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The Georgia Bulletin
July 24, 1980
His Action Spoke Loudest
Pope John Paul II spoke several
thousand words in the Rio slum of
Vidigal. But the gesture he made,
taking a ring off his finger, carried the
substance of his message to those out
of earshot, within and without the
church.
Revealing traces of the young man
who was a poet and an actor, the Pope
seems to understand well the need for
such symbols. In Brazil, the ring was
the first hint that Pope John Paul II
might surprise many with what he was
to say and do over the next two
weeks.
Twelve days of stories followed as
he urged drastic social reform in a
country of devastating poverty and
met with those excluded from wealth
and the fruits of progress.
The ring is memorable. But it is
possible to lose the complexity of the
message. In his talk at Vidigal, the
Pope said, ‘‘All over the world the
church wants to be the church of the
poor.” He went on to make it clear
that the poor he speaks of are the
poor of all classes, the poor in spirit.
Drawing from the Sermon on the
Mount, Pope John Paul II said that he
meant "that openess of heart toward
others, that readiness which exactly
distinguishes the poor, the poor in
spirit.”
The Church’s mission, he said, is to
“draw out all the truth in Christ’s
beatitudes and especially this first
one: "Blessed are the poor in spirit.”
His words throughout Brazil, both
in defense of the powerless and in
support of the Church’s primary
spiritual responsibility, spring from
the richness of the Gospel. If the
message that emerged is less
conservative than expected, it is
because Pope John Paul II hears that
imperative in the Sermon on the
Mount.
As he travels, the implications of
the Gospel unfold in the faces of the
people. But, as one Brazilian bishop
observed, those who had read his
writings in the past were the least
surprised by his latest words and
gestures.
-- GRK
Potpourri
Teresa Gernazian
Sincere thanks to Jack Lease, Operation
Manager of WXIA-11, for airing
“Pornography: You Are Its Victim” last
Sunday. The stark reality of child
pornography and its kudzu-like growth in
our society was well documented. “This
dark creature in the night of men’s souls,”
which is a destroyer of real freedom, needs
to be combated. Morality in Media has
produced an eye-opener!
I was recently the guest of a delightful
personality who annually treats her circle to
a Rich’s Tea Room luncheon. Mary Beacom
is in the profession of document
examination, which includes handwriting
identification. “I’m not a graphologist,”
she’s quick to explain. “I don’t read
anybody’s character.” Mary feels it’s
hazardous to interpret character from
penmanship and stresses that people write as
they do for a number of reasons - health,
writing position, time limitation, lack of
care, etc. Her marvelous sense of humour
and varied anecdotes from her fascinating
work, which includes a number of unusual
forgery cases, make her the “life of the
party.”
The luncheon was a pleasant
gathering of the St. Frances Cabrini Circle,
who have as their first project the nursery at
St. Thomas More church and as their second
project, assistance to Birthright. Joan
Jacoby, head of the circle, is the
compassionate and lovable clothing
coordinator for Birthright and always finds
time to pick up, wrap up, or pack up all the
mother and baby items for Birthright’s busy
operation. Thanks, Mary, Joan and all the
St. Frances ladies, for a cozy and
informative afternoon.
It was great seeing Sr. Kristen Lancaster
pictured in full habit in the DeKalb News
Sun on the occasion of St. Joseph’s Hospital
100th anniversary. Sister has been
re assigned to the Savannah Diocese and
we’ll certainly miss her.
A beautiful gesture came from the
recently bereaved widow of William Shook
of St. Thomas More, when she asked that
contributions be given to Birthright in lieu
of flowers. Thank you, Celo.
Bravo to Thomas Stanley Zaworski of
Forest Park for his powerful letter to the
editor in our July 17 issue. The victims of
crimes, particularly our hard-working police,
are almost forgotten. They should be
remembered constantly in the Prayers of the
Faithful at Mass.
Working Women
Sheila Mallon
God Receives A Subpoena
Dave McGill
(Part II)
Edwin Robinson recently regained his sight,
hearing, and hair when he was suddenly struck by
lightning. In Part /, three persons with identical
maladies took God to court because they didn’t
receive the same good fortune. The trial is about to
begin -
“HEAR YE, HEAR YE!!! This court will
come to order in the case of Tom, Dick, and
Harriette versus the Almighty.”
The judge, seeing no one seated at the
defense table, said: “Where IS the
defendant, anyway? Bailiff, see if you can
determine whether God is here, so that these
proceedings may commence.”
Approaching the empty chair where the
defendant is normally seated, the bailiff
(feeling extremely foolish as the eyes of the
world watched him on TV) leaned forward
and nervously said, “Are you sitting there,
Mr God?”
His answer came from a spot lower than
the chair: “I’m here, but I’m not sitting. My
back has been killing me lately. However, I
wouldn’t miss this for the world I made, so
I’ll just lie here on the floor with my heating
pad, if it’s all the same to you.”
The court officer then held out a Bible.
“Can you see this book, sir?”
“OF COURSE I can see it. I wrote it, you
know. And by the way, what makes you
think I’m a ‘SIR’? I prefer to be called God,
or Yahweh, or I Am Who Am. or The Big
Person In The Sky.”
“O.K., if you’ll put your mighty hand on
Your book ... Do you swear
“No, I don’t,” replied God.
“Now see here,” said the judge, “we’re
not intending to violate any Commandments
in this court. The bailiff will proceed to
swear in the defendant without further
interruption from said defendant.”
Timidly, the bailiff said, “Do you swear
to tell the truth, the whole truth, and
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" LE J= ME FiLL S ’ OU 'N ON A COUPLE OF THINGS
ABOUT THIS PARISH — "
nothing but the truth, so help you G-, er, so
help Yourself?”
“I AM the truth,” replied the Voice, “so
how could I possibly speak anything else?”
“We humans aren’t used to that kind of
honesty here on Earth, Mr. Yahweh, so
would you please answer the question yes or
no?
“Yes,” said I Am Who Am.
“Thank you,” said the judge. “Now then,
You are accused of discriminating against
these three people by not sending THEM a
lightning bolt too. How do you plead?”
“Not guilty. You see, I didn’t send down
Ed Robinson’s lightning bolt.”
“Then who did?”
“Mother Nature. It was the release of a
buildup of electrical energy in a cloud. It
appears that Benjamin Franklin and his kite
knew more about electricity 200 years ago
than you people have learned since.”
“But you didn’t STOP the lightning bolt
either,” said the judge.
“This is true,” replied the Creator.
“Do you SOMETIMES stop things such
as lightning bolts?” asked the judge, laying a
trap.
There was a long pause, and then God
said, “I refuse to answer on the grounds that
it might tend to incriminate me.”
“I beg your pardon? YOU are refusing to
answer?”
“Right on. I have just as much right to
protect myself as anyone else.”
“But you’re INVINCIBLE. You don’t
NEED protection.”
“Sure I do. My insurance man tells me
everybody needs protection, even Me. Look,
if I have to go on trial like everybody else,
then I can use the same loopholes.”
“In that case,” said the judge, “I have to
dismiss the case.”
The headlines next morning gave the
reason for the judge’s sudden decision:
GOD TAKES FIFTH AMENDMENT;
GOES FREE FOR LACK OF EVIDENCE.
A trio of news reporters got in a few
questions at a press conference following the
trial:
“Walter Cronkite, CBS . . . Where will
you go when you leave here, God?”
“Well, like the song says, I’m gonna roll
around heaven all day. (And you people are
going to have to work a little harder to get
yourselves there, incidentally.)”
“David Brinkley, NBC . . . What about
Tom, Dick, and Harriette - Do You have
any advice for them?”
“Oh, yes, I almost forgot. Tell Tom and
Dick that no eye has seen, nor ear has heard,
what God has waiting for His friends. And tell
Harriette to wear a wig and work on her
faith. Or better yet, tell her to talk to
Ronald Reagan.”
“Stan Darden, UPI . . . Any last words for
the world?”
“Just one message - I love you all.”
At that, the microphone went silent, and
God went home to wait for us.
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Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta
Most Rev. Thomas A. Donnellan — Publisher
Rev. Monsignor Noel C. Burtenshaw — Editor
Thea K. Jarvis — Contributing Editor
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“Cead Mille Failte,” a hundred thousand
welcomes, is the greeting of Ireland to all her
visitors.
My husband and I were treated to that
welcome for the past couple of weeks and
we will never forget it.
As a child I was told so much about
ireland by my Irish father and grandparents
that visiting Eire was a goal and a dream for
as long as I can remember.
This trip was the culmination of that
dream and in some strange way I felt that I
was making a pilgrimage not just for me but
for those who had given me my drean.
We were not disappointed. We loved it all
from Dublin’s River Liffey and Phoenix Park
- south to Waterford and Tramore and then
west to Cobh (the city of ters). It was from
here that most of the Irish immigrants sailed
during the terrible years of the famine.
Then north to Killarney, where we met
an old friend Msgr. Michael Manning. Msgr.
was the Spiritual Moderator of the
Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women
when I became active in it and over the years
Herb and I have treasured his friendship.
We travelled the beautiful Ring of Kerry
with him and stopped for lunch at Waterville
right on the furthermost tip of the ring. The
day had been rather overcast and cloudy but-
on the way back we had blue skies and
sunshine and were able to really enjoy the
magnificent sea scapes. Stopping to
photograph old castles and the way the
mountains make their wild plunge into the
blue sea took us longer than we had
expected.
We left for the Dingle peninsula and
Monsignor’s summer cottage late that
afternoon. Dingle, we thought was lovlier
than anything else we had seen. After
spending the night with Monsignor he took
us to “Connor’s Pass,” 3,000 feet high with
a view of sea and land that made you feel as
though you were standing on the top of the
world. Then down to the beach at Inch and
Sleas’s Head where “Ryans Daughter” was
filmed.
If the scenery at Kerry and Dingle were
the visual highlights of our trip - then the
people we met were the heart of it.
We me,t so many lovely, kind,
warmhearted, helpful and friendly people
everywhere in Ireland that we decided
before the trip was over that they were
Ireland’s treasure.
Just stand on a streetcorner and look
perplexed and you can be sure a native will
come to your rescue. Everyone from
children to old folks went out of their way
(sometimes miles) to put these travelers in
the right direction.
Looking back we also realized that this
welcoming embrace to strangers was also one
that enveloped each other. They are
concerned with their neighbors and their
neighbor’s problems. One example was the
farm cooperative which had been organized
in Dingle.
This was a sharing of farm equipment so
that all (even the poorest) of the farmers
had the opportunity to use sophisticated
equipment on a shared time basis.
Coming back from the chilly weather of
Ireland to the heat wave our country was
experiencing took some getting used to and
we are still working on it.
Then the other day I was told a story that
made me realize that this country too has its
share of kind, warm-hearted people.
An elderly friend braved the heat by
leaving her apartment in a senior citizens
high rise to go to the store in Peachtree
Battle. She was on her way back and
traveling slowly because of the terrible heat
when a car pulled up alongside of her and a
young lady offered her a lift to her door.
Gratefully, she accepted and whoever the
anonymous young Samaritan is lets salute
her. It is that kind of caring concern that has
always made Atlanta a good place to live.
We have an opportunity to open our
hearts to the old and the poor right now.
Catholic Social Services is collecting fans for
the elderly poor who desperately need them
to cope with our hot summer. If you have
a fan you could donate please contact
881-6571.
Perhaps we could work toward making
OUR slogan “Lets Help Each Other.”
Resound ... Resound
To the Editor:
The Supreme Court's decision on
abortion has consequences which are more
serious and frightening than the obvious
result of permitting abortions. What most
people fail to understand is the shift that has
taken place in the basic philosophy or the
Court’s interpretation of law.
Up until the early 1930s and the
Roosevelt era, the basis of constitutional law
was the concept of natural law, i.e. basic
rights such as life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness which belongs definitively to each
individual. Indeed, the principles of
nanatural law are the basis for our
Declaration of Independence as well as the
Constitution.
With the advent of the Roosevelt court,
natural law was replaced with social law,
which decides cases on the demands of
society. Woodward and Armstrong’s book,
THE BRETHREN, makes this fact
abundantly clear. In discussing the abortion
decision reached in Doe v. Bolten and Roe v.
Wade, the authors cite the position of
Justice Steward. “Abortion was a political
issue. Women were coming into their
own . . .. Abortion was becoming one
reasonable solution to population control.
Poor people, in particular, were consistently
victims of archaic and artificially
complicated laws. The public was ready for
abortion reform.” At Justice Stewart’s
insistence, the final case decision included
the statement that a fetus was not a person.
What is so potentially dangerous about
the shift to a social law concept is that thf
court could declare any one group in our
society as ‘none persons’ and thus end their
right to life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness. There has to be a basis for law
other than the demands and wishes of
society. If not, then there was nothing
wrong with the German’s extermination of
two million Jews. For our freedom, it is
absolutely necessary to write to our
congressional representatives and demand a
constitutional amendment protecting life
from conception to natural death. If this
amendment is passed, it will not only ensure
our freedom, but it will also send a message
to our Supreme Court justices to return to
interpreting the Constitution as written by
our founding fathers, and not rewrite it to
suit their individual opinions.
Edward D. Lofton
To the Editor: — Marietta
A friend sends me articles from the
excellent Georgia Bulletin and I couldn’t
resist answering Luann Schultz (6/19/80). I
was amazed that she criticized Teresa
Gernazian on the grounds that the book in
question, MARGUERITE, MESSAGE OF
MERCIFUL LOVE TO LITTLE SOULS
implied adoration of the Blessed Virgin
Mary!
Well-instructed Catholics know that only
God can be adored. Mary is venerated and
honored more than all the angels and saints,
but never adored.
One message from Our Lord to
Marguerite on Dec. 3, 1966 says in part,
“Yes, Mary, pure jewel of My heaven!
Mediatrix between Myself and men! Channel
by which My graces flow to the children of
the earth. Do not disregard her power, for it
is immense. It is through her that the spirit
of evil will be vanquished. Judge, therefore,
of the importance of prayer to Mary. It is
much more pleasing to Me to receive you
from her hands. Can you conceive that I
could reject you if she asked help and
assistance for you? How sad to see My
immaculate Mother so neglected, even in the
churches. Render her the VENERATION
due to her.”
Luann Schultz also seems to believe that
the Gernazian article implied mandatory
belief in apparations of the Blessed Virgin.
Catholics are not compelled to believe in the
earthly appearances of Mary. But prudence
dictates that we follow the example and
teachings of the popes and bishops and heed
the “authenticated appearances of Our
Lady.” (from BEHOLD YOUR MOTHER -
NCCB. Chapter IV).
Scripture teaches that true Christians of
every age must honor Mary, “For behold
from henceforth all generations shall call me
blessed.” (Luke 1-48)
Catherine Dreelan
San Rafael, Calif.
To the Editor:
I wish to thank Teresa Gernazian for
writing a series on pornography. Too many
people in the news applaud pornography as
being “beneficial” for mankind while
choosing to ignore evidence to the contrary.
Mrs. Gernazian’s articles show that she
diligently researched the facts, and I for one
am grateful to see this series printed in a
Catholic newspaper.
From the bishops down to the pastors
and their assistants, too little has been said
on the subject of pornography, in fact, on
morality in general. I and other parents have
felt the neglect for sometime. Although
Pope Paul VI indicated that parents were to
be the primary teachers of their children,
hee did not suggest the bishops and clergy
abandon ship and leave the faithful to
flounder and drown in a sea of immorality.
Patricia Atkidge
Stone Mountain
Grace Through Sacraments
Father Richard Lopez
I have invited Deacon Carlos Miyares to
write this month's article. Deacon Miyares is
an oid friend, but a new deacon. His brother,
Father Gus Miyares is Director of Vocations
for the Archdiocese of Miami. I hope you’ll
enjoy this article as much as we enjoy
Deacon Miyares at St. Jude's. He will, God
willing, be ordained a priest next spring.
It seems that there is a rule that if
someone wants to get a message across he
must use the most sophisticated means, from
the music with juKTthe proper beat to the
lights shining i^ proper sequence. We
experience this in many television
commercials as well as in campaigns of one
kind or another. Yet, this notion is
contrasted very dramatically by one of the
means which Christ chose to communicate
His grace to us, the sacraments.
The other day I baptized a person for the
first time. I have attended several baptisms
in the past but never before had the beauty
and simplicity of the sacrament, nor its
significance, become so apparent. With a few
words and actions, Monica Rebecca became
a member of the Church. This child was
carried out of the church as quietly as she
had entered, yet she was a new person. No
commercial nor campaign could have such
effect. The beauty was further enhanced by
her parents’ true desire to share their faith
with her and by their gratitude for having
received the gift of faith themselves.
The same is true of every sacrament.
From the few words which turn bread and
wine into the body and blood of Christ t:o
the annointing of a sick person to the
exchange of vows between a man and a
woman, it is through these single actions and
words that God’s grace comes to us. No
Madison Avenue executive could have
dreamed of a more effective manner to
communicate a message. Styles change and
what sold a product one day is discarded as
useless the next. Yet for almost two
thousand years Christ has touched the lives
of people through the same means.
My few weeks as a deacon at St. Jude’s
has helped me become even more aware of
the very different ways, in addition to the
sacraments, people are touched by the love
of God. Very few ever become known. Yet
it is in this quiet communication between
God and His people that the Church js
strengthened and grows.
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