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I orgia Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta Vol. 18 No. 33 Thursday, September 25,1980 $8.00 per year Woes ^ “fttiyt. *K»tl “SuxinuAttm The Shogun Syndrome Shogun, that so called marvelous marathon, is over. For six insistent evenings it interrupted our schedules and drew us into the rapturous romantic adventures of one thousand and one Oriental nights. It did other things too. With callous abandon, it presumed to make scurrilous villains out of the early missionary Jesuit Fath ers. Without hesitation, Shogun author, James Clavell set out to brand the Jesuits as instruments of absolute evil who cast complete misery on the gentle and hospitable Japanese people. On the other hand, Mr. Clavell’s hero and savior, who professes another kind of Christianity, is portrayed as one who simply wishes to indulge in the wonderous customs of his eastern hosts. While doing so, his indulgence carries him liberally to the marriage chambers of his trusting host’s wives. No fault or failing is seen in these escapades, acceptably adulterous in nature. The fictional lying exaggerations of Shogun were placed on the NBC Network last week, were highly rated by the critics and were sheepishly tolerated by United States Catholics without objection. We deserve the thrashing we get. We even seem to enjoy it. During my recent vacation, a friend asked me to read “the runaway best seller” Shabumi. Millions of copies have been sold. Millions more are in print. Obviously the Silver Screen is next or at least a Network special. One of the hoodlums of the , story is a vile parish priest living in the Basque country in Northern Spain. Not only is he held in contempt by our Robin Hood assassin style hero, but the vile father causes the death of a young woman by divulging information he has received not just in confidence but actually in the confessional. How annoyingly low can they go. This heap of trash has sold millions on the book market, is not an underground tract and may now win an Oscar at the box office. Again, we, Catholics under attack, will be silent. Like a glorious chorus, the religious community rose up in defense of our Jewish cousins this week when Southern Baptist Bailey Smith judged their prayers as invalid. Happily, responsible Baptists were the first and the loudest to condemn the juvenile stance of the so-called Baptist leader. Hopefully the anti-Catholic bigots of this nation, unfortunately dressed up most respectably as authors and artists, fearless in their use of television, will begin to receive the same treatment from a fair-minded community who are so often the beneficiaries of our protests. But, for heaven’s sake, let us not wait for the din to begin. We are many enough to be heard. ANDERSON-REAGAN INSPECTING TORAH - Rabbi Harold White, Jewish chaplain at Georgetown University in Washington, shows the university’s Torah to some of the 1,200 incoming freshmen following a VATICAN CITY standing-room-only interfaith service. Georgetown is the nation’s only Catholic university with a full-time Jewish chaplain. (NC Photo) World Synod Opens VATICAN CITY (NC) - The world Synod of Bishops will focus on pastoral issues in family life and will not be a debate on church doctrines such as the indissolubility of marriage or the illicitness of artificial birth control, said Archbishop Jozef Tomko, general secretary of the synod. At a press conference before the synod’s formal opening Sept. 26, Archbishop Tomko presented general background on the synod, outlined the approach to its theme, “The Role of the Christian Family in the World of Today,” and announced the names of synod officials, participants, auditors and experts. A number of questions from reporters focused on church teachings regarding contraception and remarriage after divorce. Archbishop Tomko answered that the synod issues would involve pastoral practices, not church doctrines. He said the synod would deal with pastoral concerns of Christian family life from the perspective of the family as a “community of love” and a source of santification and education in values. “The family today finds itself, in many areas, in the eye of the cyclone,” the Archbishop said, and the synod will discuss the many social, economic and other factors that directly or indirectly affect (Continued on page 6) r-BAPTIST LEADER Remarks Spark Comment BY THEA JARVIS Last week, some discomforting remarks by the president of the Southern Baptist Convention surfaced in the middle of the Jewish high holydays. Shortly after Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and just before Yom Kippur, the traditional Day of Atonement, the media caught wind of Dr. Bailey Smith’s reflections on the effectiveness and validity of Jewish prayer. In brief, Dr. Smith contended that God looked with disfavor upon the prayers of Jewish people because they failed to acknowledge His Son, Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior. The statement was made at a meeting of the National Affairs Briefing, a gathering of Fundamentalist Christians held in Dallas this past August. “The timing was certainly poor,” said Marshall Solomon, commenting on the emergence of the statements during the Jewish holyday celebrations. “In fact, it couldn’t have been worse. But I would hesitate to say it was a planned release. I’m just surprised it took as long as it did to get out.” Mr. Solomon, a native Atlantan who is an active member of the Conservative Ahavath Achim Synagogue and is a seasoned veteran of the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith, expressed disbelief rather than anger over Bailey Smith’s assertions. “At first, I was just incredulous that someone could make such a statement. I felt pity that a man in Dr. Smith’s position was so uninformed.” Marshall Solomon doubted that Dr. Smith “is a true anti-Semite. I believe he is just insensitive to the issues.” Mr. . Solomon serves on the executive committee of the southeastern region’s Anti-Defamation League. His wife is vice-chairman of the Atlanta chapter of the March of Dimes. It is apparent that the Solomons have had positive interchanges with the Christian community over the years. “Working on the ADL community dinners, for example, we have had some good experiences. We always have a non-Jewish co-chairman and we encourage members of other faiths to come and take part, visit our synagogues^and get to know us,” says Marshall Solomon. Editorial, Page 4 “Some reticence to do this is normal,” he continues. “We’re all not as informed as we should be. We are hesitant to'expose our own areas of ignorance to each other.” For the future, Mr. Solomon predicts no wave of fury over Bailey Smith’s contentions. “I don’t really see any fallout from it,” he states. “I don’t think it reflects the sentiment of the larger religious community and I wouldn’t condemn an entire movement because of the remarks of one man.” On the Baptist front, however, some are picking up the pieces. Dr. Brownlow Hastings, who has for years worked closely with Father Joe O’Donnell in the area of Baptist-Catholic dialogue, has his office at the Baptist Home Mission Board in Atlanta. He feels “very deeply regretful over Dr. Smith’s statement” and notes that it “reflects an attitude with which we all wouldn’t necessarily agree.” Dr. Hastings cites the Old and New Testament as proof that God listens to the prayer of those who have not heard the gospel message. “In the Acts of the Apostles, Peter’s meeting with Cornelius, a devout Jew, showed that God’s grace had already been at work. The prayer of Cornelius was answered even before he had accepted Jesus Christ.” Dr. Hastings would agree with Dr. Bailey Smith that it is through Christ that we find the Father. “Christians believe that the way to the Father IS through Jesus Christ,” he explains. “But this ‘way’ can’t be limited only to those who know Christ fully, as Christians do.” Brownlow Hastings “regrets the feelings of antagonism that will arise” after a statement like Dr. Smith’s has been made. He notes, however, that the President of the Southern Baptist Convention speaks only for himself. “There is no such thing as THE Baptist view on this matter because we believe so strongly in the priesthood of all believers and the personal interpretation of Scripture.” Dr. Hastings continues, “There are those who voted for him who may find they don’t agree with him on this issue.” In the 1960’s, Brooks Hayes held the post of president of the Southern Baptist Convention. He was a fierce defender of racial integration at a time when much of the South was marching to a different tune. He was also the target of attacks by the very members of his religious constituency who had voted him into a leadership position. It would appear that, though the pendulum has taken a swing to the right, history continues to repeat itself. Debate Raises Catholic Issues NC NEWS SERVICE Church involvement in the politics of abortion unexpectedly became a major issue during the first presidential candidates’ debate Sept. 21 in Baltimore. The two candidates who appeared at the debate, Republican nominee Ronald Reagan and independent John Anderson, were asked whether they approved of a statement by Cardinal Humberto Medeiros of Boston, who four days before the Sept. 16 Massachusetts primary urged Catholics not to vote for candidates who support abortion. Anderson said that while the church has the right to take positions on moral issues, he added he believes it is a violation of separation of church and state for the church to tell its members for whom they should vote. Reagan said he would not take a position on whether the church should tell its members how to vote. But he also remarked that many churches have been “too reluctant to speak up in behalf of what they believe is proper in government.” The question about abortion, one of six questions from a panel of journalists, was asked by Soma Golden, a business and finance reporter for The New York Times who also is a member of the Times’ editorial board and has reported on women’s issues. She cited involvement by fundamentalist groups in the Reagan campaign and also noted that Anderson, a Republican member of Congress from Illinois, had on three occasions sponsored an amendment to the Constitution to recognize “the law and authority of Jesus Christ.” Reagan, responding first, said, “Well, whether I agree or disagree with some individual, . . .1 don’t think there’s any way that we can suggest that because people believe in God and go to church that they should not want reflected in those people ... their own belief in morality ...” He said he has found during this campaign a hunger for a spiritual revival in America and a belief that government actions must be based on a higher law. “Now, I have thought for a long time that too many of our churches have been too reluctant to speak up in behalf of what they believe is proper in government and they have been too lax in interfering with government’s invasion of the family itself,” he said. “Whether it is right for a single issue, for anyone to advocate that someone should be elected or not, I won’t take a position on that,” he added. “But I do believe that no one in this country should be denied the right to express themselves or to even try to persuade others to follow their leader. That’s what elections are all about.” Said Anderson, “Certainly the church has the right to take a position on moral issues. But to try ., .to tell the parishioners of any church, of any denomination, how they should vote I think violates the principle of the separation of church and state.” Anderson said abortion is a moral issue best left to the freedom of conscience of the individual and said a constitutional amendment on abortion would violate freedom of conscience “as much as anything that I can think of.” Anderson also criticized Reagan for running on a Republican platform which urges the appointment of federal judges “who fv«rIH-!nnn1 P —— II. - i vxuuiuujiai laiimy values alia the sanctity of human life.” “I don’t believe in trying to legislate new tests for the selection of the federal judiciary,” said Anderson. Reagan later responded that “I don’t think that’s a bad idea” that judges should have a respect for “innocent life.” Anderson admitted that he had changed his views on giving constitutional recognition to the authority of Jesus because it would be wrong to impose that view on a pluralistic society. And he also noted that he has voted against a constitutional amendment to bring back prayer in public schools. “I think mother ought to whisper to Johnny and to Suzy as they button their coats in the morning to (Continued on page 6) Suenens To Visit Cardinal Leo Josef Suenens of Belgium will be the homilist at an Ecumenical Prayer Service at Christ the King Cathedral in Atlanta at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 5. The Scripture readings will be by Archbishop Thomas Donnellan, Episcopal Bishop Bennett Sims, and Bishop John, Orthodox Bishop of Charlotte and Bishop-designee of Atlanta. Fathers John J. Mulroy and Paul W. Berny of Holy Family parish are coordinating the service for the Archdiocese. Cardinal Suenens will be participating in an Episcopal convention in Chattanooga, Tenn., prior to visiting Atlanta. The former archbishop of Malines-Brussels, Cardinal Suenens recently emphasized the importance of small charismatic prayer groups in the life of the church at the parish level, in a letter to The London Times Sept. 18. The cardinal’s letter was prompted by recent articles in The Times criticizing aspects of the charismatic movement. The cardinal distinguished between “charismatic prayer groups” and “house churches.” “For me, an authentic prayer group can only be a living cell in a body, an integral part' of the total reality of the visible local church,” the cardinal said. “Such integrated groups are precious, because to be a Christian is to be a member of a ‘community,’ to share with others one’s own Christian life,” he said. “This was important in the past. But it is more urgent than ever today, as we face a world that is more and more paganized.” “Such units are needed as supplements to the ‘parish community,’ which is hampered by its size and by the anonymity of its members,” Cardinal Suenens wrote. “I believe that the future of a living parish lies in a communion of small local units where Christians may share their Christian life in depth, with all its personal, social and apostolic consequences,” he said. This presupposes a harmony between parish and charismatic groups and this in turn would depend on the parish minister’s understanding of what the charismatic movement really means, he added. Cardinal Suenens “And this is nothing less than an experience of conversion, a ‘baptism in the spirit and in the fire’ for today’s Christians, that is analogous to what their predecessors experienced in the Upper Room at Pentecost,” the cardinal said.