Southern cross. (Savannah, Ga.) 1963-2021, October 10, 1963, Image 4

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    PAGE 4—The Southern Cross, October 10, 1963
Wheat For Russia
Mr. Khrushchev admits that the Soviet has
suffered severe wheat shortages. One area in
particular has been described as yielding
“a catastrophic harvest.” As a consequence
Russia now seeks to purchase wheat from the
United States, for it is well known that our
nation has more wheat stored away than we
may need in any forseeable future. It would
seem, then, that such a sale would prove
mutually beneficial.
The trouble is that Russia is a socialist
state striving to arrive at communism and as
such it is our arch-enemy, ideologically
speaking. What makes the situation even more
difficult to resolve is that Khrushchev has
also confessed that the poor wheat harvest
has placed Russia “in a difficult position.”
Now an enemy is a legitimate target for the
creation of more and more difficulties. So
it would seem to be folly to sell wheat to
Russia and thereby ameliorate her difficult
position.
The truth is that even on an international
plane morality should prevail and the moral
imperative favors the sale of wheat to Russia.
Nor is it any good to insist that Russia
would not assist us but rather compound our
difficulties if the positions were reversed.
For the fact that we believe she would behave
so barbarically is precisely the reason we
are at odds with her. Shall we then become
like our enemies?
Morally we cannot ignore Russia’s plight
nor that of any other communist nation.
“Love thy enemies” is a law that transcends
national interests and ideological camps.
All people in need deserve a helping hand
from those who have an abundance, even
though they differ in race, creed, color and
political allegiance. We do not understand
how anyone could justify morally the with
holding of our surplus wheat from the Rus
sian market.
Furthermore, we are living in an era of
coexistence and, of late, that coexistence
has grown a bit friendlier; thanks also to
Russia’s dispute with Red China. We should
strive therefore to create an atmosphere
that favors peace, not one that deepens divi
sions and sharpens hatreds. True, there are
always those who bite the hand that feeds
them—but never half so many as those who
bite the hand that does not feed them.
It is our view then that the United States
government is under a moral compulsion to
sell its surplus wheat to Russia despite the
great political differences between us. To
quote the beloved Pope John’s words in his
last world-letter, Peace on Earth: “There is
reason to hope, however, that by meeting
and negotiating, men may come to discover
better the bonds that unite them together,
and that they may also come to discover
that one of the most profound requirements
of their common nature is this: that between
them and their respective peoples it is not
fear which should reign but love, a love which
tends to express itself in a collaboration that
is loyal, manifold in form and productive of
many benefits.” (Star-Herald, Camden)
End Of Council Secrecy
It Seems to Me
The lifting of the rule of sec
recy at the ecumenical council
is, among other things, a chal
lenge to the world’s press,
radio and TV. Thoroughly re
sponsible, educational and en
lightening re-
porting
should be
their re
sponse. They
can do man
kind a tre-
m e n d o u s
service by
i n f o r ru
ing people
adequately about what is said
and done at the council.
The importance of the council
for the future of humanity is
very great. The council is a
focal point of a colossal move
ment of the human race toward
family unity —a movement
which has been gathering mo
mentum since World War II.
The most noticeable and pub
licized events in that time have
been those which tended to frag
ment the world—things like the
cold war, the Korean war, the
troubles in Berlin and Laos and
Vietnam, the occasional nation
alistic jealousies and grab
bings, and so on. Disputings
and fightings are louder and
more spectacular than the
works of harmony. But underly
ing everything in the past two
decades there has been a deep,
quiet, powerful trend toward
harmony and cooperation.
OF LATE, Christian unity
has been much on everyone’s
lips. But Christians are by no
means alone in being drawn
JOSEPH BREIG
mysteriously toward oneness
in our times. Everyone who is
not cantankerous or superficial
feels the world’s desperate need
of love and communication. The
intuitive Pope John sensed this;
and now his successor, Paul
VI, is going farther along the
road which John set foot upon.
Paul is reaching out not only
to "other Christians” and to
Jews, but also to those of the
many other religions. He is
touching the nerve of the reali
zation that there is a longing
in almost all men of contact
in some way with the divine
and for purity and goodness.
He is making of the ecumeni
cal council a center of humble
labor for universal under
standing and compassion.
That is one reason that top
flight reporting of the council
is of huge importance, and that
lifting of the rule of secrecy
was wise.
A NEWS PHOTO the other
day showed Pope Paul putting
out his hands tenderly to two
Buddhist monks from Japan who
called upon him while on a world
peace pilgrimage. The faces of
the monks were eloquent of deep
reverence for a fellow man-of-
God, and of so anguished a con
cern for humanity that it had
stamped suffering on their fa
ces.
The picture, I thought, was
symbolic of the prevailing cli
mate of our planet. There are
still some outbursts of pride
and hatred here and there, but
people do not rush to join in
them. Rather, they turn away
their heads in sorrow. Mankind
seems to have matured in
years.
It is as if the family of hu-
manty had grown out of child
hood into manhood and woman
hood, deepened and mellowed
by the tribulations of life. The
service of this new maturity is
the great duty of the journalist
today.
I DO NOT KNOW whether the
new press arrangements will be
all that they ought to be. If not,
Pope Paul has provided for
suggestions and complaints to
be made by newsmen to a spe
cial committee of bishops which
will do what needs doing. I feel
confident that the reporting of
the second session of the coun
cil is going to be excitingly
better than that of the first.
Officials of the council’s
press office will attend all ses
sions and convey promptly to
journalists everything that they
consider newsworthy. Speeches
may be reported as fully as de
sired, except where a council
Father stipulates that he would
like to talk "off the record.”
In addition, frequent summar
ies will be issued by linguists
from Radio Vatican and there
will be constant fielding of ques
tions, plus weekly press con
ferences.
If something more is needed,
Pope Paul, I am sure, will see
to it. He has made completely
his own the desires of Pope
John—and Pope John, right in
the beginning of his encyclical,
Pacem in Terris, said that by
the natural law all human beings
have the right to be truthfully
informed about public events.
Study Says Russia Violates
Cuba Agreements
(By J. J. Gilbert)
W ASHIN GTON—There may
be as many as 10,000 Russian
troops still in Cuba. Those that
are there are believed to be
used for training purposes, and
it is suspected that Soviet Rus
sia intends to keep them there
indefinitely.
Their presence is a violation
of the agreement between
President Kennedy and Premier
Khrushchev that eased the Cu
ban missile crisis of October,
1962.
These things are brought out
in study on Soviet political
agreements and their results
made for a Senate committee.
In a succinct run-down on the
agreement ending the Cuban
missile crisis, the staff study
says:
"In an exchange of corres
pondence between Soviet Pre
mier Khrushchev and President
Kennedy, Khrushchev agreed to
President Kennedy’s conditions
for ending the Cuban missile
crisis, namely, (1) to terminate
work on the military missile
bases, (2) to render the offen
sive weapons inoperable, and
(3) to cease further shipments
of offensive weapons to Cuba.
* 'Provisions were to be made
for (4) effective international
verification. Thereafter (5) the
naval quarantine would be lifted.
' 'It is generally believed that
the missiles were dismantled
and returned to the Soviet Un
ion. An ‘at sea’ aerial inspec
tion of Soviet freighters was
agreed upon when the Cubans
resisted on-site inspection.
“But the Soviet bombers re
mained in Cuba. Under Ameri
can pressure Khrushchev final
ly promised on November 20,
1962, to remove the estimated
42 IL-28 et bombers. In return,
the President promptly lifted
the naval quarantine of Cuba.
“Khrushchev also gave as
surances that Soviet troops
would be removed from Cuba,
as the President said, 'in due
course.’ It was estimated that
Soviet military forces in Cuba
numbered between 5,000 and
22,500. Toward the end of 1962
PRAY FOR OUR
PRIESTLY DEAD
REV. JAMES A. KELLY
October 16, 1876
Oh Cod, IVho didst give to
thy servants by their sacredotal
office, a share in the priest
hood of the Apostles, grant,
we implore, that they may
also be one of their company
forever in heaven. Through
Christ Our Lord, Amen.
and early in 1963 the United
States applied more pressure on
the Soviets to abide by their
agreements and withdraw their
troops. Apparently some of the
force were withdrawn.
“In mid-June 1963, the total
Soviet troop strength was set
at 12,500. The departure of an
estimated 2,000 men in the next
two months may have reduced
the total to an estimated 10,000
or 10,500. Reportedly, the Rus
sians have removed most of
their combat units from the
island. It was believed that the
remaining troops were being
maintained indefinitely for
training purposes.
“Failure to withdraw their
military forces from Cuba con
stitutes a Soviet violation of the
Khrushchev-Kennedy agree
ments. In a press conference on
August 20, 1963, President Ken
nedy expressed the disapproval
of the United States Govern
ment when he remarked: 'There
are still Russians there, and
this is still a matter of concern
to us.’ ”
The staff study was made for
the Subcommittee to Investigate
the Administration of the Inter
nal Security Act and Other In
ternal Security Laws, of the
Senate Committee on the Judi
ciary.
The Case Against The Negro
God’s World
In all discussion of the
Negro’s drive for desegrega
tion, there is one body of sta
tistics to which the Northern
segregationist invariably will
point. These
which indi
cate that a
dispropor
tionate num
ber of crimi
nals, juvenile
delinquents
and unwed
mothers are
Negroes. The
u n thinking
conclusion is
are the figures
that Negroes
therefore have low moral stan
dards.
To evaluate that conclusion
realistically, let us perform an
imaginary experiment. We shali
take ten Negro children and ten
white children and place both
groups in a slum area, there to
grow up in poverty. Their rec
reation will be. limited to the
streets, since there is no room
in their hovels for play and no
parks nearby. Boys and girls—
and perhaps parents, too—will
share the one bedroom which
the "apartment” affords. The
facts of life are learned early
and brutally.
Because of family poverty and
because the future holds so little
promise of opportunity and suc
cess, the children leave school
as soon as the law allows. A few
may find employment at some
menial task but most will be
condemned to idleness because
of their lack of skill and educa
tion. In their idleness their
resentment grows as they find
(By Leo J. Trese)
themselves, in their teens, fac
ing a dead-end life.
Now, can we honestly suppose
that all ten white children will
grow into exemplary citizens,
upright and just, with only the
colored children turning to anti
social behavoir? Or, shall we
admit that it is not the color
of one's skin which makes for
crime? Actually, in the imagin
ed experiment, the white child
ren still would have an advan
tage. In spite of their slum up
bringing they would not face the
additional frustration of racial
discrimination. They would not
suffer from the knowledge of
being unwanted by the very peo
ple they are expected to respect.
Now let us turn to the most
powerful of all arguments
against desegregation. Suppose
that we do let the Negro work at
any job or profession that he,
as a human person, can fill.
(I hope that the intended irony
of "let him” is evident; as
though we, and not God, had
made the Negro.) Suppose that
we let him live in any part of
the city that his income will
allow. Suppose that we let him
eat in any restaurant, sleep in
any hotel, shop in any store and
join any organization for which
he, as a human person, is qua
lified. Will he not then demand
social equality? And here is the
clincher, the argument to end all
arguments: "How would you like
your sister to marry a Negro?”
My immediate answer would
be that I would not mind at all,
if it was a marriage of mutual
love and the man, as a human
person, had the makings of a
good husband. I would not mind,
that is, provided they could live
in some country other than the
United States. I know that here
both would be crucified by for
mer friends and present neigh
bors. If they could live in France
or Brazil or any other country
where skin color is meaning
less, I should be the first to say,
"God bless your union.”
A more pertinent answer,
however, is that Negro’ men are
not waiting, panting, to marry
white girls. Negro girls are not
burning with desire for white
men. Our conceit might be pi
qued, indeed, if we knew how
little our lily-white charms ap
peal to our darker brethren.
Chinese tend to marry Chinese,
Jews tend to marry Jews, Gen
tiles tend to marry Gentiles —
and Negroes will always, by
nature, tend to marry Negroes.
Although, I shall be quite braz
en about the whole matter and
admit that it would not cost me
an hour’s sleep if I knew that, a
hundred years from now, every
American would carry a coat of
permanent tan.
In discussing the foregoing
arguments I have reasoned from
a purely natural viewpoint,
without reference to religion.
However, it is in our religious
faith that our best hope lies for
the exorcism of our racial pre
judice. Prejudices are too deep
ly rooted in emotion to respond
easily to reason alone. We need,
and need badly, the help of God’s
grace. For that we mustpray—
for our prejudiced selves and
for our prejudiced neighbors.
Today’s Valiant Man?
By Barbara C. Jencks
Blessed is the man that is
found without blemish: and that
hath not gone after gold, nor
put his trust in money nor in
treasures.”
Ecclesiastics 31
* * *
DOES OUR RELIGION have
much effect on our morality?
A recent writer in 'America’
magazine explored English
morals today in regard to the
recent Profumo scandal. The
fact that Profumo lied in Par
liament appears to upset the
English people more than the
fact that he had a mistress.
A recent BBC program
debated the relative impor
tance of "Charity vs. Chas
tity.” One speaker went so
far as to say that Christian
morality was indefensible and
"the personality of Jesus Christ
had been replaced by Jung and
Freud in modern importance”
While things may not be quite
as advanced or open on this side
of the Atlantic, articles in fam
ily magazines discussing the
relative merits of virginity and
sexual freedom among today’s
collegians give us a running
start. While the English
morality problem was viewed
subjectively in the Profumo
svcandal, our problem is a gen
eral one with television, mov
ies, newspapers, magazines and
trashy paperbacks contributing
to the rising moral crisis.
Things not whispered about a
generation ago, are blared over
television dramas or read in
screaming headline type in a
movie advertisement or tabloid
press. A featured article in the
September 24 'Look’ magazine
asked the question: "Have the
Churches Failed? Has money
become God? Is Sexual Moral
ity Gone?” Each of us answers
the questions in the secret of
our hearts. Is money most im
portant? Is our morality plia
ble? Can one become successful
without sacrificing morality?
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
still stand. They have never
been amended or rewritten by
Madison Avenue. There’s an
answer in them for all the
problems which lather our gen
eration from cheating on income
tax to loving our Negro neigh
bor to premarital sex relations.
It takes a hero to face the temp
tations, crisis, problems of but
one twenty-four hour period.
Any day in the life of a college
student, a secretary, a busin
essman, a teacher, or as par
ents, citizens, single or mar
ried, brings many kinds of
temptations. Therefore, there
are saints walking our streets
this very moment who know ex
actly what is right and have
the courage to live this right
without flinching, sometimes at
great expense to their business
and financial status. The saint
today is rarely a success for
(Continued on Page 6)
“Following Church”
TAHAWUS, N.Y. (NC)—St.
Therese Church was moved ten
miles from here to Newcomb,
N.Y., a nine-hour journey down
a major highway.
At one point, traffic was back
ed up for more than a mile
behind the equipment pulling
the wooden frame building which
weighs more than 100 tons.
Asked for his comment on the
big move, Father Albert Giroux,
pastor, took a look at the line of
cars and said he was "glad to
see so many people following the
Church.”
CAIP Award
WASHINGTON (NC) — Sen.
Hubert H. Humphrey of Minne
sota called the attention of the
Senate to the action of the Ca
tholic Association for Interna
tional Peace in bestowing its
1963 Peace Award on Teodoro
Moscoso, U.S. coordinator of
the Alliance for Progress
and said the choice of Moscoso
was "most appropriate.” Hum
phrey also placed in the Con
gressional Record (Oct. 1)
his address on Latin America
to the CAIP’s recent 36th an
nual conference, held here Sep
tember 26 to 28.
Training Course
WASHINGTON (NC) — The
National Council of Catholic
Men has published aMass com
mentator’s training course to
aid pastors in developing lay
participation in the liturgy.
NCCM executive director
Martin H. Work described the
course as "a unique program
for encouraging and revitaliz
ing parish liturgical participa
tion.”
The course was prepared by
the NCCM staff in collabora
tion with the national Liturgi
cal Conference.
It consists of six weekly
training sessions on such
themes as “The Structure
and Spirit of the Mass”, "How
to Read the word of God” and
"Why Should I Participate Ac
tively?”
Kits containing the course
materials for individual parti
cipants cost $5 each, and the
manuals for course directors
cost $1 each. The materials
are available from NCCM Pub
lications, 1312 Massachusetts
Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C.
20005.
1.8 Per Cent
Catholic
BATHURST, Gambia (NC)—
Catholics in Gambia, now a
self-governing British posses
sion, make up only 1.8 per cent
of the West African enclave’s
total population, although mis
sionary work started more than
a century ago.
Catholics number 5,044 in a
total population of 284,000. The
4,005-square-mile country is
predominantly Moslem. Gambia
has one Catholic diocese with
seven parishes, 15 priests and
23 Catholic schools.
Gambia, an enclave within
Senegal, achieved full internal
self-government (Oct. 4) but is
still a British possession, the
last in Africa. It consists of
the island of St. Mary at the
mouth of the Gambia River
which flows through Senegal and
a 10-mile strip of territory on
each side of the river.
Gambia’s economy is almost
entirely agricultural. The Gam
bia River is navigable through
out the country. There are
swamps along the river banks
and the rest of the country is
largely bush.
Receives Cardinal
VATICAN CITY, (NC) — His
Holiness Pope Paul VI has re
ceived in audience (Oct.3)
James Francis Cardinal McIn
tyre, Archbishop of Los Ange
les, Archbishop Egidio Vag-
nozzi, Apostolic Delegate in the
United States, and Father Ric-
cardo Lombardi, S. J., founder
of the Movement for a Better
World.
To “Disarm”
Papal Troops
VATICAN CITY, (NC) —Vat
ican authorities are studying
a plan to “disarm” papal
troops.
The study has been ordered
by His Holiness Pope Paul VI
to bring the appearance of the
papal guards—such as the Pala-
1 tine Guard of Honor, the Pinti-
tical Gendarmes, and the Noble
Guards—in line with the peace
ful nature of the Church.
Many of these groups carry
rifles or sabers in the normal
course of their duties during
liturgical functions in St. Pe
ter’s basilica and in the papal
apartments.
QUESTION BOX
(By David Q. Liptak)
Q. In a feature article on the
Church’s ecumenical councils
in last Sunday’s "New York
Times,” I was surprised to
learn that the date for Easter
was settled at the first Council
at Nicaea in 325. How is it that
the early Christians disagreed,
as to when the feast should be
celebrated?
A. The fact is that just before
the opening of the Council of
Nicaea in 325 there was a dis
pute—"a furious controversy”
in Msgr. Philip Hughes’ phrase
—as to when the Pasch should
be kept.
TOWARD THE CLOSE of the
second century two distinct tra
ditions were being observed;
one in the east, the other in
Rome and the West. Among the
Asiatics, the Pasch was cele
brated on the 14th of Nisan (the
opening month of the Jewish
calendar) which, according to
one manner of calculation, was
the day on which Christ was cru
cified. Rome, on the other hand,
celebrated Easter on the Sunday
following the 14th of Nisan.
OBVIOUSLY this conflict in
volved more than a discussion
as to date. To the Eastern
Church, the Pasch marked the
anniversary of the Last Supper
and the Crucifixion; while ac
cording to the Roman mentality
it commemorated the Resur
rection. Hence the debate was
characterized by profound lit
urgical aspects. And because
Easter is the central feast of
the Christian calendar, the de
bate was serious.
BEFORE THE TURN of the
second century, several re
sponsible attempts were made
to solve the conflict. In 155,
for example, St. Polycarp, a
bishop in Asia Minor, visited
Pope Anicetus with the hope of
negotiating a compromise. La
ter, Pope Victor I (190-98)
ordered a series of synods to be
held in the areas where the
question was causing the most
confusion. His mind was that
these synods should declare in
favor of the Roman tradition.
But the Asiatics declined to al
ter their own views. As a result
he censured the rebels. Har
mony was eventually restored
before the opening of I Nicaea,
largely through the efforts of St.
Irenaeus, the bishop of Lyons.
THE SUNDAY Easter date
was confirmed by the first ecu
menical congress, which ruled
that the feast should henceforth
be kept on the first Sunday fol
lowing the first full moon after
the Spring Equinox—a basic
ruling which is still in effect.
ALTHOUGH THE principle of
when Easter should be observed
was settled by I Nicaea, the
(Continued on Page 5)
The Southern Cross
P. O. BOX 180. SAVANNAH. GA.
Vol. 44 Thursday, October 10, 1963 No. 14
Published weekly except the last week in July and the
last week in December by The Southern Cross, Inc.
Subscription price $3.00 per year.
Second class mail privileges authorized at Monroe, Ga. Send
notice of change of address to P. O. Box 180, Savannah, Ga.
Most Rev. Thomas J. McDonough, D.D.J.C.D., President
Rev. Francis J. Donohue, Editor
John Markwalter, Managing Editor
Rev. Lawrence Lucree, Rev. John Fitzpatrick,
Associate Editors