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4 THE GEORGIA BULLETIN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 3, 1967
BULLETIN
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 iucpalf
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-Dekaib News
The opinions contained in these editorial columns are
the free expressions of free editors in a free Catholic prefes.
What Will Come
Out of Rubble?
The rubble from rioting
remains in Detroit, Newark
and other American cities.
The shouts and curses of
angry mobs have ceased.
The whine of bullets is no
longer heard.
But a new type of whining
was heard in Washington as
politicians began to probe
the riots and seek solutions.
Here are some of the “ so
lutions’* and comments of-
fered:
--A bill to make looting a
federal offense.
--A bill to cut off any and
all federal benefits--pen-
sions and Social Security
included--for any person
convicted of rioting.
• --A bill alloting $300 mil-
\rorr to'"train*‘aR€h*equip local
police forces in riot con
trol.
--The House Committee
on Un-American Activities
reportedly is considering a
probe for evidence of a con
spiratorial network which
fomented the Newark and
Detroit riots, in spite of FBI
director J. Edgar Hoover’s
assessment that there was
no planned conspiracy behind
the outbreaks.
--Sen. Everett Dirksen of
Illinois said he was looking
“for a touch of Red’* behind
the disturbances. (He should
look for a touch of frustra
tion and poverty.)
Many Americans and some
congressional leaders may
think punitive bills will halt
rioting in American cities,
but we don’t think so.
Before elected officials
place the blame on anyone,
they had better look at their
bVn records on poverty pro
grams, anti-rat legislation,
money for model cities, etc.
Some of their actions are as
sorry as the actions of the
rioters.
Our ‘New Parish 9
GEORGIA W3BHESJ21
—PRESIDENT Johnson, in a televised address strongly condemning racial
violence, proclaimed Sunday, July 30, as a national day of prayer for peace
and reconciliation among all Americans. Speaking from the White House (top)
the President urged all Americans to pray in churches and synagogues
for "hearts free from hate" to make thenation "free from bitterness." He
warned that advocates of Negro violence are hurting only themselves and the
civil rights cause. Meanwhile, a leader in the black power movement, H.
Rap Brown of SNCC (bottom), was blaming race riots around the country
on the Johnson Administration, and called the President a "wild mad dog
and outlaw from Texas.*’ He said, "If Washington doesn’t come around,
we’ll burn it down." (RNS Photo)
Rome Is Different
Since Vatican II
By Gary MacEoin
"How different is Rome now?" It is a
question I have been asked a score of times
since my return home after nearly four
months during which that city was my ope
rational base. The comparison implied in
the question is between Rome' as I had
known it during the Council and Rome in
a business-as-usual atomospnere
"Very different,"
reaction. Even as I
express it, how
ever, I recognize
not only its inade
quacy, but the need
to clarify the im
plication in the
question before
formulating any
answer. If "busi
ness as usual" is
understood to mean that problems are
formulated and decisions made at the cen
ter of the Church in the way that was
normal before the Council, then Rome
does not have business as usual, and I
see no likelihood that it ever will.
1 do not mean that many in high office
do not still hanker after the good old days
before Pius XII sentenced the long-estab
lished authoritarian system to death. He
did it, as is seldom remembered, by pro
claiming that the Church cannot be healthy
without a well-informed public opinion.
That was the real starting point of the
process for which PopeJohnandtheCoun-
cil usually get exclusive credit.
The people reluctant to bury the corpse
are more in evidence today thantheywere
during the Council. While it was in ses
sion, Rome was dominated by the great
leaders of world Catholicism from North
ern Europe, the two Americas, Africa and
Asia. Their departure has tempted small
er men to reassume big roles.
An official of the Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith can again today ad
ministratively silence a .theologian by
pressuring his superiors, as he did when
his Congregation was called the Holy Of
fice. An official of the Congregation for
Religious can deposethe superior ofacon-
vent half way round the world and impose
another without regard for the due process
which is one of the signs of the times. One
well-placed official can represent as of
ficial a partisan interpretation of a papal
decision simply because he has the inside
track with the Osservatore Romano.
Another, by blue-pencilling the galleys of
Civilta Cattolica on their pre-publication
passage -through the. Curia, can prevent a
rejoinder. . Catholic editors in Rome not
only exercise self-censorship. Some have
had to Undertake in writing never to men
tion any of a scheduled list of "sensi
tive" issues.
As a newsman in his search for the
facts unearths one after another of such
abuses of authority, gradually beingforced
to see how wide is still the gap between
profession and implementation in the con
ciliar Church, I think he should be for
given if he sometimes shrieks his anguish.
When I am asked, as I often am in public
and in private, if I am satisfied with the
rate of reform, my only honest answer is
that I am not. When I am asked if I jus
tify the failure to punish those guilty of
denying to fellow-Christians the rights to
which as members of the Church they are
entitled, I can only reply that I cannot
and do not justify or condone.
Having said so much, I mustimmediate-
ly add a perspective. As compared with
the preconciliar situation, the incidence
of abuse is far less frequent, the possibil
ity of redress far greater. Even more
important, I believe we are in a process
of continuing change, a frustratingly slow
but no less definite change for the better.
Many may regret, as Ido, that Pope Paul’s
frequently announced reform of the Curia
is not prosecuted more vigorously. But I,
at least, see evidence that it has not bog
ged down.
Here I point not only to new curia 1 or
gans with new ways, the Secretariat for
Unity, the Secretariat for Non-Believers,
the Secretariat for the Laity, theCommis-
sion for World Development. Theyhaveso
far succeeded in retaining a significant
degree of independence from the older
curial units. At least some of them are
seeking independent sources of financing,
without which they would quickly be trap
ped. Their modern administrative ma
chinery stands in sharp contrast to the
archaic processes of the others. They are
open to the press, anxious to dialogue with
the public. I believe that the impact will
be contagious, that the older units — unable
to lick them will have to join them.
I believe that this process has in fact
already begun in two ways. Oneisby Pope
Paul’s insertion of new men with new atti
tudes in key positions, men of personal
stature and maturity to keep them from
being absorbed. The other is by the de
velopment of internal chinks in the pre
viously solid armor of the Curia.
Since the change of name and concur
rent downgrading of the Holy Office, a
struggle for power has begun between it
and the Secretariat of State. Apart from
„thq <t jrigh,tS or wrongg A . th,e fafct Js 3 signjfi£
cant. Authoritarian structures require
total internal cohesion. Formation of con
flicting poles of power presages dissolu
tion. It is a sign I welcome in the pres
ent context.
is my spontaneous
MACEOIN
— By R. Donald Kiernan
After 1,000 Years
Cne cannot but be impres
sed with the recent meeting of
Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical
Patriarch Athenagoras I in
light of the many centuries
of recrimination and regret
between the two churches.
The Pope in his message
to non-Catholic Christians of
the City of Ephesus said: “To
you, our dear brothers, vener
able patriarchs and primates
of all the Eastern Orthodox
Churches, peace and salva
tion in Christ Our Lord.’*
But the Pope did not stop
there in his message. He
also said: “With Christian
love, we likewise greet our
dear brother, His Grace the
Archbishop of Canterbury and
the pastors of the other chur
ches and ecclesial communi
ties.
“The inspired preaching of
Paul the Apostle to the an
cient churches of Asia re
mains a common heritage of
all Christians. His letters
form part of the Holy Scrip
tures which ‘in the dialogue
itself are precious instru
ments in the mighty hand of
God for attaining that unity
which the Saviour holds out
to all men.’’
The joy and optimism crea
ted by the meeting of the Pope
and Patriarch should not cause
Christians to loose' sight of
the difficulties on the road
to unity.
But, we have hope that unity
will be accomplished in our
lifetime.
The announcement a few weeks ago that
an "experimental parish" would be es
tablished in Atlanta, was cause for amaze
ment on the part of many, especially
those who are used to the traditional
parish with its church, school, convent,
rectory, and established parish boundar
ies.
The new s reports on this new parish,
both in the religious
and in the secular
press, announced that
the parish would have
a limited number of
members. This, too,
was a departure since
most people are used
to automatically be
coming member? of a
parish once they dis
cover that their home is situated within
the boundaries established for a parish.
The new pastor, in an interview, said
that the parish would not be limited to
Catholics only. This too might be thought
to be something new; as a matter of fact
something previously unheard of. Ser
vices each week would consist of not only
Mass, but also of an additional mid-week
ecumenical prayer service participated
in by the Catholics and non-Catholics alike
who are members of this new Christian
community.
FR. KIERNAN
I'OFE PAUL ARRIVES IN TURKEY—Pope Paul VI and Turkish President Cevdet Sunay
fleft! review honor guard at Yesilkoy airport, Istanbul, Turkey (July 25) after the Pon
tiff’s arrival by Pan Am jet from Rome. (NC Photos)
This "specialized church*’ would not
be settled. By this I mean that the
parishioners would not own a building,
thus enabling the parish to move from
place to place, wherever the members
felt it would do the most good.
After the announcement was made in
this newspaper and followed up by a story
on the religious page of the Atlanta Con
stitution, rumors began to fly. They
ranged all the way from "It won’t work,"
to "What’s the Church going to do next?"
Those who are used to the traditional
parish plant could envision the demise of
their fine buildings built through many
years of sacrifice; and the rise of some
thing akin to the tents on the sawdust
trail wherein services closely resembl
ing the yesteryear revivals and “old time
religion preaching" would be zestfully
carried out.
Needless to say, this new "experimen
tal parish" should arouse no such fears.
The new parish is and will be, as its
name implies, a try-out. The members
will experiment in order to see whether
they can make religion more meaningful
to the people around them. Possibly
they will be succesful; possibly the whole
enterprise will turn out to be a flop. But,
in any case, no one will ever know the
results unless someone has the courage
to experiment. And that is exactly what
this new parish is attempting to do.
We should never forget that we are
living in an age of change. Fresh ap
proaches must be explored and tested.
Eyery age confronts new challenges.
With new challenges, of necessity, must
come novel methods of handling the chal
lenges. Look at the number of religious
orders (Jesuits, Oblates, Benedictines,
etc.)- existing in the Cljurch today. I
would venture to say that all of these
religious orders had their beginnings
with men and women who recognized the
challenge of their day and then took new
means and - methods to meet it. Those
founders were the "experimenters" of
their age.
Will the new parish work? It ought
to. Wherever parishes similar to our
Atlanta venture have been established,
they met with relative success. Of
course, no two of these experiments
were exactly alike; but they were all
closely akin. Some 30 years, ago, Fa
ther Paul Hanley Furfey, the distinguish
ed sociologist at Catholic University, acted
as chaplain to a group similar to ours
in Washington, D.C. This group was
founded by a native of Savannahs Dr.
Mary Elizabeth Walsh, a niece of Bishop
Emmet Walsh. The group was called
Fides House and operated in the heart
of the Negro district in the nation’s
capital.
More recently in the diocese of Tulsa-
Oklahoma, under the leadership of Bishop
Victor Reed, another group similar to
our own was established. These pioneers
in Oklahoma really ran into a barrage
of criticism. What the reasons were,
I cannot imagine. No one was forced
to join; and those who found the idea
unappealing need simply have let it alone.
Happily, our own modest venture in ex
perimentation has been spared such un
pleasant experiences.
The Catholic Worker movement under
Dorothy Day and Friendship House unfler
the Baroness de Hueck havealsohad, ojver
an extensive period of time, their advo
cates and enthusiastic supporters.
The members of our "new parish" are
to be congratulated for their initiative,
their concern, and their energy. If the
experiment works, we will all profit.
If it does not work, I hope that with the
same energy they will not neglect to use
the eraser on the top of the pencil they
are using to make a mark in life.
New Bond Film
Is Silly, Noisy
By James Arnold
If you’ve seen one James Bond film
you’ve seen them all, and the best one
can say for the latest, "You Only Live
Twice,” is that it is a mild relief from
all the terribly cute or extravagant imi
tations, There is no need here, anyway,
to be sillier, messier and noisier; it is
enough to be merely silly, messy and noisy.
This is the fifth time around for Sean
Connery as Bond,
and everything, in
cluding Connery, is
beginning to look
shopworn. This is
especially so in plot
ingredients: the
gorgeous girls,
friend or foe, fat
ed for some bizarre
death; the sinister
interference with space launchings; the
mad villain and his huge bodyguard; the
fantastic enemy headquarters, usually hid
den on some remote island, obliterated
in the final scene as Bond and one girl
friend survive on a lifecraft in an empty
sea.
With triteness the films also become
more recognizably juvenile and mass
market-ish. This effect in "Twice”
may be helped along by the fact that it
was made in Japan under the auspices of
Toho studios, and many of the big scenes
have the cheap look of the mass-produced
Japanese science-fiction thriller. There
is a stagey and tiny phoniness about the
volcano set that compares poorly with
similar extravagances in "Goldfinger”
and "Thunderball,” and disastrously with
the gloss of "Fantastic Voyage."
Japanese extras also seem to die with
a mawkish enthusiasm that works against
the grain of Ian Fleming coolness. The
use of karate sequences and a pool of
man-eating piranha as a horror device
are by now comic-book cliches, and even
the second-string actresses employed as
sex interest demonstrate a falling-off: not
just anybody can replace an Ursula An
dress or Shirley Eaton.
Despite the intimations of creeping
mortality, every Bond epic has its mom
ents of simple pleasure: Connery plum
meting through a trap door and whipping
down a twisting, exhilarating slide to the
office of a Japanese super-spy, or having
a ding-dong slash-and-grunt fight with a
japanese wrestler. There is also an
imaginative helicopter view of a chase on
a rooftop, and aerial combat withConnery
in a baby copter that looks like it had
been left under somebody's Christma^
tree.
The real surprise is that these mom
ents are so rare, considering the stature
of writer Roald Dahl, director Lewis
("Alfie") Gilbert, andcamermanFreddie
("Lawrance of Arabia," "Dr. Zhivago”)
Young. Shoddiness is more the rule than
expertise, although high standards are
maintained by two men who have had more
than a little to do with the Bond bonanza:
composer John Barry and set designer Ken
Adam. Color quality, however, is often
grues om e.
If description of a new Bond film tends
to be redundant, so is evaluation. These
movies are still part of the pornography
of both sex and violence, meaning that
these appetites are fed for profit behind
a thin pretense of spoofery. They are de
grading to the viewer because they assume
that he will enjoy, at least in fantasy,
the reduction of other human beings into
things.
As the cycle begins to run down, there is
less artistic excuse, even in terms of pop
art, for seeing the Bond movies. Oddly,
they may also be less dangerous socially.
They have become so stylized and pre
dictable that the formula becomes an
alienation device: in "Dr. No,” Bond
was an almost mystic personality, in
"Twice” he is becoming just another
clown on the widescreen, throwing bullets
instead of pies.
***
"The St. Valentine's Day Massacre” is
producer-director Roger Corman’s first
big-league film, and reveals the basic
truth about Corman: that he is an excel
lent technician with Sunday Supplement
taste. After years of turning out vulgar
masterpieces on low-budgets (from the
Edgar Allen Poe series to "The Wild
Angels"), Corman has now made a vul
gar masterpiece on a big budget.