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BULLETIN
4 GEORGIA BULLETIN, THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 1967
ARCHDIOCESE OF ATLANTA SERVING GEORGIA’S 71 NORTHERN COUNTIES
Archbishop Paul J. Hallinan
Chris Eckl
The Rev. R. Donald Kiernan
Publisher
Managing Editor
Consulting 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 off free editors in a free Catholic press.
Brains And Skill,
Heart And Will
Catholic education has the
brains and skill to solve its
problems; the only real
question now is whether it
has the heart and will.
This quote from Bishop
Ernest J. Primeau’s address
to the National Catholic Edu
cational Association (see
page 1) describes the situa
tion facing Catholic edu
cation, that “an extended
period of drift and indeci
sion” must be avoided.
Catholic education is in
this period of drift and in
decision right now -- the
hard questions are being
asked, but the hard answers
have not been found. And,
they will not be found over
night.
But we do think the new
ly established Archdiocesan
Board of Education will be of
g re at assist an cein s e eking"" *
answers "on tEeTufur e~oF
tholic education in the arch
diocese. The board is com
posed of persons who have
attended Catholic schools,
who have the intelligence to
find solutions to at least
some of the problems.
If you don’t think the pro
blems are staggering, just
try to answer the questions
raised by Bishop Primeau.
Why should the Church be
operating schools at all?
Does the goal of “every
Catholic child in a Catholic
school “remain possible and
a desirable one today?” What
is being done about the mil
lions of Catholics who are not
in Catholic schools? Should
Catholics concentrate on one
level of education or should
they seek to provide edu
cation across the board on
all levels?
The board, the archbishop,
bishop, school officials;, pa
rents and pastors face many
years of difficult decisions in
deciding the future of an in
stitution that has been un
questioned • by most laymen
"&hd .clerics,;
There are answers, and we
think they will be found with
out an extended period of
drift and indecision.
Thanks, Archbishop!
Reading the Catholic press these days
sometimes gives a reader — it depends
on his frame of mind — the idea that the
Church is coming apart at the seams.
The headlines say, “Is Our Idea of God
All Wrong?;”Ousted Editor Calls for More
Democracy;” “Catholic Colleges Rapped
for Academic Liberty Lag;” "Crisis in
Vocations?’’
I find most of it exciting and have my
ups and downs as the news pours in.
Jewish Leader
Hails Guidelines
NEW YORK (RNS) — The Guidelines
for Catholic-Jewish Relations issued by
the U.S. Catholic bishops is a document
which might help the Jews “stay alive
Jewishly,” according to Rabbi Balfour
Brickner.
The Reform rabbi, director oftheCom-
mission on Interfaith Activities oftheUn-
ion of American Hebrew Congregations,
called the guidelines “an excellent docu
ment” and he praised the bishops for
their work.
Rabbi Eli A. Bohnen, president of The
Rabbinical Assembly, an association of
Conservative Rabbis, also hailed the
guidelines.
Rabbi Brickner praised the bishops for
the “open minded, spiritually progres
sive thinking,” and said:
"Obviously, the American Catholic
Church has both feet firmly planted in
the 20th Century. Many Jews and Pro
testants will have much to do to catch
• up with their thinking and the new open
ness of their active involvement.
“It is ironic,” he said, "that the im
plementation of true dialogue, as called
for in the statement might be the ca
talyst which helps Jews stay alive Je
wishly. Dialogue on> matter of religious
thought may well drive the Jew back to
hlis own bookshelf in order to learn more
about himself as a member of a faith
and a people.
My "ups”, are some people’s “downs”
because of different viewpoints.
The secular press, magazines and news
papers carry an unending stream of stories
on celibacy, birth control pnd disputes,
until it makes many dizzy. When I get
dizzy, I always try to recall the remarks
of a'writer who ponted out that the “re
volution” in the Church came from the
top-John XXIII.
But even 1 grow tired of relentless
stories on birth control), celibacy etc.
(some readers don't think so) and wonder
if there isn’t one bishop, priest, layman,
theologian or editor that has found some
thing to make him happy.
I FOUND one story that did. An NC
news release says the Church in Braz
zaville, The Congo, working under a pro
communist government that started its
rule in 1964 by ar/resting priests, ex
pelling missionaries and nationalizing Ca
tholic schools, has shown a remarkable
ability to adapt to Us difficult life.
Without wasting time in sterile re
gret, Church leaders initiated sweeping
liturgical reforms, formed Scripture study
groups and rebuilt the Church according
to the Second Vatican Council.
The success of these efforts is mir
rored in the more than 6,000 annual Bap
tisms that have raised the Catholic popu
lation to almost half the area's 320,000
people. Lay activity, encouraged by Ar
chbishop Theophilus Mbemba as "both the
duty arid the right” of the laity, is cen
tered on works of mercy done in coopera
tion with the government, (Archbishop
Mbemba has insisted that the Church co
operate with the government in all pro
jects that strengthen the nation and lead
tp the betterment of mankind).
In a pastoral letter, the Archbishop said,
"We have seen good work done for the
Church this year, and I thank you for it.
The Bible courses continue, drawing great
crowds; the catechists are working well;
you have come together to study the de
crees of the council; you have answered
generously your priests’ appeal for whole
hearted participation in the liturgy,
“You have done well and I thank you.”
And I thank you archbishop.-Chris Eckl
IN A remote Bolivian mission station, Father Frank A. Gerace, a Mary-
knoll missioner, baptizes an infant. Pouring Holy Water on the child’s
forehead, he intones: “When these things begin to come to pass, look up
and lift your heads, because your redemption is at hand. (RNS PHOTO)
GEORGIA PINES
‘Busiest Man’
— By R. Donald Kiernan
I think that the leading candidate for
the title of “Busiest Man” in Atlanta
and certainly in the Archdiocese of At
lanta, is Franciscan Father Raphael
McDonald. Let me tell you why.
Father Raphael has no less than five
different titles. He works at all of them
plus a few other jobs for which he has no
title at all. The genial Friar is Re
settlement Direc
tor of the Depart
ment of Immigra
tion, U. S. C. C.;
Archdiocesan Di
rector of the Bis
hop’s Committee
for Spanish-Speak
ing; the Spiritual
Director for the
Conference of Our FR. KIERNAN
Father Raphael came to Atlanta well
qualified. He spent four years as a mis
sionary in Mexico, then ten years out West
giving retreats and mission^. After that he
went to Puerto Rico, Bolivia and to Peru.
Here in Atlanta, Father Raphael says Mass
once a month in Spanish, and this is follow
ed by a religious-social evening with True
Professional entertainment being provided
by people from as many as 21 different
countries.
“His parish” is the City of Atlanta.
Spanish speaking people live in every
parish of the city. One call might bring
Father Raphael to Brookhaven, and the
next call might be to Ben Hill. But with
all of this activity, Father Raphael is a
familiar figure at Grady Hospital, day
after day, visiting the wards.
Lady of Charity (St. Vincent de Paul
Society); Spiritual Director and Advisor
for the Oznam Stores; and Spiritual Di
rector for the Catholic Action Society for
Latin -Americans
The “Padre” is no fanatic, but he has
the tenacity of an Irishman who sees that
every job he starts, he likewise finishes.
Possibly the reason that he is not better
known is because he is quiet and unas
suming, He could care less about pub
licity and notoriety, and “his friends"
are the poor and the forgotten.
What brings all this to mind is. the fact
that Sunday, April 2., our Archbishop has
asked all of the priests of the archdio
cese to offer Mass for the intention of bet
ter understanding of Latin Americans. Its
a funny thing about Americans but we
have a tendency to consider every Latin,
a Cuban, Just as in New York everyone
is a Puerto Rican and in Colorado, they
are Mexicans. We Irish never had a lan
guage barrier, consequently the problem
is hard for us to understand. But it always
did seem funny to me to watch someone
talking to a foreigner, they usually talk loud
or shout. Their problem is language, not
hearing.
I
A UIFT FROM THE FA
holds a live lamb he rec<
ban Rome parish.
One of the problems that Father Raphael
has, oddly enough, is an American, made
problem. Movies and TV have pictured
J immigrants for years coming here in rags
and carrying carpet bags. For this reason
t when Americans view Cuban exiles getting
off planes dressed like weekend travelers,
it is difficult to elicit much sympathy
for them. What the American is totally
unaware of is that these “well fed exiles”
have been living on a starch diet for years
and the clothes they are wearing, they
have been saving for this occasion.'You
see, folks, the Irish are not the only race
that has pride I
i Latin Americans make excellent citi-
zens. Their native pride enhances a com-
j munity; their love of education, makes
^ them good students; and their devotion
‘ to God, is an asset to any church. Se-
r . veral exiles are professional people and
their understanding of people's suffer-
'■ ings and deprivations leaves them with
1 tender hearts.
Yes, the good Father is doing a great
job and April 2 will find our prayers with
him.
L— A smiling Pope Paul VI
•om the faithful in a subur-
ANOTHER VIEWPOINT
After 100 Years
A Rededication
By Rabbi Jacob
The official name of The Temple is
Hebrew Benevolent Congregation. Therein
lies a story which is of particular time
liness. 1967 marks the hundredth anniver
sary of the Temple. To commemorate
that happy and momentous occasion a gala
celebration has been planned for the week
end of April 21 to 23. In addition to the
Friday evening and Saturday morning ser
vices which have been pointed in mood and
method to this special event, a banquet
for the congregational members is sche
duled for Saturday night at which leaders
of the community - civic and religious -
will bring greetings.
On Sunday afternoon at 3 o’clock a cele
bration for the entire community will take
place in the Temple Sanctuary which will
feature a program of Jewish music and the
presentation of a
gift in honor of the
occasion from the
Temple to the City
Of Atlanta. It is our
hope that you will
want to share this
joyous . moment
with us.
So much for
plans and program.
Of far greater im
portance is the con
sideration of what makes the event worth
celebrating. Merely to manage to survive
for a century is not in itself noteworthy.
We rejoice for a twofold reason: First,
because during this hundred years we
ourselves have grown from a people "few
in number” with little except a deter
mination to preserve our heritage in a new
land and a free society into a vibrant
Jewish community, strong in its faith and
filled with joy that our ancient heritage
has been preserved and strengthened. But
perhaps even more important, because out
of that dedication to the ideals and teach
ings of Judaism we have helped build
a city and a community of which all of us-*
Jew and Christian alike - can be justly
proud.
The true test of religious influence upon
a community does not lie in the number of
churches that dot its landscape but rather
in the spiritual guidance which it exercises
in the growth and development of its
citizens. Each religious communion must
deepen the devotion and loyalty of its
members to its own faith. But it then
must encourage its members to apply'
the moral and ethical ideals which it pro
fesses to the life of the community in
which it has its being.
We of the Hebrew Benevolent Congre
gation dare to believe that in some small
way we have made our contribution to the
ennoblement of our city. That is why we
delight in our celebration and hope that
our fellow citizens will share our joy.
The first formal Jewish, organization
predated our congregation. It was called
The Hebrew Benevolent Society and was
created by the handful of Jews who then
lived here to care for the needs Of their
co-religionists. Later, when a congre
gation was formed it took the name of
the already existing society; hence, He
brew Benevolent Congregation. The He
brew name is more revealing: Gemilath
Chesed which means “the doing of acts
of loving kindness.”
Now, on our one hundredth anniversary
we rededicate ourselves to the fulfillment
of our noblest heritage soclearly express
ed by the very name our founding fathers
chose for this Temple. Our continuing
challenge in the days to come shall be to
strive always not alone to keep our reli
gion alive in our hearts but to make its
teachings live for us and for all mankind.
• • « 9
Rabbi Rotschild is spiritual director of
The Temple.
Rothschild
A Family That Tried
To ‘Own’ A Story
By Garry Wills
wr> At the Gridiron club’s annual spoofing
of the powerful in Washington, the charac
ter representing Bobby Kennedy sang (to
the new-Rudy-Valleetwanginess of‘“Win
chester Cathedral") that “Manchester’s
upheaval/ Is bring-ingmedow-own.” Yes.
And bringing better things down with him.
The larger ironies are now apparent.
Mrs. Kennedy tries to keep certain things
private -- and thereby fastens theworld’s
WILLS
tory — only to lose control, control over
the event in more spectacular fashion
than they would have if they had never
called Manchester in. '
The nature of the enterprise insured
its own defeat. A writer who would agree
to this strange deal was practically fated
to cheapen tragedy toward melodrama. The
Look version has bruise-purple prose of
this sort: "Goaded by a mighty tail
wind the Presidential aircraft hurtled
eastward at a velocity approaching the
speed of sound. . .The magenta twilight
turned to olive gloaming andbecamedusk.
The Colonels looked out upon the over
arching sky. Saturn dogged the moon. Ju
piter lay over the Carolinas; the Big Dip
per, beyond Chicago. But the brightest
light in the bruise-blue canopy was Ca
pella.’.’ Anyone who can perpetrate this
heavenly pin-ball machine should not be
turned loose on delicate earthly events.
(Stagger to the end of the paragraph I
am quoting and you will find that “the
Colonels” — whoarenot, as you might
think, a Kentucky basketball team —
were able to discern, out of their cock
pit, that Capella "rose majestically a
thousand miles to the northeast” -- over
Boston -- which I call’ darned obliging
of Capella.
Now that they had this gooey writer on
their hands, he became too good a friend
— kicking at Johnson, defendingthe Bobby
set, making a case. They could not con
vince him he was not supposed to be mak
ing a case: his very loyalty hurt them.
In this sense, Manchester re-enacts the
story he is telling — for the personal
loyalties of the Kennedy clique look very
bad in his clumsily sympathetic picture
of them. He divides the Presidential party
into two groups — "Loyalists” (who, in
the words of one of them, had only one
President, the dead one) and "realists”
(who can bring themselves to let another
man be president). The very terms re
flect Manchester’s bias — the warm vs.
the cold, the affectionate vs. the schem
ing. There is no'Suggestion that loyalty
greedy attention on
each slightest ex
cised word. This
irony rises, in turn,
out of a deeper one,
the fact that the
Kennedy family tri
ed to “own” a story
that was essential
ly the nation’s, to
commission his-
might be involved in devotion to the of
fice President Kennedy held. Manches
ter thinks it is a higher JoyaJty .to. 99VS
"The King is dead, let there be no other -
King.” There is only one standard for
his kind of loyalty — pro-Kennedyism
(which is the same as anti-Johnsonism).
Arthur Schlesinger, for instance, is a loya
list, not a “realist” schemer when, in the
immediate aftermath of the assassination,
he starts realistically scheming how to
push Johnson off the party ticket in 1964.
The possessiveness of the Kennedy cir
cle spread out to its chosen author,
who talks of the Bobby set grieving over
its President. We are asked to under
stand certain bitter excesses, since "the
Kennedy staff had lost a President.” A
strange way of putting it. The nation
had lost a President.
The ironies grow, all on the same
pattern — possessiveness backfiring. The
"Irish Mafia” wants to retain the Pre
sidential plane, and— in the most squa
lid part of the story, unfortunately em
phasized by Manchester — to keep con
trol over the President's body in defiance
of the law. The villain in Manchester’s
melodrama is Dr. Earl Rose, the Dallas
county medical examiner, whose duty itis
to perform the autopsy required by Texas
law • in every murder case. Manchester
describes this man as a [parochial. prig,
though Rose has studied and practiced and
taught medicine all over the country. He
was deputy chief medical examiner in Vir
ginia. He knows his business, and is wide
ly respected not only for his professional
standards but for his compassion. His
autopsy reports (“protocols”) arefamous
for their thoroughness and objectivity. It
is true that he is a stickler for the law —
that is his business; and taking one’s
job seriously on the day of President
Kennedy’s death is a "realist” (i.e., heart
less) position in Manchester eyes. The
heart of "the author” (as he likes to
call himself) — along with his head, which
in his case is an entirely secondary or
gan— is with those who pushed the doc
tor aside and took their President back
in their airplane.
The Irony here is that if Dr. Rose had
performed the autopsy right away, many of
the later doubts might have been anti
cipated and dispelled. A thorough autopsy
would be on the public record beyond the
reach of Bobby Kennedy's fatal, well-
meant suppression of the Washington
autopsy. Here too,power backfired: Bobby
thought he could silence morbid specula
tion by quietly taking the autopsy into
his possession. All he did was stimulate
deeper doubts. At last he had to release
the doctors’ examination to a select few
(thus revealing, for the first time, that he
had sequestered it);'but this could not still
all the rumor and doubts of those not per
mitted to see it.
Vhe pattern recurs through all the story:
Bobriy and his crew hurt themselves and
their own cause when they use their power.
A thing worth pondering now that Bobby
edges, on his own, in the direction of our
nation’s highest power.