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The Georgia Bulletin
September 20,1979
The Many Faces
Of John Paul
A story off the wire tells us that
every Senator and Congressman will
not only be present and correct for
the Pope’s visit to Washington, but
waiting and wanting to be pictured
with the globe-trotting pontiff. The
pictorial pose will go straight to their
constituents. John Paul has become
the most popular public personality
on the face of the globe.
The Irish Bishops in a special
pastoral letter, issued as their papal
visit nears, say that the Pope comes to
their troubled nation “as a messenger
of peace and reconciliation . . . fearl
essly and firmly condemning violence
and terrorism.” -
Invalids visit his vacation home to
simply know his “healing smile.”
Monsignor John Tracy Ellis sees the
papal visit to the U.S. as a moment of
spiritual revival for the nation.
President Carter, not unpolitically, has
invited him to the White House.
The many parts played by this
most popular pope increase and
multiply each day. Every nation in the
free world wants his pilgrim feet and
his obvious refusal to be a stranger in
any land, offers hope to every division
and every grieving minority. He is
truly one of us, whoever we are.
No request for a tumultuous
welcome is necessary as John Paul
comes as official guest to the U.S. His
name is on the front page of every
daily. But even more importantly, his
presence is craved by every human
heart.
-NCB
Resound Resound... Resound...
‘False image
MARIETTA - I am concerned about the
false image of the Catholic Church in north
Georgia which the GEORGIA BULLETIN
portrays by printing Teresa Gernazian’s
weekly column. Her writings so frequently
challenge the efforts of Church leaders to
implement the directives of our bishops and
the Second Vatican Council, e.g. those
contained in the National Catholic
Directory. So often she trivializes Catholic
teaching and eveh misrepresents it.
It is verv difficult to expect the people of
our parishes to support the GEORGIA
BULLETIN while columns such as her’s
undermine the work of so many dedicated
persons involved in the ministry of
catechesis.
FATHER JOHN J. MULROY
PASTOR, HOLY FAMILY
MARIETTA
Indulgences . . .
CHAMBLEE - Indulgences are not an
anachronism but are still very much a part of
orthodox Catholic teaching. One is not
forced to take advantage of them; however,
they are another way station on the road to
sanctity.
The Vatican II documents (complete
edition with preface by Cardinal John
Wright) devoted 17 pages to indulgences.
The opening statement in the chapter on this
matter reads, “The doctrine of indulgences
and their practice have been in force for
many centuries in the Catholic Church.” A
thorough reading of this section is
recommended to gain insights into the
theology and benefits derived from
indulgences. As a matter of fact, the Decree
on Indulgences from the Council of Trent
leaves no doubt as to their importance since
it attached an anathema.
The New American Bible (1970) states “a
partial indulgence is granted to the faithful
who use Sacred Scripture for spiritual
reading with the veneration due the word of
God. A plenary indulgence is granted if the
reading continues for at least one-half hour.”
(ENCHIRIDION INDULGENTIARUM No.
50)
It is unlikely that the teaching on
indulgence ever precipitated any widespread
departure from the faith. Some fall away
because of a lack of holiness among
members of the Church (clergy and laity);
others, because they choose to practice
“situation ethics” and cannot tolerate a
Church which holds firmly to biblical
morality as enunciated through the
magisterium (teaching authority) of the
Church.
NANCY MOLESKY
Andrew Young . . .
COLLEGE PARK - I read your editorial
on Andrew Young in the August 23, 1979
GEORGIA BULLETIN. The editorial must
not be about the same Saint Andrew I have
been reading about. From what I have read,
Andrew Young has been in support of most
every Communist movement, and murdering
terrorist in the Mid-East and Africa. Like
Jane Fonda, Andrew Young has nothing
good to say about America, and never
anything bad to say about any atheistic
Marxist government.
Andrew Young may have been a minister
of the gospel at heart, but so is the retired
priest, Father Robert Drinan. Father Drinan
is the United States Congressman from
Massachusetts, who has disgraced every
sincere Christian by voting pro-abortion 100
percent of the time on every abortion bill
introduced In the House since he has been a
Congressman. Do not take my word for it,
look up his record, or check with Americans
for Life 418 C Street, Washington, D.C.
20002. Andrew Young, and Father Drinan
both have extremely radical voting records,
and with all considered, I do not see how
either can be considered great
humanitarians.
I feel a paper that slants the news, or
backs a pro-Marxist anti-American radical is
not a good influence on anyone. This is not
to construe that there are not many
excellent articles in the paper that are well
worth reading.
From what I have observed, true Liberals,
Socialists, and Marxists all seem to think
alike. Even the very liberal Father Drinan
seems to believe life is cheap when it comes
to free government paid abortions. I do not
like my tax money spent in this manner.
History proves those who are ideologically
committed to Marxism-Leninism are brutal
toward people, and human rights. Red China
and Russia made Hitler look like an amateur.
Look what Cambodia, and North Viet-Nam
have done to their people.
I believe in Americanism, in what John
Wayne stood for, and in people like Senator
Jesse Helms. I want no part of an Andrew
Young, Communism, or what Jane Fonda
believes in.
RICHARD G. DISTEL
Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta
Most Rev. Thomas A. Donneilan - Publisher
Rev. Monsignor Noel C. Burtenshaw - Editor
Michael Motes - Associate Editor
Member of the Catholic Press Association
Telephone 881 9732
Business Office
756 West Peachtree, N.w.
Atlanta. Georgia 30308
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Foreign $8.SO
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756 West Peachtree Street, N.w.
Atlanta, Georgia 30308
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Published Weekly except the second and last weeks
In June, July and August and the last week In December
at 601 East Sixth St., Waynesboro, Ga. 30830
An Evening With Louise Summerhill
Teresa Gernazian
The Birthright family is sponsoring a
celebration for life and the public is invited!
The Date: October 6. The Time: 7:30 p.m.
The Place: The Sheraton-Atlanta Hotel.
Marking the Atlanta Chapter’s first major
fund-raising event, the banquet will highlight
Birthright’s own founder and international
director, Louise Summerhill from Toronto,
Canada, as guest speaker. Members of a
newly formed Advisory Council, which
include physicians, psychologists, attorneys,
clergynen, legislators and broadcast
journalists, will be installed by Terry Weaver,
Director and Regional Consultant at this
time also.
Mrs. Summerhill, homemaker and mother
of seven, originated the special family
known as Birthright in October, 1968. She
had heard of “Abortion Anonymous,” a
group in Birmingham, England, who
operated a telephone service offering to
arrange abortions to help women with
distressed pregnancies (this was before the
law was liberalized) and she felt a strong
desire to set up a service that would help the
women carry the baby to term. With much
prayer, spiritual counsel and support from
her husband and other generous, caring
people of all denominations, she took that
courageous step forward in faith and created
a ripple that has gone around the world.
From that small office in Toronto
(obtained rent free from a Baptist minister
who saw her reading the “For Rent” sign
and inquired what she wanted the office for)
Birthright has mushroomed into hundreds of
centers in both Canada and the United
States, with many centers in South Africa.
The Atlanta Chapter, founded in 1970 by
Terry Weaver, is the oldest of 10 Birthright
centers in Georgia. Athens, Albany, Augusta,
Cairo, Carrollton, Hinesville, Savannah;
Warner Robins and Valdosta are the others.
Cities that have made inquiries into starting
centers and are in the planning stages are
Americus, Columbus, Gainesville and Rome.
Working within a homey, informal
framework, Birthright centers are required
to follow the Toronto Charter when it
comes to policy. Rather than a lot of
committees, reports and professionalism,
Mrs. Summerhill stresses warmth and
friendship with the girl or woman in need. In
her book, “The Story of Birthright,” we see
the clear concept of this
non -denominational, non-profit
international organization: “In Birthright,
inspired people swing into action and here is
a cause to challenge concerned citizens
everywhere ...”
“The truth is, that in Birthright we are
proving that abortion need not be the way
of the future. There are other ways to cope
with the problems we face and these ways
are preferable, not because they are quicker
and easier but because they sow respect for
people as they really are, for the sexual act
in all its implications, for parenthood and
family.”
As for funds, Mrs. Summerhill knows
what it is to coast along on a shoe string,
trusting in the Providence of God. In her
book she relates the advice given her by an
elderly nun regarding finances: “Dear,
remember one thing. When you’re doing the
Lord’s work, He never gives you more than
you need.” And to that comment, ALL
Birthright Directors will surely say “Amen.”
Through headaches, frustrations and
sometimes seemingly endless telephone
conversations with a girl or woman in a
crises pregnancy, the dedicated volunteer
provides a beautiful Christian witness to a
secularized society. It is inconceivable
exactly how many women and babies have
been helped by Mrs. Summerhill and her
special family.
A woman for our times; certain to pack a
powerful pro-life punch at the October 6
fund raising banquet, wouldn’t you like to
join us in “An Evening With Louise
Summerhill”? The cause is life and the work
never ends! Tickets are $20 each and can be
obatined by mailing a check to Birthright,
Inc., P.O. Box 98361, Atlanta, Georgia
30359. The deadline for reservations is
Octover 1 so don’t put it off. If you have
any questions, would like to order a copy of
“The Birthright Story,” or would like to
find out about starting a center in your area,
contact Birthright at the above address or
call 233-1171.
Let’s hold high the Birthright motto as a
shining torch in the anti-life darkness: “It is
the right of every pregnant woman to give
birth; it is the right of every child to be
born.”
^Blessed Are The Physically Handicapped....’
Dave McGill
“ .. . For their bodies will be perfect.” I
am sure that no one’s wings will be more
beautiful and trouble-free in the Promised
Land than those who are going through this
life with a physical handicap. I’ve been on
crutches for a month and then on a cane for
a while longer following knee surgery, and
have come to a new awareness of, and
admiration for, all those who bear the
burden of being handicapped every day of
their lives. Borrowing a phrase from little
crippled Tiny Tim, “May God bless them,
every one.”
My own body, except for a constant
battle between sun and skin, had always
worked very well until a year and a half ago.
For no apparent reason, my left knee rather
quickly became swollen and sore, with
occasional shooting pains. A doctor
examined, x-rayed, and drained it, and it felt
like a new knee. For a week. After which it
quickly returned to its painful state and over
a year’s time was clearly getting
progressively worse. I changed doctors, and
after an exploratory arthroscope, underwent
surgery to remove worn-out, torn, and
frayed cartilage and to smooth some
load-carrying bone contact areas.
Now I hadn’t spent the night in a hospital
since I was three days old, and had always
hoped I NEVER would. But the knee got so
bad that I actually couldn’t wait to get
there. I checked into a semi-private room, as
that was all my insurance would pay for.
Besides, I’d get to meet somebody new, I
thought. My somebody new was a
good-ole-boy from the boonies with 974,302
relatives. They were all in our hospital room,
and most of them smoked; they were
keeping the cigarette industry going strong
by themselves. This was the only time in my
life that tobacco smoke ever bothered me.
What the heck, I smoke a pipe now and then
mySELF. (Let us even be more honest than
that; I am smoking it NOW.) Nevertheless,
that first night in the hospital, smoke got in
my eyes. I am now a proponent of Smoking
and Non-smoking Hospitals.
My g o o d - ole-roommate even
chain-smoked IN HIS SLEEP. I kept trying
to get some Z’s, because they were coming
for me at 6:30 in the morning, and yet every
15 minutes I’d HEAR the click of the
lighter, then SEE the spark of the flame,
then SMELL the resulting smoke. I was
using my senses so much, I felt like the three
wise monkeys sitting on a shelf facing
backwards, as the nicotinous puffs found
their way to my ears, eyes, and nose. I am
proud to say, however, that I spoke no evil
in return.
My good-old-smokestack watched the TV
well into the night, managing to watch the
noisiest and most obnoxious programs
possible. I countered by trying to read the
books I had checked out of the library to
read in the hospital. One was the Rules of
Soccer, and the second was a novel I want to
write about in a few weeks.
The third book was a collection of Mark
Twain’s short stories. That little volume was
the spirit-lifter of my hospital stay. It has
singlehandedly inspired me to return to the
typewriter regularly for the BULLETIN and
to strive always to improve. My favorite was
“The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg.”
Have you read that hilarious little story of
what people are REALLY like when the
chance to get rich intervenes between them?
Anyway, I found out during the night
that my good-ole-fellow-sufferer was to have
a spinal fusion and that they’d be trooping
in around the clock to turn him and get him
up and wait on him. I got to thinking about
five days of umpteen relatives, sumpteen
Lauren will be five years old next week -
when she was born she weighed only two
and a half pounds and she was still three
months from term. She waged a valiant fight
and friends and family kept long vigils and
prayed fiercely for her life.
She was spared to us and today is a super
bright and beautiful little girl with a
thousand interests and talents. This week she
is beginning tap, ballet and “baton” lessons
and all of us are called on regularly to
witness her progress.
More important than her brightness and
beauty and talent is the splendid shining
little soul within. Full of sympathy and with
an unerring sensitivity and instinct this
five-year-old invariably strikes to the heart
of the problem.
Last week she visited an 84-year-old aunt
in a nursing home. After spending the
afternoon with her the time of parting
cubic feet of smoke, thumpteen decibels of
TV, and grumpteen moans and groans, and I
knew what I had to do. I got out of bed for
what was to be my last walk in a long time,
and set out down the hall. “How much is the
difference between private and semi-private
rooms?” I asked the duty nurse.
“Three dollars a day, sir,” she responded
cheerfully.
“ A A A A rrrrrrrggggggghh,’ ’ I answered.
(Good GRIEF, is that all? I thought... Why
hadn’t I asked beFORE? )
“What’s that, sir? Are you o.k.?”
“Oh, er, yeah, sure. Say, do you think I
could get transferred to a private room
tomorrow?”
“I’ll call down and see what we can do. If
one is available, I’m sure there’ll be no
problem, sir.”
If.... I was mentally kicking myself. “If
a frog had wings ....,” I thought.
finally came and Lauren wept. She cried
because her aunt could no longer come
home and because when they left she would
once again be alone. She was cheered
however when her mother promised that the
very next week they would visit her again.
Lauren understood that her aunt’s loneliness
could be assuaged by an effort on her part
and she was willing and eager to give of
herself.
Her elderly aunt was happy and cheerful
when they left, partly because she knew that
they would be back again soon - but mostly
because the child’s antics had cheered her
and lifted her out of herself.
Both these lives are lovely and important
- the new, young one growing and learning
and reaching out; and the older woman who
has so much still to give and to receive from
this little one.
If ever there was a pro-life argument it
has to be encompassed in the affectionate
embrace of these two - each at opposite ends
of the spectrum of life.
It is sad to think that there are children
whose lives are taken away every day -
children, who if they had lived might have
brought joy to a parent, grandparent or great
grandparent - or to an elderly aunt in a
nursing home. Children whose lives are
callously ended and for whom there is no
protection under the law. Children who by
reason of their God given “uniqueness” will
never be recreated.
There are also laws being formulated and
introduced which seek to end the lives of
those who are too sick and ill and old to
defend themselves. These are the “right to
die” laws and they are abhorrent. If ever
passed they will open even further the
Pandora’s Box of tragedy that was begun on
January 22, 1973, when the Supreme Court
declared that the child until it was born had
no right to life.
With George Sand, we might all say
“Humanity is outraged in me and with me.
We must not dissimulate nor try to forget
this indignation which is one of the most
passionate forms of love.”
(to be continued)
Working Women
Sheila Mallon