Newspaper Page Text
BULLETIN
Bishops’ Synod Asked To Discuss
Question Of Clerical Celibacy
ARCHDIOCESE OF ATLANTA SERVING GEORGIA’S 71 NORTHERN COUNTIES
VOL. 5 NO. 33 ATLANTA, GEORGIA THURSDAY, AUGUST 17, 1967
"When the Council as
sembled in 1962," the
statement said, "Latin was as
strongly institutionalized in the
Western Church as celibacy is
now. Yet in less than twoyears
time, Pope John’s apostolic
constitution Veterum Sapientia,
which sought to fasten and
deepen the place of Latin in the
Western Church's liturgy, was
undone by the very first decree
of the Council, the Constitution
on the Liturgy."
On the interest of the clergy
in ending compulsory celibacy,
the association cited surveys
of priests’ opinions, many of
which have been conducted
under its auspices.
"Survey after survey has
shown that, of the diocesan
priests voting, a vast number
and usually the majority favor
making celibacy optional," it
said.
Theologians Discuss ‘Death Of God’
WOODSTOCK, Md. (CN) —
Some 150 priests, nuns and lay
men from around the country
tackled such fundamental chal
lenges to the Church today as
the "death of God" issue in
the second annual workshop on
Theology: Search and Service
at Woodstock College here.
Speaking during the first
week’s sessions on The Living
God, Father James D. Shen-
•kel, S.J., said that the "cru
cial task of the Church is to
formulate s theology which tells
modern man how God is acting
in history now."
Modern day prophets who
criticize religious institutions
have something to say on the
matter and should be listened to,
Father Shenkel contended.
They, in company with the
prophets of ancient Israel, act
as checks against idolatry,
which, he said, attempts to "en
capsulate God and confine Him
to predictable and manageable
limits. Such a God loses His
freedom, and paradoxically, His
human devotees also lose their
freedom, because there is now
no Lord to summon them to
responsible decision. . .Israel
was commanded to wait without
idols. It was not to see God, but
Blessing Set For Holy Cross
The recently completed Holy
Crpss Parish Center, 3175
Hathaway Court, Chamblee, will
be blessed on Sunday, Aug. 20.
Bishop Joseph L, Bernardin
will celebrate the 10:30 a.m.
Mass on that day. He will also
deliver the homily and bless the
new building.
Holy Cross parish was es
tablished in June of 1964. At
first, Sunday Masses were of
fered in the Tucker Federal
Savings Building - then at Cary
Reynolds School. The first par
ish Mass was celebrated in the
new center June 2. All church
functions and parish activities
are now held ih the Center.
The main auditorium of the
center is used as the parish
church. Other facilities include
a library, kitchen, nursery, of
fices and teaching areas for
the School of Religion.
to listen for the Word of God.”
The worship of images, which
is a form of idolatry, he noted,
"has never beena serious prob
lem for modern man. But more
subtle forms of idolatry, which
often appear in the guise of the
ological, ethical, or cultic sys
tems and have the same perni
cious results as the idol-wor
ship of old, are still very much
alive. Much of the contem
porary criticism of religion is
inspired by this kind of idolatry.
"Many who proclaim thedeath
of God,” he continued, "are
really announcing the demise of
one or other idol that has too
long usurped the place of the
Living God. Such efforts atre-
(CONT1NUED ON PAGE 3)
HELPING THE ‘DEEPLY TROUBLED’
It also drew a parallel be
tween celibacy and the use of
Latin in the liturgy.
SEARCH SERVICE WORKSHOP’
Georgia Mental Unit Trains
Clergy In Counseling Work
3 Nuns Start New Social
Work Program In Smyrna
NEW YORK (RNS)—The Ro- It also mentioned estimates
man Catholic Synod of Bishops, that, in the past three years,
which will open in Rome on 4,000 priests have petitioned
Sept. 29, was asked by the the Vatican to bereleasedfrom
National Association for Pas- their vows so that they could
toral Renewal to invoke the marry. It quoted a statement
principle of collegiality and by Bishop Walter B. Curtis of
to bring up the subject of cler
ical celibacy for discussion.
Bridgeport that seeking such
a dispensation “is like playing
Russian roulette," and added
that "thousands of other priests
have simply left without bother
ing to seek such dispen
sations."
"In the United States alone,”
the statement said, "it is es
timated that more than 400
priests left last year because
of Rome's compulsory celibacy
rule."
"We do not think the ency-
"It is our hope," the as
sociation said in a public state
ment, "that they (the bishops)
will begin to use their collegial
powers to begin a reconsid
eration of compulsory celibacy
in the Western Church. The
forum for this discussion is
now open to them. We trust
they will have the courage and
wisdom to use it."
The statement, issued as a
commentary on Pope Paul’s
latest encyclical, Priestly Cel
ibacy, called for "broader dis
cussion" of the issue and for
"prayerful consideration of the
problem by all the people of
God."
Its basic draft was written
by Father John A. O'Brien of
the University of Notre Dime
and amended and approved by
six other members of the as
sociation’s board.
It pointed out that celibacy
"is not a matter of dogma
but of ecclesiastical discipline,
which can change to meet the
needs of a changing world."
Because of this, the
statement said, "we feel thatit
is our obligation, in the spirit
of Vatican II, to study and
discuss the document."
The statement noted that
marriage for priests is still
permitted in the Eastern rites
of the Catholic Church and that
this tradition is "longer and
more venerable" than the
present Latin rite discipline
because it "dates back to Christ
and the Apostles, when compul
sory clerical celibacy was un
known."
"If antiquity is the criterion
of orthodoxy,” the statement
asked, "why then doesn’t the
discipline of the Churches of
the Eastern Rite prevail
throughout the universal
Church?"
THIS CATHOLIC white couple and Unitarian Negro woman
have formed a working team to aid residents of Washington
Park, a Negro community in the North Miami Beach area. They
are Mr. and Mrs. Dan Schitea of Miami Beach, and Mrs. Hazel
Crawford of Washington Park who is the first Negro member
own limitations, then he will
know when and where to refer
the person.”
Keith said about 5 per cent
of the nation’s clergymen have
had some clinical training and
it is increasing.
"Every seminary today if
it is anywhere near relevant
will have courses in psychology
and personality development.’’
But more is needed and the
department is designed to assist
pastors already serving chui>-
ches and pastors-to-be.
"We are closely affiliated
with the Candler School ofThe-
ology, the Columbia Presbyter
ian Seminary and the Interde
nominational Theological Sem
inary and offer quarter credit
courses for seminarians.
“The courses give them con
tact with patients and are held
at Georgia Baptist Hospital,
Grady and several other cen
ters," Keith said.
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 2)
clical has come to grips with
the central issue: the recog
nition that the priesthood is
one vocation and the state of
virginity or celibate life is
an altogether different one,”
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 2)
By CHRIS ECKL
Forty two per cent of people
overwhelmed with anxiety turn
first to their ministers for help,
but only 4 per cent bother to
return for additional counsel
ing.
This statistic provides the
challenge for the Department of
Pastoral Education at the Geor
gia Mental Health Institute and
its director, the Rev, Jasper
N. (Jap) Keith Jr.
Three sisters of the Holy
Humility of Mary have arrived
in Smyrna to inaugurate a new
program of social work for St.
Thomas the Apostle Church.
"This is a pilot program and
the first of its kind in Georgia,"
said Father Richard Morrow,
pastor of St. Thomas. "It is
also the first such project for
this particular group of sis
ters.”
According to Father Morrow,
the three sisters—Damian Sch-
imer, Mary Rita Brennon, and
Ann Joachim Heisler—will par
ticipate in all phases of parish
life.
In addition to visiting par
ishioners in their homes and
visiting the sick, the three sis
ters will conduct classes for
adults, train lay teachers for
the parish’s weekend school of
religion, and "make a stronger
commitment on the part of the
parish on the whole communi
ty," the pastor said.
for the trio, said, "Hearing of
our assignment made us eager
and humble, too, that out of ail
the members of ourCommunity
of Sisters, we were asked to
begin this new work among the
people of St. Thomas the
Apostle parish."
Sister Damian, who will be the
Smyrna group’s leader, has a
bachelor's and master's de
gree in education from St.
John’s. She’s been an ele
mentary teacher for 10 years
years. She’s been active in the
C atholic Church’s school of re
ligion work, including summer
School programs.
Sister Mary Ritahas adegree
from St. John’s. She was a pri
nt ary teacher for eight years
and an intermediate teacher for
one year. She has taught in the
school of religion for 10 years,
and helped conduct a workshop
at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for gui
dance and adult work.
Sister Ann Joachim, who also
The three sisters came from
the order’s home convent in Vil
la Maria, Pa. The Sisters of
the Holy Humility of Mary are
more popularly known as "Blue
Nuns" because of the predom
inant color of their religious
habit.
Sister Damian, spokesman
FATHER Richard Morrow, pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle
Church in Smyrna, shows parish area on map to newly arrived
Sisters of the Holy Humility of Mary (Blue Nuns)—Sister Damian,
sitting, Sister Ann Joachim, left, and Sister Mary Rita.
of the local League of Women voters. Activities of the team
in behalf of Negroes include writing, publishing and circulating
literature on various local social issues, promoting interracial
discussion groups, aiding Negroes to register and vote, and en
couraging Negro leadership. (RNS PHOTO)
"We are trying to reach
clergymen who haven't had
training, but are in the front
line of counseling deeply troub
led people in their parishes,”
the director said.
"The Church does not need
’junior psychiatrists’ nor ’ama
teur psychotherapists’ as her
pastors," Keith said. "She
needs clinically trained pastors
who can relate theology to life
and who can be pastoral shep
herds.”
JAP KEITH
The department tries to help
m inisters recognize and appre-
ciate the other disciplines—
psychiatry, psychology, etc.—
and to know when to refer the
disturbed person fortreatment.
"Sometimes people who come
to their ministers are too deeply
troubled to function. If the
pastor knows the symptoms of
pathology and recognizes his
4 IT WAS TOO SMUG
‘Pyramid Concept Of Church Won’t Do’-Hallinan
ARCHBISHOP HALLINAN elevates Host during the consecration at the Installation Mass for Bishop Frey. Bishop Frey
is second from the Archbishop’s right.
SAVANNAH—The new form of the Catholic Church is
not a novelty nor an invention, it is a correction, Arch
bishop Paul J. Hallinan said Thursday at the installation
of Bishop Gerard L, Frey of Savannah.
"The new form is a rediscovery of the gospels—what
God wants His Church to be. In other times, other shapes
may have been effective, but in a world grown use to self-
reliance, dialogue, involvement and the democratic way
of life, the pyramid concept of the Church just will not
do." the archbishop said.
Archbishop Hallinan said a radical, far-flung inner
reformation is going on today in the Church. "Out of
the ideas, the dialogue and the interaction that make up
our daily fare, out of the guidelines of Vatican II and the
theological studies and sociological surveys which have
followed it—a new Catholicism is being born. The sub
stance remains. It is the shape that is changed.
"What is the shape of things to come? A great deal
more freedom, much flexibility. And lest these two con
ditions might destroy the skeleton and flesh of our faith,
we need a growing fidelity to Christ and those He chooses
to carry out His will—laymen, religious, priests and
bishops.”
For centuries, the archbishop said, the Church has ft
been pictured as a pyramid—the pope at the peak, the X
laity at the bottom, the bishops, priests, deacons and re
ligious in between. V
"It was symmetrical, pleasing to look at, easy to under- f;
stand, but it was closed, and tight, a little too smug, a little j;j:
too secure. ft
"It failed to catch the high spirits and daring of fire
cast upon the earth, a light burning on the mountain, a ft
fishing boat setting out from shore, a net cast into the
sea. The shape of the pyramid satisfied the eye, but not J;S;
the mind and certainly not the heart Of man.” ft
The archbishop commented, "We might find many figures ft
of speech to describe the new shape of the Church, to
replace the pyramid. Perhaps the phrase ’Open Circle’ ft
defines it best. ft’
"In the Last Supper of da Vinci, the open circle is $
indicated by the central figures, the high priest, Christ, ft;
turning on either side to His apostles, speaking with them
in every day dialogue, feeding them with the sacrament ft
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 2) ft