it were necessary to choose between tradition and the past, on the one hand, and the attempt to make our apostolate relevant to the present and future, on the other. This is a complete ly false dilemma which Chris tians must reject totally. We must affirm that authentic tra dition is and always will be the source of all vitality in the Church of God. “God has spoken to all ages and for all men,” Cardinal Suenens said. “But we are al ways tempted to interpret His message as it best suits us. That is why the Holy Spirit ne ver ceases to keep the word of God alive in our hearts. “This age of the council is an especially privileges one in the history of the Church. We have been given a bird's - eye view of the Holy Spirit at work. This is an age of great graces for the pope, the bishops who are assembled around him, and for the whole Church. Because of the grace of the Vatican council, we are able to see the eternal truth of Christ with greater clarity, and love Him with increased warmth. “THERE IS no place in the Church for 'progressives’ and * conservatives,’ the cardinal said. “All of us must keep watch over the deposit of faith. But all of us must scrutinize that faith lovingly so that we might grow and deepen in our understanding of it.” Turning to the subject of the liturgical regorms begun by the council, Cardinal Suenens said that in this matter also Catho lics are sometimes presented with a “false choice,”' “SOME OF our people believe they must decide whether to pray or follow the Mass.” he said. “It is not necessary to pray during Mass,” said Cardinal Suenens. “Rather, the Mass is our prayer. It is the great com munity action, and it must be done together. “Collective prayer and per sonal prayer are not mutually exclusive. They are both es sential to the Christian’s spiri tual formation,” he stated. the subject to the House floor for debate, there are signs across the country as well as in Congress that the pro-school prayer forces presently are just catching their breath. This week in Washington, Rep. Joel T. Broyhill (R.-Va.) an nounced that “a concerted ef fort” would be made later in the current session of Congress to obtain sufficient signatures on a discharge petition that would force the House Judiciary Committee to release the amendment proposal and place it on the House floor. THOUGH THE petition in cir culation now has only some 30 signatures, the congressmen said he still believed that chan ces of obtaining the needed 218' names are “pretty good." Rep. Broyhill, who took leadership of the prayer amendment cam paign on the retirement of Rep. Frank Becker (R.-N.Y.), call ed attention to the fact that the last concerted discharge peti tion drive came within 48 names of being successful. Maintain ing that a majority of Ameri cans still favor prayers and Bible reading in schools, he expressed belief that the amendment campaign could be re-stimulated. Whatever happens in Con gress — and most observers saw little hope for success in any prayer amendment move, noting that many past support ers are no longer in office and pointing out that only some 20 amendment proposals have been introduced compared to about 150 last year -- it is virtually certain that the Supreme Court’s edict again will fall con siderably short of unanimous compliance. Many pockets of outright re sistance to the High Court ban were found -- notably in the South, but also in individual communities over the coun try — immediately following the ruling, and there were few indications that past practices have been altered in these lo cations. Also, as was the case last year, it seems likely that the new school year again will find the widespread introduction of substitute devotional prac tices. MOST EMPHASIS probably will be placed on “silent” pray er or meditation. Arguments for these practices were seen this spring in Wisconsin where a bill authorizing a minute of silent meditation appeared to have considerable support. Its sponsor, Sen. Jerris Leonard, told a public hearing -- where no protest was registered — that the practice could be fol lowed even by atheists who might wish to reaffirm their de nial of God. Also, he main tained that church-state sep aration is not violated since "teachers cannot participate in leading the children’s thoughts >1 • • 4 It seems likely, too, that low er courts will continue to liti gate the prayer issue, as in Michigan, where cases are pending against four public schools in the Grand Rapids suburbs which have refused to drop compulsory devotions. Other court action has taken such forms as the case invol ving a New York education de partment ban against the saying of prayers or singing of relig ious songs before meals by public school students. The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in July upheld the ban, reversing a Brooklyn Federal Courtjudge CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 FALSE DILEMMA Belgian Cardinal Explains Council BRUSSELS, Belgium (NC) — ing the accomplishments of the Second Vatican Council. ATLANTA. GEORGIA THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 1965 $5.00 PER YEAR CATHOLIC GROUP SAYS Government May Conduct Family Planning Program MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (NC)— A group of Prominent Catholics has stated that government may properly conduct family plann ing programs, ‘so long as hu- safegruarded and no coercion or pressure is exerted against individual moral choice.” , This, stand was taken by 36 Catholic leaders, including clergy, teachers, physicians and others. They expressed their views in a joint state ment of “opinions” put for ward as a"suggested basis for resolving” disputes over the government’s role in family planning. The statement was made pu blic here (Aug. 9) in an ad dress to the Family Law Sec tion of the American Bar Asssociation by Father Dexter Hanley, S.J., professor of law and director of the Institute of Law, Human Rights and So- ial Values at the Georgetown University Law Center in Wash ington, D.C. Father Hanley is one of the statement’s signers. IN HIS ADDRESS, Father Hanley stressed that he was speaking “for the Catholic Church or its religious lead ers. ” "There are many positions which Catholics take on this public policy matter, many of them differing from mine in whole or in part but reached for legitimate political and so cial reasons and not as the re sult of Catholic doctrine as, such,” he said. The statement Father Han ley read covers five points, as follows: ”1) In a legitimate concern over public health, ed ucation and poverty, the gov ernment may properly establish programs which perm it citizens to exercise a free choice in matters of responsible parent hood in accordance with their moral standards. Fatima Hostel FATIMA, Portugal (NC)— 1 The women’s branch of the St. Vin cent de Paul Society in Portu gal has announced plans to build a hostel for poor pilgrims who come to this Marian shrine. “2) In such programs, the government may properly give information and assistance con cerning medically accepted forms of family planning, so long as human life and per sonal rights: are safeguarded and no coercion or pressure is exerted against individual mo ral, choice. ”3) In such programs, the government should not imply a preference for any particular method of family planning. “4) Whele norms of pri vate morality may have social dimensions so affecting the common good- as to justify op position to government pro grams. “5) Although the use of pu blic funds for purposes of fa mily planning is not objection able in principle, the manner in which such a program is implemented may pose issues requiring separate considera tion. “These opinions are sub mitted as being morally justi fied and in accordance with the traditional Catholic posi tion on birth control. They are expressed out of a con cern for civil liberty and freedom, and are based upon respect for the sincere con sciences of our follow citizens in this pluralistic society. ” Father Hanley stressed in his address that the public policy issue of whether government should finance and conduct family planning programs is separate from the issue of the morality of contraception. He cautioned advocates of govern ment involvement in this area against claiming that a change on public policy would signify a change in Catholic moral teaching. “As teachers of the Cathoic religion,” he said, "bishops and priests are primarily con cerned with the moral questions involved in family planning. If those who are trying to bring about changes in the legal struc ture propose the change as though it means a moral ap proval of the methods ad- CONTlNUED ON PAGE 3 The following appointments are announced by the Provincial of the Passionist Fathers and the Chancery Office: Rev. Edward J. Banks, C.P. to be Pastor, St. Paul of the Cross, Atlanta, replacing Rev. Dennis Walsh, C.P. who has been re assigned to the Passionist Monastery, Union City, N. J. Rev. Richard Leary, C.P. from Principal Drexel High School to Assistant St. Paul of the Cross. SMILING PONTIFF Pope Paul VI greets people waiting outside the audience hall at Castelgandolfo ijuly 281 after his Wednesday audienee. CHURCH ATTITUDE ‘DOGMATIC The following appointment is announced by the Provincial of the Redemptorist Fathers and the Chancery Office: The Rev. Robert McCrief, C.S.S.R. to be Pastor, St. Gerard’s Fort Oglethorpe, replacing Rev. Thomas G, Kelly, C.Ss.R. de ceased. PROJECT CABRINI A day camp for 1.100 children in Chicago's Cabi ini-Green public housing project is being conducted by 15 teaching Sisters of St. i l ancis of ■ Rochester. Minn. Sponsored bv the Chicago Catholic Interracial Council and the National Catholic Conference for Interracial Justice, the camp is financed by the Office of Economic Op portunity' through the Chicago Committee On Urban Opportunity, Pope Urges Confidence In Church, Papacy By Laity CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (NC)—Pope Paul VI called on modern man troubled by doubts and anxieties to have confidence in the Church and the papacy. He told his weekly general audience (Aug.4) that those who are worried about the possibi lity of applying unchanging dog- m a to the changing conditions of modern times need “confidence in the Church and particularly in this chair (of St. Peter) because of the attitude itfirmly and faithfully maintains regard ing the religious truth it de rives from the revelation en trusted to it by Christ.” He described the Church’s at titude as “dogmatic, that is founded not on its own learn ing but on the word of God made understandable by the Holy Spirit and transmitted by teach ing which derives its autho rity from...the only true teach er, Christ the Lord.” "IT IS AN attitude,” the Pope continued, “which does not al low ambiguity, subjective inter pretation,. confusion, corrup tion or contradiction in the mes sage of salvation. It is an at titude which guarantees to each and every one of the people of God the same truth, the same security and the same language yesterday, today andtomorrow. “This attiutde does not weak en souls, does not preclude in dividual scientific investigation if it is truly scientific, but in deed stimulates minds to think, make progress and pray. It is an attitude which does not make i us proud, as if we were the fortunate and exclusive posses sors to truth, but rather makes *tfs strong and Courageous in defending it, prompted by love.” Pope Paul told the crowd in the audience hall at his sum mer residence here, mainly summer vacationers who have flocked to Rome at the height of the tourist season, that his words were not meant for them personally. He said he spoke to them “ as representatives of your age and of the currents which agitate it, who make us think of the attitude of uncer tainty, criticism, doubt, idea- logical intolerance,, agnos ticism and even negativism which characterizes many souls who today have become more sensitive, thoughtful and dis turbed by the great innovations of modern life.” THE POPE continued: “Strange and confused voices come to us which make us very thoughtful, often even surprised and sad, because they are voices coming not only from the mul titude of those who do not have the fortune to have our faith., but often also from the higher Business Meet TORONTO (NC)—"Keys to Success through Business Ed ucation” will be the theme of the biennial business institute of the Catholic Business Educa tion Association to be held Aug. 19-25 at the University of Toronto. Educators and busi ness representatives from throughout the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico are expected. ranks of the people of God, al ways faithful and close to us, forwhom usually the doctrine of the Chtirch is ilburished” by fervent study , cultivated by solid thinking and adorned with the richness of Christian life. “These voices echo errors both ancient and modern and already corrected and con demned by the Church and ba nished from the patrimony of its truths. Or else they propose hypotheses, purporting to be scientific and almost im mediately converted into affir mations, which question the principles, laws and traditions to which the Church is firmly bound and from which it can never be separated. Or else they suggest odious criti cism concerning the history and structure of the Church and pro pose radical revisions of all its apostolic work and its pre sence in the world so that the Church, far from benefiting from those potentialities and new formulas toward which the ecumenical council’s updating tends, would end up by assimi lating itself into the world— a world which awaits from it not complacent acquiescence in its controversial theories and wordly days, but the rays of its ’light’ and the vigor of its ‘salt’.”