Newspaper Page Text
f
COUNTIES
VOL. 4, NO. 29 -
-ft" i >■ “
ATLANTA, GEORGIA
THURSDAY, JULY 21, 1966
$5.00 PER YEAR
Theologian Asserts
Shadow Of‘A Long Dead Hand
Covers Teaching On Sexuality
WASHINGTON, D.C. (RNS)-- The Catholic
Church has been operating “under the shadow
of the long dead hand of Augustine” in its
attitude toward sexuality and must provide
a solution that faces reality squarely to give
adequate moral leadership for modem cou
ples.
This was the essence of an address by one
of the nation’s leading experts in marriage
counseling, Father John L. Thomas, S.J. . .,
of the Chambridge Center for Social Studies.
He spoke before an interreligious colloquium
at Georgetown University considering various
aspects of Vatican II decrees on “The Church
in the Modern World.”
Father Thomas, generally critical of the
Council’s statements on marriage and the
family, nonetheless concluded that its draf
ters “went about as far as they could go
under the set of limitations they are work
ing under.”
“But for the life of me, why it has been
so painful for Rome to admit the truth —•
that there is a problem in these areas --
is beyond me.” He was speaking of the sche
ma’s acknowledgement that in matters in
volving population growth, sex relations in the
marital state, and various other asepets per
taining to marriage and family planning there
exists a need by the Church to cope with
some of the problems.
After reviewing the history of marriage
practices in Greek, Roman and Teutonic
cultures, all of whiclT were absqrbed into
the basic pattern sanctioned by the Church,
Father Thomas indicated that marital mores
have been in a state of evolution. “Each
generation of families will face its own set
or problems,” he asserted.
Taking the historical context and its
changes into consideration is a necessity,
he said, and the Church should be able, and
has the obligation, to bring new theological
insights to bear.
"The Church can’t deal with marriage in
apartheid," he said. By that he meant that
outmoded rules of the past must not be ap
plied to modern marriage.
Referring to the theological influence of
St. Augustine on teachings involving sex,
Father Thomas indicated that the Church
is not facing the reality of the problem
when it applies the rule that the sex act
is alone for the purpose of procreation.
“The thinking of Augustine,” he said,
"was that sex relations in marriage were
all right so long as the intent was pro-
creative ~ and so long as you didn’t enjoy
it too much.”
He said the "juridical abstractions” of
the Church on the procreative emphasis
“were valid just as long as you didn’t exa
mine reality too closely.”
What is needed now, he said, is for the
Church to inject more into its deliberations
a “regard for the human dimensions” of
marriage.
“Unless the Church comes up with a more
realistic approach to the problems of sex
uality and marriage, Catholic Christians will
Increasingly be doing what they feel they
have to -- even if they do suffer from a
heavy guilt for having done it.”
The four-day symposium was sponsored
by the Georgetown University School of
Foreign Service Summer School.
The aims of the colloquium, the first of
its nature at the institution, was to encourage
further studies of Vatican Council documents
and to stimulate action programs, particu
larly among laymen, with respect to the
role of the Church in domestic and world
affairs. Another aim was to contribute to
interreligious dialogue through cooperative
study of practical problems of common con
cern.
SAN JUAN, Texas—Father Anthony Gonzales, O.M.I., of Houston, Tex., and a Baptist
minister, the Rev. James L. Navarro, prepare to lead a group of striking Mexican-Amer-
ican farm workers on the first leg of a 400-mile protest march to the Texas state capital
in Austin, to'draw attention to the plight of migrant farm workers, recently organized
in a union seeking a minimum wage of $1.25 an hour. Bishop Humberto Medeiros of
Brownsville expressed sympathy with the workers’ cause and received a standing ovation
when he declared at a rally in the San Juan church cafeteria that present farm wages
in the Rio Grand valley are unjustly low.
Review Recommended
Watch Those Textbooks,
Catholic Agency Warns
Church Goes Up In 10 Days
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (NC>—
A church that was built in 10
days is an example of the new
vigor which Archbishop James
T. Ryan of Anchorage has
brought to Catholic activities
in Alaska.
Our Lady of the Lake church
at Big Lake is "exhibit A" of
the new Catholic activities.
- “Many people in the area had
requested a church there,” the
archbishop related in matter-
of-fact manner.
Under the prelate’s supervis
ion, plans were drawn. With
manpower donated by Air Force
personnel of the area, the
church was built in 10 days.
“At midnight on Saturday,
o’clock Sunday morning, it wa*.
completed," he continued. “And
215 people came to Mass."
The archbishop underscored
the need for more priests and
nuns. He said 19 priests carry
on the work of the archdiocese,
aided by chaplains from mili
tary bases. Among nuns at work
are the Sisters of St. Anne in
Glenallen, the Sisters of Charity
of Providence in Anchorage and
the Grey Nuns of the Sacred
Heart in Kodiak.
“We have manyCatholic boys
and girls coming of age here and
we hope to see them work for
God here in their home,” the
archbishop said.
He has named Father Francis
Murphy as archdiocesan direc
tor of vocations. Organizations
of a Serra Club to encourage
cations to sisterhoods are
among Father Murphy’s im
mediate plans.
Shortly afterhisarrivalhere,
Archbishop Ryan met with of
ficials of a Catholic junior high
school with an enrollment prob
lem. He said: "The school has
been only half-filled. We have
started .a new enrollment fee
system and also a program to
provide bus service at no extra
cost.” He expressed hope there
will be a full enrollment in the
coming school year.
PITTSBURGH (RNS) — AJ
special committee of the Pitts
burgh Catholic Interracial
Council has recommended to
the schools office of the Roman
Catholic diocese that it under
take a review of textbooks ap
proved for use' so that “pre
judicial attitudes are not fost
ered.” among students.
The recommendation follow
ed a study of three geography
books approved by the schools
office for use in grades 4, 5
and 6. The CIC committee
said that “none of these books
ought to be condemned out of
hand.” It said that “there is
much that is good in all of
them,” but it added that “many
aspects” of the books “seem
to contribute to the formation
of attitudes upon which pre
judice can build in young
minds.”
Books mentioned were "My
World of Neighbors,” “Ameri
can Neighbors” and “Neigh
bors Across the World.” They
were published by W. H.
Saddlier, Inc., of New York and
Chicago, and form part of the
Catholic Geography Series.
The CIC committee objected
. to the concept of a “Catholic
? geography ... The' assumption
that there is a 'Catholic geo
graphy’ to be taught seems un
tenable.” It urged instead that
“in subjects other than the spe
cific teaching of religion all of
the offerings of established
academic publishers be consid
ered for adoption.”
Msgr. John B. McDowell, dio
cesan schools superintendent,
said he was aware of deficien
cies in the textbooks cited and
was concerned about them. He
said that the evaluation of text
books is a continuing process
for his office and that when de
ficiencies are discovered, an
effort is made to, compensate
for them through bulletins and
directives to teachers.
In its report, the CIC com
mittee listed as objectionable
such statements as:
“We know why people live in
different ways, but we do not
know why they look different.
We only know that God has some
good reason for this.’ (“My
World of Neighbors,” p. 259).
“Sister said that the Indians
tried to be good Catholics after
the priests were gone. They
still try to be good Catholics
today; But it is hard to be a
good Catholic where there is no
one to teach religion... They (the
boys and girls) can help by giv
ing money to the missions. They
can help most of all by their
prayers.” (1. 247).
In the book “American Neigh
bors,” the CIC committee
found that pictures of Negroes
“run to stereotypes” and it
maintained that “the difficul
ties and significance of the Ne
gro seem to be minimized.”
In “World Neighbors,” it
said, there “is an overem
phasis on Catholicism” and
an attempt to preach religious
doctrine within the framework
of geography. As an example
it quoted from page 5: “You
live in the United States (be
cause that is)...where God wish
es you to live.”
Analysis of each book was ac
companied by a critique from
the viewpoints of political
science and of sociology The
critiques were by several fac
ulty members at Duquesne Uni
versity, a Holy Ghost Fathers
institution here.
there still were no pews or vocations to the priesthood and
paint for the building, but by 7 a Theresian Club to foster vo-
Serra International President
To Speak In Atlanta July 28
Local Survey Agrees
Seek Negro Members K Of C Told
To End Discriminatory Practices
Jan Berbers of Uruguay, new
president of Serra International
will speak July 28 to members
of the Atlanta Serra Club. The
founder and first president of
the Serra Club in Uruguay he
was elected to head the Inter
national organization last
month. He formerly served as
a Trustee of Serra Inter
national. Berbers will address
Blankets Donated
BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil
(NC)~ Blankets being donated
by nuns to the poor were car
ried in the Offertory proces
sion at a Mass celebrated by
Coadjutor Archbishop Joao Re-
zende Costa of Belo Horizonte.
The archbishop remarked that
“every person who receives
this present must know that the
Sisters’ action is an interpre
tation of the holy Gospel.”
the local Serra Club at the re
gular meeting to be held in
Dale's Cellar at 12:15 pm.
JAN BERBERS
AUSTIN, Texas (RNS) —
Knights of Columbus who oppose
acceptance of Negroes as mem
bers should resign from the
Catholic fraternal order, James
Barger, a state K. of C. offi
cer, declared here.
Referring to those who prac
tice discrimination, he said:
‘They are no credit to the
Knights of Columbus and will be
only slightly noticed in their
passing.” Barger, a resident
of San Antonio, is the Knight’s
state fraternal activities chair
man, >
He urged the order to seek
out Negro Catholics and offer
them membership. "Our past
wrongs,” he added, "demand
that . we pursue this recruit
ment program with great vig-
_ _ »•
or.
"Can we be permitted then to
practice discrimination in ad
mitting qualified men to our or
der? The answer is an unquali
fied 'no’ — not under the laws
of man, "the laws of our order,
the laws of our Church, the laws
of God, Barger continued.
"No longer can we be per
mitted to recruit only that por
tion of our potential member
ship *who come from the right
side of the tracks.’ It is in these
modem times incumbent upon
us to recruit new members
wherever 'Catholic gentlemen’
may be found.
The Georgia Bulletin asked
various people their opinion
on this matter. Of those polled
over 85 per cent agreed that
action should be taken to end
discrimination where it exists.
Father James Maciejewski of
St. Jude's Parish, Sandy
Springs, said that this action is
a means of giving effective wit
ness to Christian justice and
charity in race relations.
One housewife who asked that
her name be withheld said,
“if it is a Catholic organiza
tion race should not enter into
it.”
A greater majority felt that a
person should not leave a coun
cil if it were practicing race
discrimination. One of those
that answered in the minority,
Paul Sauerburger, treasurer of
the K. of C„ Council 660, stat
ed that "if a person could do
nothing about it, yes, he should
resign, but he should try to
change the situation first.”
Barger concluded his address
by adding:
"We must in brotherhood,
fraternity and justice seek out
the Negro Catholic and invite
him to enter our order. We
In Archdiocese
Priest Named
To Aid Nuns
In ‘Renewal’
The first practical result of the Sister’s Congress has been
taken with the appointment of Father John F. McDonough,
pastpr of Holy Spirit parish, as Secretary for Religious, a
newly created post to help the sisters implement their recom
mendations.
Msgr. Joseph E. Cassidy,
pastor of Sacred Heart parish,
Milledgeville, will continue to
serve as Episcopal Vicar for
Sisters. Both he and Father
McDonough will share the duties
and status as vicar general for
religious.
Generally, F ather McDonough
will administer the program of
confessions, conferences, work
shops and lectures by specia
lists plus the supervision of the
visitation of convents in the ar
chdiocese.
The Sisters’ Congress also
proposed a sisters’ council with
three subcommittees (spiritual,
interpersonal and educational);
a ; sharing of ideas with other
groups in the Church; and cen
tral places for retreats and days
of recollection.
Mental health was considered
by the sisters as vital to die
proper development Of religious
women including provisions for
professional guidance and coun
selling and talks by psycha-
trists and psychologists and
other specialists. Present and
FR. MCDONOUGH
future recreational facilities
will be canvassed and used as
possible.
The proposed sister’s coun
cil will study and administer
these plans. Father Mc
Donough's role as secretary
will be similiar to that of the
“liaison priests” of the Con
gress.
Interim Board Set
To Study Bulletin
must recruit him into our broth
erhood.”
If the Knights fail in the re
cruitment campaign, he said,
“our failure in the field of fra
ternity will herald our failure
as Catholic men. We will be
judged as lacking by the Church,
society and ultimately by our
Maker for this failure.”
'This does not mean that we
can be completely successful,”
he pointed out. “But let that
not dissuade us from the strug
gle. ■ This year let true fra
ternity be the goal of every
member of our order;”
Barger’s talk was generally
well received by fellow offi
cers of the Knights of Columbus.
Dr. Joseph Murphy of La Mar
que, head of the Texas KC's,
said his recommendation would
be considered by the state coun
cil together with suggestions
from other committees and dis
trict officers.
An interim Board of Commu
nications to survey the prob
lems and the role of the Georgia
Bulletin has been formed at the
recommendation, of the Lay Con
gress.
Attending the first meeting of
the board were Mrs. E. Milton
Bevington, Frank McBrearity,
the Rev. Daniel Brand, pastor
of St. Andrew’s United Presby
terian Church, Norman Shavin
of The Atlanta Constitution,
George Coleman of The Atlanta
Daily World, Paul Shields of
WAGA-TV, Archbishop Paul J.
Hallinan, publisher, Father
Leonard F.X. Mayhew, asso
ciate editor, and Chris Eckl,
managing editor.
The present members of the
board will serve in a provision
al status until 1967. At that
time, it will be brought into line
with the administrative changes.
Recommendations for these
changes were submitted by the
Lay Congress in May, and are
the basis of study for far-
reaching reorganization of the
archbishop
Young Adults
Begin Work
For Congress
James A. Altwies, chair
man of the steering com
mittee, has urged young adults
to begin work on the parish
level for choosing delegates
to the Young Adult Congress
scheduled for Sept. 24-25.
“We will contact them
through the parishes to let
them know how large their
delegatin will be,” Altwies
said, “but we want to im
press upon all delegates that
each parish will have an equal
vote.”
He said a delegates meet
ing has been tentatively set
for Atlanta Aug. 7.
archdiocese in the coming Synod
of Nov. 20-22.
'This half-year gives the
Church—bishops, priests, re
ligious and laity—a fine oppor
tunity to experiment with the
concept of ‘shared responsibil
ity' directed by Vatican II and
recommended by the Lay Con
gress,” the archbishop said
after the first meeting of the
board.
“By January the definite
framework will be evident. It
is essential that the board re
flects and be representative of
the entire laity; those who have
professional skills needed in
each department; those selected
by vote of the parishes; and
those who have been enriched by
past experience in archdiocesan
and parochial lay projects,”
Archbishop Hallinan said.
NEW BISHOP, NEW DIO
CESE — Pope Paul VI has
established the new diocese
of Beaumont, Texas, and has
named Msgr. Vincent M.
Harris, chancellor of the dio
cese of Galveston-Houston
us its first Ordinary.
diocese of Atlanta
THEY look like wo
men in their new re
ligious habits. See
Page 3=
SERVING GEORGIA’S 71 NORTHERN