editorial
Free Expression
“God created every person to be a special kind of Saint.” Fa
ther Thomas Merton remarks in one of his numerous books. One
of the unrecognized wonders of God’s creation is the unique in
dividuality of the human person. Of the billions of people now
listing—and of all who ever existed—no two are totally alike.
jun reasonable organization of human society must take into ac
count the Divine gift of the matchless individuality of each per
son. The personal calling and singular set of talents inherent in
each man provide a variety of viewpoints to every topic that con
fronts human society.
Personal vocation and individual talents cannot flower ex
cept in an organized society; thus the principle of authority is
a natural corollary to personal fulfillment. There must be a
center about which man can organize and exercise his God-given
talents. The delicate balance between authority and authoritar
ianism, between individual and community is difficult to achieve
and maintained only by experiment, patience and charity. The
flow of time, the force of history and technological achievements
constantly demand the creation of new approaches and structures
that will foster human development in an orderly manner. The
Church is now in an age when major changes in government, lit
urgy and organization are being made to meet the changing
times. There remains that immutable command to preach Christ
and to serve the needs of the people He created; but equally
immutable is the command to adapt and be relevant to the cul
ture and the age in which we live.
One of the areas in which the adjustment is gradually taking
place is that of expressing viewpoints which may differ from
that of ecclesiastical authority. The “Wall Street Journal” in a
front page article alludes to this new development within Church
publications. And this refers not only to Catholic publications
but papers and journals within all denominations are using this
new found freedom to be outspoken on controversial issues. Like
any freedom it must be exercised in a responsible manner; it
must have as its basic aim the encouragement of community and
personal development. Whatever the differences may be about
its manner and the substance of the issues discussed, in an age
when communication is so instant and available the full expres
sion of individual views cannot be denied. The action of Car
dinal Concha of Colombia reported by the NCWC News Service
on this page is an anomaly in our age. Viewpoints may be argued,
they may be condemned, they may be exposed as fads, but the
expression of them cannot be denied.
We can be proud of the efforts that the Church in the United
States has made to adjust to this new reality in our society. There
is still progress to be made but there is available within the
structure of the Church itself some organ where the major po
litical and theological viewpoints—and their various shadings—
find some expression. Our efforts should not be directed to
suppression and elimination but to understand the thoughts of
our brothers within the Church.
Rights Demonstrations
l Ranger to Freettown
DALLAS — (RNS) — The president of the nation’s largest
Negro denomination, assailing “so-called non-violent” civil rights
efforts, charged that they have endangered basic freedoms. He
also claimed that recent demonstrations in Chicago set back
race relations there 50 years.
Dr. Joseph H. Jackson of Chicago, president of the National
Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Inc., told a press conference held
in connection with the denomination’s annual convention here
that “some historic gains in the civil rights struggle and in the
victory for freedom have been made in the last 12 years.” But,
he added, “we have also witnessed the use of some methods
that have disregarded the just laws of the land, and have in
some cases tended to deny and negate some of the historic free
doms that we already possess.”
In a prepared statement, Dr. Jackson attacked “some so
called militant groups who demand that the patriotism of all
Americans be determined by their attitude towards direct action
or demonstrations. People who are not committted to the above
are frequently denied the right and the freedom of speech. They
may be picketed, interrupted in their speech on public platform,
threatened by a mob, villified and given many debasing titles
because they insisted on the freedom of speech.”
Similarly, he continued, “churches are being attacked and
picketed because there are preachers in the pulpit who will
not use their religious faith to help certain people raise money
to carry on programs of direct action against other segments
of the community.”
According to Dr. Jackson, “Many people talk quietly against
certain extreme demonstration, but they are afraid to make
their position known” for fear of reprisals against their business,
their homes or even their person.”
ifumiiitmlSl
NORTH CAROLINA CATHOLIC
The Weekly North Caroline Catholic Newspaper of Newt and Views
Served by N.C.W.C. News Service and NC Photos—Member of
Catholic Press Association—Associate Member North Carolina
Press Association, P.O. Box 9503, Raleigh, N.C.
, (Incorporated under name of North Carolina Catholic Laymen'! Associa
tion.) The North Carolina Catholic does not necessarily reflect officiol posi
tions of this Association nor the official position of the Catholic Church In
matters outside the field of faith and morals.
Indiana.
Second Class postage paid at Huntington, -
, Entered at the Post Office in Huntington, Indiana, U.S.A., at the rate
of postage provided for In Section 1103 of the United States Act of October
3, 1912 and of February 28, 1925. . „ , , „„
Circulation office at Nazareth, telephone TEmple 3-5295.
Editor
H. C. X. MalhoUand §
Advertising _
Subscription Rate
Mr. John F. Hogan i
.$4.00 per year f
September 25, 1906
Volume XXI, No. 50
. . when you assemble as a Church, I hear that there are divisions among
you; and I partly believe it, for there must be factions among you in order
that those who are genuine among you may be recognized/ Cor. 11-18
Colombia Curtlinal Closes Paper
By Jose Ignacio Torres
(N.C.W.C. News Service)
BOGOTA, Colombia — Luis Cardinal Concha
Cordoba of Bogota ordered the unprecedented clos
ing of Colombia’s most authoritative and important
Catholic paper, El Catolicismo.
A communication from the cardinal arrived at
the weekly’s editorial offices shortly after the latest
edition had come from the presses. The prelate’s
note ordered the paper closed down and demanded
the resignation of its two directors, Fathers Mario
Revollo Bravo and Hernan Jimenez Arango.
Cardinal Concha, editor of the paper during the
1920’s, accused the paper of causing “real evil”
among the Catholics of the country, and added that
it was “growing increasingly improper.” The cardi
nal continued:
“Many times there have come to my ears echoes
of the surprise, uncertainty, and anguish caused
among many Catholic readers by the attitude of
articles regularly published in El Catolicismo. These
articles become more pointed when we realize that
the paper is generally considered as the voice of
the archbishop of Bogota.”
“It is clear,” the prelate told the priest-editors,
“that the ideological orientation which you have
given to the newspaper recently has grown increas
ingly improper, and as archbishop I feel it my duty
to intervene.
“You know too that I am in serious disagree
ment with you over those points that are upsetting
the faithful. In my role as teacher, which has been
given to me by the Church and ratified by the
Second Vatican Council, I have the duty and the
right to impede any publication causing evil among
Catholics.”
The action by Cardinal Concha has caused an
uproar in Colombia, and-has produced much com
ment in the secular press. Every newspaper has
registered its surprise at the closing, and public dis
cussion has spilled over into radio and television.
Noted now for its progressive content and its
eagerness to apply the teachings of the Second Vati
can Council, the paper has been part of a sharp
division splitting the Colombian Church.
Explicit in its commentaries on what it believes
to be the Church’s shortcomings, El Catolicismo cri
ticized the cardinals recent visit to Colombia’s Pres
ident Carlos Lleras Restrepo.
Neither the cardinal nor the president has
made any move to revise the Concha Law, one of
the matters dividing Catholics here. The law, drawn
up by the cardinal’s father while serving as ambassa
dor to the Holy See, demands that Catholics who
marry outside the Church be reported to Church
authorities by the official performing the marriage.
Formal excommunication follows.
Cardinal Concha, described by some as the most
conservative of Latin America’s prelates, is thought
by some Colombians to be heavily influenced by a
sm ' group of intransigent advisors.
Approaching his 75th birthday, the cardinal is
continuously affected by illness. His age and health
prompted some papers to speculate that he might re
tire at 75 in accord with Pope Paul Vi’s recommen
dation in the motu proprio, Ecclesiae Sanctae. Car
dinal Concha quashed the rumors with the terse
announcement, “I have not given, nor will I give,
any thought to retiring.”
Notice of the closing of El Catolicismo has
brought together a group of prominent lay Catholics
eager to enlist both laymen and priests in the found
ing of a new Catholic journal devoted to furthering
the teachings of the Second Vatican Council in Col
ombia.
Interviewed after the announcement of El Cato
licismo’s closing, its directors said that they in no
way felt any guilt over the paper’s policies or ar
ticles.
Father Mario Revollo Bravo commented to an.
interviewer, “Don’t ask me how I feel as a journal-'
ist; just ask me how I feel. I am completely at
peace, because I have worked in accord with my
conscience.”
Censorship Needed
SYDNEY — (RNS) — Roman Catholic bishops
of Australia, in a joint pastoral letter, condemned
“enticements to evil” tempting youths and urged
“watchful and reasonable” state censorship of books,
magazines and films.
They said that a censorship agency is necessary
“to supplement the efforts of family, school, church
and similar groups.”
The letter was entitled “The Moral Code” and
emphasized the observance of the Ten Command
ments. In it the bishops also referred to:
—Widespread indulgence in alcoholic liquor
that cannot be regarded as “an intelligent use of a
dangerous thing.”
—Modern society’s encouragement of young
people to abandon chastity rather than to value it.
—The right of the state to inflict capital pun
ishment or to engage in a just war.
—The alarming fall in the Australian birthrate
and the sharp rise in the sales of “the so-called
birth-control pill.”
Concerning censorship, major subject discussed
by the bishops and a controversial topic throughout
Australia over the last few years, the letter ob
served that “parents and teachers find it most diffi
cult to train children and young people to decency
and purity while enticements to evil are spread be
fore them on all sides.”
The bishops cited the press, television and
movies as being “all guilty in this matter and having
grave responsibility.”