Newspaper Page Text
I
i
A
*
PAGE 2—The Georgia Bulletin, May 27, 1982
SCHOOL PRAYER DEBATE-PART 1
A Past Full Of Religious Confrontation
BY JOSEPH DUERR
NC News Service
(Duerr is news editor of the Louisville Archdiocesan newspaper
THE RECORD.!
School prayer remains a volatile issue today, as seen by
the pro and con responses to President Reagan’s
endorsement of a constitutional amendment restoring
voluntary prayer in public schools. But today s ‘‘battle of
views” is mild compared to the violent clashes of a
century ago.
Religious practices in public schools have resulted in a
number of religious confrontations over the years, many
of them involving the Catholic Church.
In the mid-19th century, when prayer and Bible reading
were widespread in public schools, Catholics were in the
forefront challenging the reading of the Protestant version
of the Bible, the singing of Protestant hymns and
recitation of the Ten Commandments and the Lord’s
Prayer.
Some of these challenges led to violence in the streets.
In 1843. after Bishop Francis Kendrick of Philadelphia
asked the local school board to permit Catholic pupils to
use the Catholic version of the Bible in public schools.
Nativist elements charged that Catholics were trying to
eject Bible reading from the schools.
Bible reading in schools became a rallying cry for
anti-Catholic sentiments, and Bishop Kendrick’s petition
resulted in riots in which Catholic churches were attacked
and convents burned.
The riots in the City of Brotherly Love prompted
Bishop John Hughes of New York to place an armed
guard around Catholic churches. Bishop Hughes also led a
campaign in New York against the required reading of the
Protestant version of the Bible in public schools.
At about the same time in Maine, a Catholic priest in
the town of Ellsworth was tarred and feathered for
leading his parishioners in contesting the reading of the
King James version of the Bible in public schools.
Catholics went to court to challenge the Bible reading law,
but the Maine Supreme Court ruled that the law did not
interfere with religious belief.
In Massachusetts Catholics went to court to protest the
reciting of the Ten Commandments in Boston public
schools, and in Cincinnati Archbishop John Purcell
proposed that no public school student be required to
read the Bible against the wishes of his parents.
Against this background, some expressed surprise when
Catholic leaders spoke out in opposition to the 1962
Supreme Court decision which declared unconstitutional
prayer in public schools and to the 1964 ruling against
Bible reading in the schools. Among those criticizing the
1962 prayer decision were Cardinals Francis Spellman of
New York and Richard Cushing of Boston and then
Archbishop (now Cardinal) John Krol of Philadelphia.
Cardinal Spellman said, “If that simple prayer (the New
York Board of Regents prayer struck down by the court)
can be interpreted as violating the separation of church
and state, then I too can only pray: ‘God save the United
States.’”
Cardinal Cushing called the decision “ridiculous,” and
Cardinal Krol said that by the ruling the high court was
“actually establishing secularism as a state religion.”
The prayer decision was also criticized by the Knights
of Columbus and a national committee of Catholic school
superintendents. The superintendents termed the decision
a “deterioration of our American tradition.”
What brought about a change in Catholic attitudes o
toward school prayer and Bible reading from the mid-19th
century to the mid-20th century?
Some attribute it to the 1948 Supreme Court decision
declaring unconstitutional released time for religious
instruction in public schools and to a growing concern
about secularism in public schools.
The stance of the U.S. bishops’ conference today gives
some credence to this view. “We feel the absence of
prayer from the schools is only part of a larger problem,”
which began with the 1948 decision on released time,
Father Daniel F. Hoye, U.S. Catholic Conference general
secretary, said in a May 10 statement on Reagan’s
endorsement of a school prayer amendment.
Others maintain that the position of Catholic leaders in
the 19th century was misinterpreted. According to this
view, Catholics were not opposed to religious practices as
suqh in public schools; what they objected to mainly was
the reading of the Protestant version of the Bible and the
recitation of Protestant prayers.
SCHOOL PRAYER -- The controversy over
prayer in public schools has surfaced again with
the recent introduction of a constitutional
amendment from the President. The amendment
Perhaps, the shift in attitude was a combination of both
views.
Cardinal Lawrence Shehan of Baltimore remarked in
1962: “In the 19th century, from a Catholic point of
view, the chief obstacle to the exercise of religious liberty
was the dominant non-Catholic religious influence in
politics generally, and especially in public education.
Today, religious freedom faces a new foe in secularism -
the rising movement to ban all religious practice and
says that group prayer in public school, such as
that pictured above in a Boston classroom, would
not be prohibited.
influence from public life, and, ultimately, no doubt,
from the whole field of education.”
It is the “increasing influence of secularism in this
country which alarms us in some of the recent decisions
of the Supreme Court,” Cardinal Shehan added.
Whatever the explanation for the change in attitude,
Catholics became part of the school prayer debate which
has continued, almost uninterrupted, over the past 20
years.
Brennan Manning
Leads Renewal—
(Continued from page 1)
Father Manning perceives himself as a vessel from
which a powerful message is released. The message - a
healing balm poured on a wounded and broken world - is
the heady notion of Christ as total servant, full of
“unflinching, unwavering compassion.”
“Man is made not to know, love and serve God,” the
priest told the crowd massed in the warm wood and stone
of St. John’s Church, “but made to know how God wants
to know, love and serve his children!”
Utterly rejecting any fearful, punitive concept of Cod,
Father Manning underscores the “saving” power of Christ
active in a lonely, frightened world.
“If we’re going to treat Jesus as God, we must let
him be who he is - a saviour who frees us from fear” of
the Father, dislike of ourselves, self-reproach,
perfectionism, legalism.
The bold Franciscan is impatient with those in the
Church who would distort the image of a loving God or
spend excessive time and money on minor importances -
building up a church bureaucracy, amassing wealth,
placing undue stress on ritual and institutional
encumbrances.
“Because God is not presented as an unconditional
lover, only two out of five Catholics go to Mass,” he
claimed.
His Vision of the Church is one that follows the servant
model. “Humble, serving love is the, way God manifests
himself in the world. Christian freedom rests in this
conception of servitude, a reversal of the world’s values
.. . Servanthood is not a mood or a good feeling. It is
the decision to live the life of Jesus - humble service.”
Father Manning asks, “What would the Church be like
if we suffered from an excess of compassion?”, if we, like
Christ, said “sinners (are) welcome?” '
r .^,SctncUtt£ <1
4$
& (?end
Shower & Wedding Gifts
Wrapping Paper • Gibson Cards
• Baby Showers • Brass
& Crystal • Holly Hobbies
• Porcelain Figurines • China
638 West Peachtree St., N.W.
Atlanta, Ga.
Oeau/y Salon
RF.DKF.N
688 W. Peachtree St.
Next Door
to Chancery Building
Atlanta, Ga. 874-2588
Plan your next social
event in good taste.
Taste Sheraton,
a la Century Center.
You’ll return for
seconds.
We specialize in weddings, receptions and
special events of all types. Call 325-0000
for special attention to
your special needs.
S \
Six Tat on
Century Center
Hotel
SHERATON HOTELS & INNS, WORLDWIDE
1-85 at Clairmont Road Exit / 325-0000
Operated by Southern Host Systems
He quotes from the mystic Julian of Norwich for a
compelling and succinct answer: “ . . . and all shall be
well, and all things shall be well, and all manner of things
shall be well.”
Lest the man be viewed as somewhat more than a man
- for whom all things have always been “well” -- Brennan
Manning related some of his personal peregrinations for
the benefit of Bulletin readers, revealing the peaks and
valleys common to most lives, but with the added
dimension of an ever-changing, somewhat exotic scenario.
Manning was ordained a Franciscan priest in 1963 and
began a ministry of teaching and spiritual direction. Four
years later, he sensed a need to step back and take a look
at his own spiritual development.
He decided on a two-year affiliation with the Little
Brothers of Jesus, a unique community founded in 1909
by Charles de Foucauld which stresses prayer and manual
labor.
Father Manning served his “novitiate” With the Little
Brothers as a dishwasher in France and later a
construction worker in Spain. Following this period of
manual labor, he retired to a crudely furnished cave,
Spending seven months in total isolation and prayer.
It was in this hermitage that Brennan Manning heard
the words that “are burned on my life” - “For love of
you I left my Father’s side.”
The Franciscan was deeply drawn to the life of the
Little Brothers. After a further tenure in a Swiss prison
where he shared the vicissitudes of an inmate’s existence,
he considered joining the community permanently.
But because “ministry was an essential and integral
part” of his calling, the Prior General of the Little
Brothers and members of the order advised him to return
to the States and his Franciscan brethren.
He resumed university teaching for several years and
was thereafter appointed to lead a group of Franciscans
who aspired to follow the original Franciscan model of
contemplative prayer, manual labor, poverty and
simplicity. The little band of five friars served the
seagoing-migrants - shrimpers - in a small Alabama town
for about two years.
It was in his next assignment that Brennan Manning
Four New Priests—
(Continued from page 1)
automotive trade, he
expected to spend three
years in the United States
working for Volkswagen!
However, job
opportunities continued to
JusTqng
us A.irc
Better
Ladies Apparel Labels for Less
3512 Broad Street
Chamblee 451-0650
open up and he stayed
beyond the three years,
eventually moving to
Atlanta where he became a
district service manager for
Porsche-Audi and later
S o utheast regional
service manager for Alfa
GENERAL
HARDWARE
We carry a full line of
top brand merchandise
giving you a variety of
choices. Scarce & hard
to find items are a
specialty.
237-5209
4218 Peachtree Road N.E
Brookhaven
Discount For Cash Or Ins. - 30 Days
*Discounts to Senior Citizens
♦Discounts to those who have lost
their Social Security & Veterans
death benefits due to government
cutbacks.
For Information Call:
NORMAN MEDFORD FUNERAL HOME
“Our Prices Very Reasonable”
1408 Canton Highway - Marietta, Ga.
Ph. 427-8447
parents?
TO
231-3005
We’ll care for your parents
when they can no longer be
as independent as they’d
like. Skillfully, profession-
ally—lovingly. Home Health
Aides, Homemakers, Live-
in Companions, each care
fully chosen for you, each
responsible to
our full-time
Nursing
Supervisor.
Call us. We
can help.
■ii niio mi: bkst mini i\ vruvrr
12 Entrees 14 Salads
12 Vegetables III Deserts
min swims
Lunch 82.20 Dinner $2.99
fSenior Citizens receive a lO'A Discount)
6075
Roswell Rtl
Sandy Sprin
252-8486
Sunday Luncl
Begins 1 I A.M.
Kada Kitchens
(W KTKRIA 1
Romeo.
A period of serious
illness marked a change in
his life, leading eventually
to a desire to enter the
priesthood. During his
years of study in the
seminary, Udo has spent
MOONEY’S
OPTICIANS
SERVING ATLANTA
SINCE I9S0
comniTt
PRESCRIPTION S«C
F. R. Reid.
Prop.
ARTIFICIAL EYES
HION GLASSES - CONTACT LENSES
JOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED
Peachtree & Pine
475 Peachtree St., N.E.
876-3053
Stonemont Village
5231 F Memorial Dr.,
Stn. Mtn.
294-1735
three summers working in
St. Thomas Aquinas parish
in Alpharetta, where he
will celebrate his first Mass
following ordination.
He will be assigned as
assistant pastor at St.
Thomas More parish in
Decatur.
Deacon Dan Stack, who
was born Nov. 2, 1954 in
Hialiah, Florida, grew up
in Florida and graduated
from the University of
Florida in 1976 where he
studied building
construction.
He entered the seminary
the following year,
beginning his studies at the
Pontifical College
Josephinum in Columbus,
Ohio. He completed his
studies at St. Vincent de
Paul Seminary in Boynton
Beach, Florida.
'jWiflZVWZWAVWtfVVJVAAZVVWvvVWW. A.
Bob Todd
Gulf Service
\ Gulf Tires Batteries AC Tune Up & Diagnostic
Accessories (enter
Mechanic on Dut\ All Minor Repairs
Lubrication Road Service Wheel Alignment
Brake Work
Tires Balanced t ars Washed
160 Ponce De Leon Ave. N.E. 874-6310
Atlanta, Go. 30308 874-9250
^vwww
Who are the
Daughters of Charity?
They are Sisters consecrated to
God and serving the poor in:
Hospitals - Schools - Home Care
Programs - Parish Visiting - Social
Services - Child Care Centers -
Adoption Services - Maternity
Nursing - Care of Aged - Foreign
Missions.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION WRITE
Sister Mary Catherine
St. Mary’s School
405 E. Seventh St.
Rome, Ga. 30161
met perhaps his greatest challenge. As campus minister at
a Florida community college where 60% of the students
were married and there was little campus involvement
among the student body, he found himself “left with
nothing to do.” Loneliness, frustration and isolation took
their toll.
“I crossed the line from heavy drinking to addiction,”
Manning said frankly.
One morning in April of 1975, he woke up in a gutter,
covered in his own vomit. He was, he recalled, near death,
but managed to call for help and was placed in the
detoxification unit of a local hospital.
Some months later, he continued, “I very slowly
started back to retreats and began writing.”
The journey of Brennan Manning has not been without
its darker moments, but he has emerged, it would seem,
more convinced than ever of his own “smallness” in the
hands of an all-powerful and constantly loving God.
“I don’t forget who I am and where I come from. I
can’t take myself seriously,” he says simply. And as for
the Lord he follows, Father Manning observes, “He is the
Pied Piper of my own lonely heart.”
Rev. Udo Endrikat
He will celebrate his
first Mass at St. Anthony’s
parish in Atlanta and will
Rev. Daniel Stack
be assigned as an assistant
pastor at the Cathedral of
Christ the King.
GEORGIA BULLETIN
Ads Bring Results!
GISSY'S STUDIO
Weddings • Portraits • School and Prom
Packages Available
P.O.Box 38193
Tom Gissy
Atlanta, Ga. 30334
973-2508
★
Decorating
Unlimited
Painting - Interior
& Exterior
Papering - Roof Repair
Sheet Rock - Plastering
Turn Key
Fast Clean Quality Service
at a reasonable price
Call Greg Sheehy
Days 378-1686
Evenings 296-9403
SECOND
MORTGAGES
FamilyCredit
Family Credit
Services, Inc.
A Subsidiary of
C.&S (ia. dorp.
Northwest 955-2570
Southwest 996-5486
Northeast 491-4411
Southeast 361-5343
ti
• I
k
• \
*
«
A
%
t