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GEORGIA BULLETIN THURSDAY, JULY 7, 1966
ocese of Atlanta
SERVING GEORGIA S 71 NORTHERN COUNTIES
Official Organ of the Archdiocese of Atlanta
Archbishop Paul J. Hallinan
Chris Eckl
The Rev. R. Donald Kiernan
The Rev. Leonard F.X„ Mayhew
Publisher
Managing Editor
Consulting Editor
Associate Editor
2699 Peachtree N. E.
P. O. Box 11667
Northside Station
Atlanta, Georgia 30305
Member of the Catholic Press Association
and Subscriber to N. C. W. C. News Service
Telephone 231-1281
Second Class Permit at Atlanta, Ga.
U. S. A. $5.00
Canada $5.00
Foreign $6.50
Published Every Week at the Decatur-DeKalb News
The opinions contained in these editorial columns are
the free expressions of free editors in a free Catholic press.
No Reason To Worry
Delegates to the second annual
Wanderer Forum, sponsored by
the national Catholic conserva
tive weekly, had a wonderful time
at their recent meeting in St.
Paul.
They attacked everyone they
could think of including Father
William DuBay, Hans Kung,
Daniel Berrigan, S.J., Harvey
Cox, Michael Novak, Episcopal
Bishop James A. Pike, John Cog-
ley, U.N. Ambassador Arthur
Goldberg and Supreme Court Jus
tice Earl Warren. Even Mad ma
gazine was blasted.
A priest-delegate had this to
say about Pierre Teilhard de
Chardin: “I don’t care if Char
din was right or wrong-he’s dead
and I’m not sorry." Father Kung
was called "a Catholic semi-
Lutheran," and the "Great So
ciety" was labeled the "poor
ape of God."
Parents were advised to op
pose Operation Head Start be
cause "it’s an attempt to steal
the children before they’re old
enough to say their prayers.*
Delegates were told "Do not go
so far as to presume that every
change in the liturgy is conceived
by the communists." Press re
ports said this was among the
more moderate positions taken
by the 550 persons attending.
One of the few persons not
present who received praise was
James Francis Cardinal McIn
tyre of Los Angeles. The group
sent him a congratulatory wire
on the triple occasion of his 80th
birthday, the 40th anniversary of
his ordination and his silver
jubilee in the episcopate.
During the three-day conven
tion the men wore red, white and
blue handkerchiefs while the la
dies wore jeweled flags of the
50 states on their dresses. A
color guard paraded before each
banquet.
We were very relieved to find
out that the delegates wore pa
triotic colors.Now we don’t have
a thing to worry about.
Collegiality For All
The president of the National
Council of Catholic Men says
the idea of collegiality in the
Church needs to be extended
beyond its specific relation to
the hierarchy.
John Donnelly said that while
collegiality strictly applies to
the College of Bishops, it should
be expanded so bishops consult
with priests and people.
The idea of collegiality, we
think, is one of the most impor
tant documents of Vatican II be
cause it will give the Church a
broad intellectual base and will
call on many minds to study
its many problems.
If collegiality becomes a fact
of life for the bishops and they
are interested in it, then col
legiality between bishop, priest
and laymen will flourish.
When Man When?
G.J. Gustafson S.S. writes in
The Register about thought con
trol under "liberalism" and how
many former liberals have de
fected .
He cites the column written by
novelist John O’Hara which has
disappeared from the daily press
because O’Hara allegedly had to
conform to the ideas of the or
ganized "liberal" editors or be
banished. But before you can
despair, Father Gustafson quo
tes O’Hara as saying he still
thinks he can beat the organized
"liberal" editors.
Father Gustafson also attri
butes this quote to O’Hara: "I
think it’s time the Lawrence
Welk people had their say...when
the country is in trouble, like
war kind of trouble, man, it is
the Lawrence Welk people who
can be depended upon all the
way. Those men who voted for
Nixon have not vanished from the
face of the earth."
Man when have you heard a
Welk fan say man?
They’ve Got The Bomb
It has been predicted that many
of Georgia’s gubernatorial can
didates will campaign on the issue
of federal "encroachment" on
states rights. They will tell their
audiences about the glories of
free enterprise, freedom of as
sociation and the rights of pri
vate property. However, The one
elected will hasten to Washing
ton to claim all the federal mo
ney available.
We have one piece of advice
for the candidates which was pro*
vided by the late Earl Long of
Louisiana. It seems that Earl
was once sitting on a platform
with Leander Perez, who was
preparing to attack the federal
government in a speech.
Long turned to him and said:
"What are you going to do Lean
der? The feds have got the bomb."
K Round The Rotary Bush
—
| Archbishop’s
Notebook
Invitations to speak at luncheon clubs in and
around the city are among the pleasant assign
ments of a bishop these days. I have spoken
to Rotary clubs in Gainesville and North DeKalb
County; another in Marietta is due this Friday.
Popes John and Paul, the Church, the Vatican
Council, the new facets of Christianity—these
topics are fresh and interesting. The attention
of the members is proof.
These are men banded together for a few simple
good purposes. When the present Holy Father met
the Rotarians of Italy last year, he spoke warmly
of their aims: ...to demonstrate by their associa
tion the need of earnestness and honesty among
men of business, professions, science and thought;
and to foster culture and friendly relations among
men and nations.
Pope Paul said that their formula (regular
convivial meetings and an informative speech on
some topical matter) was a happy one. Those who
are members or guests of Rotary will agree..
AN AWKWARD SILENCE
The nineteenth century showed what a nation of
joiners we were. America, by and large, sought
fellowship behind ridiculous masks and cos
tumes, deep in a mumbo jumbo of ritual and pass
words. The twentieth century has taken a good,
hard look at all these trappings, and then discard
ed them. History simply will not wait for those
embalmed in the past to thaw out.
GEORGIA PINES —
Pla ces And Confessions
By R. Donald
The longest time I have ever sat hearing con
fessions was for a period of six-and-a half hours I
Someone asked me this question the other day and
then it was followed by another, "How come?’*.
I was stationed at the Cathedral of Saint John the
Baptist in Savannah. It was the day before Christ-
mas. About 3:30 p.m. I went over to the church
to put something in the sanctuary for the midnight
Mass. A man stopped me and said that he could
not get to confession at the regular hours and I
heard his confession then. I obliged.' Someone
saw the man enter the confession box and soon a
line formed. The other priests missed me at sup--
per time and they just figured that I had gone out
for supper, so there I was'until 10 p.m.
Priests are often asked, "Father, do you re
member the first confession thatyou ever heard?”
I venture to say that they prob
ably have to answer the -same
way that I would, and that being,
"No”. The Grace of God works
in this marvelous way, butmore
often a priest remembers where
he heard confessions instead.
What prompts this article this
week is an experiment which we
have been trying in Sainjt An- p r Kiernan
thony’s Church for the? past
month. I had heard that the Franciscan Fathers
at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception hear
confessions every hour on the half hour. So we
initiated the practice here at St. Anthony’s of
hearing confessions on Saturdays (and the eve of
first Fridays and holiday^)- every hour on the hour
from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. • It has worked marve
lously and we have had nothing but compliments.
Between the two churches it has provided an ex
cellent opportunity and convenience to shoppers,
families and workers to go to confession with the
minimum of waiting.
*** .
Speaking of places where I have heard confes
sions I think the most distracting place was in
Monroe before we built die Chapel of Saint Anna
in that city. At the time I was there we were
using the American Legion Building. The place
for confessions was a store room. Somehow or
other a swarm of wasps had settled in there
and they sure didn't like being disturbed I lived
in dread fear that one of the penitents might be
stung and the people waiting outside might begin
to wonder just what kind of a penance the Father
was giving out that morning.
The late Archbishop O’Hara once told me that
he was driving from Savannah to Brunswick and he
stopped off at Fort Stewart to see how the Chap
lains were doing. It seems that he arrived just *'
about the time that they were going over to the
chapel to hear confessions. The Archbishop askfed
if he could help. It was only after he was there
about three hours that he learned that a whole
regiment of troops were scheduled for that after
noon.
Probably the best opportunity for counseling that
I have ever had was during the days of the USO.
They held a dance every Saturday night in Savan
nah for the soldiers, airmen and sailors stationed
nearby. I was a regular visitor there every Sat
urday night because during the course of the even
ing I would have a regular stream of visitors who
would ask me to take a walk outside; and, after
seeking advice, asking questions and just talking
they would invariably say, "Father, while we are
out here would you mind if I went to confession?”
In the days before Ecumenism there was a story
abroad which concerned a Notre Dame football
player. He went to confession on Saturday night
and rather sheepishly told the priest about the un
sportsmanlike manner in which he had played ball
that afternoon. The priest gave him a long lec
ture not only about the sin involved but also be
cause of the bad name he was giving the Fighting
Irish by playing in such a manner. Finally, the
priest asked, “By the way, son, just what team
were you playing against this afternoon?” When
the reply came back that it was SMU, the priest
was heard to say, "Forget it!”
(I’m anxious to see if this last story is printed
since the Publisher and Editor are both Notre
Dame grads!) (Ed. Note: Would you believe
Father Kiernan is packing for Alaska?)
Letters To The Editor
Editor:
While seldom agreeing with the views of Father
Leonard Mayhew, I would like to comment from
experience on his column "Transferring of Pas
tors” in this week’s paper - in support of his
view.
As a former layworker with the Redemptorists
and the Benedictines, whose policy of revolving
priest-pastors in their missions is in line with
the monastic values of detachment, 1 have observed
the debilitating effect of 'short-term pastors on
the life of the parish. Without exception in those
I have observed, and confirmed by discussion
with other priests and workers, the effect is
a drop in the spiritual vitality of the parish and
a dissolving of die tenous community spirit which
may have been built up. In the spirit of ecumenism,
we might also take a good look at the practice
in the Protestant churches. As a former Protes
tant, I have seen and experienced this same thing
among both the Methodist and Baptist congre
gations.
While .priests'— too —4 are all too human, and
senility is no respector of persons, even pas
tors, the new "lay boards” and in your diocese
the suggested "liaison committee” will act as
checks and balances on a-too human possessive
ness in the lifetime pastor from now on. There
are values in a pastor being "married” to his
parish which partake of the fullness of the priest
hood of the Bishop, and should not be lost.
Many of the problems which the suggestion of
revolving pastors at intervals is intended to
cure could be avoided if:
1) Greater use were made of the pastor-
emeritus principle; the aging pastor relieved
of the responsibility of the parish but cherish
ed among his children as a beloved "grand
father”;
2) A leaf were taken out of the book of the
education system in appointing new pastors for
a probationary period as acting-pastor; his life
time tenure to be confirmed after both pastor
and parish have grown to know and appreciate
each other. This tenure should be conferred
on the Bishop’s choice with the concurrence of
the parish lay board. Since the lay board would
be elected or appointed with short-term members,
it could not withhold concurrence permanently
and thus exercise a veto - yet through it the
laity -of the parish could signify their accep
tance for life of their new pastor.
The Archdiocese of Atlanta continues to be
a challenge to the diocese of the United States,
and your paper a challenge to my thinking. May
God bless and prosper Archbishop Hallinan and
his flock. . . ,
Mary Royle Howard
Port Huron, Mich.
In Europe, international bodies are often held
suspect by either the State (because they dilute a
raw nationalism) or the Church (because they
tend to be substituted for a man’s religion).
Although Americans have these preoccupations
too, it really takes Europe to see society through
the dark glasses of conspiracy. All the world’s
a plot, and secret agents with briefcases and sui
cide capsules are always boarding the last train
out of Paris for Istanbul or Moscow. Agent 007,
and assorted John Birchers are only Johnny-
come-latelies.
In the 1950’s, an unfortunate rift occurred
between Rotary and the Catholic Church. Based
perhaps upon the American experience that a
man’s religion is no bar to his associations, it
was reported that Rotary was up to no good.
Without checking out the American scene, Rotary
was. ryled. qqt ,9j..bfiWl4§nf or bisb,ops and priests,
and remained under some disfavqr for Catholics
generally.
Priests who had enjoyed Rotary memberships
as part of their apostolate were embarrassed.
So were many bishops. And there were no Cardi
nal Gibbons nor Archbishop Irelands in sight to
present the American case as these two had with
the Knights of Labor and other fraternal groups in
the last decades of the nineteenth century. Pope
Paul in his meeting with the Rotary of Italy spoke
of this unfortunate incident,—-"Reservations bas
ed on the fear that an international association
might present itself as a complete program for
man’s true and profound significance...a sufficient
norm to guide the conscience of man.”
But "the wisdom of Rotary” prevailed, said
the Pope, and it brings at times the testimonies
of age-old philosophy and the Christian message.
He expressed the hope that Rotary’s attitude
toward spiritual and religious values may always
be as respectful as it is toward cultural and
scientific expression. In giving them his blessing,
Pope Paul urged that the teacher of Mankind,
Christ the Lord, might not be altogether a stranger
to them. He praised especially their work in pro
moting concord and peace in the world. The em
barrassing silence between the Church and Rotary
came to an end that day.
TEACHER OF MANKIND
I thought of Pope Paul’s words as I spoke, to
their respectful attention, of Catholicism. Other
speakers touch, directly or indirectly, on relig
ious values. Their concernfor sick and sorrowing
members bears an authentic Christian mark. The
Georgia program of inviting foreign students to
study here and live with Rotarians (there are 40
more coming soon) is almost an implementation
of one of the great global principles of Pope John’s
"Pacem In Terris.”
EDITORIAL COMMENT
One of the Rotary bulletins, following my ap
pearance, interested me very much. The writer
praised the talk, and said "to the ecumenical
movement in principle, we echo a fervant,
'Amen.' ”
The editorial then went on to say that I had dis
cussed a few "unsolved” problems. "One, to
what extent, if any, should the Church be in poli
tics?!* was merely listed. This, to us, is of
major importance.” Infourparagraphs, the writ
er then gives his answer, closing the editorial
with a compliment and a toast to the speaker.
Next week, I would like to take the opportunity
of 'discussing' not merely listing, this "un
solved problem.”
I agree with the writer’s right to a point of view,
and I could not disagree more heartily with his
own solution to the "unsolved” problem.
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