The Cross

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Part of The Cross

Title: The Cross
Description: CROSS National Catholic Magazine
Official bi-monthly organ of the KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS in the Philippines, K of C, Gen. Luna cor. Sta. Potenciana St. Intramuros, Manila
Issue Date: Volume III (Issue No.9) August 1948
Year: 1948
Language: English
Rights
Place of publication: Manila
extracted text: AMANDO M. DALISAY COLLECTION THE i ll Hi t1 NATIONAL tlllvUM MAGAZINE Regina Bldg., Escolta, Manila, Philippines ■tL.. , __.» iON aHW£Y1948 WRi 12 1982-9 TABLE OF CONTENTS EDITORIALS: More Kindly Than Christ ................. 4 Wanted: Straight, Not Modern Thinking ....................... 5 ARTICLES: Action Now! .... Luis Miciano, S.J. 9 That Hearing on Divorce Felicidad de Silva ............................. 19 So! You’re In Love ............................... 43 Between Us Only . . . Gabriel Garcia 47 Hollywood Looks at a Star Eddie Doherty ................................... 55 SHORT STORY: I Was Not Fired Augusto H. Piedad ......................... 37 POETRY: White Crosses .. Ma. Lourdes Gaston 26 DEPARTMENTS: Thinking With The Cross ................. 23 Heart to Heart .......... Lily Marlene 27 What’s On Your Mind? Brother Edward .......................... 35 Newsmonth ........................................... 57 From the Bookshelves: XX ............... 61 Cross Currents of Readers’ Views . . 63 KC SUPPLEMENT: KC Plans For 1948-1949 Justice Manuel Lim ......................... 31 Associate Editors Mario T. Gatbonton Augusto H. Piedad Business Manager Raul C. Reyes Board of Editors Antonio Estrada Hermenegildo B. Reyes Nicolas Zafra Enrique F. Lumba Contributing Editors Salvador Araneta Miguel Cueneo Pacita Santos Renato Arevalo THE CROSS is a Catholic publication issued monthly by THE CROSS MAGAZINE with the permission of the ecclesias tical authorities. Contributions to the Cross are welcome, pro vided they are in line with the in duplicate and accompanied by return postage: otherwise no return will be made in case of rejection. Subscription rates: One year — local: P4.00 ; for eign: $3.00. Printed at Cacho Hermanos, Inc. 672 Legarda, Manila. Registered as second class mail mat*' •* ,x- Manila Post Office. editorial comment MORE KINDLY THAN CHRIST About one fact the world is in wonderful accord. It is that Jesus was the gentlest of men, with unequalled sympathy for human needs and problems. He himself appealed to this as His outstanding char acteristic when He sent His credentials back to John the Baptist: Tell him that “the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are made clean, the deaf hear, the dead rise again, and the poof have the Gospel preached to them.” And since Christ, men have felt that the perfection of human pity ■was to be found in the following of Christ, that to be like Him was to reach the acme of human tenderness. But we find that this was WTong. We find that the quality of Christ’s mercy was strained, that others will outdo Him in kindness, will reveal Him as lacking in pity, that certain Filipino women, among them the Women Lawyers’ As sociation of the Philippines, the WILOCI and the PAUW, will outChristian Christ. For in Christ’s time there were unhappy homes, wives who were matched with husbands a little below their maiden dreams, husbands hitched to mates very far from the perfect consort. Yes, even in Christ’s time marriage was not always a bed of roses. And Yet, Christ, More Hard-Hearted Than These Kindly Women Refused to provide divorce as a remedy for these cases, Christ, less generous than they, considered these unions, and not only refused to grant divorce but actually tightened up on existing legislation. But new Messiah have arrived, more kindly than Christ, more wise in human affairs. They will make family life more happy, family peace more secure. But will they? Legislators have thought so in France and the United States. Is the family happiness and the family peace of -these countries to be the goal of these “modern-thinking" woaiait iPhora Can Be Only One Explanation of a Divorce Law. It Means of Christianity. It means a refusal to accept Christ’s fact makes recurrent annual attempts at a passage of something more than a manifestation of ignorance of 4 AUGUST, 1948 history and sound government. They are betrayal of Christ. No doubt the people proposing these laws have given up all pretenses of Christianity. But for Catholics the Question Was Settled By Christ. “For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother and shall cleave to his wife. And they shall be in one flesh. Therefore now they are not two but one flesh. What God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.” Mk. 10, 7. WANTED: STRAIGHT, NOT MODERN THINKING Writing on divorce in her daily column, a local woman writer un knowingly formulates the great Filipino heresy of our day. Common to both our “modern” intelligentsia and our “modern” hoi polloi, this heresy has seeped into our way of life like a malignant cancer eating into the marrow of our Christian civilization. Writes the woman col umnist: "In the open discussions regarding the proposed Civil Code, the women showed varied opinions, the more modern-thinking ones ad vocating, naturally, changes in keeping with modern living and act ing, those schooled in the old ways believing that radical alterations in our marriage laws are not necessary, and are even apt to be harm ful. “...the persons who prepared the revisions took cognizance of the greater freedom in the social moves of our people today when they in troduce what would be natural complements to such a freedom. The liberalization of the divorce laws, for instance, is a mere logical ac ceptance of the possible consequences of our own assimilation of modern ways of thinking and living—and even reading—for our young men and women.” (Bolds ours) Briefly, the heresy is this: “Whatever is in keeping with modern thinking and living is right.” Modern thinking we are to understand, is that which insures the “greater freedom in the social moves of our people tyjday.” And freedom? Let’s not fool ourselves. License! Translated into the lingo of the “modern” Filipino hoi polloi, the "history and sound government. They are a betrayal of Christ. No division superintendent has it: “The' unquestioning acceptance of American tradition milestoned the emergence of the common man in the Philippines.” (Bolds ours) THE CROSS Arguing in good syllogistic form then, our “modern thinking” in telligentsia would say: “Whatever is in keeping with modern thinking and living is right. But divorce (which insures freedom for mismated couples) is in keeping with modern thinking and living. Therefore divorce is right.” With our “modern-thinking” hoi polloi the syllogism would take this form: “Whatever comes from America is good. Divorce comes from America. Therefore Divorce is good.” LESSONS IN LOGIC It is not hard to predict where this maelstrom of modern thinking would lead to. Substitute, for instance, the following minor premises in the above syllogisms and draw your own happy conclusions. But shooting mothers-in-law (for greater freedom),is in keeping with modern thinking and living. Ergo. But keeping a circle of queridas (greater freedom) is m keeping with modern living. Ergo. But suicide (freedom from misery) is in keeping with modern thinking and living. Therefore. But euthanasia (freeing useless people frojn pain) is in keeping with modern thinking and living. Ergo. But birth control (freedom from the burden of children) is in keep ing with modern thinking and living. Ergo. But immoral films come from America. Ergo. But indecent magazines come from America. Ergo. But gangsterism comes from America. Therefore. But alcoholism comes from America. Ergo. And so forth and so on. In fact you can justify almost anything under the sun with such a major premise. The only trouble with this modern thinking is that it is neither “modern” nor is it “thinking”—real thinking, that is. IT ISN’T THINKING Thinking to be' real must be straight. And logical. Straight think ing comes from a clean cut grasp of the ideas (or the terms) involved. Without this knowledge the thinker, be he modern or old-fashioned, would be lost in the vague land of verbiage. AUGUST, 1948 The man who boasts of “modern-thinking” loves to talk in long, misty words and phrases the meaning of which he little understands. He glories in speaking, for instance, of the “age of progress” and “broadmindedness”, of "ideologies” and “greater freedom”, of “liberal tendencies” and “culture”, of “higher education” and “modern civiliza tion”. But pin him down to an exact definition of any of these terms. You will be surprised how little he can satisfy truth. There is another fine, round, handsome word: Truth. But let’s study the word: "progress”. Modern thinking implies progress. One of our eminent educators once declared: "The public school has become the center around which our progressive life rotated.” Our progressive life indeed! Years ago our forbears studied the rudiments of writing and read ing besides the Catechism. Today we "master” in so many high sound ing sciences. Yet we have more social .problems. Is that progress? Years ago our grandfathers fought with bolos and spears. Today we go into battle armed with machine guns and Mustangs. Yet we have more wars. Is that progress? Years ago our forefathers lived in simple “bahay kubos.” Today we stay in concrete houses trimmed with all the conveniences and fa cilities of modern life. But we have fewer homes. Is that progress? Years ago our grandmothers lived almost cloistered social lives. Today our modern Maria Claras enjoy “greater freedom in their social moves”. And we have more prostitutes. Can this be progress? Oh, I admit the telephone and the radio, the jet plane and tele vision, the skyscrapper and the dictaphone — all these are phases of material progress. But can progress in particular stand for progress in general? Now take the word: “broadminded”. Modern Maria simply has to go in for the fashion of her day — strappless, backless, bare midriff, front slits, side slits, the new look — away with modesty! Shucks! It’s just being broadminded! Or take “freedom”. But — of misty words there’s no end. The modern-thinking Filipino should take a good solid course in logic — and spend the semester in merely defining terms, acquiring distinct ideas. Otherwise, let him — be he a columnist or a member of the Code Commission — keep quiet! For he won’t know what he is talking about. THE CROSS IT ISN’T MODERN Behind the "modern-thinking” that we must swallow everything in keeping with modern life is the belief that everything changes ac cording to time, place, persons, circumstances, etc. Our woman columnist, for example, continues: “A way of life such as was followed by our mother and grand mother may not call for the corresponding changes introduced by the Civil Code. But an acceptance of another way of life and a refusal to accept concomitant supplementary changes in other customs inevitably called for seems illogical.” (Bolds ours) In other words, what was right for “Iola” may not be right for her "apo” and vice versa. Notice the writer’s careful use of the word customs. Not morals, mind you. To these modern thinkers the two words are synonymous. That is why to them morality changes with the times like the fashion of women’s dresses. This belief is not modern at all. It is as old as Protagoras who formulated the creed of relativists, like Siger of Brabant of the 13th century and Bertrand Russell of the 20th, when he proclaimed: "Man is the measure of all things.” From this principle it is not a very far fetched conclusion that “Truth (and consequently morals) is rela tive, i.e. dependent on and variable with time, place, age, persons, environment, etc.” Our Filipino heretics .would say: "Whatever is in keeping with modern thinking and living is right.” Little do . they know that the bubble—relativism—has been exploded a thousand times by the only permanent thing in the world: Truth. PERFECT? A rather sceptical non-Cathonc accused the Church of childish incredulity for believing that miracles were so com mon. Visiting Rome once, he attended a commission investigat ing an alleged miracle of a candidate for canonization. He was amazed at the strictness of the testimony, later told one of the Cardinals that he never knew how hard it was to be a saint. The Cardinal asked him what he thought of the proof. “Perfect!” answered the sceptic. “Any law court would have accepted it as conclusive.” The Cardinal’s eye twinkled as he slowly replied: "The Commission rejected it as insufficient!” ACTION NOW! Catholic Action Made Easy... Luis Miciano, S.J. CRISIS “A new nation is born!’ was said in a more than metaphorical sense on Independence Day. For, whatever the Philippines will be like in the generations to come, this much, I believe, is certain: her features will not be a return to the forms of the past. And growing with the precocity char acteristic of the Filipino child, al ready the new nation may be said to be experiencing the growing pains, the internal crisis of her adolescence. CHALLENGE Now who is going to form her In this crisis? Who will mould hdr habits, her attitudes, her traits, her entire personality? That is more than a question. It is a challenge. VOICE FROM THE CAVERN Enemies of the Church of course affirm that it will not be the Church. For the simple reason that the Church is one of the forms of the past*. What has the Church to contribute to the new nation? What she has always upheld: the ‘cacique’, and a mossgrown economy of her own. mak ing. And see? Identified with the feudal economy of the past, she 9 has collapsed with it. We are (whatever they mean by this) In the Atomic Age now! In the face of our ‘atomic progress’, what has the Church to offer to vitalize the new nation? A static way of life, an out-moded code of ethics brew ed out of medieval alchemy, a fos silized body of impossible dogmas impervious to the advances of the ‘new technology’. And look at the ‘brood’ she rears. Subjected to a ‘straight-jacket’ up-bringing, they are timid, wary of themselves, fearful towards adventure. Their attention all drawn to the life that is to come, they turn, escapist fashion, away from the immediate tasks of the life that is present. Leave them alone. Let them and their ‘Mother Church’ build their own ‘City of God’... up among the clouds. They shall have no part in the ‘new city’ this city rooted in the earth. So much for our adversaries. THE CATHOLIC ANSWER What do Catholics affirm? This much of their reply is clear. The Church is as vital to the new na tion today as she has been in the past and will be in the future. No, this adolescent nation will not reach maturity without the Church. 10 THE CROSS The Church must and will rear her. How? Here, it is to be feared, the attitude of Catholics are con fused, if not confusing. Some do seem to take that ‘escapist’ attitude our adversaries yap about. Why get myself en meshed in the bickerings of poli tics. My private devotions and public affairs don’t mix. Leave me alone in the quiet of my shel tered seclusion; in the snug com fort of a conscience at peace with God, aloof from the turmoils of this ‘cockeyed’ world. Besides, why worry. Nothing can happen to us. Let our enemies in high places legislate against our in terests. Truth always triumphs in the end; and we possess the Truth. The people will always be with the Church. The people may seem, for a time, to be alienated from her. But the Church always wins out before long. See what happened after the Revolution. Did not the Church in the Phil ippines see her darkest days at the turn of the century? But see how she weathered it all. Today she sways the people as she ne ver did before. It may be permitted us to doubt whether this isolationist attitude in any way helped the resurgence of the Church and her influence after the trying days of the Re volution and the critical years immediately following. Because it is more probable that the resur gence was brought about, with God’s grace, through the efforts of those who did not share this attitude, and went out of their ‘sheltered seclusion’ into the midst of things to fight it out with their adversaries. It is more probable that the people have ‘come back’ to the Church through the labors of those who took the Church out to the people, since they saw that the people had ceased to come to the Church. Fortunately, in the Philippines today, more and more Catholics are beginning to heed the com mand of the Popes ‘‘to go to the people.” The “apple of my eye”, as Pope Pius XI was-fond of call ing Catholic Action, is increasing ly gaining the support of the Faithful. More Catholics are realizing that, if they are to have a part, the major part (because they are in the majority), in di recting the destinies of the new nation, they must at length re nounce the ‘snug comfort’ of their ‘sheltered seclusion’, and, as the phrase goes, “bring Christ into the market place.” More Catholics are awakening to the fact that their ideals, the principles they cherish, instead of being incar nate in the society of which they are the major constituents, beem to be absent from it. It is dawn ing on more Catholics that, where as they have in their hands every thing needed to animate and_shape the structure of the ‘new city’, AUGUST, 1948 11 they are not using their resources. They are keeping these to them selves to take care of themselves, while their adversaries are taking care of everybody else. And they are getting alarmed at ‘discover ing’ that they are letting unbe lievers, n a y, their enemies, take the decisive initiative on so cial and economic and educational action. And they look askance-in finding that they have but a hand ful of leaders among them, and even these seem reluctant to make themselves heard. And they are beginning to ask themselves what they are doing. Why is not some thing being done. And in the raising of voices 6ome hard words are spoken. AN OLD GAME , Some of the laity blame the clergy for its inaction. Some of the clergy scold the laity for its want of cooperation and enthu siasm. Even newspaper column ists ask in consternation what the clergy is doing, why it does'not make its influence for good felt more palpably. Some of the clergy retort why do not the columnists make of their columns the chan nels of the self-same influence they want felt. Who is right? Who is wrong? Everybody is right. Everybody is wrong. The laity rightly expects the clergy to do its utmost in the spread of the salvific teachings of the Kingdom. The clergy has reason to complain that the laity is failing to do its share in the spread of the Kingdom. But they are wrong who blame the laity for its lack of enthusiasm instead of blaming the inadequacy of their own efforts to arouse that enthusiasm. And they are wrong who assign exclusively to the clergy the whole task of spreading the Kingdom. And so the shouting must stop. The times are not for talking. Blaming, criticizing, scolding, where will it all lead to? The times are for action; positive, constructive ac tion. To make the ‘new city’ the City of God. Our enemies not withstanding. Catholic Action... more of it... and now! That is the answer. The only sane, positive, construc tive, Catholic answer. FOR THE MULTITUDE I do not now propose to discuss the subject of Catholic Action. My purpose is to introduce to Ca tholics in the Philippines a move ment which, here in the United States, is doing a lot of good. It is a new movement... rather, not so much a new movement as a new idea which has attained the pro portions of a movement; nor yet is it so much a new idea as a new name for an old idea... the Chris topher idea. And this with the end in view of reaching those who as yet have not been reached... or have not allowed themselves to be reached... by Catholic Action. 12 As every one knows, Catholic Action strictly so called is some thing essentially organized. It calls for enlisted membership, for meetings, sometimes dues. It calls for organized planning, supervised activity, coordinated effort, corpo rate action. Now many, very many, too many, in fact, for some reason or other, cannot (or will not) meet the demands of such organized participation in the hierarchical apostolate of the Church. Some cannot get them selves around to attend meetings. Others fear that they are ‘too busy’ to devote part of their time and effort to some ‘assignment’ which they are ‘afraid’ they might get if they joined some Unit of Catholic Action. Then, too, (and, perhaps, this is the crux of the whole situation) there is the lack of priests; and Catholic Action, without the priest, is nothing; since Catholic Action works on the principle of “everything by the layman and nothing without the priests.” Well, anyway, whatever be the reason, the fact remains: that many are not reached... or, if you insist, refuse to be reached .... by Catholic Action. Their number is legion. What of this multitude? Is not there some way by which they, too, could become Catholic Actionists of sorts? Is npt there some way by which they, too, could share in the apostolate; a way by which they, too, could lend a hand in shaping the new Philippines, in making of the ‘new city’ a City of God? There is. They can do all that—and more, if they have a mind to .... as Christophers. THE CHRISTOPHERS What is a Christopher? Just what it says. A Christ-bearer. A Christopher is a Christ-bearer in this sense, first of all: that he bears Christ in his own per son, and everything that “bearing Christ in one’s person” implies. A Christopher is a Christ-bearer in this other sense: that he brings Christ to every one he comes in contact with, carries Him, as it were, across the ford that sepa rates Him from those who know Him not or know Him little, and makes His presence felt where He seems to be ‘absent.’ That, in general The main idea is for a Chris topher to act as the leaven of spiritual growth in the milieux in which he actually finds himself. Now the place of the leaven Is not above the dough, nor beside it, nor yet around it, but in jt, mixed with it until the whole mass is leavened and begins to grow by the inner force of the leaven. And so a Christopher, in perform ing his mission as an apostle, need not go out of his way at all- He just stays where he is, bearing Christ in his person, and radiat AUGUST, 1948 13 ing Christ just from where he stands, until every one within his reach is, so to speak; touched with that radiation, with its consequent reactions. That, again, in general. What to do in the concrete? How carry out in the particular the general idea? There are a thousand ways. To enumerate them all is not possible here. Furthermore, no two ways can be identical. But to give an idea of what can be done, here are some instances of what has been done. CASES IN POINT An excellent example of how simply one can be a power for good as a Christopher concerns a house-maid in a boarding school for girls. This little old lady did not have to ‘preach her way’ into converting the non-Catholic girls of the school. I’m wrong... she did preach... she preached the silent sermon of example. Her job was more than a mere job to her— a mere means to her livelihood— it was something more: it was the instrument of her apostolate. There were girls in the school who were something more than non Catholic: they were anti-Catholic. But all, including these, could not help but be impressed by her holi ness which she manifested in her deep concern and solicitude for them, for all of them, even—or rather, especially—for the ‘wilder’ ones. Result: the most rabid antlCatholic of them all embraced the Faith. More cases: 1. A medical stu dent encouraged fellow students, among them a Jewish fellow, to protest, with effect, against an anti-Christian measure in a city government. 2. A housewife makes it a hobby to write letters of protest when ever she comes across things that are offensive in the press, radio, or movies. Once she wrote a com pany about an advertisement that ‘stunk’. The company not only thanked her for her correction, but took the correction immediately. 3. A businessman accepted, even at a smaller salary, a position on a leading magazine with a thor ough-going pagan policy. He has" already helped to change its policy. 4. An office worker sends In formation, pamphlets and. books to persons in key positions. He mailed a book on Catholic ethics and wrote to a leading columnist who is read by millions everyday. Answer: a letter of deep apprecia tion expressing: “At last I’ve found what I’ve been looking for." And he is using it. 6. A salesgirl quit selling hats to sell books instead. She had suddenly awakened to the fact that books affect the inside of the head, whereas hats affect only the out side. 6. A girl, without any writing ability to speak of, took a job on a large newspaper because she had heard anti-Christians were 14 THE CROSS shaping its policy. She started by carrying waste-baskets, but made it her business to argue sweetly and to disagree agreeably with the more pagan of the lot. She has, to date, altered for the better the views of four of them. 7. A script writer sought and obtained a job at a motion pic ture studio where most of the writers commercialized on the seven capital sins. He is helping to instill the opposite virtues into the films produced in that studio. His influence is being felt. 8. A nurse in a large public hospital, by helping non-CatholIcs and die-hard pagans in their death-beds to make acts of perfect sorrow for their sins, has sent a number of them, so we may de voutly hope, to heaven. But let these instances suffice. They suffice to bring out the pos sibilities open to a Christopher’s ingenuity. Part of a Christopher's equipment is his ingenuity in dis covering ways and means of ‘in filtrating* into his immediate sur roundings the saving teachings of the Kingdom. Given the firm con viction that nothing is more im portant than the spread of the Kingdom; given the vivid realiza tion that upon him, by right of his Baptism, falls a share of the great task of spreading the King dom; given the devotion and the zeal and the consuming desire bom of love to execute his mission— that ingenuity will not be lacking. DOWN TO BRASS TACKS Well, now, how do you go about becoming a Christopher? To begin with, you do not “go about" be coming a Christopher. To become a Christopher you do not have to go anywhere at all. You simply make up your mind to be one, and you are one. To be a Christopher you need not go about ‘joining’ any additional organization. And there are no meetings.... no dues... You work as an indivi dual. You are on your own. And going into your own, bearing Christ in your person, you carry Christ—Light of the World—to illumine those in whose midst you walk. And bearing so great a Light, you cannot but shine your self, even if it be only with bor rowed light,- and your light will shine, and you cannot hide it, no, not, at any rate, under a bushel. But here We are generalizing again. Let’s come down to brass tacks. You are a student, let us sup pose. (That you are a Catholic, an excellent one, we presuppose.) A student of Torres High, let us suppose further. And, of course, you.have a clique—or a clique has you, as the case may be—a circle of intimates, a ‘gang*, if you wish to call it that. There’s your Im mediate field of action. Begin there. Perhaps some in the ’gang* have not even so much as heard of First Communions? You do not have to be told what you can do AUGUST, 1948 15 about that. Right away you got a job. And even if you did nothing more than share the Faith with those .who haven’t got it, or had it when they were babies but r.ot any longer, you would be doing them a far greater service than you have ever imagined yourself capable of: not merely the super natural service of helping them save their souls, but the merely natural service of complementing their education in good citizen ship, of giving them what they should be getting, but are not get ting from Torres High. Do you follow? Let us pursue the subject. Tell me—for you must have been told—what is the purpose of Torres High in training you and your fellow students? Merely to teach you Algebra? Or General Science? Or Biology? Or how to write beautifully and speak eloquently? Of course not. You must ako have been told, and, told correctly, that the purpose of Torres High in training you and your fellow students, is to make, out of students, good citizens. And that is quite correct. You must also have been told, and, again, correctly, that a good citi zen is a man who obeys the law. And that, in the last count, for practical purposes, is what a good citizen finally comes down to. A man who obeys the law. Now nobody has to tell you this, because you know it: that man, being the curious animal that he is, eventually seeks the reasons for things, and, sooner or later, asks “Why?" If you tell him to do a thing or not to do a thing, sooner or later he will ask, “Why must I do it?” or “Why musn’t I do it?” In other words, you cannot make a man will to do anything, unless you give him a reason for willing it. And he will not be satisfied with any Teason; he must have the ultimate, the absolutely rock-bottom reason; the last answer to the last "Why”. Does Torres High answer the question for you? Let us see. RECITATION PIECE “Now, my dear students, we will continue our discussion on the topic of citizenship’. Yesterday I told you that your purpose in com ing to Torres High is not merely to learn mathematics, or science, or grammar, but also, and above all, to learn how to be good citi zens. I also told you that a good citizen is a man who obeys the law. Are there any questions?” "Question, ‘Mom’. Why must a man obey the law?” "Because only by obeying the law. will he be able to preserve and promote the peace and order SHARP PUNCH Counterfeit earnestness can no more produce an effect than painted fire. —Sharp 16 THE CROSS and prosperity of society.” “But why must a man preserve and promote the peace and order and prosperity of society?” “Because by so doing, he pre serves and promotes his own peace and prosperity, since the peace and prosperity of society redound to his own peace and prosperity.” "But, Mom, suppose—just sup pose, although it happens many times—suppose that a man finds it more to his advantage, in the promotion of his own individual and immediate prosperity, to slug people out of his way (and, after slugging, consign them, so nobody will know, to the depths of Manila Bay) and then come into full possession of the “prosperity” of those who have ‘gone under’?” “Gracious me! What are you saying! Don’t you see that that will never, never do? In that case, my dear, the man makes an awful mistake. Because, in the long run, it does not work out. In the long run, crime does not pay. In the long run, he will find to hiB grief, that by injuring others, he has also injured himself. In the long run...........” “What ‘long run’, Mom? A life time? That is to say, that every law-breaker gets caught sooner or later; that night-prowlers all land in the calaboose; that people who drive away with other people’s jeeps are always fired at; that City Hall clerks who accept bribes are always fired out.... ? I don’t think that’s true, Mom.” “Well, then, ‘wise guy’, if the law-breaker doesn’t get punished ih this life, then, in the next life ahem... that is........ hushj Sit ........ er ... I mean... er ... down! No more time for ques tions. Open your grammars to page ........ ” There you are! Not one of your teachers, as much as they would like to, (and there’s no question that they would, if they were al lowed to) can tell any one of you anything about the next life. You are not supposed to bq taught any thing about the next iife. That’s religion; and religion is forbidden in Torres High. Do you see the point? Torres High is out to make a good citizen out of you. A good citizen is a man who obeys the law. But a man will not obey the law unless he is given a good, rock-bottom reason for doing so. And the only good, rock-bottom reason for obey ing the law is that given by re ligion: the fact that there is a God, that God commands man to obey the law........ or else........ Now Torres High is forbidden to teach religion. Hence it is for bidden to tell you why, ultimately, you must obey the law. Hence it is forbidden to train you in one of the essentials of good citizen ship. Now there is nothing much you AUGUST, 1948 17 can do to alter that situation; the rather remarkable situation in which Catholic parents are not allowed to have their Catholic chil dren taught the Catholic religion by Catholic teachers employed in schools supported by Catholic tax payers. Bigger men than you have tried to change it and failed. Nor will it profit you to try to find the reason why such a' set-up exists. There is no reason; except the extremely unsatisfactory rea son, or rather, fad ... the once highly fashionable fad among a few Filipinos who were ‘on top’... that that is the way they run things in the States, and there fore, that is the way things should be run in the Philippines. But this you can do, and of it, do plenty: You can do plenty to help counteract the deleterious ef fects of that set-up; at least the one deleterious effect against which we were warned way back in 1901 by an American who knew whereof he spoke when he said: “.... this system of education without religion has operated in our country,.... in the raising up of a generation of practical athe ists.” You, at least, have the good fortune of possessing that essen tial ingredient of good citizenship which is religion. You, at least, have the good sense to see the very real sense in which there Is no sense in learning how to speak eloquently, unless you know how to speak even haltingly to God, and know that there is a God to speak to. Well, now, share your goods. Share the good things of your Faith with the ‘gang’. Do not just keep these to yourself, to take good care of yourself, while little devils—and some big ones— are taking care of everybody else. Just think of what you might make of Torres High. If you make a couple of Christophers, and these, in turn, each make a couple more, and so on—count them, not with your fingers, for you’ll run out of fingers to count— why, in no time, you will make of Torres High a really, truly, thorough-goin£ PUBLIC school: a school performing the great public service of giving to the public one hundred per cent good citizens, young men who not only know they should be good citizens, but know why they should be good citi zens; young men, in other words, who are, not only able, but willing to be good .citizens. But as it Is, it is only giving to the public young men who know they should be good citizens, but do not know why. And so, it is not as public as it could be. And it ought to. MEDITATION It may well be fascinating, though perhaps fanciful to specu late what Manila would be like if it were suddenly to be ‘domi nated’ by Christophers. Surely, out of Manila’s million or so, there ought to be found a hundred thou 18 THE CROSS sand who are eager and willing to play the role of Christophers in every walk of life. There ought to be found a hundred thousands (let's make it half a thousand) who, bearing Christ in their per son, can bring Christ into the fields especially of government, education, management, labor, the press, the radio, the movies. But, perhaps, that would be bad business for the newspaper col umnists. Perhaps, that would put them out of job, for a time, at any rate, until they should have changed their style to be able to write up the virtues, instead of having—because they are forced to, according to them—to smear on paper the various high-pollut ing vices which, also according to them, are polluting the city, Funny, but can there be, and if there can, IS there any connec tion between the public mess which the columnists decry In their columns, and the brand of citizens (or the *brands’ of a citi zen) which the public schools, and other ‘non-sectarian’ schools turn loose on the public? What do you think? Well, anyway, here’s hop ing this little spark of a thought does not start a conflagration. Or if it should, here’s hoping further it consume only dead wood. TO CATHOLIC ACTIONISTS A word in the interest of those already actively engaged in Ca tholic Action. Those already act ively engaged in Catholic Action may well borrow from the Chris topher idea a few 'ergs’ to add more to their power for good. Es pecially those inclined to feel that they have done enough after hav ing done their ‘assignment*. /This can happen, can it not. A Catholic Actionist, say, whose ‘assignment’ is to teach catechism on Sunday afternoons. That is his specialized job; and he does his job well. He puts all his energy into it, he concentrates on it—on Sunday af ternoons. Then: “Well, I’ve done my job. So long, till next Sun day.” And for the rest of the week he thinks no more of his ‘participation in the hierarchical apostolate of the Church’. Of course he would not be'a genuine Catholic Actionist if he did that. But perhaps all that he needs now to be a genuine one is this Christopher idea. For, fired with the Christopher idea, he will not think of his ‘partici pation in the hierarchical aposto late of the Church’ only in terms of Sunday afternoon catechism. Fired with the Christopher idea, he will think of his participation in the hierarchical apostolate of the Church everyday (morningand afternoon), wherever he is,,In whatever he does, always doing that which the Apostle bids; “Whether you eat or drink, or do anything else, do all for the glory of God.” Also........ for the glory of the Philippines. THAT HEARING ON DIVORCE Felicidad de Silva Executive Secretary Catholic Women’s League “...a smash-up of society.” In Book I of the new Civil Code, Chapter 2, Art. 66, we read the following: “Marriage is not a mere con tract but an inviolable social in stitution. Its nature, consequen ces and incidents are governed by law and not subject to stipu lation etc.” (Bolds our) And yet—contradictory to the above provision of inviolability, Art. Ill of the same book pro vides Absolute Divorce. And supporters of divorce argue on the ground that marriage is a contract that could be dissolved whenever couples cannot make it a go. It is claimed that the new Code does not liberalize the Di vorce Law. It merely incorporates the old Law. Then why the sev eral provisions in the Annulment of Marriage, Art. 99, that defini tely are a liberalization although under different terminologies? Pro-divorce factions believe that, since adultery is the only ground permitted for divorce In Philippine Law, we cannot base our arguments on conditions in the United States and other co untries where liberal divorce laws exist. It must be remem bered that the United States started in the same way. Soon however adultery was followed by physical cruelty, then mental cruelty, then desertion etc.—to day divorce may be had for any of 51 crazy causes! Is the Philippines treading the downward path of America? The Nepomuceno bill, the RamosLazo bill, the Calo bill of last year, the divorce law during the Occupation, and now, the desire of a young woman lawyer to do away with criminal action in our present law—these are but a few of the many attempts of our sup posed leaders to imitate the socalled “modern progress” of other countries. During a period of over 21 years (till about 1929) we had only 200 divorces in the Philip pines. Within two and a half years of liberal divorce during the Occupation, we had 600! This fact should be Teason enough for tightening up, instead of loosening, our marriage laws. For if some allowed their base passions to rule their conduct during trying conditions when the fundamental instincts on the preservation of the family were strong, how many more would yield to such a temptation now 19 20 THE CROSS that we have fairly normal con ditions. Divorce is like a hole in the dike, which if not immediately checked, would allow the raging sea to gush forth into the land, tearing down the dike, flooding the whole country,- and leaving in its wake the desolate ruin of a once beautiful country. If we per mit the leak of absolute divorce based on adultery in our Laws, we shdll also witness the un happy conditions of other coun tries like America, where one to every three marriages ends in a divorce court! These countries have tried absolute divorce. They have seen and felt its effects on society. Today they are frant ically looking for remedies for their broken homes. Can we not profit from their experience? Even here in the Philippines we can cite specific cases of un happiness, infanticide, juvenile delinquency caused by absolute divorce, just as we can give ca ses of homes on the verge of dis ruption, but were saved by timely remedies. Prudence, how ever, charity and ethics in social work forbid us to publish them. There is one case in Manila, however, which we -might men tion without specifying names, although we were given full li berty by the family to publish the whole story. Upon hearing of the Divorce Law passed dur ing the Japanese occupation, a girl of 12, approached her aunt, who was then her solicitous guardian, and said, “Auntie, why do our people want divorce? They do not know how hard it is to be children of divorced parents. Look at us now, we have no home of our own, and even though you are so kind to us, we cannot help but feel that we are wanderers, not knowing where we belong.” This is but one of the many tragedies of broken homes brought about by divorce. Stu dies in 188 cities have led a Chi cago juvenile court judge to con clude that broken homes are responsible for 80 to 90-o/o of juvenile delinquency. Divorce breaks homes, makes delinquents of children, who have four or more parents or no parents at all to look after them. No advocate of divorce has ever presented us with facts proving the good effects of di vorce on the family and on the nation. The reasons they advance are all based on suppositions and on a few individual cases In which the parties concerned pretend to be at peace but deep in their hearts fed the pangs of humiliation and regret. Advocates of absolute divorce gave the following reasons at the recent hearing held in the Philippine Congress Hall. AUGUST, 1948 1. “Why force two persons to live together when they can no longer bear each other.” When they were reminded of the pro visions of Relative Divorce which allow separation from bed and board without remarriage, they countered with their next reason as follows: 2. "Why condemn a person throughout life by not allowing him or her the happiness he or she has lost?" Has divorce given real endur ing happiness to divorcees? The mere fact that divorcees re-marry twice, four times and even twenty-thnes, is proof enough that divorce does not hand out the ready-made happiness the divor cees seek. We might quote an excerpt from a text of Dorothy Dix, who probably handled more problems on love, marriage and divorce than any other woman. She writes: “At the bottom of nine tenths of the divorces is the supersti tious belief... that there is some magic in a decree absolute that will restore youth and . beauty and make the (divorced couple) .... lighthearted boys and girls again. ' Of all disillusioning hu man experiences, divorce is the worst. For it rarely brings to its participants the happiness they'had hoped to get. It is only the most .callous who can feast and make merry amidst the 21 wreck of the home they have pulled down; and deaf indeed must be the ears that can shut out the sound of little children’s weeping in the night for the father or the mother they have lost." 3. “Almost all countries in the world have Divorce Laws be cause divorce is a sign of prog ress.” This from a Congress man. Divorce is nothing new. It dates farther than the beginning of Christianity. It is a sign of social deterioration, disintegra tion and demoralization. 4. “The essence of democracy is that it protects the rights of the minority,” declared a young unmarried woman lawyer. Yes, indeed. But this essence of democracy does not allow legislations to give way to the unbridled passion of the few to the detriment of the majority. We do not liberalize our laws on murder, rape, estafa, stealing and other crimes, just because a few feel that they m>ust kill, commit estafa, or steal. Why must we liberalize our marriage laws just because a few wish to commit adultery? 5. "What will you do with a marriage performed under a shot gun?” asked this same woman lawyer. Legally and canonically, under this condition, there is no mar riage to be dissolved. Hence it 22 THE CROSS cannot be presented as a plaus ible reason for a Divorce Law. 6. "Without Divorce, we force a child to continue calling a "barumbado" his father,” proudly declared a mother who called herself “a-Catholic,-but.. First of all, even with a di vorce decreed on the couple, the child remains the legal child of the father, unless it is adopted by the foster father — a step which is hardly taken in cases of divorced parents. Moreover, no matter how bad a father may be, his child is still cf his own flesh and blood. Hence it is the duty of the mother to inspire her children to bring back that la ther to the right path and to the grace of God, instead of instil ling hatred in their hearts for him. 7. "Why should Catholics im pose their doctrines on those of different religious beliefs?" Catholics are not imposing their doctrines. They are trying to show that the Catholic doc trine of marriage has a far reaching effect on the social and moral welfare of the country. One example to support our con tention is the old practice of the government of allowing mar riages to be performed by the Justice of the Peace without much ado. When the government saw evil consequences of hasty mar riages, it adapted the Catholic Church’s requirement of procla mation before it issues a mar riage license. Russia, which is far from being a Catholic nation, has changed her liberal divorce laws to the strictest ever known, just be cause she found out that she could not build a permanent state with impermanent marriage. Divorce is a social, not an in dividual problem. It must be solved as such. Every divorce is a confession of human bank ruptcy, a smash-up of society's most fundamental organization— the family. Furthermore it de moralizes the people, making them break a most sacred vow at the slightest provocation, thus in culcating in them the sense of dishonestly and of irresponsibil ity. The evils that divorce pre tends to correct are less serious than the evils it brings about. And as a matter of fact, divorce has not cured, and cannot cure, marital troubles. Marital trou bles are rooted in selfishness. Divorce breeds selfishness. For us Catholics, of course, the question has been solved by Christ. Absolute divorce is out of the question. T® us marriage is a sacrament, not a spree. To think otherwise is to cease bo be a Catholic. There are no such people as "Catholics, but". One cannot reject a fundamental law of the Catholic Church—and re main a Catholic. THINKING WITH THE (ROSS Cross featureties ASSEMBLY WHITE ANTS. Since the white ants are again attacking the foundations of socie ty, and since they attribute all opposition to their “LiberalizeDivorce” movement to Catholic “backwardness” it is interesting to hear what certain -French legal lights have to say on the subject. The authorities are not Catholics. Colin and Capitant, great names in French Law, say in their Ele mentary Course of French Civil Law: “No one can gainsay that the honor and dignity of marriage is founded on the idea perpetuity. Moreover home stability makes for the best conditions for the educa tion of children. But this of all the purposes of marriage is the one to which the lawgiver should give the greatest care. It has been rightly said: ‘Marriage founds the family; divorce destroys it’ ”. Achille Mestre of the Paris Fa culty of Law, says: “Individually, unhappy couples arouse our sym pathy. But it would be absurd under pretext of aiding them to put into jeopardy the stability of every household. Divorce reacts not only on the unhappy homes which it dissolves, but on the to lerably unhappy ones which it dis organizes, and even on the for tunate ones whose stability it weakens... Divorce disregards the sanctity of marriage. Divorce must be destroyed.” Will the Philippines have to go through France’s unhappy expe rience before we realize this? STYLE WITHOUT SIN Pope Pius XI, speaking to 14,000 representatives of Italian girls’ Catholic Action organization once, urged them not to bow down to the “tyranny of style,” when it endangers the purity and dignity of Catholic womanhood, declaring that “mode and modesty should go together.” That His Holiness was only con cerned with the elimination of im modesty and had a remarkably sympathetic understanding of the style requirements of the modern girl was shown in his further statement that their Catholic Ac tion leaders should show them how to be “modern, cultivated, sport ing, graceful, natural and distin guished without giving way to all the vulgarities of wordly style.” This should set aside all fears that the Church wants Catholic 23 24 THE CROSS girls to look like something out of the seventeenth century. Style magazines are not on the Index of Forbidden Books! THE WEAKER SEX? In 1830, three Sisters of the Congregation of the Cenacle left La Louvese, France, for Issarles, to found a school. Here is an ac count of their trip on .Fr. Mart indale’s book, “The King’s Daugh ters.” As they left La Louvese, it started to rain. They hesitated, but went forward, reproaching their timidity. All day they rode in an open cart and reached Faye that night, soaking wet, only to find no inn. Some Catholics re ceived them into a barn and cooked a pot of potatoes for them. Then the Sisters climbed into the attic and slept on the hay. Next morning the road was so bad that they had to ride two horses. Their guide got drunk, snow fell heavily, the path skirt ed great precipices, torrents had to be forded. One of the Sisters fell off her horse, but fortunately was not hurt. Next day they reached Issarles, still in the pour ing rain — and started work on the school. HOW THE TYPHOONS GOT THOSE GIRLISH NAMES An American innovation in weather science is the christening of typhoons. Army, and Navy me teorologists in the Pacific may re fer to 60-mile-an-hour Olive as ap proaching the Philippines at 11 knots while Pauline, a more vio lent member of the high wind fa mily, is tearing along the typhoon track working up winds of-90mHe velocity near the central “eye” of the storm. The Christen ing is a convenience for the co ordinated ’ Army-Navy typhoon warning service which has made such great strides during and since the war. Little has been said about how typhoons were christened. Meteorologists name them so they can keep track of several at one time. Lists of names might range from Agnes to Wilhelmina are prepared in advance. When they run out of names they pre pare some more. If a typhoon originates west of the 180th me ridian the weather men name it from a column which runs alpha betically from A to R, inclusive. They skip "Q”, partly because there are few names beginning with that letter, and also for rea sons too involved to go into here. If the storm starts this sid»of the date line it is christened from a list of names beginning with S, T, V, or W. Hence if a storm is named Wilhelmina it started this side of the 180th meridian. South of the equator the weather men have another list — boys’ names this time; Allen, Bill and the like. Due to the rotation of the earth the sexes never get to AUGUST, 1948 25 gether, for the females spin north west. The Arthurs, the Dicks and the Harrys travel away from the equator, too. Typhoon Tessie and Hurricane Harry thus never will meet. Typhoons and hurricanes, incidentally, are the same. The name is a matter of local usage.— —The Honolulu Advertiser (Editorial) 13 Oct., 1947 LOURDES AND ALEXIS CARREL In his book, “Man the Un known,” Dr. Alexis Carrel, refer ring to Lourdes, says that he be gan his study of Lourdes in 1902 when it was dangerous for a doc tor’s future career to become in terested in such a subject. We understand what he means from an incident that occured at the beginning of his own career. After graduating in the Lyons Medical School with unusual bril liance, Carrel became interested in a case, which, it was claimed, had been miraculously cured at Lour. des. At a dinner one day, at which were present the principal mem bers of the Lyons Medical Facul ty, he was questioned about his patient. His reply that the pa tient had been cured at Lourdes provoked a general laugh. But young Carrel insisted: "There is something in the case which ap proaches the category of the mi raculous.” The company no longer laughed; they met his remark with a chill ing silence.— One of the profes sors then said: "I need not tell you, sir, that with such views as these, you can never be received as a member of our faculty." “In that case,” replied Carrel, “I must go elsewhere.” He went to America and today the world knows Carrel as a scientist who would be a glory to any Medical Faculty. ACCENTUATE THE NEGATIVE Taking the parish census? Here’s food for thought from Ca non Jackman. Statistics are not merely mis leading; they are all wrong. In stead of statistics of Catholics who go to Church, give me statistics of Catholics who don’t go to Church. Positive statistics are like a drug: they encourage one to pat oneself on the back and then go to sleep. For a year at least all the statistics of the diocese should be negative. Then we would know the num ber of children who are not bap tized, not confirmed; the number of Catholics who do not make their Easter duties, who marry before the Justice of the Peace instead of in the Church; the number of people who should be converted and are not. Let the statistics be negative and it is possible our armchairs will be emptier than they usually are. WHITE CROSSES Ma. LOURDES GASTON Beneath those crosses white they calmly lie, Their work is done, their souls have flown to God They gave their lives without a tear or sigh And now they rest beneath the bright green sod. Perhaps back home their lonely loved ones weep For they shall see them there oh! nevermore; Be calm: White Crosses guard their dreamless sleep, They are not lost, but only gone before. Oh grieving Mother of a gallant son, Wherefore the bitter sorrow, why the tears? The battles of thy soldier-boy are done He is beyond, where he shall know no fears. Oh loving sisters, spare yourselves the woe. They in their honoured graves to calmly rest, Protected by their Crosses from the foe. Beloved, revered, and by their people blest. And kinsfolk, grieve not so for them, or weep, Or shed one sorrowful tear, or breathe a sigh, For that would but disturb the peaceful sleep Of them who ’neath those Crosses white do lie. Oh brave and fallen soldiers resting there— God grant you have not shed your blood in vain. Let not the smoke of battle fill the air, Nor let destruction sweep the land again, Look down, Oh Lord, upon each hallowed field And see the Cross that crowns each mound of earth, Those white and silent arms, uplifted wield A mighty pray’r against war’s woe and dearth. Let not the mute souls vainly rise to Thee Let not thine ears be deaf of our cry— Let not this sad world ever come to see That these for naught beneath White Crosses lie. 26 HEART TO HEART Advice to the lovelorn by Lily Marlene July 22, 1948 Dear Miss Marlene, I am in love with a girl whose character I know very well, because we have lived in the same house since she was 16 yrs. old. Now she is 19. She has been telling me that she wanted, and has promised God, to be a nun. Since then I have been controlling myself not to tell her that I love her. (Although it is very bitter.) Some time ago she had been scolded by her parents and she went to the convent. I followed her and found out the sisters wont admit her for lack of consent from her parents. For a week I found her eyes wet with tears and so with mine. As usual she borrowed my diary telling that she will take a last look. So I decided to apply the "rule of falling out of love" in the book "Youth and Chastity" by Fr. Kelly. I decided to take a vacation and-before I left for the province 1 told her the truth about my love for her through a token. I am not stopping her to be a nun but I just told her the truth and besides she found it out in my diary. Upon returning from the province I found her not in the convent. She told me her parents objected to the idea. For two weeks I was able to win her love and now we are going on- smoothly. Tell me did I commit a sin or did she commit any in this case? Yours in Mary, E. R. P.S. She told me that she promised God to be a nun and now she has taken a vow to love me forever and so have I. I have kissed her once without bad intention. What shall I do? Shall I continue loving her? SameDear E. R.: Don’t worry too much. Your girl does not have n real vocation if you have succeeded in the short space of two weeks to make her want to give it up for you. As to her promise to become- a nun. Did she make a solemn vow to do so, under pain of mortal sin? Or was her promise similar to 27 THE CROSS one’s resolution after confession not to sin again, which if broken does not constitute a grievous offense. To erase any doubts and scruples ask her to consult a priest to whom she can give a complete picture of the situation. II July 17, 1948' Dear Miss Marlene, For the last few weeks I have been constantly bothered by a feel ing of love for one of my own sex. A love, which one can conclude as a very abnormal one. But until now I haven’t shown her the slightest sign of my feeling towards her and this I never intend to. What troubles me is: Is it a sin to feel such kind of love for one who is of your own sex? Unavoidable circumstances make me meet and speak with her almost everyday for we are classmates. What is then the best remedy for putting a stop to this nonsense of mine, dear Miss Marlene? Gratefully yojurs, Someone in distress Dear Someone in distress: There’s no sin where it is a question of improper feelings and thoughts that are not deliberately encouraged and dwelt upon. Sin enters when one, fully conscious of the malice of certain thoughts and actions, willfully chooses to indulge in them, approving and enjoying them the while. The fact that you consider this “feeling of •love” for one of your own sex as abnormal, and that you earnestly desire to put a stop to it, is indicative of your common sense—and the right,attitude to take. Per haps your case is not as serious as you think. It may be one of those harmless “crushes” girls sometimes feel for girls, which usually dis appear in due time when not encouraged and brooded upon. But if it persists, don’t dwell upon it. Act as if nothing out of the ordinary has happened. Go about with other girls, don’t concentrate on that particu lar girl. Pray hard, especially to Our Lady, to help you overcome this “nonsense” of yours, as you put it. Frequent the sacraments—grace |s your most powerful ally. And keep yourself usefully occupied and busy —“The idle mind is the devil’s workshop.” Ill July 7, 1948 Dear Miss Marlene, I read some of your answers to the lovelorn in the Cross Magazine which my cousin loan to me. I became interested and decided, to send AUGUST, 1948 29 you a similar letter, though different in idea. My problem is also concerning love. rm 27 years old. I’ve courted a girl since I was 17 in High School, but all the time I knew that such a courtship was only a play. Though I was accepted by the girl, I was the one who ran away. When I was 19 there came into our neighbourhood a girl, who was 3 years younger than I was. As the years passed by, we became more inti mate'to each other and I fell tn love with her. I wrote her a letter and was given such a stem answer that I decided to stop. War came and our parents became friendlier to each other. She was the perfect type for a wife. She -knew how to cook, iron, wash and even if she came from a rich family, she was not a snob. When liberation came, I wrote her twice and I got an answer, which I expected, NO! Since then, I was already doubtful about this love business. When I became 24, I courted my 3rd cousin, she was pretty too. And like the girl above, a perfect housewife-to-be. But luck was against me, I was given the same answer. Now, at 27, I met another girl, about my age, she is the only daughter and rich too. I've just cultivated the friendship, though we had arguments once in a while. Just when I was at the point of de claring my love for her, I heard that she was leaving for the States. To state my love to her would be criminal on my part, so I just twid dle my thumbs for 1 year. But! there is that doubt which hovers evtrytime I court. I ask you, Miss Marlene, how can a person like me court and win, when everytime I start I see already their answer. I'm known by my parents as a “Half-way Man”. It seems that everytime I start, 1/2 way I'm sure to, fail. Could you please help me? Give me some suggestions wherein I can win a girl permanently. One asset I have is that, when I make friends with females, I easily win their friendship but when I start courting—there is where I fail. I'm enclosing a self-addressed stamped envelop tn order that 1 may acquire your answer as early as possible. Thanking you in advance. Yours truly, A.H.H. Dear Taint heart ne'er won fair lady.” So chin np and don't be dis 30 THE CROSS couraged. No man can hope to succeed who has no confidence in him* self, and no perseverance or patience. Perhaps it was for your own good that God allowed you to fail in your previous attempts. And then, also, perhaps, you may have failed because you did not measure up to certain standards any girl expects from the man she marries.. Are you steady and dependable? Can you offer your wife a certain amount of security in the futare? Are you careless in your habits, mental as well as physical? Cheek yourself—maybe there is something in your make-up that prevents a girl from considering you in any other light than that of a very nice friend—but only a friend. IV July 19, 1943 Dear Miss Marlene, I have been engaged to a man, whom I promised to love and to serve dearly and forever. I have known him since the early days of my life. He was a real Catholic. But a few months ago, I found out that he is no longer one. He is now with another religion tend always attends their worship. Miss Marlene, please help me and advise me how and what to do to convince him to return and become again a true Catholic like us. Thank you very much. Truthfully yours, A Sodalist Dear Sodalist: If you would just confer our June issue on page 29, you will find out that yours is exactly like the case of A Child of Mary from Meycawayan, Bulacan. NEW MORALITY “I remember a debate on the New Morality at the Oxford Union, at which a young man arose and said: *This New Mor ality isn’t new. It isn’t morality. It’s just our old friend LUST’. He paused and pointed an incriminatory finger at the opposition benches and continued, ’And let me tell you what’s wrong with all of you. You’re just sinners.’” —A. Lunn Drops of dew refresh the faded flowers, so do kind words cheer the aching heart. Knights of Colombas Supplement KC PLANS FOR THE YEAR 1948-1949 By Justice Manuel Lim (Grand Knight, Manila Council No. 1000 Knights of Columbus Installation of Officers, 18 July 1948,'Ateneo de Manila) Distinguished Officers of the Manila Council, and Beloved Brethren: We have the potentiality for success and nothing should stop us from reaching our goal. Should there be some pessimism, I in vite your benevolent attention to some comparative data with an other world-wide organization which is not frequently in the limelight of current events. It has a membership of more than 315,000 distributed in about 6,300 clubs organized in 70 or more countries and geographical areas. Our Order ha? more than 500,000 members grouped in more than 2,500 subordinate councils estab lished ift the United States, Can ada, Newfoundland, Alaska, Cuba, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the Philippines. While the other has fourteen local clubs, we have on our side three councils and about ten centers. While their motto is SERVICE, ours is love. Our Church however i- Universal and our potential support may come from approximately 85% of our population. Our chances for suc cess are greater and broader in extent, if we know how to create our opportunities and get the best out of them. It may not be amiss at this time to remind ourselves of our goal, in order that we may harness our efforts towards our subjectives. The purposes of the Order are the following: 1. To render pecuniary aid to our members and the beneficiaries of members; 2. To render assistance to sick and disabled members; 3/ To promote social and intel lectual intercourse among the members; and 4. To promote and contact edu cational, charitable, religious, so cial, war relief, and public relief work. To implement these religious and humanitarian projects, the Order has suggested a 5-Point Program, to be developed by 5 Committees, namely, on Catholic Activities, Council Activities, Fra ternal Activities, Members and Publicity. There are 5 subcommit tees under each Committee. The Board of Directors has ap pointed the Chairman and ViceChairman of the Program Com mittee, who shall have an overall charge of the 5-Point Program 81 32 THE CROSS as well as the Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of the big Com mittees. The Chairmen and ViceChairmen of these big Commit tees are also members of the Pro gram Committee, while the Chair men and Vice-Chairmen of the different sub-committees shall be ex-officio members of the re spective Committees to which their sub-committees mjy pertain. The Grand Knight and our Depu ty and the Chairman and - ViceChairman of the Program Com mittee are members ex-officio of all the Committees and sub-com mittees, while the Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of the Committees are ex-officio members of the sub-committees under their respec tive jurisdiction. This arrange ment will assure a closer supervi sion. and better coordination. This is our common task and not the exclusive burden of your officers and a few volunteers. In joining this Order we have pledg ed individually to promote our common aims and objectives. Your officers are your stewards, not necessarily your leaders, whose ministerial duties are specifically defined in our Constitution and By-Laws. But the responsibility of the Council’s success lies on our shoulders, yours and mine. In the performance of my ste wardship, I propose the following plans: 1. Know the Order.—Let us all read once more the Charter, Con stitution and By-Laws of the Or der. To implement this project, the Worthy Master of Ceremonies and his associates will read dif ferent portions during our regular meetings, for needed information and clarification.- To keep our selves abreast with the progress of the Order everywhere else, I recommend strongly that the Co lumbia magazine be read regular ly2. Know Your Council. — To know our Council we must start by knowing ourselves. A Directory of the officials has been released, and with your cooperation,' we shall issue a business and profes sional Directory of all the mem bers, as well as of all the Com mittees and sub-committees once these have been organized. We shall order the acquisition and the distribution of adequate individual badges, containing the names of the members in letters as legible as possible, thus avoid ing the embarrassing situation of talking with a brother without a r.ice way of knowing even his name. It is impossible to develop fellowship and comradeship or ex pect fraternal relationship among the members unless they khow each other better. This is a defi ciency that must be corrected at once. Our human relations need improvement. It has been proposed that fra ternal luncheons or dinners be AUGUST, 1948 33 held at least once every month. This plan is supplemented by fa mily gatherings that may add so ciability to the Council’s affairs. On' great occasions the public should also be invited. Athletic tournaments and parlor games among members, such as bawling, chess, bridge and other indoor activities of similar char acter should be encouraged. 3. Creation of a State Council.— The. Charter of the Order proindbs that a State Council may be organized by direction of the Su preme Board of Directors when three or more subordinate coun cils in good standing exist with an aggregate membership of four hundred in any state, district, ter ritory or country. We fulfill the prd-requisites, and it is hoped that tne negotiations towards the creation of the Philippine (State) Council may result fruitful. 4. Conferring of 4th Degree. — This will be a sequel to the organ ization of a State Council, and negotiations win be continued to have the Councils within the Phil ippines authorized to exemplify our deserving members to the 4th Degree of the Order. 6. Clubhouse. — The maximum efforts shall be exerted either to construct or acquire our own club house, within the limited means of the Council and our members. To assure permanency of owner ship, we shall not start building until we have sufficient funds In our Building Trust Fund, to which part of our present cash will be transferred. This clubhouse from which all our activities shall emanate. 7. Charity Fraternity Fund. — Our Brothers should certainly ex pect a helping hand from their Council when they are in distress or may need assistance within the Council’s power to give them. We must mobilize the resources of our Council and of all members so that none of our Brothers might call for help in vain. Let us share our riches, little as they may be, with those who need them even more. To implement this program, 1 am asking for an appropriation of P500.00 from the Council’s funds, to constitute a revolving fund re placeable by voluntary contribu tions from members only. The fund shall be under the direction of the Deputy Grand Knight, Financial Secretary, Treasurer and Trust ees. Not more than P50.00 shall be disposed for any single case. On his quarterly statements to members the Financial Secretary enters the Charity item of P1.00, monthly, which a member is free to pay or ignore without affect ing his standing. As there will be no promotional expenses, as would be in case of benefit shows, fairs, etc., the proceeds of these dona tions will go 100% to this Fund. 9. Barangay Distribution. —The creation and operation of the Fund just described will require the im plementation and smooth opera 34 THE CROSS tion of the Barangay system es tablished by my Worthy predeces sor, Past Grand Knight Ramon Campos. The “Cabezas de Baran gay” will be primarily entrusted with the function of calling the attention of the administrators of the Charity Fraternity Fund to deserving cases within their res pective territories. 9. League of Decency. —This is an activity that we can not ignore. Indecorous movies and indecent literature must be fought inces santly. 10. Study Clubs. — A great many among our members have clamored for the resumption of the Study Clubs that were in ope ration before the outbreak of the war and had been attempted sporadically during the early days of liberation. This may increase the attendance to our weekly meetings, as required by our Con stitution and By-Laws. I have enumerated a few of the activities proposed for the Council over the stewardship merely of the Council, as your trustees, re presentatives and servants, for the purpose of keeping the organiza tion rolling on. I have had the pleasure of meeting them twice before, and I am sure that they will give thier best. The spirit of service oftentimes demands a cor responding spirit of sacrifice of all types, physical financial and spiriutal. It may require physical exertion in the form of personal presentation or leg-work. It may demand some pecuniary expenses that cause a minor hole in your pockets. Or it may mean a sub mersion of your ego and person ality by acting within an inspira tional anonymity. Service to others always demands a sacrifice on your part. If we can absorb this spirit of sacrifice in our relations with our brethren and other fel lowmen, then our Council can serve effectively the Clitirch that we propose to help. In my belief, the operational function of the head of this Coun cil is to guide and correlate the abilities and the experience of its members, with the aim of secur ing a coordinated action for the common good and welfare. Distri bution rather than direction of the work of this group of intellectuals is required. But the failure of a single individual, occupying any position in this coordinated effort, may paralyze if not wreck the smooth operation of the whole, no matter how well planned and laid out it may be. Individualism must give way to collectivism, if the Spirit of the Order is to prevail. A PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHT Five per cent of the people “habitually” think; fifteen per cent “occasionally” think, and eighty per cent would “rather die” than think. —The Eccl. Review WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND? by Brother Edward 101. Do we gain the same in dulgences when we receive Holy Communion before or after Mass as when we receive It during Mass? A Reader A. Yes. The Racolta (official handbook on‘Indulgences) does not distinguish between Holy Communion received during, be fore or after Mass. However, a very important element in receiv ing Holy Communion is the pre paration and the Thanksgiving for the Holy Sacrament. It would seem that normally one’s prepa ration and ’thanksgiving would be better when he receives it during the Mass,—and consequently that pblicy should be followed unless there is a good reason for doing otherwise. 102. Do we make a closed Re treat if we do not attend or fol low all the services? Same Read er. A. A closed Retreat does not operate mechanically. The spirit ual fruit to be obtained depends very much upon the fervor and generosity of the Retreatant whe ther he attends one Retreat exer cise or a hundred. However if the Retreatant is generous, he will try to attend, every exercise, un less sickness or some other ser ious obstacle prevents "him from doing so. 103. I am a devotee of St. Jude. I fatted once to make the visit and prayer prescribed for forty days in his honor, so that I just quit visiting the Saint. Am I obliged to visit and pray to him for forty days in succession ? Mercedes Gaviola A. There is no obligation under sin, mortal or venial. But it cer tainly is a test of your devotion to the Saint to make the visit and say the prayers for forty days in succession. Should you fail to make them in any of these days, offer up sacrifices in their place, and carry on. Unlike the sacraments which give grace of themselves, the effect of this and similar devotions depends very much on one’s dispositions. 104. D i d the Apostles receive Holy Communion from the hands of Jesus Christ at the Last Sup per? How about the Blessed Vir gin? Did she also receive Holy Communion from the hands of her Divine Son? Nelia Jardenil A. Yes, the Apostles received 35 36 THE CROSS Holy Communion from the hands of Our Lord. As to the Blessed Mother, tradition, written and oral, claims that she was not present at the Paschal supper. It is the pious belief of Christians however that Our Blessed Mother and the holy women who followed Jesus prepared the room where the Last Supper took place. 105. May blessed articles be sold and retain the blessing? N. Navarro A. No. They lose the blessing when they are sold. 106. May a priest give Holy Communion to one whom he knows to be in mortal sin? E.D A. If the persons are public sinn e r s, notoriously unworthy, the priest must refuse Holy Com munion. If they are secret sinners and ask for Communion in secret he must also refuse; but if secret sinners ask in public and can not passed by without scan dal, the priest is not allowed to refuse. He is justified in coope rating materially with the un worthy reception. Of course, if the priest krtows the bad disposi tions only from the sacramental Confession, he can make no use of his knowledge out of Confession. 107. Does Baptism by a Protest ant minister release the soul from original sin? J. Garlit A. If the Sacrament is properly administered, Baptism by a Prot estant minister is valid and the Sacraiiient has its full effect 108. Is it necessary to pronounce Indulgenced prayers with the lips in order to gain the Indulgence? Martina Perez A. Yes. 109. May a Novena be made at any time? Estrella Castillo 110. Can two Novenas be made at the same time? E.C. A. Yes. It is not advisable, how ever, to multiply votal prayers to excess. 111. Where was the Blessed Vir gin buried? Martha Lopez A. We have no certain record. One tradition is that ahe died in Jerusalem and was buried in Gethsemane. Another report is that she died and was buried near Ephesus. Her body was not allowed to corrupt but was taken up into Heaven. The Church cel ebrates this privilege of Our Lady on the Feast of the Assumption, August 15. 112. Is it allowed to have a Mass said for the conversion of a non Catholic ? Pio Quinteros A. Certainly. 113. What is the sin against the Holy Ghost that is never for given ? P.Q. A. There are several explana tions of our Lord’s words. Many think it means final impenitence. If it’s anything Catholic ask, Brother Edward c/o The Cross Magazine. ‘Smacks of Wodehouse” I Was Not Fired Augusto H. Piedad That’s Tight. I’ve got to find a job quick. Not that I’m desperate, but I hate like anything to have my wife know that I’ve lost my job. She, without knowing it, lost me my job. Isn’t that just like women? I mean — to bungle everything? That’s why I don’t like her to find out that I’ve lost... She’d be terribly upset, poor girl. No. I make it a point never to burden her light heart with my secret sorrows . . . .That would only make a sad situation worse. The best way out, I think, is to find a job quick. I mean, moaning and tearing the hair in grief wouldn’t do any good. Yes, it’s pretty hard to find a job these days, but that isn’t because there aren’t any jobs. Sure I think so. The tough part of getting a job is landing the right man at the right time and in the right place. The right man? He is the man who has a job to give. Better still, the man who needs help.' If you can put yourself into the right place at the right time before the right . . . Sure, the rest is easy. All you’ve got to do then is talk. Me? I’m still after the right combination. Well, give me time. I’ve lost my job for only two days . . . three if you count this Sunday. No. I was not fired. I left. It was a purely volun tary act of mine. -And the boss did not force me to resign either. As a matter of plain fact, he was rather sorry to see me leave his garage. And I was, in a way, very sorry to leave too. You see, I had worked for Mr. Ferrer for almost three years. His garage was where I learned my trade. It was there that I got familiar with all types of motors, from the jeeps to the latest Cadillacs. Sure, I'm a mechanic. You a mechanic too? This Is a coincidence! Where do you work? Costa’s gaTage! Say, that’s a big place. But not as big as Ferrer’s. I don’t think I’d be wrong if I say that Ferrer’s is the biggest this 37 THE CROSS side of the river. That’s because it’s the best equipped . . . No, that isn’t putting it on ttoo thick. Well, maybe. Yes, maybe I’m partial, as you say . . You see, Mr. Ferrer was very kind to take me, a provinciano, and give me a job as a car washer. It wasn’t much, but that gave me the opening. I took every opportunity to study cars. And after two years, Mr. Ferrer said I was a mechanic. Gave me a good wage too. Yes, I came to the city to bet ter myself. I did not like being stuck in a farm. That is, I thought so when I left. I had finished high school and I thought I was too good for the province. So I packed a few be longings and came to the city. Had a hard time of it until Mr. Ferrer gave me a chance. No. No Triends in the city who could help me. - The only relatives I have are my aunt and uncle and I could not get help from them because they were out in the province... Besides, they were the ones from whom I ran away. I certainly could not expect aid from them. They wanted me to learn farm ing .. . Anyway, here I was in the city. I found a job and held it. In Bpare time I learned all I could about automobiles. In my spare time too I courted a girl ... . . . And married her in a year. She’s the sweetest girl in town. That’s why I don’t want her to get upset by her knowing that I’ve lost . . . But I keep telling you, I was not fired. I can see by your left eyebrow that you don’t be lieve me. Well, take it the way you want, but I repeat,—it was a purely voluntary act of . . Sure I resigned. Why? Bad luck, that was why. My aunt and uncle were pretty sore when I left them. They were intent on my learning how to farm, as I said, so you can see how disappointed they were when I left. No. Their fanm is not big. Just enough to give them a decent living. For a time they tried hard to ‘forget me. I mean, when my aunt came to Manila, a? is her custom every two months or so, she did not bother to look me up. She could easily have traced pie through townmates yTcnow. Once I came across her in Avenida Rizal and she ignored me com pletely. Stared right through me, by Joe. Yes, I could see that she was pretty sore. AUGUST, 1948 39 That went on for almost three years. I didn’t care though, I had Luisa . . . She’s the whole world to me. Then, I don’t know what happ e n e d to my aunt and uncle. It must have been the work of Time, the great healer or some thing. Or they must have began to get lonely — they’re childless ylcnow—andi decided to call me back to the farm. Three days ago, that . was last Friday, she blundered into Ferrer’s garage. It must have been Fate or something. A passenger truck drew up in front of the shop with its dis tributor out of order. I was cal led out to make the slight re pair—and there was the sainted aunt sitting stiffly on the second seat . . . Yes, one of those hard-eyed women . . . I gave her a bow. Just to be polite, mind you. I told you that she and uncle had decided to take me back, but that was getting ahead of the story. You could detect nothing of the forgiving relative when she spoke to me over the side of the bus. 'So you’re here, Jose!” she said coldly. “All the time, tia, all the time,” I answered. Had I known what was in her heart that moment, I would not have tried to be funny. Her next remark would have had more warmth had I been less unkind. But as it was, her words were still cold. — Very cold. “Well, how is the city?” she asked. “Not bad, not good,” I said. This stopped her for a while. I bent to my work in silence. “Jose!” she fairly barked af ter a minute. “Yes?” I said. “It’s about time you came back!" That showed that she had declared an armistice, although it sounded like the imperial com mand of an imperial highness. “Back?” I asked in awe. “Yes. Your uncle is getting old and he needs your assist ance.” Her voice had become democratic. My heart softened, but I knew that I could not go back because of Luisa. “There are men who can be hired,” I said. “For the fields, yes—but to take charge of everything, no.” “I can’t run a farm,” I said. “I don’t know.” "You can learn,” she cut in crisply. That was food for thought. You see, when I had lived 9 month in the city, I had bjegan to regret my having left the good old farm. I eould not go back, though, as I said, on account of 40 THE CROSS the pretty little girl whom 1 married. I was afraid of the reception she would get from my aunt. I tightened a screw snugly into place. “How about it?” my aunt demanded. “Well, yes and no,” I answered. “What do you mean, yes and no," she asked curtly. “Yes, because I would be only too glad to come back. No, be cause I cannot.” Thatf I thought, was pretty neat. It explained everything and yet it told noth ing about Luisa. “Cannot? Cannot?” The old girl was getting impatient. She wants things to happen fast. “Yes. I cannot. My wi . . .” I stopped. I had to stop. I felt like the spy in the movies who slips In the last moment and betrays himself. “Your wife!” exclaimed my aunt. She stopped. She had to stop. I mean, one can’t go on talking when one is about to have a fit or something. Yo<u should have seen her - eyes. For a moment I thought they were going to pop right out of their sockets. You see, back in the province, this aunt of mine had frequently outlined to me how she would celebrate my marriage . . . with a girl of her own choosing,—a shy heaven-help-us in the next barrio. . . . And here I was, married without this same sainted aunt’s consent, and to a girl unknown to her. I stood tensed for an ex plosion. You can imagine my surprise when a hint of a suspicion of a smile began to play around her compressed lips. Her next line simply made me gape at her the way I did the first time I saw a B-29. “Do you think she would like to go home to the province?” “O.” said I. This made my problem vanish into thin air. I mean, if ’the aunt wanted to take Luisa too, sight unseen,—and without a fuss... I need not dwell too much on the . subsequent conversation. All I can say is that the aunt was set on having- me back as soon as I could manage to move my entire household. I welcomed the proposition. Pretty soon, the truck was ready again and she said: "We must run off now. This is Friday isn’t it? This coming Sunday I’ll go back home. I must hurry, I have some shopping to do.” “Good speed then,” I said gen ially. “By the way, Jose, give me your address.” “124 Antipolo, Santa Cruz.” “J shall drop in there some AUGUST, 1948 41 time before I go to the province. Saturday afternoon should<* be a good time to see your . . . what’s her name?” “Luisa,” I supplied. “I should come earlier, but 1 have so many things to do be fore I return to the farm.” With that the truck was off. The moment the shop closed that Friday afternoon, I went to Mr. Ferrer and handed my re signation. He was surprised, of course. So you see, I wasn’t fired as I have been trying to convince you all along. What happened after that? I went home with a light heart to tell the wife the good news. Why then am I looking for a job? I was coming to that. In the evening, I tried to break the news to the wife ger.tly. It wouldn’t be right, I thought, to run up to her and say that 1 had resigned from a well paid job because I had decided to work in the province. Most likely, she would have thought the heat had affected my head. Besides, she knew nothing then about my aunt and uncle. When we had seated ourselves at the table in the two room barong; I began: "Did I ever tell you the story of my early life?” I became eloquent as I proc e e d e d from my childhood in in the province to the trip to the city. From the start, anyone could see that the wife was moved. When I came to the sainted aunt and her hard eyes, Luisa was excited. The more I spoke of the distress and sufferings of Jose, the poor nephew, the more indignant she became. Finally, when I came to the Avenida Rizal episode, she stood up. She was sizzling. My solemn word... She stood up like Cleopatra about to defy Caesar or some such thing. She began denoun cing the old aunt in no uncertain terms. The good wife is a pretty girl when she is calm. But when her soul is stirred and her emotions seeth in her bosom,—she is beau tiful! My solemn word... I never knew she could be so descriptive. And her voice. Pretty much like the husky voice of Bergman, though that Swede can’t put as much feeling to it as my wife did that night. Well, I enjoyed the spectacle so much that I did not hear the sound of the door opening from outside. You could have knocked me 42 THE CROSS down with a feather when, on looking to the side, there was the aunt drinking in every word the good wife was saying . . . "I am very sorry to disturb,” cut in an icy tone. “Wup,” I said, but that was no use. My aunt was gone. How was I to know that she’d come that very same day ? Sa turday was what she said. Jusi her habit of hurrying I sup pose. So you see, I lost my job through no fault of mine and now, I’ve got to have another pretty quick before my wife finds out I’m out in the street. Mr. Ferrer? I’m ashamed to go to him . . . My aunt? She’ll take another three years to cool off. Report? Costa’s garage Mon day? You mean, old man Costa needs a mechanic? Sure? So you're his superintendent O.K. chief, I’ll be there. THE WITTY CURE The Cure of Ars may have had trouble with his theology text-books, but he had a keen and ready wit that has left many stories behind him. Someone sympathized with him in the suffering he en dured at the hands of the devil. “One gets used to everything— even the devil,” said the Cure. ‘The ‘old boy’ and I are almost comrades.” He asked a garrulous lady once, if there was any month in the year in which she talked less than usual—except Feb ruary! “What must I do to get to heaven?” asked a lady of very ample proportions. ‘Three Lents, my daughter,” he counselled. One day he saw on the wall of a chateau a portrait of a lady in an evening dress: “One would think,” he said, “that she was going to the guillotine.” So! You're in Love Using the heart AND THE HEAD! Adapted from Catholic Digest “Bert,” said Lila slowly, * let’s keep our courtship, white.’ Then she added quickly, “It isn’t you whom I fear. It’s myself. I’m as much a mystery to myself as to anyone, right now. New emo tions, feelings, hopes, dreams, all tangle in me now. But I want no single misstep. You’ll help me, won’t you Bert?” “Why, Lila, it’s I who’ll be needing help, not you. You’ll have to be the trafficman giving signals.” A lump was forming in Bert’s throat. He clasped Lila’s hand and pressed it. Lila turned suddenly and gazed at the 6tars. “We’ll help each other, then, won’t we, Bert?” Looking into her uplifted face, radiant, eager, tremulous, Bert saw her eyes were moist. “I’ll not let you down, Lila,” he whis pered. "We’ll keep it white—to gether—with God.” They stood like statues gazing at the far-off stars, dreaming the dreams of youth. A white courtship is the hope and. dream of every decent boy and girl. It can be realized; for youth does not need to go to the matter blindly, learning by trial and error. Youth can profit by the experience of the race, and the guidance of Christ and His Church. Company-keeping and court ship are justified only as aids in making a wise choice for .mar riage. They have no other rea son for existence. Since courtship limits interest to one person, it should not be undertaken when one is not in a position seriously to consider marriage. Steady company-keep ing is out of place for high-school youths. Even in college it is wiser to wait until the junior or senior year before restricting in terest to a single person. How often does a college freshman coed, smitten with “love of first sight,” limit dates to a single boy, and wear his college ring, only to have the romance fade in the senior year, leaving her high and dry. Col lege life should provide a wide circle of friends. In short, good spiritual and practical advice to young people 43 44 THE CROSS looking wonderfully and wistful ly at marriage would be: don’t pull down the curtains prema turely upon the enterprise of making friends. Don’t get pan icky. Ktfep your head. Take your time and look around. Meet young persons of good reputa tion and character. Mingle with them in a friendly and gracious way. Remember that marriage lasts for life. If you choose in haste, you are likely to regret at lei sure the remainder of your life. A marriage rushed into heed lessly often turns out to be a prison cell with iron bars no one can break. Though love involves the emotions, approval of thereason is more important. No adequate substitute has been dis covered for sober common sense. Keeping steady company is legitimate and important; it is to enable a young couple to learn more about the qualities of mind, heart, and character of each other, to explore areas of con geniality in taste, culture, dis position, and character, to as certain their fitness as partners in the most intimate and endur ing union which life offers. Before undertaking steady courtship, however, they should be reasonably sure of congenial ity and should be in a position definitely to plan to marry with in a reasonable length of time. What would be the point of keep ing steady company when the young man, say, a medical stud ent, sees no possibility of assum ing the obligations of matrimony for five or six years? Is it-fair for him to monopolize a young girl’s time all those precious years, with possibility that the romance may crumble at the end? Courtship is a time of stress and strain. New emotions, beating their almost ceaseless tattoo upon the minds, hearts, and nerves of adolescent youth. Cravings and urges, rooted deep in the biological instincts of the race, are clamouring for satisfaction. The proximity of a -person of the opposite sex, a person who appeals to one’s whole nature .tends, unless careful precautions are adopted, to add fuel to the flames of natural yearnings. Chastity will not sur vive unless a courageous struggle is made. Prudence, discretion, and avoidance of unnecessary risks constitute the only strategy. The law of chastity suffers neither abrogation nor curtail ment during courtship. It bilids young people in love to be pure in thought, word and deed with the same rigor with which it binds all mankind. One of the most important truths to be driven to young AUGUST. 1948 45 people is: keep your courtship on a high plane. Never allow it to degenerate to the merely phy sical level. Dust has never fail ed to deform friendship and love into an orgy of passion, whose d nouement is nausea, remorse, shame, bitterness, suffering, death. When allowed free scope it will never fail to transform the paradise, in which lovers ought to dwell, into a purgatory, if not a hell, on earth. In all courtship, it is true, the physical element of sex is pres ent. But it must not be allowed to dominate, direct the thoughts, and dictate conduct. One evil consequence of allowing physical expression of sex too great li cense is that it impedes intel ligent exploration of elements of congeniality in other fields. It frustrates cultivation of friend ship in its deepest sense. Friendship of mind, heart, and soul can develop only when the physical is subordinated to the spiritual; for man is essentially spiritual. The mind of man con stitutes his distinctive nature and crowning glory. This is the part of his nature to be explored and cultivated, if friendship is to find its anchorage in an en during element. An attraction which springs only from the physical element of sex is an in secure foundation for enduring friendship and conjugal love. Because of the explosive char acter of the sex impulse, the im portance of restraining the phy sical element in courtship can scarcely be overstressed. The rule, basic and all important, to remember is: follow a hands-off policy during courtship. This is wisest and the safest course. Respect the person of the friend with whom you are keeping company. Don’t try to set him or her on fire. Why excite de sires which cannot be satisfied, save at the expense of all you both hold dear? Why torture your friend? Why make him restless and uneasy? Why inflict upon her headaches and heart aches, and almost inevitably, a disturbed, if not an accusing conscience? Is not happiness, in stead of pain, love's distinctive gift? Genuine friendship does not lean upon stimulation of the phy sical element of sex. It is in jured by such unseemly intru sions. Young persons who really care for each other find untold happiness in the mere presence of the other. A world of clean fun and enjoyment may be had together without appeal to lust. In the personality of the most prosaic individual there are hid den kingdoms of wondrous beauty not to be discovered except through patient exploration and continued THE CROSS research. Sometimes a smile in the face of defeat, a brave ges ture when the chips are down, a kindly word of praise when sorely needed will act as the magic Sesame to open beauty and tenderness. The average young man wants tc do right. Under attack of newly awakened sex instincts, he desperately needs help. Even when outwardly pleading for liberties, he is often inwardly praying that the girl will save him from himself. If she is wise and considerate, she will not fail him in his desperate need. An earnest word, a look of disap proval, a sudden change in the conversation, a quick and determined step away, will be a life preserver. When thus res cued, with sense restored, a sen timent of boundless admiration will well up in his heart for the girl who saved him. A young man is a curious para dox. That paradox asserts itself in the reaction which infrequent ly mystifies the girl. He has begged for certain liberties. Af ter he has obtained them, he feels no pride over his success and no gratitude to the girl who yielded. On the contrary, he is ashamed of himself, and disillu sioned with the girl. The con tempt he feels for himself spreads to her who was acces sory to his misdeed. A friend ship had received a body blow. If it is to survive, a different course must be pursued. The reaction of the man may appear to the girl as strange, paradoxical, contradictory. It may be all that and more. But it is as old as humanity. The feelings of nausea, shame, contempt after yielding to temp tation are not, however, peculiar to the man. They are shared equally, if not to an even greater degree, by the girl. ’While she is not so susceptible to excitement through the physical stimuli of sex, she realizes that her maiden ly modesty is her greatest trea sure. From her male escort she covets, above all, respect and honor. When these are granted, she knows that love will speak that nobler language wherein heart and mind will communicate sentiments, thoughts, feelings and aspirations which lie too deep for words or tears. She is sensitive to the elo quence of restraint. She sees in it the expression of love temper ed with reverence and esteem. A young man will most surely win the heart of a girl if he acts always as a gentleman and places her upon her rightful pedestal of unsullied innocence and queenly modesty. An Open Letter to Aglipayans and Protestants “between us only” Dear Friend: Is it true that your Supreme Bishop Isabelo de los Reyes had called on Catholics to help in the tight against Atheistic Commun ism? And that Dr. Gumersindo Garcia, president of the Federa tion of Evangelical Churches, and Dr. Enrique Sobrepena, Bishop of the United Church, have initiated >a move to synchronize all church action against the Red peril? If so, bravo!! what can be more en couraging! for there is nothing more urgent now than to make the world safe for God Whom we love, but Whom communism hates ana aims to delete from the minds and hearts of men, and from the face of the earth, forever! And I wish immediately to rke the following suggestions order to make our fight effec tive and everlastingly fruitful: (1) That Bishop de los Reyes, Dr. Gumersindo Garcia, and Dr. Enrique Sobrepena, and the rest of you, should return to Catholic unity; 12) That they, and you, together with us, should “with one mind” study and apply the Christian Social Order outGabriel Garcia lined in the Papal Encyclicals: “Rerum_Novarum”, and “Quadragesimo Anno”; (3) That they, and you, together with us, “with one mind" should fight strenuously against SECULARISM, and make the true Christian way of life not a mere private aff a i r, but something that should permeate the social, cultural, economic, and politi cal life of the people; (4) That they, and you, together with us, “with one mind”, should strive that all educa tional institutions, private as well as public, from the low est to the highest, should in clude RELIGION in their cur ricula. My suggestions may be a bit bewildering to you, but I am sure you will allow me to explain them. UNITY Concerning the first point. Mere “synchronization" of church action is ineffective against an organized movement which is in tensely unified in its creed and in its tactics. Nothing is more desir able than unity among those who call themselves Christians, not a temporary and artificial unity, oe47 THE CROSS casioned purely by the presence of a common enemy, but a true and lasting unity, the unity that Christ prayed for before He died, a unity born of one faith and one leadership. It was the lack of this unity that rendered Christianity powerless to check the rise and advance of Communism; in fact, it was the splitting of that pris tine unity that led to the evils that led to communism. In his book. "The Challenge of World Communism”, Mr. Hamil ton Fish, himself an Episcopalian, asks the following questions: “Where, outside of the Vatican, are the leaders of Christian thought and conscience? Are they asleep or have they been drugged by Communist propaganda? Can it be that, after 1945 years, the Christian faith has lost its vital ity, has grown old and senile, and can no longer defend itself against the onslaught of its ene mies from within and without?” Mr. Fish is referring to the vi tality by which Christianity tri umphed over the persecutions of Pagan Rome, the attacks of Bar barians, and the threats of the followers of Mohammed. But the fact is that Christianity THEN was ONE; it was THE Christian ity that was the LIFE of the peo ple individually as well as socially. VENGEANCE But this was not the case when Communism arose. In the six teenth century the Protestant Re formation and broken up Christen dom, and after having destroyed its unity banished Christianity from the social, political, and eco nomic life of the people. Thus economics was no longer directed by the ethical principles of Christ ianity. Burgeois Capitalism sprang up without the fear of God and committed sins that cry to hea ven for vengeance; social injust ice filled the land! In 1848 the vengeance came when Marx and Engels published the Manifesto that gave birth to Communism—a despotism of mat erialism that recognized no moral law above it. No doubt there was a social disorder to be remedied —and unhappily, a diabolical re medy was given! What yas Christianity doing? Christianity was already powerless! The Church which-was the institution al backbone of a whole social or der was crippled by the Reform ers. It seems so well planned! Christianity was first to be par alyzed by the Reformation; then iniquitous Capitalism, Social In justice would follow; at the time 'when wounded Christianity could do nothing to remedy the situa tion, Communism would rise and sweep the world. PURVEYOR Not only did Protestantism help to plow and water the soil out of which Communism sprouted, it is AUGUST. 1948 49 itself the unconscious provender of communism, and its unwary purveyor. For Communism, in or der to grow and spread, necessa rily requires: (1) the absence of a Christian Social Order, or, if such an order already exists, its dis integration; (2) the destruction of the visible organized Church of Christ; (3) the removal of a universal religious and moral authority; (4) the banishment of religion from social, political, and eco nomic life, and its relegation to an insignificant portion of an individual’s existence, as well as its absolute servility to the state. Now, if not theoretically, at least practically, and historically, these are exactly what Protest antism has accomplished, and stands for—how then can- Prot estantism fight against Commun ism? Just as it is possible for an unwilling cooperator in a crime to give up the cooperations; so, too, it is still possible for Protestant ism to denounce Communism, stop cooperating with it, and this means, like the return of the Pro digal Son, a retracing of its steps to the paternal home where Christianity is the life: the Cath olic Church I REAL ENEMY No wonder then, that, while Communism may dilly-dally with Protestantism, its bosom is seeth ing with an undying hatred for the Catholic Church, because this Church IS THE REAL ENEMY, since it is the only true Christ ianity. No wonder then that the first and most outstanding leaders in the fight against Communism are found in the Catholic ranks. Writes Mr. Fish: “As a Protestant I would like to be in a position to quote from some Protestant bishops present ing their views on the Communist threat to religion, for I am con vinced that 90 per cent of Prot estant clergymen and ministers of the Gospel have a lively fear of the spread of Communism and its open hostility to God and religion. But they have been for the most part strangely silent. I know of scarcely any Protestant ministers who have studied, analyzed, and written about the hard facts, the nature, purpose, and methods of Communism, as have Monsignor Fulton J. Sheen, Father Edmund A. Walsh, Father Edward Lodge Curran, and Father James M. Gil lis. All these brave Catholics have repeatedly exposed Communism as the deadliest enemy of religion and of all that we Americans hold most dear." "Among the organizations in this country that have waged the most consistent warfare against it (Communism) and rendered ef fective and constructive service 50 THE CROSS are the Roman Catholic Church, the American Federation of Lab or, the American Legion... Knights of Columbus.” Long before the United States and the world realized the omi nous threats of Communism, Pope Pius XI had sounded the alarm when in 1937 he wrote the famous letter on Atheistic Communism which now reads like a comment ary on most recent world events. CONTRAST In contrast many Protestants have been seduced by the enemy. Even the leader of British Prot estantism, Dr. Garbet, Archbishop of York, thinks that there is no necessary practical conflict be tween Communism and Christiani ty! You have heard, I believe, of the seven Protestant ministerial guests of Tito who white-washed this communistic dupe. And you are not ignorant of those other five Protestants who have found ed the so-called “Protestants and Other Americans United for Sepa ration of Church and State”? Ac cording to another Protestant, Luther C. Peak, .pastor of the Central Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, these men are “dragging the red-herring across the trail.” He further said: “Communistic philosophy has been infiltrating American Prot estantism. It has been taught in sociological studies in the major ity of Protestant colleges and uni versities, and in theological semi naries for the last quarter of a century.” Recently the Methodist Federa tion for Social Action held a meeting in Kansas City, Missouri. The New York “World Telegram” called this meeting a "glowing defense of the Soviet Union”; and a reporter sent by the ScrippsHoward newspapers exposed the communistic character of this meeting. The point I wish to bring out is that Protestantism is not the antidote to Communism, it is often a help to it because of itself, because of its way of think ing, and its way of life. While many protestants are thus playing into the hands of communists, Catholic priests and their faithful have already given up their lives rather than become communists, and many more are at present languishing in prison. And this is happening, not only in Central Europe, but also in Communist dominated parts of China. This is the answer to an other question asked by Mr. Fish: “Where is the spirit and ardent courage of the early, Christians who preferred torture, crucifixion, and death to forsaking their reli gion?” That spirits in the Cath olic Church, even today! Said Fr. Liang who was captured by Com munists in Shankhokow, China: “Even if you cut off my head I shall always be a Catholic and a priest” They tortured him, and AUGUST, 1948 51 put him to death. But happily many sincere Prot estants are realizing the danger. Yet, as long as they cling to protestantism, their efforts as such, shall inevitably fail. The United States may splinter Russia to bits, but Communism shall not die yet, because Communism is not in Rus sia only; it is not even in the present communists only; it is al ways in the heart of man living in a society disordered by injus tice—to which the only remedy is a real, actual Christian Social Or der. That order while still being worked to greater perfection was distributed and broken up by the Protestant Reformation. And now, Protestantism, in some quarters at least, like a man that has unknowingly set his house on fire, is frantically shouting for help! But it is trying vainly “to use as lances the splinters of the social and religious framework it had destroyed!” No, there is only one solution to our present problem: the putting into effect of a Christian Social Order, the first phase of which, as far as you and protestants are concern ed, should be a return to the pris tine unity of Christian Faith and Government. What is needed to day is a reform of the sixteenth century “Reformation” or rather “Deformation”, by means of a sinpere and effective Christian Restoration. Shall we hope for that happy day? CHRISTIAN SOCIAL ORDER Let us now come to the second point. Communism cannot be de feated by force alone. If anyone thinks that Communism is but union of bandits that seek to seize the reins of government and de prive the rich of their wealth, it will be enough for him, in order to fight communism, to join the MP. But Communism is more than this. It is the despotism of sheer materialism that recognizes no law above itself. It is an ideology essentialy built on the seven ca pital sins, a way of life, and a to talitarian way at that, in which a thoroughly secularized state con trols every aspect of the life of the people, monopolizing all of freedom to itself, and leaving no thing to the individual, but sub jugation to the state. Only a true Christian Social Or der can save the world from Com munism. Communism is a diabo lical reaction to social injustice which alone can be precluded by a Christian Social Order; or where it occurs, can be remedied in a human and heavenly manner only by Christian principles. These principles, and this Christian So cial Order are contained in the two famous encyclicals "Rerum Novarum”, and “Quadragesimo Anno”. We are not at sea at what to do; the longed-for Christian Restoration has been planned for us in these two documents in the THE CROSS the ages, the Word of God, and the assistance of the Holy Spirit heve been summoned. SECULARISM The third point is also of sup r e m e importance. If by any chance the real reunion of all Christians into the unity of faith and leadership, into, what we Catholics call, the Mystical Body of Christ, should not take place within our times, nevertheless, this third point should be insisted upon in order to defeat Commun ism not only once, but prevent it from rising up again in the fu ture. Secularism is the native air of communism; it had first to come before Communism could sprout. Secularism is nothing else but the practical exclusion of God in hu man thinking and living. It is the ignoring of God’s rights, laws, honor, purposes, in human tran sactions. Today this cancer is at the root of the world’s travail. Mr. Christopher Dawson, philoso pher of history and political scientist, says in his book, “Reli gion and the Modern State”: “Protestantism, Liberalism and Communism are the three stages by which our civilization has pas sed from Catholicism to complete secularism. The first eliminated the Church, the second eliminated Christianity, and the third elim inates the human soul.” “This secularization of culture is seen in its striking form in the Communist State, where alone as yet the elimination of religion has been carried to its logical conclu sion.” Let us pause and reflect. Is not the Philippines on the road to ut ter secularism? Tell me whether every time our Congress meets to frame laws God’s rights, laws, or dinations, etc. are consulted at all? Tell me if the men who sit in governmental offices ever real ize that they are responsible to God for their actions and omis sions? Tell me if God, His laws, etc. are ever taught in’ all our schools? Listen again to Mr. Daw. “Once society is launched on the path of secularization, it cannot stop in the half-way house of Liberalism; it must go on to the bitter end, whether that end be Communism or some alterna tive type of “totalitarian” secular ism.” These words are analytic as well as prophetic. Already I heard some Congressman wants absolute State control of education — a plainly totalitarian style! RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION The last point hardly needs comment. The silence about God in our public schools is like the silence of death, the silence of the death of the soul of true demoAUGUST. 1948 53 cracy, which is Christianity; or, it seems like the silence before the storm. Don’t you know that a man may cooperate in a crime by silence? That is the way we have cooperated with Communism. Said Lenin, the god of Commun ism: “Give us the child for eight years and it will be a Bolshevist forever.” What will he do with the child for eight years? He will never let the child hear about God or Christianity, but he will steep him in materialism up to the hilt. How have we educated our child? Ex amine the curriculum of our public schools. How much do you think will the communist change in that curriculum should they gain con trol of our government? And the 9heer materialistic ideals that our children are forced to learn from the pages of the prescribed text books! It is only the Christianity of the home, the Church, and the teachers that have so far prevent ed the utter collapse of the mo rale of our youth. But already there are signs! the inevitable outcome of de-christianized, mat erialistic education! Said Lenin again: “Marxism is materialism... We must combat religion—this is the A B. C of all materialism, and con sequently of Marxism... Down with religion!" In a public speech in Moscow the commissar of public educa tion, Lunacharsky said: “We hate Christianity and Christians; even the best of them must be looked upon as our worst enemies. They preach the love of our neighbors and mercy which is contrary to our principles. Christian love is an obstacle to the development of the revolu tion. Down with the love of our ’ neighbors; what we want is hat red. We must learn to hate, and it is only then that we shall con quer the world.” Words so diabolical, it is unbe lievable they could come from a man. But these are recorded words which you may read even in the Congressional Record, Vol. 77, pages 1539 to 1540. God for bid that we should allow our child ren to be educated that way: to abjure Christian love, and learn to hate! But, my friend, how can Christian, love grow in a heart materialistic to the core and formed by a religiously negative, selfishly and worldly positive education ? In 1938 a bill providing for re ligious instruction in public schools was presented before the National Assembly. There were men who laughed and rejoiced when that bill was finally vetoed, the men who fought tooth and 54 THE CROSS nail to defeat it—the Aglipayans, Aglipay himself, Osias too, and the Protestants. Of course, Stalin, also, would have laughed and re joiced in Moscow had he heard of it; for what could he have desired more as a preparation for his coming than a generation edu cated without religion, and a bel ligerent minority that can impose its will on a meek majority, es pecially if that majority be Cath olics! Today, some religious in struction is tolerated in manner that is an insult to God! I hope that the present willing ness of Aglipayans and Protest ants to cooperate with Catholics in the fight against Communism will usher in a new era in our country, and bring forth lasting benefits. With this hope I beg to close this letter. Perhaps you realize now the “WHY” of my suggestions. Are you going to tell others about them ? I warn you not to be as plain-spoken as this letter; for some of the bitter facts may cause a smart. For you know, I am writing as to a friend; this is between us only. Sincerely yours, Gabriel Garcia LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS A pastor noticed a young man come into church on the same day each week and pray very earnestly before the statue of the Blessed Mother. Meeting him one day outside the church, he spoke to him, anxious to know a young man who seemed so devoted to the Blessed Mother. “Do you live near here?” he asked the young man. “No; it’s a long trip for me every week, but I am glad to make it for a special reason. “May I know what it is?” asked the pastor, curiously. “I will be glad to tell you, and I hope you will pray for me. When I told my Father Confessor that I shall be blind, he suggested that I fix vividly in my mind some favorite image of the Blessed Mother. So I looked everywhere until I found here in your church the most beautiful statute of the Blessed Mother I have ever seen. The memory of her sweet face will be like a light in the darkness to me.” —The Messenger of the SH Setting sane — at last! HOLLYWOOD LOOKS AT A STAR Eddie Doherty IN ITS comparatively short life Hollywood has sought after many strange gods. It has made - gods of young men and women. It has deified fame, beauty, strength, success, and fortune, It has sought through the world for talented souls to gTace ite celluloid altars. It has sought to conquer the world, and it has given the world to its favorites. Its religion has been purely a worship of materialism. It has held most sacred, and most bles sed, those who have made the most material progress. Its greatest stars have been its richest stars. Its richest stars have been its brightest stars, its most beloved stars. Now the devotees of riches have found themselves deserted by their god. The more money they make, the more they must give up. The more money they have, the harder their lot. Movie stars accustomed to making $5,000 a week from the studios—and as much more, in some instances, from the radio—find themselves worse off than people making $40 or $50 a week. They can’t get servants to keep their man sions comfortable and clean. They must be their own servants. Some are even doing their own washing. They cannot get men to work in their gardens; in con sequence stars, directors, writers, and producers must watch their beautiful flower beds become choked and over-run by weeds, or they must dig the earth them selves, burning their fair skins in-'the torrid sunshine, breaking their backs with unaccustomed toil, and giving their muscles worse torture than is inflicted on the most amateurish of ditch diggers. The war has convinced Holly wood that the gods of gold are false gods, that they offer no real security to the faithful, no real rewards to the devout. The war has set Hollywood to thinking. And it is thinking of God. Like the magic of old, it has seen a bright star in the evening skies, a star new and tantalizing, a star that fills the beholder with a great wonder, a star hanging not over a palace but above a stable. It may not follow that star to 56 56 THE CROSS the stable. It may never journey to Bethlehem and kneel in adora tion at the manger where the Child lies waiting. And yet... Recently I went to Hollywood to write the story of the Sulliv ans, five Irish-American sailors who went down on the U.S.S. Juneau after a battle in the So lomons. I was asked to write a “Catholic story" about these five Catholic boys, which, eventually would be made into a “Catholic" picture. The mere fact that I came not as an ordinary writer, but as “Catholic’ writer, inter ested Hollywood immensely. I had been in the film colony only a few hours before I was beset by people who wanted to know something of the Catholic faith. Men would come into the of fice where I wrote, and would stay for hours, asking questions about God, about the Virgin Mary, about the saints and the reasons for their popularity with Catholics. Men whose names are great in Hollywood were among those who came seeking information about God. Oddly enough, most of them were humble in their at titude—not that I was, in any way, a theologian or a scholar, or a compendium of information on my religion. The mere fact that I was a Catholic who could tell them something about Cath olicism was enough to bring them. It wasn’t only the men who were interested. One night we sat for hours in' Romanoff’s: a major in the army, a beautiful movie star who still calls herself a Catholic, a famous director, his wife, and I. We talked about nothing but God, and the need of people for His protection, His love, His guidance. Some of' my interrogators were men who thought clearly about business, about stories, about other people, about life in general — and who wanted to think clearly .about Catholicism. I don’t mean to imply that Hollywood is turning, as a whole, to the worship of the true God; nor that any majority of its ci tizens is becoming religiousminded. But there is a hunger for God. From "Catholic Digest" A MINORITY? Someone speaking to Barnard Vaughan objected that the Catholics in England were only a minority. Father Vaughan’s answer was magnificent: “One man and God make a majority.” "FANATICAL MOROS” Notwithstanding th^ threats of war, about 1,200 Moro Moham medans are going on a pilgrim age to Mecca and Judea in Pa lestine. The party, headed by Congressman Menalao Mindalano will be away for 88 days. Con gressman Mindalano revealed that 200 Moro women are joining the pilgrimage and that each Moro will have to put up Pl,500 for the trip. "We Moros,” he remarked, “save for a chance to join a pilgrimage such as this. We are fanatical that way. We shall risk death to fulfill our religious obligation.” BACK TO LAND President Quirino revealed in a conference with newsmen re cently that he is more concerned with the return of former dis sident peasants to the farm than with the surrender of firearms. “We will take care of the fire arms,” he 'said. “The main In terest of the government is to place the Huke and PKM mem bers immediately in productive agricultural occupation. The government is ready to assist to th.e fullest extent those return ing dissidents who want to work their faTms again.” CRISIS SOLVED All but 10,000 pupils were ac comodated in city schools when 96 new classes were opened last August 2. Manila will need some 156 more classes to admit the 10,000 pupils left out. Manila’s high school and intermediate problems .have been solved. Should the national government supply the teachers, it was claimed, the city government can and will provide corresponding classrooms. ON WORLD SURVEY The Senate will send a factfinding committee abroad early in August, it was decided at a meeting of all the senators last July 20. The Senate group will 6tudy the present world crisis at first hand and will observe cur rent economic and social trends in the United States and Europe. The Senate delegation will also represent the Philippines at three forthcoming inter-parliamentary world conferences, among which is the 37th conference of the In ter-Parliamentary Union sche duled to be held in Rome. 57 THE CROSS IMPORT LAW The import control board is being pressed for a specific in terpretation of the import con trol law by business organiza tions that stand to lose millions of pesos if the provisions of tiie new law are imposed to the letter. The import control law states that it will take effect upon signing by the President on tiie implementing executive order. Business men, .many of whom have virtually suspended activi ties pending the release of the vjtal executive order, criticized the government for what they considered an "unnecessary de lay” in preparing the implement ing executive order. LEPERS STUBBORN Lepers of the San Lazaro Hos pital stubbornly refused to be transferred to the Tala Leprosa rium in a two-hour meeting with Dr. Antonio Villarama during which the Secretary of heaith argued, pleaded and waxed in dignant—to no avail. Only about 100 lepers gathered around the bandstand to listen to the Sec retary. The rest of the 226 in mates had escaped because of fear of “banishment” to the Tala Leprosarium. Several of those who attended the meeting spoke up and answered the health secretary point by point maintaining that their con ditions had improved at San La zaro. The Secretary suspended the order to transfer. “WAR TO THE FINISH” Mayor de la Fuente recently declared "a war to the finish”” against the blackmarket in rice and other prime commodities in Manila as Tice stocks disappear ed from thfe public markets and food stores. He directed police authorities to: 1) Search ware houses and other places where rice is hoarded and take proper measure to confiscate them. 2) Enforce strictly the price ceil ings set by the PRATRA of Pl.25 per ganta for imported rice and Pl.30 for native rice. 3) Prosecute without quarter violators of the price ceilings and anti-hoarding law in the courts. Drastic measures aro necessary, the Mayor said, as tiie city faces famine because pro fiteers were hoarding the rice supply. JESUITS UNDER FIRE The Court of Frrst Instance recently ruled that two anti quated decrees of old-time Span ish monarchs are no longer bind ing in the Philippines and there fore have no effect on the Tight of the Jesuits to ownership over the Hacienda Tunasan which is disputed by occupant-tenants. In a 20 page decision the court dismissed a civil interdiction filed AUGUST, 1948 59 by 164 San Pedro Tunasan re sidents against the Society for possession of lands the plaintiffs are currently cultivating. The court could not "place its stamp of approval on the decrees of King Carlos III and Queen Isa bela ... in derogation' of present democratic institutions and con stitutional principles.” “JOEY” AT CARVILLE Mrs. Josefina Guerrero, leper heroine,—who is simply “Joey” to many GIs whom she had helped by her underground activities during the Occupation, was ten dered a most hearty welcome at Carville Leprosarium. Twenty filipino patients gave her a din ner party with native speeches and music. Joey was exempted from banning of lepers’ entry into America because of her out standing war services. She ex pressed the hope that her treat ment would be successful “not for myself but for those who will come after me.” Then she added: “Lepers do not need medicine half as much as they need affecton and love.” EXPLOSIONS More than 300 people were killed and 6200 injured when explosions wrecked the Farben Chemical Company in Germany. German police claimed that be tween 600 and 800 were killed. About 300 are known dead from the rescue operations. Ten hours after the explosion the flames and fumes were still towering high into the air. The plant had been producing industrial chem icals, drugs and dyes. NO. 1 COMMUNIST SHOT P a 1 m i r o Togliatti, Italy's number one Communist, was shot down by a Sicilian law student July 14 and fighting broke out shortly afterward in Rome's central Piazza Colonna. Angered over the attack on the Com munist. leader, a mob of youth descended on the Piazza Colonna, where riot police battled them. Jeep-loads of helmeted riot po lice, swinging club, sped through the area, scattering hundreds oi demonstrators. Heavy police re inforcements surrounded the hos pital while surgeons operated on Togliatti. Tanks and armored cars moved into central police headquarters as leftist masses converged on the Piazza from aii parts of Rome. The assasin confessed: “I considered Tog liatti an enemy of my country. I alone have done this. I belong to no party. I have no motive other than my personal belief." Vatican authorities said the Pope deplored the criminal attempt on Togliatti. 60 THE CROSS GEN. PERSHING DIES Gen. John J. Pershing, 87, stern leader of the American army in World War I, died shortly before dawn July 16 after a long battle against complicated illnesses of old age, in the Walter Reed Army Hospital. Pershing was the fifth American in history to hold the five-star rank of “General of the Armies.” He outranked such con temporary five star generals as George C. Marshall, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Douglas MacAr thur. Their title is “General of the Army.” Gen. Pershing was buried with full military honors at Ar lington national cemetery. That was his wish expressed long be fore his death. CHINA GETS ARMS Steps have been taken for the first shipments of United States arms and equipment to the Chi nese national government to com bat communists. The Chinese have had a “shopping list” ready for purchases of arms with the $125,000,000 granted by congress for some time. But difficulties in connection with US requirements for budgetary and bookkeeping controls have held up withdrawals. Although military aid was granted to China on a “no strings at tached” basis, allowing the Chi nese to select any arms or equip ment they see fit the Chinese must follow the procedure set up by the state department in drawing funds. “CHEAP POLITICS” With a pointed challenge for action in the "public interest”, President Truman recently called congress back for a special session. Republicans called the special ses sion “cheap politics”, “sheer des peration,” and a "trick.” The President had many requests ready to dump at the capitol door. Practically all were crammed with controversy and double dipped in' dissention — civil rights, price controls, housing, federal aid to schools, broadened social security a boost in the statutory minimum wage, etc. The special session was expected to mold the shape of this year’s presidential campaign. COUP THREAT Sentries guard Bangkok streets: Armored cars patrol the city nightly. Police, armed with ma chineguns, guarded the govern ment house during a meeting re cently of the cabinet council. Pre cautions were taken in view of in dications of a communist threat. Reports of unrest were received from several parts of the kingdom because of communist influence. The Kuala Limpur government announced that 4,000 special cons tables had been recruited so far in the anti-terrorist campaign. British reinforcements to assist troops in Malaya in their war against communists are expected to arrive from Hongkong. WITHOUT SEEING THE DAWN By Stevan Javellana Little, Brown Stevan Javellana, youthful Fi lipino, has written of his people in a first novel at once powerful and touching. His story begins in a little vil lage on the island of Panay be fore the war. We are introduced to the simple, likable villagers human idiosyncrasies we know so well. Carding, handsome young son of a farmer, is to be married to the beautiful Lucing. At the wedding feast every one is full of joy in the young couple’s hap piness. From the morning fresh ness and hope of this scene, the mood of the novel runs through many changes. Both—first Lucing, the Carding — violate their mar riage vows, but each time the in jured partner forgives. Twice Carding, through no fault of his own, is deprived of the means of earning a living—once by an an gry landlord, once by a flood. Patiently he starts again after each of these blows to provide a home for his wife and child. But with the coming of the war, tragedy really strikes the little village. Darker and darker grows the night of horror which has succeeded the joyful day. While Carding is fighting in Bataan, his father and his child are killed, and his wife is abused by the Japanese. After the surrender, he returns home and joins a local guerilla band. But he is changed and embittered. He who had for given his wife when she was guilty cannot forgive her now when she is guiltless. In a mad thirst for revenge he becomes a ruthless killer of suspected col laborators, even among his own kinsmen. His wife, enraged when he attempts to kill her child, bids him go away and never come back. But as the book ends, though the dawn of peace and deliverance for the Philippines is still to come, Carding and Lu cing have won their own battles over themselves. Though thj merits of this book •1 62 THE CROSS are outstanding, unfortunately its demerits are equally so, and must be mentioned first. As a result of excessive striving for realism, the language is frequently coarse and vulgar; sex is overstressed and i t s manifestations unnecessarily detailed; torture and mutilation by the Japanese are described with nauseating thoroughness. This is the more regretable since Mr. Javellana is capable of such beautiful writing — a compelling blend of strength and tenderness —and could so easily have told the same story without offensive passages. A second fault is the spirit of hatred and revenge ascribed to the Filipinos by the author. At the grave of one of the victims of Japanese cruelty, he has the village school teacher cry: “Oh God, we swear that we will teach our children and those yet unborn to hate our enemies!” One after another of Mr. Javellana’s char acters express the same feelings —eternal hatred for the Japanese, revenge for the dead. Natural as such feelings may have been un der the circumstances, surely some of these deeply Christian people must have been able to feel as did Agnes Newton Keith, writer of another recent book, Three Came Home, who suffered torture and humiliation in a-Japa nese concentration camp. With her, hatred of war itsdlf and what it does to men transcended the desire for revenge. But, on the credit side, Without Seeing the Dawn, introduces the reader to the simple people of the Philippine barrios, with, as the author puts it, “all their dearness and their faults.” It is not only a well-constructed novel, but also a record of an indomitable, God fearing people who through almost unbearable suffering remained un defeated in spirit, written by one who remembers "those who fell in the dark night,” though he him self lived to see the dawn. It is to be hoped that Stevan Javellana will devote his undoubted literary gifts to producing other stories of his people in which the mis takes of this first novel will have been rectified. HONEST, HUH? Brother Juan de la Miaceria painted the portrait of St. Theresa of Avila. Brother Juan had plenty of “good will,” but as a painter, he was about as bad as painters can be. When the picture (?) was finished, St. Theresa looked at it, shook her head and exclaimed: “May God forgive Brother Juan for making me so ugly!”