Newspaper Page Text
Vol. 11 No. 4
Form 3579.to 202 East Sixth Street, Waynesboro, Georgia 30830
Thursday, January 25,1973
$5 per year
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Bishops Blast Supreme Court Abortion Decision
BY MICHAEL MOTES
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in abortion cases from Georgia and Texas earlier this week has reaped
sharp criticism from the president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, bishops from throughout the
country and spokesmen for the various anti-abortion leagues.
On January 22 the Supreme Court delivered a 7-2 decision annihilating the two southern states’ existing
abortion laws. It has been ruled unconstitutional for any state to prevent a medical abortion during the first 13
weeks of a woman’s pregnancy once her physician has concurred.
accused the Supreme Court of making
itself a “super legislature” through its
“shocking” decision. He said that the
court had “usurped the powers and
responsibilities of the legislatures of 50
states to protect human life.”
The cardinal said that Americans
should realize that judicial decisions
“are not necessarily sound moral
decisions.”
Cardinal Lawrence Shehan of
Baltimore said: “No court, no
government, no society or no individual
can possibly give to another the right to
snuff out human life. Yet this Supreme
Court decision undertakes to do so.”
Cardinal John Carberry of St. Louis
said: “Society as a whole, not just the
Catholic Church, has a responsibility to
the unborn child. Who among us would
have believed that our highest court
would open the door for a universal
attack on the most helpless of
creatures?”
JAY BOWMAN, chairman of the
Georgia Right to Life Committee and
president of the archdiocesan Pastoral
Council, told the BULLETIN that some
contact has already been made with
Georgia legislators to introduce a bill to
curtail the court’s decision. He feels that
“it is almost a certainty that some sort
of legislation will be introduced.”
According to Bowman, such
legislation would have to be geared the
trimester system. He hopes that the
900-member Right to Life Committee
and the several other “pro-life” groups
can obtain legislation to maintain tight
control on clinics and hospitals and
“protect hospitals and personnel from
performing abortions if they don’t want
to” during the first trimester period.
He hopes that state regulations will
be established determining “what type
of facilities should be required for
abortion and what special knowledge, if
any, should be required of physicians.”
“Once the public has been educated,
they go overwhelmingly against
abortion,” said Bowman. He issued the
following statement from the Georgia
Right to Life Committee:
“We are shocked and disappointed by
today’s Supreme Court decision. It
reminds us of the 1857 Dred Scott
decision which said that although he
may have a beating heart and a
functioning brain, and be biologically
human, the black man is not a legal
person. It required an amendment to
the U.S. Constitution to give the black
man his right to freedom, and it may
take a constitutional amendment to
restore the unborn child’s right to life.
“We are already investigating possible
ways to restore legal protection to the
unborn within the framework of the
Court’s decision. If one can be found we
will have it introduced in this year’s
session of the General Assembly.
“Otherwise we will be forced to seek
a constitutional amendment and embark
on a massive program of educationg the
public about the humanity of the
unborn.
“This past election, Michigan and
North Dakota voters overwhelmingly
defeated abortion-on-demand referenda,
proving that once the people know that
the unborn child is human they reject
efforts to destroy him.
“Each of the seven justices who
concurred in this decision was once an
unborn child as was every man and
woman on this earth. The Court’s
decision opens the door for the killing
of hundreds of thousands of potential
justices, statesmen and common men.
“Georgia Right to Life’s efforts will
not cease. Our battle has just begun.”
Jay Bowman Heads Pastoral Council
in motion developments which are
terryifying to contemplate.
“The ruling represents bad logic and
bad law. There is no rational
justification for allowing restricted
abortion up to the third month of
pregnancy. The development of life
before and after birth is a continuous
process and in making the three-month
point the cutoff for unrestricted
abortion, the court seems more
impressed by magic than by scientific
evidence regarding fetal development.
The child in the womb has the right to
the life it already possesses, and this is a
right no court has authority to deny.
“Apparently the court was trying to
straddle the fence and give something to
everybody: abortion on demand before
three months for those who want that,
somewhat more restrictive abortion
regulations after three months for those
who want that. But in its straddling act,
the court has done a monstrous injustice
to the thousands of unborn children
whose lives may be destroyed as a result
of this decision.
“No court and no legislature in the
land can make something evil become
something good. Abortion at any stage
of pregnancy is evil. This is not a
question of sectarian morality but
instead concerns the law of God and the
basis of civilized society. One trusts in
the decency and good sense of the
American people not to let an illogical
court decision dictate to them on the
subject of morality and human life.”
The cardinal has encouraged all
bishops to speak out on this issue.
ARCHBISHOP THOMAS
DONNELLAN responded to the court’s
decision by stating:
“The decision of the U.S. Supreme
Court can determine the legality of the
Archbishop Donnellan
termination of a pregnancy. It does not
and cannot affect the morality of such
an action. A civilization and a culture
are measured by their respect and the
quality of life. The ruling of the court
has damaged greatly the civilization and
culture of our country.
“The court has spoken in behalf of a
woman’s right to privacy. I pray that
the American people will continue to
speak in behalf of the far more basic
right to life of the unborn child and the
efforts of the individual states to
protect that right.”
OTHER REACTION FROM bishops
across the country strongly condemned
the ruling.
Cardinal Terence Cooke of New York
Previous legislation had required that
any women seeking an abortion in
Georgia must have the recommendation
of at least two physicians and the
approval of an “abortion committee” of
an accredited Georgia hospital.
Under the state’s 1968 statute,
abortions could be granted in Georgia
during the first three months of
pregnancy if (1) continuing pregnancy
endangered the life of the mother or
would seriously or permanently injure
her health; (2) the fetus seemed likely
to be born with severe physical or
mental defects, or (3) the pregnancy
resulted from a rape.
The opinion of the Supreme Court
was written by Nixon appointee
Associate Justice Harry A. Blackmun,
who divided the gestation period into
“trimesters” of 13 weeks.
Using Blackmun’s trimester
categorization, the Supreme Court
found Georgia’s three existing grounds
for obtaining a legal abortion too
restrictive. The need for obtaining the
opinion of more than one physician and
a hospital committee was also shot
down.
Blackmun stated that the
“interposition of a hospital abortion
committee is unduly restrictive of the
patient’s rights.” Joining him in
delivering the opinion of the court were
Chief Justice Warren E. Burger and
Justices William Douglas, William
Brennan, Potter Stewart, Thurgood
Marshall and Lewis Powell. Dissenting
opinions were filed by Justices Byron
White and William Rehnquist.
CARDINAL JOHN KROL of
Philadelphia, President of the National
Conference of Catholic Bishops, termed
the court action “an unspeakable
tragedy for this nation.” The cardinal’s
statement reads:
“The Supreme Court’s decision today
is an unspeakable tragedy for this
nation. It is hard to think of any
decision in the 200 years of our history
which has had more disastrous
implications for our stability as a
civilized society. The ruling drastically
diminishes the constitutional guarantee
of the Right to Life and in doing so sets
BY MICHAEL MOTES
Jay Bowman, newly elected president
of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council,
has pledged to carry out the
“outstanding” work of the council’s
former president and has established as
a top priority during his term of office
the promotion of and greater
participation in and understanding of
the council.
Operation Eye-Opener,
the Possibilities for Prayer programs and
visits by the council’s executive
committee members to parishes
throughout the archdiocese will figure
prominent on Bowman’s agenda for the
coming year.
“We would certainly hope to carry on
the outstanding work already started by
Leon Allain during his term as president
by continuing the various sub-programs
of Operation Eye-Opener,” Bowman
said.
Local poverty has been a priority of
the council since January 1971
under the Operation Eye-Opener project.
The thrust has been in sub-programs of
the project in the areas of housing,
domestic workers, day care and rural
food distribution.
“This year the council has set as one
of its goals a spiritual development
within the archdiocese,” Bowman
announced. “This is being realized
through the Possibilities for Prayer
seminars. Council members have been
charged with assisting participating
members in their parishes.
BOWMAN PLANS to emphasize the
role of the council and establish more
participation from parishes which have
been inactive in the past. He said:
“Most people do not realize that the
Pastoral Council is a consultative and
collaborative body to the archbishop.
And, as such, we must have
participation from all the people of God
in the archdiocese if we are to function
as intended. Therefore our main priority
must be to seek participation from those
parishes which are currently
unrepresented. To this end members of
the executive committee will continue
to visit the parish councils of those
churches which have not been sending
delegates and will also visit with those
pastors who do not have a functioning
parish council.”
Other newly elected officers of the
council are Thomas McMahon of St.
Philip Benizi Parish, vice president;
Sister Janet Valente, director of the
archdiocesan Office of Urban Affairs,
executive secretary, and Walter Mussell
of Sts. Peter and Paul Parish, treasurer.
Jay Bowman
Bowman, a native of Philadelphia
who moved to Florida with his family at
the age of six, came to Atlanta in 1962
to attend Georgia Tech. He and his wife,
the former Cheryl Greear of
Atlanta, are members of Holy Cross
Parish. They have one son, 3-year-old
Chip. Bowman also serves as chairman
of the Georgia Right to Life Committee.
Cardinal Cooke
BY FATHER JAMES MACIEJEWSKI
Sunday, March 4, has been designated for the annual Archdiocesan Charities Drive. A goal of $275,000 has been
set for this year’s annual budget-balancing effort. “That’s just what the Drive’s for,” commented Father Jerry E.
Hardy, Chancellor of the Archdiocese. “The goal was really set last May when the priests and lay advisors approved
this year’s operating budget. Now comes the effort to get the necessary funds. In a very real sense, the drive is for
money to fund programs we are already committed to,” he continued.
Cardinal Shehan
Cardinal Krol
Cardinal Carberry
Now in its fifth year, the Charities
Drive is a one day cash appeal. Parish
teams move out into the neighborhoods
to call at the homes of each parishioner.
THE SPECIAL GIFTS PHASE,
seeking minimum contributions of $100
or more, begins February 1, a month in
advance of the drive date.
THE RETULAR PHASE is held on
the day of the drive, March 4. At that
time each wage earner in the
archdiocese is asked for a contribution
of $30 or more.
Heading up the drive effort as
co-chairmen are Ernest F. Boyce and
Carl F. Mahoney. Boyce is the president
of Colonial Stores while Mahoney is
with the Robinson-Humphrey
Company. Both are members of the
Archdiocesan Fianance Council.
Parishes are in the process of setting
up their drive committees. Names of
committee chairmen are to be in the
Chancery Office by January 29.
Archbishop Donnellan, in announcing
the drive, said:
“The needs of our growing
Archdiocese continue to be great.
Outside Metropolitan Atlanta, we are
still very much the Missionary Church
with parishes which must be supported
and mission churches which must be
built. In Atlanta itself, we have our
inner city work to support and
our efforts for the poor to maintain. Our
agencies and departments continue their
service to all, and our Village must look
to the welfare of our dependent
children. There are 20 young men in
seminaries around the country for
whom we must provide a quality
education as they prepare to serve you
here. Our efforts must continue in every
area of concern if the Church in North
Georgia is to maintain its missionary
progress.”
Ernest Boyce
Archbishop
Bernardin
At White House
Archbishop Joseph L. Bernardin
of Cincinnati, former auxiliary
bishop of Atlanta, conducted
the worship service at the White
House on January 21, the
Sunday after Inauguration Day.
Joining him as officiants of the
service were Evangelist Billy
Graham and Rabbi Edgar
Magnin of Los Angeles.
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$275,000 Charities Drive
To Take Place on March 4
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