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KSF-'A'-ev 4—THE CATHOLIC TIMES Friday. Jan. 27, 1956 THE CATHOLIC TIMES Published Every Week by The Catholic Times, Inc. Columbus. Ohio NOTICE: Send All Changes of Address to P. O. Box 636 Columbus Ohio Executive and Editorial Offices: 246 E. Town Street. Columbus 15. Ohio Address all communications for publication to O. Box 636 Columbus 16. Ohio Telephones: CA 4-5195 CA 4-5196 Price of The Catholic Time* is $3 pei rear. Al) lubseription* shculd be presented to our office through •he pastor* of the parishes. Remittance* should be made payable to the Cath »l»c Times. Anonymou* communication* will be disregarded. We do not hold ourselves responsible for any eiews »r opinion* expressed in the communications of our eorrespon dents. Entered aa Second Class Matter at Poet Office. Columbus Ohio. St. Francis de Sa!**. Patron of th* Cathohe Pres*. Pray for us I This Paper Printed by Union Labor Catholic Bible Week An excellent preview for Catholic Bible Week w held Sunday evening. January 15. Monsignor George Wolz. ST D., professor of Sacred Scrip ture al St. Charles Seminary, lectured there on the recently discovered Dead Sea manuscripts. The theater was filled for the fascinating story of the Arab boy’s discovery in a cave of the ancient jars containing the manuscripts. Solv ing the mystery of how they came to he there and their present ownership makes a story better than fiction. At least tw'o of the manuscripts are parts of the Bible the prophecies of Isaias. The hand written parchments seem Io date from Christs lifetime or very near. Photos of some of the text arc now published and they give us a fresh view of Gori’s rare for His Church for it is vivid proof that Gori has preserved the Scriptures substan tially the same through these often tumultous centuries. His revealed inspired documents, the Bible, ihould have suffered much in the copying by hand for centuries and the arguments over the texts —the human element that has handled the Bible. But here is evident proof that God has preserved in His Church the substance of His revealed document. Now if God has so done this, should we not be moved to a ereat appreciation an appreciation whereby we take up and read His Book’’ And if we don’t have a Bible in the home, now is the time to get nne, and Io start with the Gospel of St. Luke for easy and profitable reading. The Movie Problem It should be shocking news Io all decent American to know that more objectionable inov ing picture films were produced last year than in any other similar period over the past twenty years. There is just one question that must be in the minds of all in the matter: Is not the ban on censorship the cause for this disregard for de cency? laet it not be supposed that with the growth of television there are few people attending the movies Motion pictures still attract a large seg ment of out people, particular!) the youth of the nation, in their moments of relaxation Further, many of the objectionable movies find their way to the firesides o| families through the televi sion programs Every home is exposed to filth unless parents exercise almost a constant vigil for their young children. Ibis vigilance cannot be effective unless par ents keep acquainted with the quality of movies their children and thems'clvcs attend. This can he done by watching the ratings ol the Na tional tagion of Decency as published in the atholic Press Also available to schools and churches is the full idling of movies published regularly by the Legion II can be obtained from the national office The Iwgion also has available a compilation ol all pictures reviewed and classi fieri from February, 1936, to 1955. Since the law will not protect as it was in tended by the voters to do, it now is necessary for thr citizenry to take on the burden of con stant vigilance and care until such time as law yers become more inclined to defend the spirit and purpose of an enacted law' rather than Io display their intellectual acumen by slipping arniinri Us purpose through a pharasaical devo lion to the “letter of the law." Training for Christians Septuagesima Sunday is the opening of what may he called a period of transition between the rejoicing of the Christmas season and the aus terities of Lent So concerned im the Church that her children should spend Lent with full real izatinn of its importance and full cooperation in its spirit of prayer meditation and sell denial, that she begins, three weeks in advance, to ex plain its meaning and to arouse zeal for its worthy observance. The liturgy has led us in celebrating the birth of the Savior and has dwelt on the evidence nf His divinity, proving that He was. indeed, the Redeemer Who came into the world to save the people from their sins Ami now the Church prepares to present the solemn, yet glorious ac count of the actual work of Redemption His teachings, His sufferings, His cruel death and, at length. His glorious Resurrection She would have u.w give the most serious thought to what she pt about Io reenact for us, tor it has to do with the eternal happiness ol each individual, hence during lent she will call for lasting and other forms of penance, for earnest recollection, for abstinence Hom the pleasures of daily life. E'en now in anticipation of tanl she dons the violet vestments of penance ami silences the joyful Gloria ad the Alleluias of the Mass. The Ma-s ol Septuagesima Sunday begins with the lament of the Psalmist The pains of death surrounded me and in my affliction I called upon the Lord," and the cry for mercy continues in the Gradual: Thou dost not forsake them that •eek Ihce, O land For the poor man shall not be forgotten to the end The Gospel parable of the laborers in the vineyard is a re minder that God calls each person Io do his woik and that unfailingly His justice will pre vail and since Lent is unmistakably a time for doing Gods work the summons issued now, “early in the morning to go into His vineyard, demands compliance. Especially significant is the impressive Epistle Selection. in which St Paul calls upon us to pre pare for the struggle of life like the athlete pre pares for his encounters by abstinence, by framing by bringing the body into subjection Here is a stentorian call to decide, now, to spend Lent worthily. The centuries old annual observance of tant thows how thoroughly the Church appreciates the need ol a strut, regulated course of spiritual training to enable the Christian to meet the prob jems of life and if ever the need was obvious and pressing it is today when the world is full of complexities that will he solved only hy the almost in courage and wisdom and charity. In wigoratPri and inspired by an earnest conscient ious observance of tant. the humblest individual can play a noble part in building a better world. If you have the virtue of obedience you hav» all the other virtues. What you do because you like to do it is like a hlade of grass but the same thing that you do by obedience is like a bar of Gold.—Blessed Bernardino de Feltre. Fran ciscian missionary of the 15th century. Prayer is the little instrument whereby men put their words into the ear of God. Emily Dickinson (1830-1886). usl Among Ourselves Pasting Comment Considered or Inconsiderate The month of February is memorable to the citizen of America for its recall of the two great Presidents who, above others, established and preserved our government. In a true sense, Wash ington is the First Founder, and Lincoln the Second Founder of our national fabric. Appre ciative Americans never forget these eminent men. these beloved heroes of our people nor will their loyal countrymen allow their memory to grow dim. February is therefore a joyous month for the family of our nation. It is also a month of rejoicing for the spiritual family of the Church, indeed every month of the year is filled with gladness of spirit in the triumph of those whq have gone before us into heaven’s glory. And each day brings reminders, as keen to faithful minds and hearts as are the anniversaries of fa mous civic figures. In February we are reminded by the Church of the great Ignatius of Antioch, martyred at Rome in the early years of the second century of Andrew Corsini, the fourteenth century apostle of peace of Agatha, virgin and martyr, who died in the year 251. and who is still ardently invoked for protection against destructive fires. February recalls St. Titus, companion of St. Paul and St. Dorothy, virgin and martyr, be headed for the faith in the third century. The month brings to mind St. Romuald, founder of a branch of the Benedictine Order in the tenth century, a man of endless bravery in the con flict with evil, who, despite his constant trials, bore such a gracious countenance that all who looked upon him were uplifted with inner joy. February recalls the mighty ^5t. Cyril of Alex andria, Doctor of the Church, conqueror of the Nestorian heresy, who died in the middle years of the fifth century it recalls St. John of Matha, rescuer of Christians who had been enslaved hy infidels. February makes us rejoice in the memory of St. Scholastics, twin of the great St. Benedict, and foundress of the twin branch of the Benedict ine Order. The month calls up to memory the history of St. Peter founding the diocese of An tioch before God’s Providence brought him to establish his true place as Sovereign Pontiff in the capital city of Rome. February recalls Dam ian, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, in the eleventh century it recalls Matthias the Apostle, chosen, ordained, and consecrated, to fill the place in the Apostolic College left vacant by the defection of Iscariot. February brings back the record of the young Gabriel, devoted client of Our Lady, wondrous for penance and sell denial, who died at the age of twenty-four in 1862. This is a saint of modern times, canonized in 1920 by Pope Bene diet XV. And our thought of him impresses us anew with the truth that the Church is no ob server of the flight of time. Saints, ancient, medieval, and modern are all living and active members of the family of Christ, which is His Church they are with us here and now in the great work of mankind, which is the loving service of God. February is, in a notable way, a month of special honor to the Blessed Virgin, the Mother of God. On the second day of this month we re call the fact that the Immaculate Mother freely and humbly obeyed the Mosaic Law by conform ing to the ceremony of purification, she who is purest of all the natural children of Adam. On this day Mary went with the Blessed Joseph, to carry the Infant Savior to the Temple for the rite of Presentation The Church chooses this day and occasion for the blessing of candles to he used in her sacred ceremonies as we con template the Divine Child offered to His Eternal Father, we use the virginal wax as symbol of His human flesh, the wick as symbol of His human soul, and the living flame as symbol of His God head. On February 11, we have (he celebration of Our Lady's miraculous appearance in the grotto of taurdes in France. Here again is a marvel ous religious event of our ow n times, for it is still two years short of a century since the appari tions took place, witnessed by the little shepherd girl who is now venerated as St. Bernadette Soubirous. The Blessed Mother appeared to the child no fewer than eighteen times, coming first on February 11, 1858. and thereafter at short intervals. On the Feast of the Annunciation, March 25, 1858, the Holy Virgin named herself hy the glorious title of "the Immaculate Concep tion.” This title, known and used through all ages in the Church, was officially declared to ex press an essential doctrine of the Faith by the definition of December 8, 1854, just a little more than three years before the apparitions. The month of February is thus seen to he very rich in precious Catholic memories. Its wintry days may be bl?ak and dreary in our bod ily experience, but -they glow with light and warmth and beauty before the eyes of mind and sopl. They manifest the truih that our loving Mother Church cares nothing for weather, as she cares nothing for the flight oi time. She gathers her children ahoj her, regardless of whither their earthly rite was compassed by the first century or the twentieth she suffuses her spiritual household aith family joy, no mat ter what the time or season The appreciative Catholic finds in the round of leasts and commemorations that mark the days of all the year, a continuous occasion of that home-happiness for which the human heart is ever hungry. He takes part in an unending fam ily reunion, with now this brother or sister now that, winning his special attention. And always present to his view and his devotion is the Bless ed laird, true God and true Man, with Hi.- Holy Mother, St. Joseph, and patrons and guardian angel. We are dull indeed if we are not moved hy this unending round of festivals to a great love of the Faith and an ever renewed ardor in the service of God. And we are most unkind if. en joying the inexpressible richness of truly Catho lic life, we are not "instant in prayer in season and out of season" for the spread of this richness to the children of God who know noth ing of it. February ought to he a powerful stimulant to thr missionary spirit No one really appreciates the Faith until he is animated by zeal for the con version of souls. WASHINGTON LETTER WASHINGTON -Soviet Rus sia’s open bid for closer rela tions with l^it in American countries has brought official attention abruptly back to this hemisphere. It was expected that the Red leaders in Moscow would aim as many jabs as possible at the United States this year, -when we are engaged with national elections. It was not expected that the first blow would strike so close to home. We thought we had problems enough right here. It has not yet been settled whether Pres ident Eisenhower will seek a second term. A Congressional committee has warned that com munism is still a menace with in this country. Other Congress men have charged that “com munist-tainted’’ schools have received millions of U.S. tax dollars for training ex-G.I.’s. Debate raged over Secretary of State Dulles’ “brink of war" interview in a national maga zine, and some opponents sug gested that he be deposed. A former head of the Army disagreed in a public article with the Administration’s man power policy there was debate whether we could have tax re lief some people questioned whether the budget really could be balanced this year, and po litical speeches and moves were beginning to be made all over the place. Moscow must have concluded MONSIGNOR HIGGINS -..................~ I I .................f"' The New York Times report ed on Jan. 11 over the by-line of one of its labor specialists—. that William L. McGrath, pin to the Inter national La bor Organiza tion, has call ed upon Pres id e n Eisen hower to stop all United Slates partici pation in that agency. Mr. McGrath com plains that the 1 L.O. is violating its own constitution by giving three way representation employ er. employe, and government to the Iron Curtain countries, just as if their “employers” and “employes" were free agents. He also contends that the I.L.O. is stalling on this issue of com munist representation. Mr. McGrath ha voiced this double barreled complaint more than once in recent months, but never so vigorously as in the document summarized by the Times—a report apparently in tended for genera1 circulation. Fortunately, the employer or ganizations responsible for Mc Grath’s appointment as a dele gate to the I.L.O. (he has been a delegate since 1954 and was an employer advisor for several years before that) are not back ing him up all the way. Would Mak* Matters Wors* The National Association of Manufacturers and the Cham ber of Commerce are natural ly opposed to the seating of phony employer and worker delegates in the I.L.O. So are President Eisenhower and members of the U.S. delegation tn (he I.L.O. Anri so is the U S. labor delegate. The trouble is that Mr. Mc Your Move, Bulgy VOTE ■HERE on Pope's disarmament plan Point f-fl//nat/0n$ ha/tnuc/ear b/asts. Point 2~A//renouncenuc/earweapons. Point 5"Establish effective control of a/f armaments. Reds Bold Move in Latin America that this was an excellent time to strike. Newsmen in the So viet capital were summoned hastily to a press conference, hnd it was announced that the USSR offered full, diplomatic relations to all 21 of the Latin American republics, and that it would sell those countries much-needed agricultural ma chinery, machine tools, auto mobiles and “other types of capital equipment and ma chines.” 'This was an eye opener, but it did not mean that the Red plan for world domination was being forgotten elsewhere. Just three days later, returning from a world w ide inspection tour, U.S. Admiral Arthur W. Rad ford said he thought tension was “a little more acute” in the Middio East than in the Far East. But, as if to confuse the picture, the Reds on the Chinese mainland opened up their most furious bombard ment to date of Quemoy and neighboring islands. And this happened almost at the same time the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was making his observation about the Middle East being more acute. The least that can happen from the Red attempt to move into Latin America is to throw us off balance. At its worst the intrusion can confront us with the mos' serious threat we have yet had from Red aggression. At present, Soviet Russia has U anted Answer to ILO Problem Grath’s proposed solution to this problem would only make matters worse. He wants to throw the baby out with the bath. Whereas the U.S. labor delegate, George P. Delaney of the AFL-CIO, sensibly advo cates an amendment to the I. L.O. constitution as a solution to the problem of Communist representation. Mr. McGrath ad vocates immediate withdrawal of the United States from the organization. Cutting off Our Nos* As of this writing, the N.A.M. and the Chamber of Commerce have not committed themselves one way or the other. They have merely proposed that President Eisenhower appoint a commission to study the ques tion of U.S. participation in the I.L.O. Presumably the U.S. Gov ernment delegation favors Mr. Delaney’s realistic proposal. In any event, the Eisenhower Ad ministration, speaking through Secretary of tabor James Mit chell, has publicly disassociated itself from Mr. McGrath's point of view. Mr. Delaney who eats, drinks and sleeps I.L.O. and is one of its most effective dele gates is quoted by the New York Times as having said that withdrawal of U.S. employers and or the U.S. Gov ernment from the I.L.O., leav ing it to the tender mercy of the Communists, would be “ab surd.” We agree with Mr. Delaney one thousand per cent. To with draw from the I.L.O. would be to cut off our own nose to spite our face. Nothing could possi bly please the communists more. In the absence of the United States, they could the more easily and more success diplomatic relations with only four Latin American nations—■ Argentina, Mexico, Colombia and Uruguay. But it has been observed here on another oc casion that there is not one country in this hemisphere which has not had some pene tration by international com munism headed up in Moscow. Some of the penetration—as in Guatemala—has been pretty deep. It is thought here that we ought to be able to meet Rus sian economic competition, and to ward oil a great deal of the Soviet political propaganda, for we still have friends in Latin America. But our interest in Latin countries has been sporadic. And many in Latin Amer ica have been unable to understand why the United States has shown so much inter est in. and extended so much aid to Europe, the Middle East and the Far East, and has given comparatively little to the coun tries in this hemisphere. And some Latin Americans recall other days when the policy of the United States towards coun tries in Central and South America was less altruistic than it is today. Russia undoubtedly has weighed all of these things in announcing its hid for footholds in Latin Amer ican countries. Its move was bold, and calculated to cause us all the worry possible. fully use the I.L.O. as a sound ing board for their own propa ganda, to the embarrassment not oily of the United States but of every other country in the free world. Vatican's Attitude Catholics who are interested in this controversy, between Mr. McGrath on the one hand and Secretary Mitchell and De laney on the other, will want to keep in mind that the Holy See has been one of the I.L.O.’s strongest supporters from the very beginning of the organi zation. In November 1954 the Holy Father enthusiastically welcomed the members of the I.L.O. Governing Body in a spe cial audience at the Vatican and, echoing the sentiments of his predecessor, vigorously en dorsed the important work that they are doing for the cause of social justice. Moreover, as recently as Jan uary of this year, a French Jesuit, Father Joblin, was ap pointed to the staff of the I. L. 0. with the advice and con sent of the Holy See. It is to be hoped that the Catholics of the United States, following the lead of the Holy See in this respect, will con tinue to support the I.L.O. in spite of—or if you prefer, pre cisely because of—the fact that the organization is now con fronted with the problem which Mr. McGrath has done so much to publicize. This is admittedly a serious problem. But the rem edy Mr. McGrath prescribes, far from being an adequate so lution to the problem, would inevitably create a host of even more serious problems for the U.S. and every other country outside the Ruseian orbit. Inquiry Corner Father Healey 1 1 Q. I thought suicide kept a person from having Christian burial, but I’ve known several cases of suicides who were buried from- church. How come? A. If there is any serious doubt about the matter of Chris tian burial the bishop of the diocese is consulted and makes the final decision. Anyone who deliberately commits suicide cannot be given Christian buri al, but when the person s life has been exemplary (i.e. he is known as a good or very good Catholic) and there is good rea son to believe that he was not fully responsible at the time, Christian burial may be per mitted. Sometimes bad health will so disturb a person that he is not quite responsible for his actions and the suicide does not represent the serious sin which is the reason for refus ing Christian burial to some one. Others who are to be de nied Christian burial are less subject to such a doubtful state of mind: notorious apostates from the Faith, those who have left the Church for some ether church or to join the Masons, those who order their bodies to be cremated and public man ifest sinners. ((Canon No. 1240) Q. In a maternity case wnere mother or child can be saved but not both what course* of action would be sanctioned by the Church and why? A. There is much confusion in regard to the moral princi ple by which the Church, simply states .he natural moral law: “Thus, for example, to save the life of the mother is a most noble end, but the direct kill ing of the child as a means to this end is not licit." (Pope Pius XII. October 29. 1951) We cannot kill anyone (who is in nocent) in order to save some one else. We cannot do evil that good may come, for then we make ourselves as gods, knowing good and evil better than God Himself! There are cases w'here treatment may be given to the mother which may indirectly cause the death of the child, but such moral de cisions are to be made in con formity with Christian manuals and Catholic hospital codes. In such cases the mother might be said to be favored, but there is no moral possibility (for any person, Catholic or not!) of JOHN C. O'RRIEN In his recent book Profiles in Courage. Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts has raised anew the ancient ques tion as to whether a member Of Congr ess should act for the nation or for his state or district. tor many mem bers perhaps for a a o rity the question seldom ari s es. For the conscientious few, it often pre sents a complicated problem in ethics and anxious soul-search ing. Most of the lawmakers sim ply equate the well-being of their states or districts with the national welfare. They do not necessarily always believe that what is good for their districts is good for the nation, but often they do. believe, in any case, that the interests of their dis tricts usually are paramount. Best Insurance Against Retirement The average Congressman considers himself primarily a spokesman for the people of his district in their economic and political tilts with groups out side the district. While we may deplore this narrow concept of a Congress man’s duty, it is not difficult to understand why it is so wide ly held in the Senate and the House. Pleasing constituents is the best insurance against ear ly retirement to private life, and the chief aim of the aver age Congressman is re-election. As a practical politician the Congressman understands that he must stand ready to rise above principle if he is to re tain his seat. He may give lip service to the national plat form of his party. But he does so with the mental reservation that many of its planks are not for him. No Alienation of Affection He understands that the plat form was jigsawed together with the express aim of appeas ing or attracting groups whose interests, political or econom ic, conflict with the interests of the people in his own dis trict. In a showdown he knows it is safer to listen to the peo ple who elected him. From experience the law makers have learned that their success will depend more upon how effectively they serve the interests of their own districts than upon how they stand on key national interests. So, if it is at all possible, they avoid taking a position on issues that w'ould alienate their own districts. Consider Constituent* Thus, it happens that we of ten find sizable blocs of Con direct taking of the life of either to save the other. We have no right to take the life of any innocent person. As the Holy Father states “The life of an innocent person is un touchable. Any direct attempt or aggression against it is a violation of one of the basic laws without which men can not live together in safety.” Q. Who was St. Eugene? A. One of the earliest was St. Eugene of Paris, a fellow worker with St. Denis in the conversion of France. He waa martyred but the date is un certain. some placing him in the first, some in the third century. His feast day is No vember 15th. Pope St. Eugene I endured persecution and heresy, fighting for the poor and foi the integrity of the Faith in the seventh century, dying in Rome in 657 A. D. There 4s a St. Eugenia w'hose feast day is December 25th, for she was put to death on Christmas Day. 257 A. D. She was a distinguished Roman lady, learned in philosophy and the arts, converted by her slaves, Saints Protus and Hyacinth. There are several other saints of that name. Q. Is it a serious sin tn miss Mass on a holyday of ob ligation? A. Yes. If the failure to ful fill this obligation is deliberate it is a mortal sin, just as it is to miss Mass on Sunday There are certain grave reasons, of course, which would excuse a person, so that missing would be no sin at all. If a person is too ill to go or is taking care of someone who is sick or if something else really makes it impossible to go (e.g. being caught through no fault ot one’s own at a great distance from any church or be ing called on to do some urgent work which is absolutely nec essary and makes it impossible to go to Mass). This obligation is usually interrupted more freely on holydays than on Sun day because of th. non-observ ance of holydays like the As sumption in our country, but no Catholic is excused from at tending Mass unless it is really impossible to attend. Send questions to Father Ed ward F. Healey, Inquiry Cor ner, The Catholic Times, Box 636, Columbus (16) Ohio. Tried, Proven Axiom gressmen running out on the leaders of their party when the redemption of a k*y campaign pledge is at stake. The 1948 Democratic plat form, for instance, indorsed a fair employment practices act designed to eliminate discrimi nation against workers on ac count of race, creed or color. A majority of the American people probably would agree that social justice for Ameri cans as a whole demands the enactment of such an act. But how did the Congressmen from the Southern states line up when former President Truman asked for th? non-discrimina tion legislation? They got to gether and blocked it they vot ed as they believed their con stituents would want them to vote. Rarely Risk Political Neck Another program initiated and advocated by the Demo crats is the reciprocal trade program under which we give tariff concessions on foreign manufactures to enable friend ly countries to increase their trade with us. When we were trying to build up a defense alliance in Europe after the end of World War II, the State Department considered thin trade program one of its most potent weapons in the cold war with the Communists. In theory, at least, most Con gressmen subscribe to the die tum that “politics should stop at the water’s edge." But unless security of the nation is clearly at stake as in the Marshall plan for the containment of Communism few Congress men are willing to subordinate sectional interests to the wel fare of the nation. When the cry goes up that a tariff concession would ruin a local industry and put constitu ents out of a job, it is rare in deed to find a Congressman risking his political neck hy voting for the larger—the na tional interest. Parochial-Thinking Voter* Senator Kennedy cdhdemna such slavish subservience to popular whim. “The voters elected us,” he declares, refer ring to members of Congress collectively, “because they had confidence in our judgment and our ability to exercise that judgment in their own best in terests as part of the nation’s interests.” The experience of Congress men who have proceeded in this belief would hardly bear out the courageous Massachus etts solon. The thinking of our voters is mainly parochial. And until they broaden their hori zon, most of our lawmakers will continue to be guided by the trieri-anri proven axiom that it doesn’t pay to try to ba a statesman.