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About The Georgia bulletin (Atlanta) 1963-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 4, 1965)
HELP YOUR UNITED APPEAL Atlanta SERVING GEORGIA’S 71 NORTHERN COUNTIES VOL. 3, NO. 44 ATLANTA, GEORGIA THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1965 $5.00 PER YEAR PARIS ARCHBISHOP Prelate Explains Worker- Priest Project Purpose BY FATHER EDWARD DUFF, S.J. VATICAN- CITY—On the day when the Vatican Council voted cloture to further debate on the schema on the life andministry of priests, the French hierarchy with the approval of the Holy See, announced that Catholic priests would once again be per- mitted to take jobs in factories. In a later interview the Coad jutor Archbishop of Paris, Pierre Veuillot, chairman of the episcoparcommittee which will oversee the project, ex plained its purpose and scope. The announcement will have wide repercussions, especially in France where the restric tions imposed by Rome in Sep tember, 1953, practically put an end to the much publicized legation that the Catholic Church was not genuinely in terested in the working class. The experiment of the worker- priests and its virtual suppres sion became stormy symbols Of opposing attitudes and pro ceed a spate of literature, and undoubtedly, much spiritual an guish. And now the program is to be restored but with modi fications which, hopefully, will assure its success. Despite the improvement of the standard of living of many sectors of the French working class and a partial evolution of its at titude toward religion, the ur gency of the apostolate of wor king priests remains “impera tive,” Archbishop Veuillot told the readers of La Croix, Paris Catholic daily. The gravity of the situation had been set down in 1949 by Emanuel Cardinal Suhard of Paris in the judgment that “the Church has ceased to exist for one of the evil consequences of the industrial revolution: the creation of a vast propertyless proletariat, defenseless before the factory owner, embittered by the injustices endured by its social caste and persuaded that the Church was allied with its class enemies. THE PROBLEM is indeed a complicated one, but it includes the fact that the Church of the 19th Century continued to staff its country parshes and did not sufficientlyfollow the people Favor Policy BURLINGTON, Vt. (NC)--St. Michael’s College students fav or current American policy in Vietnam by a vote of nine to one, according^ to a poll con ducted by the college newspap er. in the rural exodus to the new industrial centers. And there was Karl Marx with his plausi ble explanation of their plight. In 1943 a book by a chaplain of the Catholic youth movement, JOC, Abbe Henri Godin, brief ed the extent of the estrange ment of the workers from the Church. Its title raised the question of whether France was not in fact a mission territory much like China. '.The war ex perience of comradeship in the army, in captivity and inforced labor brigades taught many young priests that they were cut off from much of the nation’s life, that, though they and the working class shared common sufferings, they did not share a single credo. A move, endorsed by Cardi nal Suhard, was begun to bridge the gulf between the Church and the proletariat. To demonstrate their solidarity with the con cerns and aspirations of the workers, priests were autho rized to take jobs in mines and factories. Monsignor Montiniof the Vatican was known to be sympathetic to the effort.But the calcified class structure of French society and the inexpe rience of many of the worker- priests i proved the undoing of the apostolate. Upper-class Catholics were hostile from the outset, seeing in it a treason to the alleged traditions of the Church. Many of thepriest-wor- kers so completely identified themselves, ■ emotionally at least, with the distress of their fellows on the assembly lines that their talk took on a class warfare tone. Some were undoubtedly ex ploited politically. Becoming active iri the trade unions, they found themselves officers of locals of the Confederation Ge- jirirale du Travail and thus on the receiving end of marching orders from the CGT’s secre tary general, Benoit Franchon, Stalin’s man; in France. ARCHBISHOP Veuillot had two requests to make. He asked that there be no noisy publi city: “Let the working priests do their, job without surround ing them with the halo of an extraordinary adventure.” Se condly, let all of Catholic France, priests, religious and laity, be thus reminded of the common obligation of fraternal love, since all are involved in the enterprise of “breaking down the wall which still se parates the working class from the Church so that it might en counter the living Christ.” ON STEPS OF The North American College in Rome are shown from left, the Rev. Mr Patrick McCormick, a seminarian at North American, Archbishop Hallinan, and the Rev. Eusebius Beltran. A COUNCIL CLIMAX.—Solemn'proclamation of five documents of Vatican Council II was Carried out by Pope Paul Vi (October 23) in a public session in St. Peter’s Basilica. Casting their votes on the documents here are, Alfredo Cardinal Ottaviana (left) and Arcadio Cardinal Larracna. ON NON-CHRISTIANS Statement Points Week At Vatican II VATICAN CITY—Those who felt the ecumenical council’s statement about the Jews fell short of expectations were am ply reassured during the coun cil’s seventh week by Pope Paul’s reference to the Jews as people to whom are owed “respect, love and hope.’’ The Pope’s, remarks were contained in his talk to the coun cil in public session (Oct. 28) as five documents were solemn ly promulgated — those on the relations with non - Christians (including the Jews), on Chris tian education, on the pastoral duties of bishops, on the re newal of religious orders, and on the training of priests. Comfort could be drawn from this address also by other non- Christians .Whom ' Pope Paul mentioned aS "still separated from the full communion” of the Church, but inviting them at the same time to become aware of its "renovated face.” No message more timely could have come on the seventh anni - vers ary of the election of Pope John XXIII ot whose inspira tion, Pope Paul VI said, is due the convocation of the council. Pope Raul’s talk was a mes sage that reflected the atmos phere of harmony among the council Fathers. The votes fa voring acceptance of the docu ments were virtually unanim ous. There were only 88 dis senters with the text on non- Christians, .35 against the edu cation document, four opposed to the one on Religious, three each on the bishops’ duties and seminaries. All the other 2, 325 bishops present cast ballots symbolizing that the ax had been buried between the various fac tions that during the debate had differed on many points. THE FATHERS had voted 422 times since the council started, and the further they progress ed the more they appeared to heed Pope Paul’s appeal for unity. This fact augurs well for the acceptance of the remaining six schemas. As a matter of fact, Pope Paul- emphasized the “progress and growth” of the council. The Church lives, he said. It has youthful energy and lasting vitality. Preservation alone is not its objective, he said, but a constant “effort at perfecting the Church.” Pope John could have spoken these very words. With five schemas promul- BY FATHER PLACID JORDAN, O.S.B. gated in previous (sessions:and the five promulgated so far in the fourth session, only six re main on the council’s agenda. The one on divine revelation was adopted (Oct. 29) with a near-unanimous vote of 2, 081* 27. It was then referred to the Pope and is likely to be pro mulgated at the public session scheduled for Nov. 18. THE TENOR of this key theo logical paper, which has been a center of controversy since the first session, now is more acceptable than before to Scrip ture scholars, who asked for a greater emphasis on the scrip tural sources of the word of God. At the same time, the impor tance of doctrine derived from tradition in the Church is not being neglected. The document Will leave the various avenues of theological ‘NO MARTYR 9 ROME (RNS) — The Sacred Congregation of Rites has in validated the local beatification of a 15th Century Italian boy who allegedly and erroneously was regarded as the victim of a Jewish "ritual murder.” It ruled that he must no longer be venerated as a martyr. In doing so it officially pro claimed the innocence of the 12 or more Jews who were exe cuted at Trent, northern Italy, in 1475, after having been ■wrongly, denounced for killing Simon Unverdarben, aged two years and four months, during Passover rites. This wqs announced in a pas toral letter issued i by Arch bishop Alessandro M. Gottardi of Trent, who noted that it coincided with the promulga tion by Pope Paul VI of a Va tican II declaration deploring anti-Semitism and absolving the Jewish people of collective guilt for the death of Christ. THE ARCHBISHOP’S disclo sure came in the wake of an investigation into the centuries- old case by Father W.P. Ec kert, O.P., the results of which were published several months ago in Trentine Studies of His torical Science. He carefully research open until the problem of the “two sources” of reve lation is better clarified. But in proposing a balanced ap proach, j it will also add impe tus to the work of biblical scholars. Earlier in the same week, debate on the floor came to a final close after 12 speakers were heard on the schema on the priesthood. One of these was Archbishop Thomas A, Connally of Seattle. The very last Father to address the Coun cil was newly appointed Arch bishop Michele Pellegrino of Turin. THIS PARTICULAR debate was climaxed by an address by Msgr. Thomas Falls of Sacred Heart Parish, Philadelphia, who was a spokesman for the pas tors who had been council guests CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 examined all the “evidence” against the Jews in the “ritual murder” • Contained in Rome, Vienna and Trent archives and came to the conclusion that the "trial” in Trent had led to a “judicial assassination,” Simbn, the son of a tanner, disappeared on Holy Thursday, 1475, and two days later his body was found floating in a stream near the home of one of the accused Jews. The “trial” of the Jews Was conducted un der the authority of the then PrinCe - Bishop of Trent, and m ost of the accused were doom ed to die by torture. Three years later, the “trial” Was reviewed in Rome by Pope Six tus IV and its verdicts approv ed. Now, however, the Congrega tion of Rites, which has juris diction in all matters of bea tification and canonization, has not only exonerated. the Tren tine' Jews, but ruled that the child Simon must not receive public veneration and that Masses must no longer be of fered in his honor. Presumably, its decree involves also rede- dicating the chapel of Blessed Simon at the church of St. Peter in Trent. Jews Are Absolved In ‘Ritual Murder’ ISSUES DECREES Pope Paul VI Sets Promulgation Theme Of Peace And Liberty • SEE INSERT SUPPLEMENT OF DECREE TEXTS VATICAN CITY (NC)--The accent was on world peace at the liturgical ceremonies held du ring the public meeting of the ecumenical council at which Pope Paul VI promulgated five council documents. During the Mass—which the Pope said he was happy to cop- celebrate with bishops fr#m countries where “liberty is re stricted if not refused”--the Pontiff prayed: “HUMBLY WE implore God, giver of peace and lover Of charity, that He grant the entire family of nations true concord with His Will, and that He deign to pour forth the consolation and light of His Spirit on all those who promote plans for justice and peace.” The Pope said in his speech to council Fathers thathepray- ed that “order arid justice, con cord arid true peace may be happily restored” in nations “where peace is troubled by so many tears.” The official program of the meeting described the three- hour ceremonies held on the anniversary of the election of Pope John XXIII as “honoring the memory of Pope JohnXXlII, who convoked the Vatican Ecu menical Council and issued the encyclical, Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth). The MaSs is that of the ,. . feast of the holy Apostles Simon and JUde with an invocation of Almighty God, Prince of Peace, for world peace and peace among nations, for a life of tranquillity within various nations in truth, justice, charity and liberty.” BEFORE MASS, the council Fathers cast almost urianimous formal 'votes to approve four decrees—on the pastoral duties of bishops, the renewal of the life of Religious, priestly for mation, (seminaries) and Chris tian education—and a historic declaration on the Church's at titude toward non-Christians, especially the jews, who it said are not collectively responsible for Christ’s death. In his speech, Pope Paul spoke of “the Israelites, objects certainly not of reprobation or distrust, but of respect, love and hope.” OF THE five documents gi ven formal approval following earlier favorable votes at re gular council meetings, the de claration drew the largest num ber of negative votes—88. But these were almost lost in the overwhelming affirmative votes of 2,22l Fathers. There were three null ballots. Other results were; Pastoral duties of bishops— yes, 2,319; no, 2; null, 1. Renewal of the life of Reli gious—yes, 2,321; no, 4; null, 0. Priestly formation— yes, 2,318; no, 3; null, 0. Christian education — yes, • 2,290; no, 35; nul;, 0. 1 The null ballots were cast, despite the painstaking explana tion thelday before on how to fill out the ballots properly s,o they could be run through the - tabulating machines during; Mass. The explanation was gi ven; by lhe council’s secretary general, Archbishop Pericle Felici, who announced that all five promulgated documents, insofar as they contain juridi cal directives, will become ef fective on June 29, the feast of SS. Petei: and Paul. IN HIS SPEECH Pope Paul Course Proposed ST. PAUL, Minn. (NC)—A... course on the decrees of the Se cond! Vatican Council has been suggested for St. Thomas Col lege here by its president, Auxi liary Bishop James P. Shannon of St. Paul. Writing in the col lege.; newspaper, Bishop Shan non said the course should be prepared; and offered quickly. emphasized the continuing energy vitality and progress of the Church. He told the Fathers they were well aware of "the importance and repercussions which (the promulgated documents) will have throughout the world and for the future.” He told them they had come to the council “to feel the life of the Church . . .to discover not the years of its old age but rather the youthful energy of its lasting vitality, to establish a new re lationship between the time which passes. . .and the work of Christ, the Church.” HE SAID that there is "no question of proceeding to a historical reconstitution. . .of the nature of the Church. . .The question is rathor to make the Church more capable of deve loping its mission of good in the renewed conditions of hu man society. "That is why you have come, and these concluding acts of the council are providing you with an experience of this: The Church lives. The Church is thinking, the Church is speak ing, the Church is growing, the Church is building itself up.” MEDAL connnenioniting the fourth session of Vatican Council II, issued by the Vatican, shows Pope Paul VI in player before a repre sentation : (if the 'Crucifixion, while .the reverse shows the keys of Peter, and the : Bishop's c r o z i e r. THE GEORGIA BULLETIN takes great pleasure in including in this issue a supplement containing the texts of the fives decrees promulgated by Pope Paul last Thursday. These Decrees form a major portion of the work of the Council Fathers in their first two months of work in Rome.The texts were supplied to us through the kindness and courtesy of the CATHOLIC TRANSCRIPT of Hartford, Conn. We are indebted to their editors for the type and proofs. COUNCIL FATHERS and Periti are shown in Rome. To the left of Archbishop Hallinan is His Beatitude Paul Peter Meouch, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and of All The East. At the left of the Patriarch is Abbot Walter Coggins,. O.S.B,, of Belmont Abbey, N.C. The prelates are shown with a Maronite bishop and priest and a Brazilian bishop.
