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The Georgia Bulletin
June 19,1980
Devotion To The Sacred Heart
It has been said that the beginnings
of devotion to the Sacred Heart of
Jesus lay with the apostle, John.
Affectionately resting his head upon
the breast of his friend and Master,
John was filled with the Holy Spirit
and discerned the deep and
overwhelming springs of Christ’s love
for him.
Contemporary Catholicism may
find little to relate to in the current
representations of this once-popular
devotion.
An effeminate, doe-eyed Christ,
pointing languidly to His wounded
heart, may be understandably
troublesome to a post-Vatican II
Church. But the theology that
prompted the devotion is doctrinally
sound, and, more importantly,
immensely appealing.
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of
Jesus is, very simply, a faith in the
total and immutable love of Christ for
His people. It is a faith that dispels
doubt, guilt, despair, and fear, resting
trustfully, as John did, in the power
of the heart of God.
The heart symbolizes today, as it
did in Old and New Testament time,
the affective life of man. It is the
universal logo of committment,
faithfulness, and love.
If ever there was a time when
devotion to the Sacred Heart would
be appropriate, it is now. The
high-tech scene, resplendent with cold
computerism, cries out for a deep and
personal relationship with God.
In the heart of Christ we find
assurance that this is not only a
possibility, but a solid reality,
awaiting only our affirmation for it to
bring joy and meaning to our lives.
-TKJ
The Electric Chair Is Moved
The Electric Chair is being
dismantled and removed from
Reidsvilie Prison. But this is not to say
the ghastly instrument of death will
not be used again. As we all know
Jack Potts will soon receive his
allotted appointment to confront the
finality of this infamous chair.
But it will happen in Jackson at the
Georgia Diagnostic Center. 11 is still
the State of Georgia, it is still a
Georgia State Prison but there is a
difference. Reidsville was in the
Savannah Diocese. Jackson is located
in the Archdiocese of Atlanta. In a
unique way the prison community at
Jackson belongs to the Church of
Atlanta.
If Potts is executed it will happen
where our own Bishop is leader of the
Christian Community. One of the
priests who serves in an Atlanta
parish will stand and serve this man in
his death watch and his final agony.
And since he is united with us in our
faith he is very much a part of our
intimate familiar family spiritual
deliberations. To some degree we
share his cross.
The establishment of the State’s
execution chamber within our
Archdiocese may not be a matter of
deep consequence. But then, in some
ways and perhaps in ways that are of
thought provoking depth for many,
the consequences may be very grave.
-NCB
Rural Reflections
Father Gerald J. Peterson
Archdiocesan Rural Life Director
How should a small rural Catholic Church
respond to a community issue of justice?
What would you do if a local workers’ union,
asked for the use of your church’s social hall
during a strike? ,
The situation which prompted the above
questions in my mind these past few weeks
is this. Forty-two members of the
International Ladies’ Garment Workers
Union, Local 356 of Clarkesville, Ga. went
on strike as of May 9th, 1980. Before the
strike began they came to me and asked if
they could possibly rent the Catholic Social
Hall in our basement of the church during
the strike. The Union had tried to rent
vacant store fronts but without success.
A precedent in their favor was the fact
that for over ten years they have been
holding their monthly meetings at St. Mark’s
and have paid a reasonable rent for the favor
of using the church basement. The members
of the church as well as the union workers
seemed to appreciate the arrangement. After
trying to sort through the moral issues
involved and the church’s teachings on the
rights of workers to organize, I told the
leaders of Local 356 that we would try the .
arrangement on the condition that the Parish
Hall would be available when needed for
church functions.
If I have the facts straight, the strike of
the International Ladies Garment Workers
Union was prompted when the International
Outerwear Factory refused to hire back
thirty union workers. The coat factory had
been shut down since October 1979 for a
seasonal layoff. This was not unusual. The
workers were left with the impression they
would be hired back in the Spring. In
February the factory reopened but thirty
union members were not called back to
work, despite the fact that many of them
have worked for International Outerwear for
10 to 18 years. Although under the same
management, the factory had assumed the
new name: “Habersham Sportswear.”
As you well know, generally unions are
not regarded in a favorable light in the
South. To my knowledge, the Ladies
Garment Workers Union is one of two
unions in Habersham County.
In naking the decision to allow the union
members to meet in the church social hall
during their strike period, I reflected on the
teachings of the Catholic Church and the
Scriptures to see in right perspective the
moral issues involved.
The United States Bishops in a pastoral
letter (1919) stated: “Authentic and
effective labor unions run by workers are the
surest way to achieve the social objectives of
full employment and fair wages.”
“Among the basic rights of the human
person must be counted the right of freely
founding labor unions. Another such right is
that of taking part freely in the activity of
these unions without fear of reprisal.” (The
Church in the Modern World, no. 68 -
Vatican II).
More recently, Pope John Paul II said: “It
is a fundamental right of workers to freely
establish organizations to defend and
promote their interests and to contribute in
a responsible manner to the common task.”
(Monterey, Mex. Jan. 31, 1979).
The meeting of the Union workers in our
social hall has caused some comments among
the people of Clarkesville, and not all of the
remarks are favorable toward the Catholic
Church. Only two members of St. Mark have
sattTanything directly to me. One wondered
what kind of reputation this is giving to our
church among the business leaders in the
community. Another individual said the
church basement hall is no place for a union
to be holding their meeting.
How should the rural pastor respond to
these objections? I thought of Jesus in the
Gospels. The complaint of the Pharisees
when Jesus went to eat at Matthew’s house
was: “What reason can the Teacher have for
eating with tax collectors and those who
disregard the law?” (Mt. 9:11). Luke’s
Gospel especially emphasizes how Jesus
sided with the poor, with the little people,
not with the Scribes and Pharisees.
To my knowledge, the workers have not
broken the law, either moral or civil. The
strike is not settled at the time of writing
this. I pray that it will end in a peaceful and
just agreement soon. All the issues are not
clear in my mind, but it seems to me that
this incident is a “teachable moment” for
the Church. It is an opportunity for the
members of St. Mark to be witnesses to the
Gospel and the teachings of our Catholic
Church on the rights of workers. The
question I’m asking is this: How can, not
just St. Mark’s, but all the churches of this
community work together with both labor
and management in this situation for a
Christian solution?
[ \The
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The Vanishing Of The Ark
Dave McGill
The situation in Iran grows ever more
precarious and preposterous. Even the
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (ARK, for
short) is starting to get the disintegrating
picture. The other day, he arrived angrily at
the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and huddled
with his militant student supporters; they
are led by an advertising and public relations
major from Camelback University who is an
expert on American public opinion. He will
be called “P.R.” as I relate for you the
dialogue which took place.
ARK entered the Embassy, and the
students bowed respectfully. ARK then
addressed them prayerfully:
“All right, you dumbclucks, where’s the
*%+& *%t Shah? It’s been the better part of
a year since I turned things over to you
idiots. You’ve bungled every effort, and have
managed to get the whole world hacked at
us. Now we may NEVER get the Shah over
here, give him a fair trial, then shoot him
like we did those other thousand devils.
“And what’s more, the country’s falling
apart. The Kurdish rebels are blowing up
bridges and oil depots, the Iraqis are
incensed on another flank, Ghotbzadeh and
Bani-Sadr can’t carry out my orders, morale
is poor, the sanctions are choking us, the
media won’t quit harping on the hostages,
and the Sunni Muslims, Kurds, and
Azerbaijanis would all just as soon secede.
The Socialist Mujahedeen Warriors, the
Marxist Fedayan guerrillas, and the
Communist Tudeh are all armed to the
teeth. Beheshti, the Supreme Court
President, and the other ayatullahs are
constantly on my back. And Carter keeps
sounding like an empty drum.”
“With all due respect,” replied P.R.,
“ALL drums are empty. But seriously, 0
Imam Who Am, we are doing our best. Most
of us haven’t been to class in eight months,
and we’re worried about what our profs will
think. We have also been getting shot at by
the Mujahedeen opposition.”
“I do appreciate your class-cutting and
bullet-dodging for the cause,” said ARK.
“You know, I thought for sure that when I
became ‘Man of the Year’ last January, there
would be so much love and respect and
admiration for me among the insect
Americans that they would GLADLY swap
the Shah for 53 of their own people.”
“I am afraid, Respected Mullah of all the
Mullahs, that your popularity in America
extends no further than the Dart Board and
Bumper Sticker companies.”
“DART BOARDS? ?? Surely you jest.”
“It is true, honored one. They feature a
picture of Your Prayerfulness, and beneath
it is written the sacrilegious slogan: ‘Stock a
hola in the Ayatollah.’ ”
“Ouch. And the bumper stickers - What
do THEY say?”
“The Koran forbids me to repeat it, O
Esteemed One. Suffice it to say that you are
slandered on the rear ends of many autos in
America, not far from the exhaust pipes.
You are also usually depicted as having
either horns or big round ears like Michael
Mouse.”
“On a more serious note,” said ARK, “I
found out yesterday that the Russians have
built an airstrip less than 100 miles from our
border. I’m really concerned about the Big
Bad Blustery Bully Border Bear Breathing
Bad Breath.”
“Hey Fantastic toungue-twister, ARK!
Bet you can’t say it again, three times fast!!”
“SILENCE, INFIDEL!! That isn’t funny.
Now tell me - why is it that only Ramsey
Clark listens to us?”
“For one thing,” replied P.R., “we have
no credibility with the Americans, 0 Boss.
For instance, after the Canadians rescued six
of them, we said that their action was illegal
and a flagrant violation of international law,
and the hostages would pay.”
“You’re right,” ARK replied. “That does
ring of paradoxical sour grapes. But no
matter, the failures of the diplomatic and
rescue missions show clearly that Allah is on
our side.”
Prostrating himself before the ARK, P.R.
said, “I am going to be up front with you, O
Highly Regarded One. In America, they still
don’t even know how to pronounce your
name. Some say it with a ‘K’, others with an
‘H’; still others say, ‘Komeini, Homeini, who
gives a flip?’ ”
“Such disrespect,” said ARK. “Then we
shall FORCE them to pronounce my name
correctly, so that I can become popular, and
THEN we shall get the Shah.” Licking his
lips, he continued: “I will drop BOTH the K
and the H, and henceforth I will be the
Ayatollah Omeini.”
“They won’t buy it, Imam. O’Meini
sounds Irish, and the way you snubbed those
Catholic emissaries wasn’t too swift, you
know. Besides, you never wear green. Say,
would you be interested in changing the
color of your black turban?”
“I can’t. It’s part of my head. I shall
merely drop the “O” also, and become the
Ayatullah Meini!”
“You can’t be ‘Meini,’ O Chief. Sounds
like the American word ‘meany.’ They
already have you pegged as a bad dude; no
use in our advertising it further.”
“Then I am the Ayatullah Eini,” said
A.R.K., getting frustrated at the evanescing
of his name.
“No good there either, O Reverent One.
‘Eini’ sounds like ‘Eeny,’ meaning either tiny
or mousy, neither of which you have ever
been accused of being, except when they
draw you with the big ears.”
“True . . . Then I’ll be the Ayatollah Ini.”
“I’m afraid, 0 ARK of Our Covenant,”
replied P.R., “that ‘ini’ sounds like the end
of ‘martini,’ an evil American alcoholic
beverage. Businessmen there sin thrice with
it prior to each lunch. Such a name would
depict you as merely an olive pit in their
eyes.”
“Then,” answered ARK wearily, “I am
the Ayatollah Ni.”
“No way, O Pious One. Such a name
would carry the connotation that your time
in power was growing night.”
“I AM THE AYATOLLAH I,” screamed
ARK in desperation.
With the use of the word “I”, the
Ayatollah realized that he had committed
the one unforgivable sin - He had placed
himself above Allah. He vanished into thin
air, and the hostages came home.
We can dream, can’t we?
Working Women
Sheila Mallon
“Try the BETA Way,” reads the little
blurb in the upper left hand corner of the
Orlando newspaper. It is free public service
advertising for the organization called
BETA, which stands for Birth, Education,
Training and Acceptance.
Kathleen Perry, who is the president of
BETA and a Catholic, and Judy Peterson the
executive director and Jewish make a
dynamic ecumenical duo who have made a
real difference to girls in Orlando who are
seeking alternatives to abortion.
I met Kathy in Washington, D.C.
recently, where she had been invited to
conduct a seminar on “Emergency
Pregnancy Service Centers”, for pro-life
coordinators from around the country.
Small and vivacious, and possessed of a
ready wit which had the audience rolling in
the aisles, Kathy charmed everyone. It was
easy to see how she has been able to get the
diverse community support she and Judy
need to keep BETA House operating.
Kathy told us the story of Valerie, (not
her real name) who was in her late teens,
pregnant and unmarried. Living with her
boyfriend and his mother, she thought she
could get through her difficulties. Then the
blow came - her boyfriend told her to have
an abortion or find another place to live.
Desperate, she called the number of a
local pregnancy counseling service seeking a
place to stay until her baby was born. The
agency had nowhere to place her but
encouraged her to hang on until they could
find her a home. Two weeks went by with
daily calls between Valerie and the agency.
Finally Valerie was called with the good
news - a local couple was willing to take her
into their home until the baby was born.
Too late, Valerie explained, she had gone
through with the abortion just a day [before.
The many cases like Valerie arp what
“convinced us that something had[ to be
done to provide a shelter for pregnant
women in distress,” Kathy told us - and
BETA was born. Now 18 months later,
BETA House has just opened its [second
home for pregnant women in Orlando.
Ironically, BETA has leased a building
which had been used as an abortion clinic, in
downtown Orlando. The house with 30
rooms, will be used to house BETA’S offices
and provide housing for pregnant women in
distress.
For Judy and Kathy the BETA House has
been an act of faith. They have no money or
endowment to keep running. While
operating expenses run between 6 and 8
thousand dollars a month they have only a
yearly grant of $5000 dollars from the
Diocese of Orlando. However they haje been
fortunate in receiving grants from
Foundations and other organization^. With
the Lord’s help they have kept the service
going.
In May of this year, with more than
$2500 in unpaid bills on the desk in front of
her Kathy prayed for a miracle. The phone
rang and the happy voice on the other end
announced that BETA House had just won
Disney worlds’ coveted $10,000 annual
public service award.
However Kathy claims that “in spite of
the larger sums we get from grants and
organizations, it’s still the small donations
we get from concerned individuals that are
the lifeblood of BETA. There’s just no way
we could raise $100,000 on our own so we
have to trust in the Lord to move people in
our direction.”
When a girl comes to BETA House she
gets more than just a place to stay until her
baby is born. She receives counseling, is
required to participate in the educational
programs, is able to work and earn money
while in the home. There is also a follow up
program for the girls which takes them
through a trying period after the birth of the
child whether they opt to give the child up
for adoption or keep it.
The program offers emotional support as
well as practical support - an individualized
program for each girl and the absolute
confidentiality so essential to a program of
this kind.
These young women are ready and
anxious to share their information about
how their Crisis Pregnancy Service began and
the many programs they have developed and
been able to fund since that initial
beginning.
As Kathy says though “we take none of
the credit except for faith - it is God who
has seen us through.” Anyone interested in
contacting these young women for more
information can call 305-841-2223. Or if
you are in the Orlando area pay them a visit
at 419 No. Magnolia, Orlando. They’d love
to see you.
Pornography: You Are Its Victim
Teresa Gernazian
Is pornography a victimless crime? Let’s
dig for facts. In a recent testimony to the
U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, Charles H.
Keating, Jr., LLD, founder and president of
Citizens for Decency through Law, stated:
“The pornographers in our country do a
$4,000,000,000 per year business . . . The
Crime Syndicate skims off the ‘cream’ of
these profits and uses it to fund its other
illegal activities; thus if pornography' is not
controlled effectively it will be virtually
impossible for law enforcement to show
significant success against gambling,
prostitution or narcotics.”
He continued with these facts: Police vice
squads reports 77% of child molesters of
boys and 87% of child molesters of girls
admitted trying out, or imitating, the sexual
behavior modeled by pornography. In one
group of rapists, 57% indicated they had
tried out the sexual behavior they had seen
depicted by pornography. While serving on
the Presidential Commission on Obscenity
and Pornography ten years ago, he cited 26
cases drawn from all over the country, where
immersion in pornography immediately
preceded serious sex crimes.
Mr. Keating then described several cases
bringing home the point. One of the cases
involved seven Oklahoma teenage male
youths who attacked a 15-year-old female
from Texas, raping her and forcing her to
commit unnatural acts with them. Four of
the youths, two the sons of attorneys,
admitted being incited to commit the act by
reading obscene magazines and looking at
lewd photographs.
Mr. Keating also told the Senate
Committee that in a study done by the
Michigan State Police, using a computer to
classify over 35,000 sex crimes committed in
that state alone over a 20-year period, it was
found that 43%> were pornography-related.
(The Hill-Link Minority Report published in
rejection to the Presidential Commission’s
Majority Report can be obtained from
Morality in Media, Inc., 487 Park Avenue,
New York, N.Y. 10022 for one dollar. Mr.
Keating served as counsel for the Minority
Report.)
What about the freedom of speech and
freedom of the press excuses given in the
matter of obscenity? Father Paul J. Murphy,
S.J. Director of the Massachusetts Chapter
of Morality in .Media addressing an Atlanta
audience in 1977 strongly denounced the
freedom of speech excuse used for
acceptance of pornography. “The vilest forms
of human lechery are depicted and
promoted by sick minds and fetid
imaginations as the legitimate exercise of
personal freedom,” he stated. “With
profound cynicism the industry successfully
marches under the umbrella of the First
Amendment as glibly interpreted by the
ACLU and those of kindred mind from
academic groves across the land.” Father
Murphy speaking to an enthusiastic
ecumenical forum of the Christian Council
of Metropolitan Atlanta challenged his
audience to speak for the family and
demand basic standards of public morality.
Morality in Media has had produced by
Telemontage, Inc. a one-hour television
special called “Pornography: You Are Its
Victim.” Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. is
host-narrator and the program focuses on
some of the victims of pornography from a
little boy who must live near New York’s
Times Square, to an incest victim whose
father was a porno user. Cameras travel
through sin strips of several American cities;
go to a state prison, a morgue and into the
offices of law enforcement officials and
behavioural scientists. The film premiered in
New York City January 22 and has since
aired in several other cities. (Continued)