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I
Archdiocese of Atlanta
CATHOLIC
PRESS
MONTH
INTER-FAITH SCHOLARS
Rate Secularism
Greatest Threat
To Democracy
NEW YORK -<NC)— Secular
ism and materialism pose a
grave threat to American demo
cracy, a Catholic bishop, a
rabbi and a Congregationallst
minister have agreed.
Bishop John J. Wright of
Pittsburgh, Rabbi Louis Flnk-
elsteln of the Jewish Theolog
ical Seminary, New York, and
Robert E. Fitch of the Pacific
School of Religion, Berkeley,
Calif., express their views In
separate interviews published
In a pamphlet by the Center for
the Study of Democratic Institu
tions of the Fund for the Re
public here.
THE PAMPHLET Is one of a
series the center has published
in its study of "American char
acter." Donald McDonald, dean
of the College of Journalism at
Marquette University, Milwau
kee, conducted the Interviews.
Bishop Wright sees grounds
for "grave concern" at Im
plications of the U.S. Supreme
Court’s June, 1962, decision
barring official prayers and
rdllglous exercises from public
schools and at lower court de
cisions on laws dealing with
pornography, narcotics and
prostitution.
Warning about moral liber
alism, he said that forcing a
wide distinction between legal
ity and morality leaves the
nation open to a "dreadful har
vest" If the "glib dismissal
of any moral Implications in the
areas of legal obligation be
comes the permanent pattern
of our national law."
HE SAID "aggressive secul
arism" Is behind the trend
toward such a pattern. "They
forget," he said, "that unless
the Lord build, they labor in
vain who strive to build the
human city."
"We tend at the moment, I
think, to be too facile about
the overly sharp distinction be
tween what is legal and what
is moral. Sometimes the Su
preme Court seems too eager
to say that it cannot define
concepts like ‘blasphemy’ or
'obscenity* and so cannot rule
on questions involving these
concepts."
Bishop Wright said he fears
that "as excesses of author-
iatarianism historically lead to
-extremes of libertarian react
ion, so the present extremes
of libertarianism will lead to
a conservative reaction, even
a reactionary conservatism."
Rabbi Flnkelstein related se
cularism’s impact on public
education. "Our colleges," he
said, "are the seats of great
spiritual confusion."
Teaching religion in tax-sup
ported institutions is not per
mitted, he stated, although
teaching non-religion is per
mitted.
"SO A biologist can say that
he does not believe in God or
that he thinks man is an ‘ac
cident.’ But if a religious per
son said that biology cannot be
understood without reference
to a wise Creator, he might be
fired for trying to ‘indoctri
nate’ his pupils."
and responsibility" which he
said is basic to Christianity.
"A secular ldoltary of demo
cracy is as damnable a thing as
a secular idolatry of any other
kind of government," Fitch de
clared.
"IT IS fundamental to the
religious heritage, whether
Jewish, Catholic or Protestant,
that our loyalty to God is high
er than our loyalty to the gover
nment and that the govern
ment...standi under the criti
cism—not the authority—of the
Supreme Commandment of
God," he said.
Fitch rated 1960 a "turning
point" in the moral condition
of the nation.
"1 THINK the moral break
down of the past 40 years has
about run its course. I visit
college campuses and I talk
to students. I have a feeling
that they are turning once again
to a regard for moral law,
for standards and principles.
"Very young parents today
are not as permissive as their
parents were. They believe in
certain standards of behavior
that have to be enforced."
POPE APPROVES
Mother Seton
Beatification
Set March 17
PRESS MARTYR A new commission has been formed at the
S! r ^ e c te o h0 u 8 w of In Washington aimed at acquaint
ing L. S. Catholics with the life of a prlost who died in a Nazi
concentration camp because he urged American Catholic
editors to denounce Nazism. Father Titus Brandama, 0. Carm.,
shown above in his prison garb, was a spiritual director of
the Catholic Journalists' Society of the Netherlands. He was
sent to Dachau where he died six months later.
VOLUNTEERS READY
Archdiocesan Census Plans
Completed For March 3
Dean bitch also attacked se
cularist tendencies in Ameri
can life, but he was confident
that there is a trend away
from them and toward an "af
firmation of human freedom
The Laity of the Archdiocese
have responded in full mea
sure to the call for volunteers
for the census on March 3.
This was reported this week
to the Executive Committee by
Father John D. Stapleton, Pas
tor of St. Jude Parish and cen
sus co-chairman.
Father Stapleton said:
"Every parish and miss ion in
the Archdiocese has met the
challenge afforded by the Ar
chdiocesan Census and 5,000
men and women are ready to
make their door to door calls
on Sunday, March 3rd, between
the hours of 2 and 6. Pastors,
Parish Chairmen, and Captains
have divided their areas and
assignments have been given to
the individual Census Takers.
From every indication the pre
paration in every parish has
been thoroughly accomplished.
"Laymen attending the area
meetings in Atlanta, Rome,
Griffin and Athens represent
ing every parish and mission
of the Archdiocese have dis
played a tremendous enthu
siasm and interest in this most
important project. Many have
voiced their gratitude that they
have been given this opportu
nity to play a most important
role in this endeavor which w ill
have a great bearing on the fu
ture of the Church in the Ar
chdiocese.
"All Census material will be
delivered to Parish chairmen
and Deanery areas by Sunday,
February 24. Each Census
worker will have an identifica
tion card signed by the Most
Reverend Archbishop stating
that he is the representative of
the Archbishop. Census work
ers will make their calls in
pairs. One worker will ask the
information and the other will
record the information on the
Family Card.
"By Sunday, March 3, all At
lanta will know that the Catholic
Church is taking this Census.
The Publicity Committee head
ed by Mr. Lewis F. Gordon,
Jr., and Mr. Jack Spalding,
Editor of the Atlanta Journal
have arranged news stories for
the secular press, spot radio
announcements as well as an
nouncements on TV.
willingness
every way.
to cooperate in
"A letter has been sent
Archbishop Hallinan to many of
the Protestant Churches of the
area requesting an announce
ment of the Census from their
pulpits. Several members
the Protestant Clergy have al
ready expressed their gracious
by
of
"When the totals are all in on
March 4 and have been trans
cribed to IBM cards the Church
in the Archdiocese of Atlanta
will have the most accurate in
formation on the number of Ca
tholics in this area that it has
ever had. The Archbishop and
the consultors of the Archdio
cese will have accurate and
valuable information to aid them
in planning for the future needs
of the Archdiocese.
"The success of the Census
depends on the prayers of the
Priests, religious and laity and
on the generosity of all. The
priests, religious and laity of
the Archdiocese of Atlanta are
few in number but great in qua
lity. # *
VATICAN CITY (NC)-The
Sacred Congregation of Rites
in the presence of His Holiness
Pope John XX1I1 has approved
the authenticity of miracles ob
tained through the intercession
of two U. S. citizens.
They are Mother Elizabeth
Bayley Seton, foundress of the
Sisters of Charity in the U.S.,
and the Ven. John Nepomucene
Neumann, C.SS.R., Bishop pf
Philadelphia from 1852 to 1860.
MOTHER Seton will be beati
fied on March 17 and become
the first native citizen of the
U. S. to be declared officially
"blessed." Bishop Neumann, a
native of what is now Czechos
lovakia, is expected to be bea
tified on June 23. An official of
the Congregation of Rites said
definitely he will not be bea
tified on March 19 as reported
by U, S. news agencies.
Papal decrees proclaiming
that true miracles have been
worked through Mother Seton
and Bishop Neumann are ex
pected to be issued shortly.
Another decree for each stating
it is safe to beatify them will
follow as a formality.
THE miracles worked
through Mother Seton are the
healing of Sister Gertrude Kor-
zendorfer of New Orleans of a
cancer of the pancreas on Feb
ruary 1, 1935, and the curing
of Ann Teresa O’Neill of Bal
timore of acute lymphatic leu
kemia in April, 1952.
The miracles attributed to
the Intercession of Bishop Neu
mann are the cure of J. Kent
Lenahan of suburban Philadel
phia, who suffered a fractured
skull and multiple internal in
juries in an automobile acci
dent in 1949, and the cure of
Eva Benassi of Sassuolo, Italy,
of acute peritonitis in 1923.
Bishop Neumann was born in
Prachtitz, Bohemia, on March
28, 1811. He went to the U. S.
as a seminarian in 1836, was
ordained the same year for the
New York diocese and sent to
work among German Catholics
in Niagara Falls, N. Y., a wide
spread parish where he built
dozens of churches and schools.
The first resident priest in the
area, he traveled widely
throughout upper New York
state and made the first Catho
lic contact with many of the In
dians still living there.
IN 1840 he entered the Re-
demptorist Order. From that
time until 1852 he ‘traveled
throughout a number of states
giving missions and retreats,
building schools and churches,
He also served in Pittsburgh
and Baltimore, where he was
rector of the Redemptorist pa
rish of St. Alphonsus when he
was named Bishop of Philadel
phia in 1852.
In Philadelphia he set up the
country’s first diocesan school
system and established the 40
Hours Devotion on a permanent
basis. He founded scores of new
parishes. Fluent in 10 lan
guages, he was noted for his
work among immigrants.
On January 5, 1860, he col-
lspsed and died while walking
along a street near his cathe
dral.
TO MANKIND
ARCHBISHOP Josyf Sllpyl of Lviv, recently released from
Siberia, Joins Pope John XXIII in the Pope’s private chapel
for a prayer of thanksgiving. When the Archbishop, who is
the only one of 11 Ukrainian bishops to survive the Red pri
son camps, entered the Popo’.s study the Pontiff attempted
to embrace him, but the 75-year-old prelate insisted upon
prostrating himself in oriental fashion.
Stevenson Lauds Pontiff
For Guidance, Counsel
• A h T ° bs f e "* nc ' oi NatlonaI N «* r ° W-k at Wayne State University. Detroit,
he U , W /r, f' mambers of the flrst "iUglous congregation of Negro Sisters in
h US " received a citation for their part in the advancement of their people. Shown accepting
Our Ladt O? Vlr, s S' Prlan <le '' Ce,ltcr) “ nd M °' her Mary P «h both on the st£f of
Our Lady of Victory School, Detroit. Richard V. Marks (left), executive secretary of the Mayor’s
txssszssst^ss^ - •• -k-sk
NOTRE DAME, Ind. (NC)—
Adlal E. Stevenson paid tri
bute here to His Holiness Pope
John XXIII as a foremost world
leader.
The U.S. Ambassador to the
United Nations, who was pre
sented with the tenth annual
Patriotism Award of the Uni
versity of Notre Dame’s sen
ior class, said "of all the lead
ers in the world at this moment
seeking to give guidance and
counsel to the human race, I
know of none who so radiates
a sense of paternal regard for
all God’s children as Pope John
XXIII."
“AGAIN and again," Steven
son said, "he returns to this
concept of ’the human family’
—■’the sons of God, ’ 'the bro
therhood of all mankind.’ Whe
ther he is inviting all men of
good will to pray for spiritual
unity or pleading with all weal
thy nations to acknow ledge their
physical obligation to the less
fortunate, one feels that before
his eyes the vast restless spe
cies of mankind appears indeed
as a true family—troublesome,
no doubt, confused, bewildered,
easily misled, easily cast down,
but one which must be loved and
sustained and treasured as pa
rents love their family and pa
triots their land.
"He adds, in short, the extra
dimension of a universal pa
triotism which makes the bro
therhood of man not a cliche,
but a living, burning truth,"
the Ambassador said.
THE AMBASSADOR empha
sized the difficulty in being a
patriot these days lies not in
loving one’s country "but with
loving one’s country in the right
way."
"The patriots are those who
love America enough to wish to
see her as a model to mankind",
Stevenson said. "They love her,
of course, as she is, but they
want the beloved to be more
lovable. This is not treachery.
This, as every parent, every
teacher, every friend must
know, is the truest and noblest
affection."
THE AMBASSADOR said this
nation will survive "only at
the price of perpetual and pa
triotic vigilance". He said:
"This discriminating and vigi
lant patriotism is all the more
necessary because the world
at large is one in which a sim
ple, direct, inward-looking na-
BY BISHOP
tionalism is not enough."
Ibe award was presented to
Stevenson at the university’s
traditional exercises comme
morating Washington’s Birth
day. A highlight of the annual
ceremony is thepri sentationby
the senior class to the univer
sity of an American flag which
is flown for the first time on
the seniors’ graduation day.
U.S. Foreign Aid
Chang es Urged
NEW ORLEANS-(NC)—Poli
cy changes in the nation’s fore
ign aid programs were suggest
ed here by speakers at a region
al meeting of directors of the
1963 Bishops’ Relief Fund ap
peal.
Bishop Edward E. Swans-
trom, executive director of Cat
holic Relief Services—National
Catholic Welfare Conference,
said one weakness in the pro
gram is "failure to bring help
down to the level of people in
the towns and villages in the
underdeveloped and emerging
countries."
"AID programs that operate
exclusively on a government-
to-govemment level cannot
easily accomplish this," the
Bishop said. "Programs con
ducted by American voluntary
agencies, such as CRS-NCWC,
can and do. Theirs is foreign
aid that improves social and
economic conditions by getting
down and working on the vil
lage level. This is the sort of
foreign aid that we arc- asking
Americans, and especially
American Catholics, to support
and increase by giving to the
1963 Bishops’ Relief Fund ap
peal.
The Bishop said that while
there is no minimizing the in
estimable value of the U. S.
government’s far-flung foreign
aid programs, "one of the weak
nesses which 1 have noted inthe
L.S. foreign aid programs, and
one which I have urged the
administration and members of
Congress to amend, is their re
peated failure to bring help
down to the level of people in
the towns and villages in these
underdeveloped and emerging
countries."
Freedom Medal
To Bishop
VALLEY FORGE, Pa.-(NC)-
A Catholic Bishop and a mon
signor are among clergymen
cited here by the Freedoms
Foundations for 1962 sermons
in which the nation’s need for
spiritual values was stressed.
Named for George Washing
ton Honor Medal Awards and
3100 each wt_-re Auxiliary Bis
hop Philip M. Hannan of Wash
ington and Msgr. Joseph B.
Coyne of Silver Spring, Md.,
a Washington suburb.