The Cross

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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 IV (Issue No.6) July 1949
Year: 1949
Language: English
Rights
extracted text: FOR BISHOP'S FRIENDS Quezon City Sir: Please find enclosed a check of the amount of P12 for three sub scriptions to THE CROSS. I will give these copies to visiting friends and urge them to subscribe to the CROSS. May your excellent magazine have a wide circulation. With cordial blessings. Very devotedly in C.M. Constance Jurgens, 1).D. Eds: Thanks for introducing us to your friends. Will the rest of cur readers please “go and do likewise?" PRACTICAL GUERRERO San Beda College Sir : Morality in Art?" by that pro lific young writer Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero should, without doubt, arouse the sympathetic emotions -within every true Catholic reader as it did to me. His composition indulges chiefly in practicality which is a vital factor required in order to attract any aggressive reader’s attention or to pass the stiff, contradicting views of a cri tic. I have read your many fine art icles and commentaries on varied topics. All these have entertained me very much. Being a lover of our National Language, would it not be appro priate to likewise issue articles in this form? Perhaps a page or two devoted to this will greatly benefit the thousands who exclu sively read articles of this type, especially those in the remote reVery sincerely, Ramon D. Santiago Eds: Good idea, Mr. Sontiago. Nguni't ang “FILIPINAS" (CROSS' sis ter-magazine) ay siyang "Tagapamansag ng Katorungang Panlipunan" sa wikang pambansa. Maraming salamat. But what say our readers? “TOUCHING LETTER" Alcala, Cagayan Sir: Although the lowliest in the line as a priest, I wish to assure you of my little help with God's grace. I offer my prayers for this purpose and here is begging yours too. "Without Me you can not do anything" said Our Lord. JULY, 1949 Both you and I have to pray much and well for the good of the Cath olic Press in the Philippines — a thing most unfortunately rele gated to the background. Going further, I hereby express my joy in seeing that the laity is growing every time conscious of their bit for the cause of our dear Lord in the form of Catholic Act ion well specified in Catholic Press activity. No other nobler work these days which really should be the object of attention of both the laity and clergy together. It is a bad philosophy to, leave all the work of spreading God’s word to the clergy, but it is a sound way to leave part of it to the laity. Thanks be tp God, we have in the Islands young active souls de dicating themselves to the task of helping the priests in spreading the teachings of Our Lord and Mother Church in one way or an other according to their abilities and efforts. Among this group I easily spot you, dear Editors, and your part is highly appreciated and commended. Go on, dear friends, and may God bless your efforts. All I can say at this writing is that with God’s grace I will try my best to help you out in increas ing CROSS' readers in my parish. I Would be very grateful if you will please give me time. Later on I will be writing you about the re sults of my humble yet soulful campaign for THE CROSS, which will not be a long way off. Devotedly in Christ, (Fr.) Salvador Baua Eds: May God bless our common ef forts indeed! "TALKING TO MYSELF" Notre Dame of Mlang Mlang, Kidapawan Cotabato Sir: CROSS is good as far as I am concerned... wish more of these dear good people could read it. Some day there will be more sub scriptions ... but at the moment I am talking to myself when I use English... and that’s the diffi culty with the CROSS. God bless the work and know that I am with you in prayers. Sincerely in JC et MI, (Rev.) Frank McSorley, OMI BEST FIGHTER Sir: I wish to congratulate you on your interesting and instructive little magazine. It is very well edited and it is surely one of the best competitors against the thunder of the Church’s enemies not only in the Philippines but the world over. Sincerely Hr CM. (Rev.) Aniceto J. Racelct Sir: I am interested that every home in this place should have this ma gazine. Sincerely in Christ, Sister Ma. Elisa, RVM JULY, 1949 Vol. IV No. 6 NATIONAL CATHOLIC M A « A X I N I Regina Bldg., Escolta, Manila, Philippines TABLE OF CONTENTS EDITORIALS: THE RIZAL QUESTION ..................... 4 YOUTH IS FRANK .............................. 6 SOMETHING ROTTEN SOMEWHERE . 6 NOTHING. . . BUT SEX! .................. 7 ARTICLES: Soys Fr. Vilallongo — Jose Noble ... 9 "Pride" With Prejudice—Nicolas Zofro 12 Gossip Colony — Adoraclon Trinidad . 18 Of Miracles and Apo Iro — Gregorio Mendoza ........................................... 20 Goodbye to Green Years — Anonymous 24 Benito Soliven: Catholic — C. Amigo 38 Our Worshipful Brothers — James W. Burke, O.M.1.................................... 42 OUR LOCAL EDITORS—Benjamin Son Juan ................................................... 44 On Social Security — Pastoral Letter 47 Beho'd, how the just dies! — Rafael J. Desmedt, CICM ................................ 52 Rochdale's Rock — Harold Wotson . . 55 POEM: Rose Showers — B. Llomson, S.J. ... 8 COLUMNS: Heart to Heart — Lily Marlene .... 26 Horse Sense — Leon Gorcia .............. 35 Thinking with God — Fr. Le Buffe ... 51 DEPARTMENTS: Cartoons by GAT. Viewpoints from the Cross — Renarg 56 Apostleship of Prayer Corner ........... 31 Intentions for July, 1949 .................. 32 This Got Me ......................................... 62 Cross Currents of Readers' Views ... A Associate Editor* Mario Gatbonton Augusto H. Piedad Business Manager Raul C. Reyes Board of Editors Antonio Estrada HennCnegildo B. Reyes Nicolas Zafra Entique F. Lumba Contributing Editors Salvador Araneta Miguel Cuenco Pacita Santos Renato Arevalo .GUEST EDITORIAL---------------------------------------BELIEVE IT OR NOT By ROBERT RIPLEY ■dtued. by pcnnlulou ot Robert BlpWy, for npriatta* for ■ IS THIS WHAT ANT AMERICAN WANTS? (Or any Filipino, for that matter.—Eds.) ---------EDITORIAL COMMENT------------------------------------THE RIZAL QUESTION The question on whether or not Dr. Jose Rizol rejoined the Church before his execution has again come to the fore. Occosion was Dr. Rafael Palma's "The Pride of the Malay Race" — hailed by Justice Roman Ozaefa, who translated it, as "the best, most compendious, and most faithful por trayal of the-Filipino hero's life ond character that has been written to date." The point ot issue is perhaps, os the Chronicle editor has it, irrelevant to the hero's greatness. But this should by no means stop the thinking man from digging ot the truth. Where is the editor's passion for truth? "This alone," Tertullian once said, "truth sometimes craves: thot il be not condemned unheard." If we drop the whole question now, each succeeding generation would find it harder ond harder to establish the truth. Today we still have men who were eyewitnesses to the facts. RETRACTACION DEL DR. JOSE RIZAL Me declare catalico y en esta Religion en que naci y me eduque quiero vivir y morir. Me retracto de todo corazon de cuanfo en mis palabras, escritos, impresos y conducta ha habido confrario a mi cualidad de hijo de la Iglesia Catolica. Creo y profeso cuanfo ella ensena y me someto a cuanfo ella manda. Abomino de Io Masonerio, como enemiga que es de Iglesia, y como sociedad prohibida por la Iglesia. Puede el Prelado Diocesano, como Auforidad Superior Eclesiasfica, hacer publico esfa manifesfacion esponfanea mia para repara el escondalo que mis actos hayan podido causar y para que Dios y los hombres me perdonen. Manila, 29 de Diciembre de 1896. Jose Rizal El Jefe del Piquefe El ayudanfe de plaza Juan del Fresno Eloy Moure JULY, 1949 If the Masons can prove conclusively that Rizal died a Mason, well and good. Let them know that the Church has never been, and will never be, afraid of the truth, for the simple reason that truth cannot contradict truth. But let them face the facts with impartial minds. This is important. In any controversy. Unfortunately, it is sadly wanting in those who would deny Rizal's retroaction. We wouldn't be surprised in the leost if twenty or thirty years hence some Catholic historian would once, again be colled upon to defend the foct thot the lote President Quezon died o Catholic. It hos olwoys been one of the tragic secrets of life that where one porty would build — and build conscientiously, another would tear down ond destroy — unscrupulously. RETRACTATION OF DR. JOSE RIZAL I declare myself a Catholic, and in this religion in which I was born and educoted, I wish to live and die. I retract with all my heart everything in my words, writings, publications and conduct that have been contrary to my status as a son- of the Catholic Church. I believe and I profess all that it feaches, and I submit to all that it commands. I abhor Masonry as an enemy of the Church and as a society prohibited by the Church. The Diocesan Prelate may, as the Supreme Ecclesiastical Author ity, makd public this my spontaneous retractation, to expiate the scandal which my deeds may have given, ond to that end may God and men pordon me. Manila, December 29th, 1896. El Jefe del Piquete Juan del Fresno Jose Rizal El ayudante de plaza Eloy Moure ---------EDITORIAL COMMENT-----------------------------------YOUTH IS FRANK Th* following letter comes from a young man who has just landed a government job. ‘'Brutally frank", as the saying goes, it is also indicative of the mentality with which countless government employees embrace their work. REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES Department of ....................... Manila June 27, 1949 Dear.................. Please accept my apologies for disappearing from the job you gen erously located for me. I wanted to inform you that Friday afternoon that I had found a job earlier, but I didn't have the chance. I am presently working at the above address. Although the job I’m presently working on is probably less paying, J’d prefer it more, first because it doesn’t require any exertion at all, (you know how gov ernment jobs are).... Thanking you and with my sincere apologies again for all-the trou ble I have caused you I am Very respectfully yours, (Name withheld) There are probably thousands of conscientious, hardworking employees in the government payroll. But there are certainly tens of thousands of. these loofers in government jobs. They are doing no good for anybody, not evan for them selves (for they only develop habits of laziness that usually last all their lives). — And they are being supported by the taxpoyer, by you, Juan de la Cruz. What are we going to do about this? SOMETHING ROTTEN SOMEWHERE A number of letter* and reports from our friends have coMod our at tention to an unfortunate incident in connection with Lipa, which show* the utter thoughtlessness and depravity of people gone money mad. One of our reader-friends writes: “I am deeply grieved to inform you that I have found the image of Our Lady, Mediatrix of all Graces, of Lipa, being used on wrappers for Bubble gum and candies. 6 JULY, 1949 “My heart bleeds at this indignity. Shall we suffer the beautiful image of our Heavenly Mother, Mother of God, to become rubbish which sinful man would carelessly tread on? “I would like you to write the owner of the Candy factory to im mediately stop this mal-practice.” There is no need to expand on this letter. It is clear that, even if the candy factory owner had all the good intentions for his cheap propaganda, he nevertheless has been guilty of the gravest impropriety and utter thought lessness. He should not delay a second to stop this disgusting mal-practice. He should kneel before the Mother of Mercy, look into her eyes with confidence, and whisper: "Dear Mother, I am sorry." NOTHING... BUT SEX! ATTENTION: Favorite woman-columnist of a local daily. . . And all "progressives" who would advocate Sex Education in our public schools. . . . * * * * British mothers, reports a Jamaica paper, became alarmed recently at some of the practical fruits of sex education publicly given in the schools. They found these fruits extremely unpalatable and their odor rather nau seating. A Mrs. Tallantire put off her apron for a while, conferred with other mothers, heard that their daughters talked "nothing. . . but sex, sex sex." Mrs. Tallantire obtoined 1,000 signatures on a petition protesting the sex talks, sent it to the local authorities. Meanwhile, the London City Council advised school heads and teach ers: “when a school has decided what it can usefully and wisely do, it is. . . desirable to talk the matter over with parents." These are signs indeed that common sense hos not vanished entirely from the sphere of human relations. *0*0 The trouble with our woman-columnist and her "progressive" col leagues is that they have lost their common sense, or at least the use of it. They hove developed a one track mind which runs something like this: THE CROSS "Whotever is being done in the greot, progressive United States, should also be done in the Philippines." But Sex Education is being taught in some American public schools Ergo. But progressive- Americans practice birth control. Therefore. And so forth. And so on. Substitute any minor premise you want ond you could justify the silliest things this side of heaven. Want to try it? Oh, you have no minor premise. You're just an old fashioned, nar row-minded Catholic. Too bad. ROSE SHOWERS (Reflections on Lipa.) Petals, Petals, Petals! The echoes rush and sound from every tongue As pole to pole the magic words are flung. Petals, Petals, Petals! Petals, Petals, Petals! We cheer for joy ( our faces to the sky Where miracles bloom forth and stir the cry, Petals, Petols, Petals! But then our Lady's word — Her every rose pleads loud above our din And cries, "The Queen is grieved by too much sin," Yet Oh, we have not heard. I used to join these cheers. And think that she was glad; — till one day brought The piercing, firing, purifying thought — "These petals ore her tears!" B. LLAMZON SJ. An interview with o Bogumbeyon witness Says Fr. Vilallonga By JOSE C. HABLE Manila Chronicle Jose Rizal retracted his adherence to Free Masonry and again embraced Catholicism shortly before he was executed on the old Luneta on Dec ember 30, 1896, Father Joaquin Vilallonga, S.J., said in an interview with this writer recently. The 81-year old Jesuit recalled Rizal's last days on the advent of the hero's 88th birthdoy onniversory lost June 19. Father Vilallonga, former rector of the Ateneo de Monilo, returned to Manila last Tuesday, June 14, after an absence of 12 years, during which he was superior of the Jesuit ’ mission in Indio. He plans to devote the remaining years of his life by serving the inmotes of Culion leper He said that upon his return to the Philippines, he was surprised to hear thot "there ore still some per sons who doubt the conversion of Dr. Jose Rizol." "I saw Dr. Rizal os he passed by the Molecon Drive (now Bonifocio Drive) en route to Bagumbayan (now the old Luneta) to be execut ed," Fr. Vilallonga said. To support his claim thot Rizol retracted, he cited three other Jesuits who according to him, were witnesses to the retraction. They ore Fr. Luis Vizo, Fr. Vicente Baloguer and Fr. Jose Villoclara, all long since dead. "I was then a Scholastic, 24 yeors old," Fr. Vilallonga continued, "and from Dr. Rizal's professors I learned that he had been considered the model among his fellow students in the old Ateneo Municipal de Mo nilo." Continuing his reminiscences, Fr. Vilallonga brought to the fore Dr. Rizal's "Junto al Pasig" which at thot time received populor recogni tion. "Rizol," he said, "ployed o principal role in the stage ploy based on his poem." The aged Jesuit said that even at that early stage of life, Dr. Rizal already manifested strong determination and a great will in carrying out his ideas. He said Rizol was a model "Sodalist of Our Lady." Following Rizal's graduation in the old Ateneo, he enrolled in the University of Sonto Tomas ond later continued his studies in the Centra) University in Madrid, Spain. Fr. Vilallonga then talked about Rizol's sojourn abroad, stating thot "everybody is fomilior" with this phase in Rizol's life. 10 THE CROSS He picked up the threads of his tory from Rizal's exile in Dopitan, Zamboanga, until the time he was imprisoned in Fort Santiago. "At that time I spoke regularly with Fr. Francisco Sanchez, S.J., who was Rizal's professor and who was later assigned as missionary to Dopitan," Fr. Vilallonga recalled. He said thot Fr. Sanchez repeatedly ex pressed his admiration ond affection for "dear • Pepito Rizol," ond was glad at his assignment in Dapitan. Several of Rizal's Jesuit friends, among ' them Fr. Luis Vizo, visited him before his death. "I recall Fr. Viza coming to me personally osking for a medal of Our Lady which is at tached to a ribbon ond which all Sodolists wear." He continued, "Moreover, Fr. Viza took with him such a medal on one of his visits to Rizal and a little wooden statue of the Sacred Heart." This statue wos carved by Rizal himself during re creation time in school, Fr. Vilallon ga said. Incidentally, the statue referred to by Fr. Vilallonga was destroyed in the Intramuros fire which razed the old Ateneo buildings. "When Fr. Viza returned, he told me that at the sight of the Sacred Heart statue, Rizal almost broke into tears and was deeply moved," Fr. Vi lallonga said. He said that the person who played the important and dramatic role in the last hours of Dr. Rizal, wos the Fother Vicente Balaguer, S. J., and Fr. Jose Villoclaro, S. J., who kept vigil through the night before Rizal's execution, to the last min utes before Rizal was led out of the. death cell in Fort Santiago." "I heard from Fr. Balaguer's own lips that he had a Ipng discussion with Rizol over the question of re tracting his, adherence to Free Ma sonry the night before his death. Fr. Balaguer told me, the pros and cons of the issue were discussed until Ri zol finally gave in and offered to re tract his error in religion. "Fr. Balaguer proposed o formula for Rizal's retraction, which was fur nished and approved by the then Archbishop of Manila, Bernardino Nozaleda, O.P. "Rizal found several items in the proposed formula with which he disagreed; Fr. Balaguer then offered to moke the corrections. A final and corrected formula was drafted by Rizal in his own handwriting. "Following Rizal's signing of the' formula containing his retraction, Fr. Balaguer returned to the Ateneo where we were told of the entire in cident. We were all very happy and went- to the school chapel to thank God for the great mercy He showed to one of our dear pupils." Fr. Vilallonga refuted the portion in Rafael Palma's biography of Rizal which states that Rizal as a man of character and determination could not have retracted with regard to his ideas on religion and from ad herence to Free Masonry. JULY, 1949 II "I wonder whot Polmo meant when he said Rizal wos a man of character ond determination. Does he mean that character and determi nation of will are unreasonable? I believe that a man of character ond determination must always follow the leadership of reason ond if reason shows thot we have been wrong, ond we might have gone astray for a time, the same reason. tells us thot we should change our conduct. Thot is what Rizol did on the lost days of sonally that I could make public his retraction. "Was not Rafael Alunan a mon of character?" Fr. Vilallonga added. "And yet he made his retraction in the presence of two other American Jesuits in 1940." Fr. Vilallonga mentioned Pedro Aunorio, editor of the Spanish news paper La Vanguardia, who also re tracted his adherence to Free Ma sonry in the presence of American Jesuits. LIPA CALLING A Medical Commission of prominent doctors has been appointed by His Excellency the Bishop of Lipa to investigate the recent hap penings. Evidence concerning the same may be submitted directly to this Commission or thru Mr. Eduardo Castillo, c/o Knights of Co lumbus, Regina Building, Escolta, Monila. his life in Fort Santiago," Fr. Vilollonga argued. "My dear friend Palma who claim ed a priori thot Rizol could not hove signed the retraction because he was a mon of character does not hold water," the aged Jesuit explained. He then talked about the retraction of three other great men who, ac cording to him, refuted the argu ments of Polma. "President Quezon was a man of character ond o great hero ond the most popular of our statesmen, and yet after three days of Retreat, in his house in Pasay in 1929, Quezon made a retraction of his errors and made a confession and told me per"I could mention other prominent and' leading Filipinos, still living, who are in the government and in the business field who have made their retraction in «my presence, but os a matter of propriety, I do not wish to reveal their identities," he said. Fr. Vilallonga recalled that at the time Palma's biography of Dr. Rizal won an award there was olreody a controversy as to the part related to Rizal's retraction. "Finally, I wish to make a serious ond solemn statement, thot every thing I have said about Dr. Rizal is the truth," Fr. Vilallonga concluded the interview. A Criticism of Osoeto-Polmo's Biography of Rizol: “Pride of the Malay Race'* “Pride”-With Prejudice By NICOLAS XAFRA Profttaor of History, U. P. In many ways Palma's biography of Rizol, as o work of scholarship, is admirable. But in his treatment of the last days of the notional hero, he is disappointing, for he shows strong bias, which has tended to vitiate many of his ideas ond con clusions regarding the incidents of the lost moments of Rizal. The Filipinos regard their no tional hero os one of th'emselves, hoving sprung from the same social and cultural environment from which they themselves arose. They feel thot, as the highest representative and type of their race, he embodied the best of their traditions — their love of, and attachment to, home and country, their filial love and respect, their innate courtesy ond hospital ity, their spirit of Christian charity. They ore fully aware of the foct thot, in the course of his struggle against the evils and defects of Spanish colonialism, Rizol had oc casion to speak deprecotingly agoinst many of their religious be liefs ond practices. But they also feel that, because of the peculior nature of the situa tion here ot the time, it was quite understandable that he should act in the woy he did. The exigencies of his position as the champion of Filipino national aspirations' de manded such a course of action from him. Nevertheless, what he did on that score does not lessen their es timate of him, knowing that Rizal was at heart religious, and that he directed his attacks, not so much against the basic truths of their faith, but rather against persons and individuals. Moreover, they be lieve that,' before he died, he re nounced Masonry and become recon ciled with the Church. That Rizal died as a Catholic is o motter of general belief among millions of Filipino Catholics. This fact hos been established in an au thoritative monner by Retana in his biography of Rizal and accepted ond endorsed by several noted scholars ond authorities. It comes as a shock, therefore, to many Filipino Cotholics, that Palma should repudiate this belief and should affirm that the alleged con version of Rizal and his renunciotion of Masonry, have no basis or founda tion in foct. Now, for the soke, of historical truth, if for no other, it is important thot this point in Rizol's personal history should be clarified. Polmo's discussion of the question 12 JULY, 1949 13 is found in chapter 33 of his work. The main point the author seeks to bring out is that Rizal's conversion ond his abjuration of Masonry can not be accepted as a historical fact because they are based on evidences which, on critical examination, are unworthy of credence. The evidences referred to are the Jesuit accounts, Le Masonizacion de Filipinos—Rizol y su Obra. The reasons adduced for question ing the veracity of the narrotive are summarized as follows: 1. "The narrative is anonymous." It should be said in this connec tion that anonymity in itself is no valid reason for discrediting a docu ment. There are innumerable sources which reputable scholars do not hesitate to use although they are anonymous. Anonymity need not detract from the worth of a docuBesides, the narrative in question, as for as its main source is con cerned, is not entirely anonymous. The author knew very well thot it was based on information given by the Jesuit Fathers who attended Ri zal in the latter's last moments ot Fort Santiago. 2. "The narrative reads like a story designed for children." Admitting for the sake of argu ment thot it is so, is it to be dis carded entirely on that account? If it is, then whot source are we to use for those last moments of Rizal at Fort Santiago? It appears, how ever, that the author himself regards the narrative os a reliable source of information, for, in his Own story of what happened in the last moments of Rizol at Fort Santiago, he has drown extensively from it. (See pages 324-326 of the book.) If the narrotive is good enough as a source of information with res pect to certain the narration. matters dealt with in the presumption is that it should be good enough also as a source in respect to other mat ters. 3. "The narrative is not lacking in inaccuracies." The writer of a narrative may show inaccuracies or exaggera tions as to minor details, but this fault, which, by the way, is common among writers, is not sufficient rea son for doubting the veracity of the writer in regard to the big things of the narrotive. Just because certain inaccuracies and exaggeratoins have been found, are we to discard the testimony en tirely, including those portions deal ing with the big things in the story, viz., the renunciation by Rizal of Masonry, his reconciliation with the Church, etc? 4. "The narrative does not men tion that the document of retracta tion was signed by Rizal with wit nesses, but nevertheless it appears signed not only by Rizal but by two witnesses." Omissions of certain details, even important details, are to be found in other documents. It is a com 14 THE CROSS mon failing of many narrators to overlook mony details, even the im portant ones. 5. "The facts it narrates" (re ferring to other matters) "have not been conscientiously investigated." It is true that in regard to certain points of Rizal's personal history, the narration contoins quite a num ber of historical inaccuracies.. The fact of the conversion, however, needed no "conscientious investigaIt was a fact which was being at tested to by one who had intimate personal knowledge ond experiences of thot fact. Historical inaccuracies, by the way, wittingly or unwittingly creep in, even in the most carefully prepared narrative. Polma's work itself contains many historical inoccuracies. Footnote p-242 says: "Such a betroyal was actually enacted in 1896 with res pect to the real revolution, when a woman of Tondo revealed the plans of the the Katipunan to Father Ma riano Gil in the confessional." (Bold face mine) The one who revealed was'not a woman from Tondo, and the revelation was not in the confes sional. See Zaide's work, — The Documentary History of the Kati6. "Not content - with this, ins pired undoubtedly by the Jesuits themselves, Don Gonzalo Ma. Pinona, whose personality is not known in this country, published in August, 1920, in Barcelona, a pamphlet en titled Murio el Dr. Rizal Cristianomente? — Reconstitution de los Ul timas Horas de Su Vida — Estudio Historico. All the declarations there in cited are those of ecclesiastics ond their friends, and it is to be supposed that all of the latter would not con tradict the version given by the for mer." Palmo, for the reasons above stated, dismisses unceremoniously the work of Piwano. It should be stated here that Piilano's work is based on historical evidence of unquestioned authenticity. And, considering the fact thot the evidence consists of officially au thenticated declarations of persons who hod personal knowledge of the events they narrated, the work should deserve some serious consi deration, unless one is sure that thp writer is incompetent to undertake a fair and impartial study of his subject, or is employing a method or technique of investigation* which disregards the elemental principles or canons of historical criticism. 7. "(Certain) coetaneous acts performed by the ecclesiastical au thorities or by the government are (not) in accord with the belief thot Rizal had been converted." The acts referred to were: a. “The document of retractation was kept secret. . . Only copies of it were furnished the newspapers." b. “When the fomily of Rizol asked for the .original of said-docu ment -.or a copy Of it. . .both petitions. JULY, 1949 15 c. "Rizol's buriol wos kept o secret." d. "No mosses were soid for his soul or funeral held-by the Cath olics." e. "Thot, notwithstanding (the claim) that Rizal was reconciled with the Church, he was not buried in the Catholic cemetery of Paco but in the ground." f. "The entry in the book of buriols of the interment of Rizol's body is not made on the page with those buried on December 30, 1896. . . but on a special page wherein ap pear those buried by special orders of the authorities." g. "There wos no moral motive for conversion. What was the motive that could hove induced him to ad jure Masonry and reconcile himself to the rites of the religion which he had fought? Did he not realize that to do so wos to be a renegode to his own history?" h. "The document of objuration is apocryphol... It wos obtained un der duress ond spiritual' threats." i. "In short, Rizal's conversion was a pious fraud to make the peo ple believe that that extraordinary mon broke down and succumbed be fore the Church which he had fought." With regard to the foregoing,, the following may be made by wpy of explanation; _ 1 .) The arrangements for the disposal of Rizal's body were made by the order of the government au thorities. In the eyes of these au thorities, Rizol wos executed because he was a public enemy and the treat ment accorded to him, was, in the belief of these authorities, perfectly appropriate and proper. Moreover, os Le Roy stated (The Americans in the Philippines. Vol. 2, p. 116, footnote), "permission to bury Rizol was ot first refused Ri zal's family for the reason that it wos feared the occasion might be seized for the moking' of some de monstration." 2. ) As to the authenticity of the document of retractation, Palma re lies on the conclusions of R.R. Pas cual, os found in the latter's Rizal beyond the Grave. The author of this work is not o handwriting ex pert. Men better qualified to pass on the authenticity of the document attest to the fact that the document is perfectly genuine. 3. ) As to the moral motive of conversion, one should 'consider the situation in which Rizal found him self. A mon of the intelligence of Rizal, finding himself on. the thres hold of eternity, ond knowing that soon he woMI appear before his Creator, (Rizal believed in the' im mobility of the soul and in future lifo), to give on accounting to Him os to the use he made of the. talents thot God gave him — in this situa tion, what is more natural than for him to avail hirriself of the few mo ments of earthly existence to recon cile himself with his God? Thqt Rizal was in a state of mind favorable for reconciliation- can be readily inferred from the. focts of the IS THE CROSS narrative os given by Palma himself in his book. Palma tells us that Rizal, eorly in the morning of Dec ember 29th shortly after the official notification of his execution was read to him, wos informed that his form er Jesuit professors in the Ateneo wanted to vjsit him. Rizol received them hospitably and in o friendly manner, in foct "with genuine pleas ure," to use Palma's own words. We are further told that Rizal asked for o copy of Thomas A'Kempis' book and a copy of the Gospels. Now, this fact alone is indeed signi ficant. Any one who is familiar with these books knows the power of their appeol to spirituality. This is true particularly of Thomas A'Kempis' Imitation of Christ. In the light of these recorded facts, the claim thot the Jesuits, employing "moral duress ond spiritual threats," forced a helpless ond unwilling vic tim, in the person of Rizal, to ab jure Mosonry and to reconcile him self with the Catholic •Church, is un founded and fantastic. To those who have faith in the inner life, it is reasonable to sup pose thot Rizol in the last moments of his life, having tequired, os a result of his spiritual readingtaand his extended conversations and ’dis cussions with his Jesuit visitors, a new perspective of the things of this world, came to realize what were the things thot really mattered to mon as a creature of God. Well could he have realized with St. Augustine that the human soul could have no peace or rest until it found itself reposing in the bosom of his Creotor. But the important thing, after all, to consider in determining whether Rizal really abjured Mosonry or not, whether he died as a Catholic or not, is the veracity of the Jesuit account which, because of its being the only primary source available on . these matters, is a historical document of supreme importance.. What is the degree of credibility of this account? This is purely a problem of his torical criticism. One aspect of the problem seems to be definitely es tablished, namely the authenticity or genuineness of the narrative. Two other important points need to be ascertained: (1 ) the accuracy of the author or authors in observing the facts they wrote about; and (2) the good faith of the writer or writers. On these points the burden of proof rests upon him who ques tions the credibility of the account. On examination, the grounds ad duced by Palma for discrediting the account are found to be weak and unconvincing. It is evident thot he was extremely biased against the Jesuits, imputing to them, for no valid reasons whatsoever, bad faith, trickery, and base motives. He makes the reader 1b under stand that the narration was pre pared with one principal end in view, — to discredit mosonry and exoft the cause of religion. He would hove us believe that, to attain their purpose, the Jesuit Fathers did not scruple to invent and to fabricate with deliberate intent to mislead and to deceive. It is a most serious thing to JULY, 1949 17 launch a charge of this nature. The most charitable thing thot can be said about it is that it is quite gra tuitous and unjust. The impartial student of history con not accept such a charge on the mere authority of on individual, particularly from one whose judgment appears to have been warped by prejudices and lack ing that candor and personal detach ment which is required of one who is to make ar, impartial study and investigation of men and events of the past. It reflects on the honor ond repu tation of a group of men whom many people of good will the world over regard with a great deal of respect because . of their many admirable qualities ond virtues, not the least of which is personal integrity ond steadfast loyalty to the truth as God gives them to see the truth. In appraising the worth of the Jesuit testimony, Palma has given very little, if any, consideration, ■ at all, to the foct that, over ond above any motive .or interest thot the Je suits might hove hod in visiting Ri zal in Fort Santiago and in staying with him to the very last, is the su preme desire and passion of * every minister of God to sove the human soul. An ordinary individual with a sense of values would not admit thot the Jesuits were nor moved ot all by this strong and impelling motive. On the contrary, it is to be presumed that, at least for sentimental rea sons, if for no other, (Rizol being their former student) they had a genuine interest in the salvotion of his soul. Filipino Catholics, for one, strong ly believe that Rizal, in all sincerity ond in the spirit of Christian char ity, returned to the Faith of his Fathers in the last moments of his life. They know fully well of in numerable cases of conversions, of persons supposedly ond seemingly ir reconcilable and adamant in their attitude to the Catholic Church re turning to the Catholic fold, after having recovered the treasure of the faith. Rizol'cS cose was to them not an unusual one. Palma's account of Rizal's last moments seeks to undermine thot belief. The result is simply to con fuse the minds of our people as to the character and personality of our national hero. SOMETHING TO STAND ON A Missionary had fallen into the hands of cannibals, and pre parations began for lunch. "If you're going to eat me," he announced, "I must warn you thot you won't like me." With this he took his knife, sliced o piece from the calf bf his 'leg, and handed it to the chief. The chief took one bite, spat it out, and grunted. The mission ary remained on the island for SO years. Secret? He had a cork leg. How to do owey with "cots", mole and female Gossip Colony By ADORACION C. TRINIDAD T ADIES and Gentlemen, allow me to drow your attention, to the humble, hardworking ant. Observe how they pursue their calm, wellordered lives in a mound of earth, unperturbed by such insignificant trifles os the big stare, the calypso or the otom bomb. They crawl about unobtrusively, bothering nobody but themselves, untiJ an unwary human appendage strays into their habitat. Then they show thot even insect patience is not without limits. Strangely enough, ants remind me of gossips — and therein lies a mo ral. If only gossips were like ants, this world would be a pleasanter place to live .in. But, alas, no; gos sips crawl over every square inch of terrain.' They occupy respectable of fice desks, fill the academic chairs and the pews in Church. Unlike ants, they bite without being pro voked. With the passage of time, gossips havfe evolved varied species which defy classification. During the pre glacial period, gossips were far sim pler creatures than those who wear out the pavements of our streets to day. In pre-historic times, a Cave men's Society For the Improvement of the Humon Roce could have deolt with them individually ond patched up whotever havoc they might have wrought. Today, however, when the evil has become too widespread for individual correction, a more dras tic method is expedient. I have studied all angles of the situation and consulted every known textbook on the extermination of undesirable creatures (like rodents and horse flies) and have come to the conclusion that cyanide and DDT will net do at all. Besides, Chris tian principles forbid the Intentional extermination of any type of homo sapiens, however useless and unde sirable that type may be. And so I propose thot all gossips be rounded up and set apart from so ciety in an exclusive colony. They would have their own government— th? gossip with the most active tongue occupying top perch with the enviable title of "Most Malicious Tattler" with a cabinet or advisory council composed of specialists on certain lines of blah-blah. For ex ample, one whose specialty is poking up fomily complications would head the Deportment of Broken Homes, one skilled in backbiting would be secretary of the Department of Ach ing Backs. Annually, the entire population could turn obt for ’ o moss competi18 JULY, 1949 19 tion for the most savory tidbit un earthed in the course of one year's diligent toil. Prizes, to be donated by a select committee, would be gift tongues- -the fostest. and the long est available. In this colony meols would be pro vided for the residents free. Menus would include such choice morsels os pickled slander, broiled calumny, libel a Io king ond a delicious mix ture colled devil's hosh. But the piece de resistance would be tongue — tongue of all sorts, long and short tongues, lean and fat tongues — cooked in the most appetizing manner. Inhabitants of the gossip colony would not.be allowed under any cir cumstances to leave their territory. Deprived of the sight of human be ings other thon themselves, they would have to unleash their tremendour tongue-energy gossiping about themselves. News hawks would no doubt love the in human interest angle in the epis odes which would be sure to result from such a fertile situation. It would be the old eyefbr-eye-tooth- fortoOth policy, and, considering thot not one of the in habitants (let's coll them 'citizens') would be a neophyte at the game, it would be bound to be merrier thon a Fourth of July or New Year's night without the firecrocker ban. To top it all, gossips would not be allowed to purchose tongue from foreign markets. They would hove to consume their own tongues at every meal. In less than a year all available tongues will have been con sumed, including the very tough ones. Then the gossip colony could be opened for exhibition to a wide-eyed public, ond we less garrulous mor tals would marvel at the way the reformed gossips lead their calm, well-ordered lives, harmless os new born babes (with only an occasional flash from lynx eyes to indicate whot-once-had-been) —■ silent ond unobtrusive, like the ants. Of Miracles and Apo Iro By GREGORIO MENDOZA In the time of our Lord, people ■who did not like to accept Him as the Christ, attributed the cures and wonders He performed to Beelzebub, the prince of devils. These people hove their counterparts in our own time. Their modern decendonts do not accept Church miracles, becbuse they do not like >o accept the Church. The modern infidel, however, thinks he is more learned; and so, when the facts of o miracle can not be denied, he attributes them to laws and forces of nature yet unknown. Under the guise of science, he poses to be so learneo, so infallible, that he suspects anybody who disagrees with him to be against science. "Some day science," he soys, "will explain all your so-called miracles." When broken bones are instanta neously knitted, when cancers instantly disappear ond ore replaced by healthy muscles, when serious, festering wounds heal in the twink ling of an eye, as has often happened at Lourdes and Fatima, we can not believe that noture alone has wrought them. The. healing process of nature takes time in doing its work. In order that the cavity of a wound may be filled with healthy, living flesh, needed materials must be ac quired by the body through digestion. These must pass through the circula tion and be assimilated by the cells The cells must grow and multiply. All these require time ond cannot hoppen in the twinkling of an eye. And in the case of cancer dis appearing instantly, where did the cancerous growth go? Where did the healthy flesh thot replaced it come from? We do not need to hove knowl edge of science, even the most rudi mentary, in order to recognize some miracles; we only need reason ond common sense. The trouble with modem unbelievers is that they seem to have grown too wise,. that they hove outgrown their reason ond common sense. Simple and uneducoted men of goodwill, in the time of our Lord, recognized His m:racles, ond they believed in Him. Thousands upon thousands of mi raculous cures have happened at Lourdiss and Fatimo. At Lourdes there is a medical office, consisting of some ten doctors, more or less, that examines and certifies the cures. Where a relapse occurred no cure is certified. Their records show thousands «f miraculous cures, which, oftentimes, happened instantaneously. Their work is open to the scrutiny of all, ond some five thousand doctors yearly, have availed themselves'of 20 JULY, 1949 21 the opportunity of exomining the records. The seme may be said of Fatima; the medicol office hos certi fied thousands of cures. The Church has accepted many miracles in recent yeors. At least two miracles, happening ot the ipvfication of a holy person's help after his death, are reauired for beatifica tion. Two more miracles, happening after beatification, ore required for canonization. Most of the miracles presented to the Church for consideration are instantaneous cures. The Church ap proves a miracle only after a most careful study of the' cose. The testi mony of the attending physicion, other doctors, and all witnesses are done under ooth. Thot there hove been many beatifications and can onizations shows thot the Church hos approved many miracles. Here is an exomple of miracles opproved by the Church: A nurse at Columbus Hospital in New York accidentally put a 50% solution of Silver Nitrate instead of a 1 % solution into the eyes of Peter Smith, a newly born child. Two doc tors were brought, then afterwards, on eye specialist. They were agreed that nothing more could be done to save the child's eyes. The cornea of the eye wos gone, eaten up by the chemicol solution. The Mother Superior put a relic of the new St. Francesca Cabrini to little Peter's eyes before pinning it to his gown. Thot night all the nun's prayed in the chopel, asking Mother Cobrini's help. When the doctors came the next doy, they were sur prised to find the child's eyes to be intoct ond perfectly normal. But thot yery doy Peter got dou ble pneumonia. His temperature was 108° F. The doctors said that a degree less would invariably prove fatal. The sisteis prayed again. The next morning, all symptoms of pneu monia were gone. The doctors said they never knew such a thing for the child had not the slightest trace of high temperature. Peter Smith serv ed in the army during the war. He now shows no trace of the mishap except the two small scars caused by the Silver Nitrate os it flowed from his eyes. The history of the Church shows thot in no oge of her existence were there lacking men with the gift of miracle. Our own age has not only witnessed miracles but also men with the gift of miracle. Brother Andre died only in 1937 in Montreal, Canada. In his life time he did many miracles II am speaking historically. The Church reserves for herself the right to de cide which is a miracle and which is not.) At his word cancers disapappeared, broken limbs suddenly knitted, bones were straightened, long standing diseases immediately cured, the blind saw and the cripple walked. Europe as well as North and South America heard cf him. Thousands upon thousands of sick people be yond medical help came to him. Not 22 THE CROSS all of them were cured but many were, and some were cured after going home. When he appeared on the street, he wos mobbed by the diseased. By the contribution of those who came to him, he was able to build the Ba silica of St. Joseph on the top of Mount Royal; a beautiful church that rivals anything in the world, costing millions of dollars. When Brother Andre died, his funeral was the greatest ever seen in Montreal. People from every part of Canada and the United States came. More than o million persons filed post his coffin during the -six days he lay in state. The walls of the crypt of his basilica 'is covered with crutches, caries and braces, ond other arNtles. Cards on those ar ticles give the name, address and ailment of the person cured. His miracles did not end with death. The year following his death, 16,393 letters were received by the director of the basilica stating that they have received benefits after in vocation of his help. 501 of these were attested as extraordinary cures. Todoy, people from every part of the world still make pilgrim ages to the basil'ca he built. Doctors who examined the cures of' Brother Andre, during his life time, were amazed. Many doctors supported Brother Andre, but others said the people cured themselves through suggestion. But whoever heard of . suggestion capable of straightening croaked bones? Who ever heard of suggestion capable of curing cancer? Modem medicine has certainly stu died and tried the possibilities of faith-healing in that particular branch of it called Psychotherapy. The result of their work reveol a de finite limitation to faith cure. Nerv ous, ond functional diseases can be cured by faith-healing. Imaginary diseases can be cured by remedies that are likewise ima ginary. Certain people suffering from insomnia con be put to sleep by giv ing them bread pills. Some mor phine addicts can be relieved of their pangs by the injection of,.salt solu tion in woter. But organic diseases can not be cured by foith-healing. At most it can only help positive remedies and. the natural healing power of nature by rendering the patient more reci pient to their benefits. The Christion Scientists of our time have unknowingly performed an experiment on foith-healing on a large scole. This pagan sect (they call it Christion), has many thou sands of members in the United States. When somebody is sick among them, they refuse to coll the doctor, because they believe thot faith will heal them. Yet no miraculous cure has been authenticated omong them. All their so-called cures are either the heal ing of functional diseases or accomp lished by the natural healing power of nature. Dr. Austin Flint, in his book entitled ‘'The Principles ond JULY, 1949 23 Practice of Medicine", soys that: "Diseases which were formerly sup posed to tend to a fatal result, if not treated by means of active re medies, are now known to end gen erally in recovery, if left alone." An investigation of the 350 per sons said to have, been cured by Rev. C. S. Price, who operated as an evangelist and faith healer in Van couver, British Coftjmbia, showed thot 214 experienced no change, 39 died within six months, 17 grew decidedly worse, 5 became insane, and five persons suffering from func tional disorder were cured. We in the Philippines hove had scores of places like the grave of the so-called "Santa Filomena", like the "Mahal na Poon sa Wowo" of my home town of Bocaue. Thousands of people have flocked to these places in the height of their popularity. Thousands of people full of faith in these places came, yet no miraculous cures happened in them; and their popularity soon faded. This shows that miraculous cures do not happen just everywhere. Where God's hand is not present to do, there can be no miracle. We have had scores of persons like "Apo Iro" and "Apo Domeng" — "Apo Kulas" is a recent one — who were believed to have miracul ous power of healing. Thousands flocked to them to get healed of their infirmity, yet there has been no miraculous cure. From the time of our Lord to the present, only in the Catholic Church are there found men with the gift of miracle. Once in a while through the ages, God deigns to send to his Church men with the gift of miracle, for- the propagation of the faith, for its strengthening, or to coll back Christians who have strayed, back to the path of truth ond virtue. Only in the Catholic Church ore there found places like La Sallette, Lour-, des, Fatima; where God deigns to work miracles to attest his messages to mankind. We in the Philippines should be particularly happy, because there are signs that genuine miraculous cures are happening through petals and water from Lipa. (Whether or'not these cures are real miracles, depends entirely on the decision of Holy Mo ther the Church.—Eds.) Time ond investigations of doctors will tell. God uses miracles for a purpose. It is, as it were, his signature — his seal for his Church. That all the miracles thot have happened ore in some way connected with the Cath olic Church Is, in itself, a stupendous miracle, PROPOSAL MADE EASY. An Irish way of proposing morriage: "How would you like to be buried with my people?" GOODBYE TO GREEN YEARS Eighteen ANONYMOUS Being a girl, I can tell you from experience only whot a girl feels when she is considered old enough to be heard as well as seen. This long-coveted and very satisfying promotion from child to adult usually comes when a girl turns eighteen. Not mony of the girls nowadays, in fact, not enough, live the shel tered protected life thot they should, specially in this ero. But I am tell ing you of a girl whose upbringing has been the best her good oldfashioned parents could give, her, ond I am sure she is very grateful to them for it. Most girls look forward to their eighteenth birthday because of what it holds in store for them, not in the »woy of birthday presents only, nor of a very successful debut, but of a great coming-out Into the world when everyone must know thot they are fresh and eager to meet all the adventures in store for them, that they have finally broken through the monotonous routine thot wos their erstwhile lives, that they are now copable of giving advice instead of only taking it, that they hove a right to do their own thinking and their own existing, ond thot eoch of them can very well say: "My life is mine. What shall I moke of it?" This girl I wish to tell you about didn't hove to wait till she Was eighteen to start her life. No, the war made her start her life at twelve. Being the oldest girl in the family, she become the "right hand7' of her mother, and when their servant went home, she learned, for the first time in her life, that there were a thousand and one minute details at tached to a smoothly-running house hold. How she hod token everything for granted before then! All she used to do was osk and she would receive. Well, the war taught her a lesson! It taught het to make decisions ond carry them out as planned. It taught her good practical common sense, and she learned to take cere of herself when she wos on her own. When the war was over, she wos grown-up _— well-developed in mind and body. She went back to school, finished it with honors, got a job, and started working. She hos always been considered beautiful, intelli gent, and talented, in many ways. But, 'although she has always wanted to be good, she has never tried too hard to be, so I wouldn't coll het a saint. Yet, the most’ im portant part of it is that she wants to be good. I know her well enough to tell you 24 JULY, 1949 25 thot she has strayed awoy from the path of righteousness often enough, but before she could, do too much horm to herself or to others, she would find herself blindly owoy from the .world, ond running to the only One Who would olwoys receive her, no motter what she did. Yes, she would be good ogoin for o while, then she would stray away again, ond again she would rush remorsefully back to His expectant orms ever held open in loving wel come. Thot's ond Him, gent, ond mode up to God. the woy it was with her and thot's the woy it albe. For beautiful, intellitolented as she is, she has her mind to give her life her head, or if it ever did, it was only for the briefest moment, for a strong voice deep without her tells her thot her gifts are not for this world. Too many people with such worldly riches ore working for the world, she says, and very few for God; so she wants to be among the chosen few who give whot they hove for the greater glory of God. People may say thot she will do more good in this world, raise a family of good Catholics, ond thus serve God in a greater measure. As a matter of foct, they have said it often enough. But take it from me, she is deaf to oil they say. For her eors are ever attuned to the whis perings of her Loved One within her heort, so she lifts her head and says, quietly ond firmly, "My life is mine." You see, the world hos not turned HEART TO HEART Advico to tbd toveUm by Lffy Morfooo Manila Dear Miss Marlene, My wife is loo overpossessive. Tob jealous. I merely look at nice girls (who can resist them?) and she gets sote at me. I am not the wolf type, I tell you. But she always tells me that I mustn’t look at them girls because the way I woh her Was by looking at her. Now isn’t that unreasonable? Or isn’t it? I Want to know. Sincerely, Mr. MFD Dear MFD Perhaps your wife it over-poisessive and jealous. But perhaps too, you may be giving her reason to be so. Perhaps your eyes wonder about .too much. Why don't ybu try practicing a little self-control? It is certainly •not b nice feeling a wife has when walking down the street with a husband whose eyes keep dorting left and right, staring ad miringly at every pretty face he sees. After all, how would you feel if your wife gapes after every handsome male she passes by! Rizal City Dear Miss Marlene, My parents are very much worried oveh my brother. You see, he is already 27 and yet has no girl friends. Jfi would ’rather play bas ketball than talk to girls; he Would rathe? head thickens than go on dates, he would rather play with his puppy than meet the girls we want him to meet. Mama is worried about hie social Kfe and thinks that he is a wee bit unnatural. She has tried very hard to get him interested, with our connivance, in some of tnth friends, who tire really good, but he “wont give a dam." Miss Marlene, do you think he is really fMbaitinced? Or are we perhaps being over-SoticitOus about his social life? He doesn’t think of becoming a priest at all. So it is hard to rtt why he does not dt 26 JULY. 1949 27 least get interested in the gentle sex. What do you think is the best thing to do, Miss Marlene. Thank you so much. Your friend, Flor Deer Flor, You hove quite o problem. One that is pretty hard to give advice to off-hand without some first-hand knowledge of the person involved. All I can say is — don't push too hard. Your brother may resent your forcing him into a social life he does not seem to care for too much. He may feel thot you and your mother are trying to run his life for him. So go about your plans subtly and gently. Bring your friends home and encourage him to bring his. Have little gatherings and parties and invite his boy friends as well as yours. Ask him to chaperone you when you go out. In ony case, don't try to force Dear Miss Marlene, I’m 27 years old and in love u-ith a woman who is two years older than I am. She has the qualities that a man looks for in a woman. She is understanding, kind, patient, tender, intelligent, gets along very well with people, and pretty. Now I want to know if our mar riage can be successful in spite of the fact that she is two years older than I am. Yours truly, Francis P.S. Of course she loves me too. Dear Francis, You are fortunate to have found such a woman as you have described. ■ Her being two years older thon you does not matter one little bit, since both of you ore mature enough, for morriage. There have been a great number of successful marriages wherein the girl's being slightly older has hot proved a drawback to marital happiness. It is the big differences in ages that are likely to present difficulties — such as the woman being eight years older than the man or the mon being twice the woman's age. Your case is no problem. Manila Dear Miss Marlene, It is my fond wish that you would also help me with my pressing problem, Miss Marlene. I have fallen in love with a very, very fine young man who hap pens to be about five inches smaller than I am. I would lilce to as 28 THE CROSS sure you that this difference has not prevented us from loving each, other. Thank God, we are both of the opinion that this is something merely accidental to love. God who has made us love each other has seen also that our character, tastes, likes and dislikes do match. But it is just that I am taller than he is. Now often he or I overhear remarks about us and this is very dis concerting to me. What shall I do, Miss Marlene? Can you help me in any way? Thank you ever so much. Yours truly Dear .... The less attention you pay to what people say, the better. You know how human nature is constituted. People just have to say something about other people. Thank God oil they can say about you and your fiance is that he is shorter than you are. Well — what of it? You seem to have everything needed to make a go of your marraige — what does a physical dif ference like that matter? What matters most when two people decide to share their whole future together are the spiritual values, the solid human qualities such as gen erosity, unselfishness, devotion, common sense, the ability and willingness to make sacrifices and to cooperate towards the fulfillment of that union which Christ has compared as like to the union between Him and His Church. Whether you marry an Apollo will prove to be of no consequence to the success of your marriage. Dear Miss Marlene, I’m a young man 18 years old and madly in love with a salesgirl. This girl though 3 years older than I am, confessed that she loved me too, and even went to the extent of inviting me to elope with her. She said she was'willing to support me since I have no job. Of course I refused. She got mad, then threatened to create a scandal saying she would tell everybody that we were husband and wife. I’m sure nobody would want to be in my shoes if such a thing, happens. I believe she can ruin my reputation that way. I’m scared. What shall I do? I’ll appreciate anything you will say to get me out this fam‘ Sincerely, Mar Mon Dear Mar Mon; Have nothing more to do with this girl. Unless you want further trouble, wash your hands entirely off the whole affair. Perhaps this will teach you a lesson you sorely need. In the first place, you are much too young to even think of courting any girl seriously. Much less one who is three yeors your senior and obviously more so in experience. JULY, 1949 29 You ore only 18, ot on age when you should be concentrating on your studies, developing your abilities, preparing yourself for a clean, sturdy. or even being engaged is not for you—yet. Not until you are in a position to hold your own, when the prospect of supporting a wife and family is not only a dream, are you justified in court ing a girl. Irt the meantime, do not limit your circle of friends. Go oround more with a good number of nice boys and girls, and have lots of reol, honest fun. As to this girl who is evidently not good for you, I repeat—let her alone. If she tells everybody you are man and wife, you can always tell the truth and deny it. In such cases it is usually the girl who suffers and not the man. She cannot compel you to marry her, so don't let her threaten you into a ceremony which will only result in misery for both of you. Dear Miss Marlene, Daet, Cam. Norte I have been terribly in love with a nice man, but to my disappoint ment, and with no reason whatsoever, he married another girl in his hometown. Of course I was broken-hearted, but in spite of everything that happened, I never felt an iota of hatred toward him. I was rea sonable and forgave him easily. Three months after his marriage he came back to town. He ap ologized and'explained everything to me. He told me that his mother presuaded him to marry his neighbour-sweetheart, altho he had in tended to marry me at first. After marriage he told his mother secretly about me, and she only pitied my poor self very much. He said that altho he was married already, he still loves me. He then added that he had made a mistake in marrying. Being young and still in love, I took all his words to my heart. I feel that I still care for him a lot and I told him so. I promised to go on loving him, and that I’ll patiently wait for him to come back in the future without getting entangled in any scandal. You know what I mean, Miss Marlane. But of course, I'm not praying for the loss of the third person but rather for. their long and happy married life. I know it is a sin to wish someone’s death, so I refrain from wishing it. But I know that all men will die, and if fate would grant it, he'll come back to me as- he promised to do. I'm willing to sit up and wait for him. I don’t care if I become an old maid. He is my life and my strength, and I do love him much. Tell me, Miss Marlene, is it a sin to love a married person and 30 THE CROSS wait for him to come back even without any clandestine meeting be tween. us during the lapse of time? Please help me. Thanks. Sincerely yours, ___________ Swak Dear Swak, I think you are making a terrible mistake. Yau couldn't have chosen a more foolish and stupid way of throwing away your whole life than by taking such an attitude. If you would only use your head o bit more, you will realize soon enough thot you have everything to lose and nothing to gain by moping around nursing your broken heart. In the first place, the man you love has proven himself unworthy of you. I doubt that he even loves you. Ho went off and married someone else without giving you any warning or explanation. And why? Because his mother told him to! And then after only three months, he comes back to you moaning that it was all a mistake and wiH you take him back! What kind of a man is he? Obviously, a weak ling, one who cannot make his own decisions. And worse, who refuses to shoulder the responsibilities and obligations of the married state, who thinks nothing of his marriage vows — to love and to cherish, for better or for worse, unto death. Instead of feeling sorry for your self, you should be glad that you have found him out in time. How, what in heaven's name do you propose to gain by deciding to sit up and woit for the rest of your life until death frees -him from his wife? Arln't you being rather stupid? He and his wife have their own lives to live. They will raise a family, develop common goals and interests, share in the same joys and sorrows. Where do you come into the picture? Especially when you have decided not to see each other any more (which is the wisest thing you have done so far). In the meantime you will be growing old, alone, letting life pass you by. Don't be so sure you will not mind being a lonely old maid for the sake of a youthful love that would be better off laid aside and forgotten. I would say, try your level best to be reasonable and sensible. Forget, (you eventually will, if you try hard enough) the past. Don't just sit there brooding, picturing yourself a martyr of love. Look around you. Life can still be interesting and full of joy. Get interested in things — any useful thing — work, studies, hobbies, friends. There are a lot more worthwhile people waiting for you to know and cultivate than you imagine. There's nothing like prayer, a busy mind and a busy body to make you see things in a different light. THE APOSTLESHIP OF PRAYER CORKER By Rev. Pedro Verceles, S. J. National Director Dear friends in the Sacred Heart, I am going to make use of our corner this month, with the per mission of the Editors, to write an open letter of gratitude to all of you who, in one way or another, helped to make our celebrations in honor of the Sacred Heart last Sunday, June 26, a real success. I intended to write a letter of thanks to all our Diocesan Direct ors and Promoters, to all the schools and parishes that parti cipated, but I believe that an open letter published in the CROSS would be more practical, and of course, economical. Last Sunday’s celebration was indeed something we Filipinos can with reason be proud of. We have demonstrated once again to the Sacred Heart our personal love and devotion to Him, and we have proven our love for Him not only in words when we sang “No mas amor que el Tuyo," — but in actLet me quote what the Manila Times Sunday Magazine had to say in praise of our faith and de votion to the Sacred Heart. JUBILEE OF SACRED HEART Rain fails fa dampen the spirit of the celebrants. No greater evidence of Manila's Catholic faith could have been of fered than last Sunday afternoon's festival in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The religious in the city and the suburbs dared a cloudy sky to make good its threat when they flocked to the San Marcelino Church where the ceremonies started. As if to test their mettle, the rain started falling before the procession could reach the Pro-Cathedral in San Miguel, but few, if at all, broke from the ranks to take cover, and with unlighted tapers the multitude continued their solemn march. It was the first time that the Sa cred Heart was honored in a big woy. If in previous years parishion ers saw individual celebrations in their respective churches, this year's — being what may be termed a gold en jubilee — topped the best ever held before. The disploy of Catholic emblems ond the picture of the Sa cred Heart from the windows of Catholic homes was reminiscent of (Continued on page 34) 31 32 THE CROSS Intentions Blessed By The General Intention: That all may have the right conscience with re gords to their obligations. Modern life is admirable for its material progress, but not for its good customs. The ruin of all spiritual and moral value has pre cipitated the world into the state it is now in. It is precisely our job to exert every effort to lift her xip from this shameful degradation. And the principal means is that all must have the right conscience with regards to the laws of God. Man knows.his obligations thru his conscience which is the practical guide of reason concerning the right ness of his actions. It is extremely necessary then that conscience should be right so that it may reflect faithfully the Divine Law, which clearly sets, forth the obligations of everyone. There is much culpable neglect in acquiring religious instruction ond many families live in on atmos phere of materialism and paganism which gives them many false ideas about Christian life. There is a lack of clear conscience regard ing personal duties and obligations. The father is engrossed in his business and neglects his personal duty to correct his children ond guide his family, thus leaving every thing to the care of the mother. The wife in many instances follow the example of her husband ond delegates her duty to the school. The teacher seeing the little personal interest of the parents in the education of their children contents himself with the minimum work and care of the child. Ask a mother why she allows her daughter certain liberties ond she will answer that others do the some. Thot is demanded by modern customs and thot is whot the girl demands. The low of God hos no voice in demanding its rights because there is no conscience. Tne notional problems of our post-war era ore considered of more gravity than the problems during the wor precisely because JULY, 1949 33 they are moral in character and they represent the corruption of pub lic customs born, of lax consciences. The two greatly abused lows among the Commandments of God are the sixth ond the seventh. Daily Rosary ond more penitence ond sacrifice -are osked by the Blessed Virgin in order to disarm the just hand of God already much offended by our sins. The austerity of o Christian life and humble proyers will give to .modem society a sense of sin and o right conscience regarding one's duties and obligations to pattern conduct according to the rights ond desires of God, Our Lord. fAission Intention: For the leading schools and universities in the Patron of the Month: St. Ignatius — Maxim: The least thot can be done by one who proposes to make reparotion for the offenses committed ogainst the Sacred Heart of Jesus is to ovoid the faults that need reparation. Virtue of the Month: Outward reverence and interior devotion be fore the Blessed Sacrament. THE APOSTLESHIP OF PRAYER presents THE SACRED HEART PROGRAM over Station DZPI 800 on your dial everyday at 5:30 a. m. Tune in on these inspiring and entertaining programs on Social, Sociological and practical topics. Music by famous choirs and soloists. 34 THE CROSS THE APOSTLESHIP. .. (Continued from, page 31) the Christ the King fiesta held an nually in October. In this instance, though, participa tion was not limited to men alone. The more or less 20,000 that joined the celebration consisted of men and women, young ond old, representing 105 various colleges, universities, parishes, organisations, seminaries and clergy." And let me add here that many of those who participated got soaked in the rain, but did not mind it. I have no doubt that the Sacred Heart, Who is never outdone in generosity, will repay each and everyone of you in His own way. Now more than ever before in the history of the world, there is need of men who would sacrifice, even in little ways, for the Sacred Heart. It is no exaggeration to affirm that the world’s salvation lies in His hands. We Catholics believe this. And we should feel grateful that He has permitted us even in a small way to take part in briny Ing back to the world His Sacred Heart. On my part, I would like to thank you all once again, includ ing the policemen who helped to keep the traffic and the procession in magnificent order. I want to assure all of you that I have remembered you in my Masses that each and everyone of you may attain to that fullness of life — which is to be found in the personal love of the Most Sacied Heart of Jesus. May God bless you all! Sincerely in the Sacred Heart, Fr. Pedro Verceles, S.J. SISTER TAKES TO CHAMPAGNE In o French city, the Little Sisters of the Poor were going from door to door to obtain some alms for their old people. One called at the house of a rich free-thinker, who, to embarrass the Little Sis ter, told her. "I am quite ready to give you a banknote of 1000 francs; but there is o condition; you will have to drink a gloss of champagne with me." The hesitation was short; after all, 1000 francs meant quite a number of loaves of breed. A footman brought the bottle of cham pagne, and the brave Little Sister emptied the glass. Then present ing the glass, she said, "And now, Sir, another gloss, please, at the same price." She got it. HORSE SENSE By LION GARCIA SPEAKING OF REVOLUTION The disturbing wore REVOLUTION hos of lote been bandied about meaningfully. It all started with our friend Doctor Laurel. Now our com munist friends would take the word ot its face value to the discomfort traveler") would hove no revolution save of some government officials. One columnist (o "fellow thot which transfers power ond property from one class to another. Trouble with all this sort of revolution is thot it is not revolutionary enough. It only mokes the last stote of things worse than the first. The only reol revolution worth the fight is the revolution of one's self. It is the revolution of everyman's life's values, his outlook, his feel ings, intentions, and opinions, his aims, ambitions and aspirations. In short, the revolution of heart and mind ond will. Such a revolution is attained, in the language of St. Paul, by "cast ing off the works of darkness and putting on the armor of light." In short, "put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ." (Amen.) SHAME ON US! Every evening young boys ond girls, whose ages range from 7 to 25. stand outside the potio of Quiapo church, selling all kinds of literature on "Jehovah's Witnesses". The spirit with which these misguided youths take to their task is truly admirable. Once they start working on you with their crusading folk about the "Kingdom of God", they wouldn't take no for on answer. Now if only these young boys and girls had our Truth. . Or if only our Catholic boys and girls had their spirit. . . ! THE ARMY'S GOT IT Under the new army training program in the United Stotes, present day American soldiers will be trained ond "returned to their communities not- merely os master journeymen in the deadly trade of war, but os self35 36 THE CROSS respecting, mature citizens." Life in the Army will not be a "civic vocuum," "an educational wasteland," a "moral slum." New objectives will be aimed ot. The first to foster the dignity ond integrity of the individual soldier, "in contrast to thot military anonymity. . . that leads a soldier to refer to himself as a dogface." The second is to bring to the men an appreciation of the Americon ideal, to correct the "spiritual insolvency" thot appraises America only Tn material terms, ’’with never a thought tor our spiritual ond moral roots." The third will be to "provide an answer to the soldier's eternal ond inevitable 'Why?' " The last will be to keep the men aware of the great national ond international issues that confront them. To reoch these objectives, the Army has in operation o careerguidance program, a character-guidance program, "a strengthened and invigorated religious program that is crowding our chapels," and a wide education and information program. In the words of the Reoder's Digest, "th$ Army seems to realize thot if mankind is to be saved it is the quiet spiritual values which will save it, not only the bazookas. The chaplain gets o new, big role in the draft Army, and the chaplain ratio will be one to 800 men instead of one to 1000 as it was during the war." If we Filipinos have to imitate our "Brother Americans", by the beard of Moses, let us imitate this program! LUNN VS. LUNN The best testimony to Arnold Lunn's prowess on the plaHoriri is the fact that he finds it more and more difficult, and of lote almost impossible, to find anybody to debate with him. "A man's a fool," said Frank Sheed once, "to toke the platform against Lunn. Nobody can beat him in controversy. His mind works like greased lightning." In Liverpool once, Lunn went storming into communist head quarters, posing as a comrade and demanding at the top of his voice that the party orators stop running owoy from Lunn. "It gives Marx ism a black eye," he shouted, "when we refuse to debate with thot man. Everybody thinks Marxism can't be defended, I demand that something be done about it." The comrades assured him soothingly thot something would. "I hope so," growled Lunn, edging toward the door, "because l'm_Lunn, ond I need some opponents." Benito Soliven: Catholic By CRISTOFORO AMIGO THis is o story about o very good ond a very brave Catholic man. Someday it should be told properly: it is as colorful and dramatic and inspiring as any log-cabin-to-president tale, with one element added, and that one the most important, the Faith. For Benito Soliven was not only a brilliant lawyer, orator, linguist, for mony years high in the lawmaking councils of the nation, successul and respected in public office. He was enthusedly and militantly and splen didly a Catholic. Only the skeleton of this story can be‘told here: told badly, perhaps clumsily. Someday soon, we hope, someone may tell it as it should be reloted—fully, superbly. BENITO SOLIVEN was born in Sto. Domingo, I locos Sur, on Mprch ■ 21, 1898. From the very beginning he knew hardship and struggle. His father and mother died before the boy was four. He grew up poor: he tended pigs, carabaos, chickens, to earn his keep; found time, somehow, to go through primary grades ot the local public school. Relatives at Vigan at length took pity on the boy, orranged for him to ottend doy-sessions at,the Colegio-Seminario at Vigan,- where the Jesuits taught. Here on interesting incident tokes place. The school authorities were willing to toke the boy, but he hod to prdve himself. An entrance ex amination, we would call it today. The Jesuits sent down an elementary Spanish grammar — the boy would hove to toke on exam in that. All very well, except that the boy did not speak a word of Spanish. Benito Soliven received the book, sat down — with what help we are not told — and in a few weeks' time memorized the book from cover to cover! Came the entrance exams and the boy did so well thot the Spanish Jesuits (who are not known for being eosy in things like this) put him in sixth grade ot the begin ning of the school-term, by-passing grade five. The succeeding port of this life story would be o rather monotonous chanting of yeorly gold medals and silver medals for general excellence in studies, in Latin, in Spanish, in oratory? suffice it to say, then, thot he received his A.B. degree at Vigan with highest honors. (Some of his Jesuit professors ■— Joaquin Vilollonga, Jose Buxo, Victorino Pascual, Jose Ma. Siguion — ore still living ond can fill out the fest of this part of the story of their one-time pupil.) The young baccalaureate went to Monilo to toke up Low at the Univ37 38 THE CROSS ersity of the Philippines, win more medols (he gained the Quezon gold medal for oratory), and — on the side — keep body and soul together by teaching at the Jesuit Grade School in Intramuros and at the San Jose Orphanage (Hotpicia de Sen Joie). And with all this going on, he found time, • somehow, to teach Catechism classes for convicts in Bilibid Prison! Another interesting story fits into this period of his life. While Mr. Soliven was at the U.P. Law School, the University sponsored an essay contest, open to all U.P. students. Young Mr. Soliven, who was then not as fluent in English os he was in Spanish (and Latin), decided to submit an entry anyway. He entertained no hopes of win ning any of the prizes offered, and was sitting in a downtown theatre enjoying a .movie at the very moment when harried essay-contest judges were announcing at the University Holl that Mr. Soliven — whom they could not at the moment locate — had won first prize. This chapter of the story ends when Attorney Benito Soliven LI.B. posses the bar exams 11921) ond goes back to llocos Sur to begin legal practice. The next big event takes place in 1925. The young lawyer was sent as an official delegate by the Defentorei de la Liberted to the Holy See. The tour included an audience with Pius XI, visits to the big European capitals and Catholic centers, lec ture-engagements in various schools in the United States. Bock in the Philippines, in 1928, two honors came to Mr. Soliven: the "Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice" medal from His Holiness, and election to a first term in the Philippine House of Representatives. In his first term as Congressman, Mr. Soliven's achievements included a successful fight agoinst undue in terference in private school adminis tration by the Bureau of Private Schools, and the enactment of the Land Grant Act for the University of the Philippines. Elected (1935) to the First 'National Assembly of the Philippine Commonwealth, Mr. Soli ven's record is an impressive proof thot he believed thot holding public office meant earnest ond spirited The Philippine* Free Press, a top circulation Philippine weekly, placed Assemblyman Soliven on its 23-mon honor roll of Congressmen in a sketch summing up the work accomplished by Assemblymen during the first three years of the Assembly's existence. Meanwhile, (Mr. Soliven pursued and completed (again with highest honors) his LI.M. (1936) and LI.D. (1937) at the University of Sto. Tomas, graduated Minima cum laud* from the U.S.T. School of Foreign Service, completed a course in the Philippine Army Reserve Officers' Service School at Baguio City, and having graduated at the head of his class, was commissioned Infantry Captain (Reserve). JULY, 194* All through this time he was also very active in Catholic circles: at tained to 3rd. degree rank aS Knight of Columbus, was Professor of Law at the Ateneo de Manila (Jesuit) School of Law, Low-lecturer at the University of Sto. Tomas, much in demand — as the record of his col lected speeches indicates — as o speaker in Catholic School, Catholic Action conventions, civic gatherings. At about this time Mr. Soliven started work on two books. One, "Parliamentary Laws and legislative Technique in the Philippines" wos adopted as text in the U.S.T. ond Ateneo Low Schools. The other, a work on Social Justice, was left un finished ot Mr. Soliven's deoth. It wos Mr. Soliven, as the then Archdiocesan Secretary, now Manila Auxiliary Bishop, Rufino Santos, stated, who first filed the resolution petitioning that the XXXIII Interna tional Eucharistic Congress (1937) be held in Monila. At the Congress, Mr. Soliven was asked to pronounce the welcome address at His Eminence the Cardinal Legate's arrival. (Papal Legate was D. Cardinal Dougherty of Philadelphia.) On the finol evening of the three days' Congress celebrations, at the triumphont last benediction of the Blessed Sacrament before a hushed ond reverent crowd of Ot least holfa-million, it wos Mr. Soliven who wos singled out from among the OSsembled Pepol Knights to read the solemn oct of -consecration of the 3» human race to Christ and Eucharistic King. Mr. Soliven's second term as As semblyman is notable principally perhaps for the uncompromising stand he took when the question of block-voting came up for discussion on the floor of the Assembly. The Nacionalista Party (to which Mr. Soliven belonged), the party in pow er, was solidly, for block-voting. Mr. Soliven called block-voting un democratic, fought the block-voting measure vigorously — in Congress, before President Quezon and the ex ecutive council, in the newspapers, on the oir. He lost, and in protest, mode it known that he was retiring — at least temporarily — from public life at the end of the year (1941), ref used to seek almost certain re election in the coming elections. His valedictory is an eloquent proof of the earnestness and courage of a very sincere ond very honorable public servant. On December 8, 1941, war struck. Even before the official coll to the colors come, to him, Reserved-Cap tain Soliven had volunteered. to serve. He had ten young children then; he wos not o wealthy mon, but he felt his dear duty was in the front-lines, with the troops, ond he went to the battlefield. He received his commissoin Decem ber 23, wos inducted into the Philip pine Army On December 24, ond made Trial Judge Advocate. The record of his service is tersely sum THE CROSS med lip in the Military Merit Medai citation released May 22, 1948 by the Philippine Army: “He distinguished himself as an example of high diligence and effi ciency ................His devotion to duty and capacity for work were unassail able and honorable .... Major Soliven was directly responsible for the high morale of the boys during the Critical days in Bataan." At Bataan, along with so many other officers and men in the front linps, he contracted molignont ma laria, was sent to the Army Base Camp Hospital, Moriveles cut-off, for treatment. After Bataan fell, he took part in the Death March from Bataan to the concentration camp at Capas, Tarlac, where, inspite of dis ease and hunger, he went around on countless apostolic errands among "his boys" — to hearten the dispirit ed, comfort the sick, help to prepare for death the men who died there daily. There ore mony stories told of of ficers at Capas — stories sometimes ugly with greed gnd selfishness and profiteering and inhumoriity, but Major Soliven's record is throughout on* inspiring ond heartening one. He did not wish to "pull strings" to get released: he wanted to be in camp, he told his anxious wife (in the lit tle notes he smuggled out to her), so ■long as God wished him to remain — to do whot he could to help better the terrible conditions there. Perhaps we- should note here too that the same high heortedness and braveness was in his wife: she struggled to keep her lorge ’family fed and housed ond clothed while her husband was in concentration; she opened a little shop, tried earnestly, if vainly, to get her husbond freed. Finally released on July 23, 1942 (along with other sick men), brought back to his wife and children, Benito Soliven seeme,d to be getting better, was able to muster strength enough to deliver a discourse (his last public utterance) ot Sto. Cruz Church on the occasion of the Catholic Action Silver Anniversary celebrations. . But the maloria was not yet conquered: it wos ortly dormant.Within a month after his release, Mr. Soliven took a turn for the worse, had to be taken to the Philippine General Hospital, and — offer o lingering five-months' struggle,—on January 10, 1943, gave his soul back to the Christ he had served so faith fully, to gain the reward made ready for him from the beginning of the world. All this telling has been very motter-of-fact. We have tried to let the facts speak for ’themselves. All of this story, especially the details of his war career, is fully documented. But it is not the whole, not even the bet ter part, of this man's life. The let-» ters to his wife, hurried little notes scribbled in fine script on small strips of paper, tell us of a Catholic soul growing, through suffering and an guish and agony, to a clearer and more steadfast, more God-like vi sion of things. JULY, 1949 41 In these notes, one senses the faith growing deeper in his mind and heart: the terrible importance of God and eternity more realized, more penetrated. And in burning lines thrown in here and there in the notes, the love of God glows like o pure flome: the love of God and its componion-fire, the love of men, “es pecially the poor, the unfortunote, the helpless". God was drawing the soul, through the path of his own chosing, unto Himself. All this one can reod in the let ters and in that noble “last testa ment" dictated to his wife three days before deoth came. Perhops one doy, one of his sons moy see fit to publish these notes, that from the heart of o true Catholic we moy gather inspiration and strength. Thot, then, so very briefly os it con be told, rother badly related, is the life of Benito Soliven. It is a life rare for its singleness of purpose, its sincere and thorough-going Cath olicity, its devotedness to Christ. This mon did not hide his lomp be neath a bushel. God grant thot the bright flame of his soul may not leave untouched the coldness of our own minds ond hearts. "Out, Doc, I always read the letters of Piping, .ng. .g."—By GAT Our Worshipful Brothers JAMES W. BURKE, OMI XT OU meet him at despedidas, at wedding parties, at Baptismal affairs. He Is dressed in the very best quality shark skin. He offects the enormous tortoise shell glasses which the "big shots" sport (wheth er they need them or not). He wears American made shoes, smokes American cigarettes, uses American slang to show the American padre that he is really progressive. He is fond of five syllable words and uses them often enough in a humor ous woy he never intended. This the fellow who will flash the the ring with the Squore and Com pass — he belongs to the greot fra ternity of the Masons. Inevitably he will inform the poor deluded padre that there is absolutely no contra diction in being simultaneously a good Catholic and a Moson. He will insist on this with such vehemence that I am afraid the Fraternity has missed up on a few lessons in ele mentary logic or, if you prefer com mon sense. Numerous Holy Fathers have strongly condemned Masonry; th? classic condemnation wos embodied in the papal letter "Humonum Genus" of Leo XIII, which Holy Father, my friend never so much as heard of. As if to answer the con demnation of the Popes, our friend will inform us that the fraternity is very broadminded so that Moham medans, Buddhists, disciples of Con fucius, atheists and agnostics,' can belong with equal right to the bro therhood. From this he concludes thot all religions are the same since Dotu Lansang, merchant Go Hit, Governor Juan (a brilliant agnostic, sixth grade graduate) ond Fiscal Pedro never interfere with each others reli gious beliefs — and still our friend wonders why the Church "the pillar of truth" forbids its children from joining up. Further I otn told that the Ma sons have contributed much to cul ture, they have "uplifted the peo ple", their moral standards are of the highest —■ these virtues sound like the qualities which the Church requires for the canonization of its Saints. On the other side of the pic ture I am told that the Church is rigid, aloof, an enemy of progf^ss, narrow minded ond of course old fashioned. When the Masons devote their lives to the caring for the poor wretches' who are in our. Culions apd Tolas, as do our "narrow minded" Priests ond Sisters, when they set up a system of schools whose standards are high, whose discipline is as ad mirable as in our San Bedas, * La 42 JULY, 1949 43 Salle, our Notre Dames, our Ate - neos, I want to know it. Hove you visited the Hospicio de San Jose? Have you walked through the Asylum operated by the White Cross? Hove you ever visited the San Juan de Dios and St. Paul's hospitals which used to be in Intramuros? In all these places you saw the image of Christ crucified on their walls. The very image now forbidden in our schools in the Catholic Philip pines, the imoge which was removed from the schools in Fronce by the notorious Moson Combes in the early port of this century. A man who sees no contradiction between the Square ond the Compass ond the Crucifix should hosten to the near est oculist, or better, to the neorest psychiatrist. Oh, I know he will nome the great revolutionaries of the Islands who were Masons, he will name two of our late Presidents, but he'will never stop to reflect on the fact that the very training and culture which most of these men imbibed was at the feet of the Church which they fought; if it were not for thot Church there would never have been any culture- worth mentioning. There would never have been a Rizal or a Quezon without the Church. These men had a quarrel not wRh the Church os such, but with some of the abuses which its all too- human ministers committed; and both of them had the good sense to return to the bosom of their Mother. They were not greot be cause they were Masons, they were great before they ever joined the fraternity — to deny that is to stul tify our reason—and a good Ma son would not want to be occused of thot I am sure. In the course of the discussjon with our friend, a point which he completely ignored was the unescapable fact, that a good Catholic is on obedient Catholic. The Church has forbidden, under penalty of excom munication and deprivation of bu rial in consecrated ground, her mem bers to join any secret society which it has condemned; and she has con demned Masonry. That should set tle the matter for a good Catholic.. It is true to soy thot a Cotholic is often exposed to the necessity of choosing sides; he cannot straddle, he must not compromise, he cannot be a time server. If on Army officer wishes, to Join the -Officers' club on his post, he must obide by the rules ond regula tions of that club; an-officer leornj obedience almost instinctively; a fel low who colls 'himself a Catholic should do no less for Christ, the Founder of our ChurchWith my friend it is either the Church or the Masons; it is either the Crucifix or the Square and Com pass. It is obedience fo the voice of the Vicar of Christ or subservience to the whisperings of the Worshipful Moster. It Is Christ and all that He is, all that He teaches, or the Masons — my friend you cannot hove both. Our Newspaper Writers: Editors By BENJAMIN SAN JUAN This second installment of our series on newspaper writers deals about local editors. DAVID BOGUSLAV: TIME? Some of the more polished edit orials that hove been written during this post-war Philippine journalism come from the pen of David Boguslav, editor of the Manila Times. The works of Boguslav betray a power of reflection that has trans cended the viewpoint of a foreigner and included in its perspective the Filipino angle of looking at things taking place within or outside the country. The result of this happy growth is a more cosmopolitan out look that perceives in current events their more universal significance. In an editorial on the inauguration of Philippine independence which would have been a topic of strictly locol affair, the Times editorial writer was able to strike a note of uhiversality by hitting consciously or unconsciously a common emotion or a common message. It may be observed however that despite the amenities of literary characteristics, this editorial of Boguslav is still strangely insipid. Despite such a. substantial topic as the love of freedom laid on a proper frame of facts, it sounds hollow and insufficiently convincing beyond an aroused sentiment. It is true thot it has risen to some heights but it is also true thot while its stature may be tall, its stand is not secure. This is a deTect that is not peculiarly Boguslav's alone. Boguslav in this deTect typi fies a common infirmity of the philosophic soundness of all editorial writers and practically all the col umnists of the Philippines press. This defect of the Times editorial ist lies usually in the incompleteness of his editorials" treatment of their emotionaj message. In the “inde pendence" editorial for instance, the emotion of awe ot the approach of independence is laboriously worked up by spreading the pageantry of centuries and stressing with strong feelings the inalienability of man's liberty. That is as far as the editorial hos gone. There must be something more however for' liberty to be so sacred ond awe-inspiring. For a God-feoring people like the Filipinos and for all men for that motter, insofar as a Supreme Being is a universal notion omong them, such a right as freedom can only be most sacred and. awe inspiring if looked upon as a dis pensation of God Himself, if founded upon God. Should anyone feel like olgpcting to this introduction of moral precepts, he should first stop calling liberty inalienable; for in calling liberty so JULY, 1949 45 he is ottributing to thot right o touch of divinity, placing it beyond the reach of man's power to destroy and circumscribing that power with nothing else but vaguer moral bounds just the same. A moral foundation therefore is necessary for complete logical consistency and greater firm ness of thought. ERNESTO DEL ROSARIO: CHRONICLE Other orticles forming a great bulk of the editoriol stock of con temporary post-war period have been contributed by Ernesto del Rosario, editor of the Manila Chronicle and of the Evening Chronicle. Editorial writing which has produced more of the better compositions of Del Ro sario as a journalist is but a facet of his newspaper career. Del Ro sario started his newspaper activities in 1936 ond todoy these activities include as a major part a daily column called "Off the Beat." Del Rosario's more serious articles especially his editorial essays have given the impression which an ob server hos expressed thus—"Del Ro sario is the most mature of present doy columnists." This impression no doubt has been- largely produced by the most salient characteristics of his editorials, which ore their .dailectics and dispassionate temper, qualities which can easily be mistaken for wisdom and its imperturbability. This impression is not wholly mis leading. Del Rosario's dialectics which more thon anything else disploy the power of his logic ore neither pretentious . nor pedantic. They ore his convictions and ore generally ex pressed with striking practicality and common sense. While del Rosario's logic is gen erally sensible, it is sometimes weak in background. Its vigor at times is more apparent than real. It appears powerful ot such times because it is uttered with unquestionable truth or fact. As one who relishes being called a "radicol who does not believe Rus sia has all the answers," del Rosa rio should be well-versed to the point of perfection, regarding socio-eco nomic subjects. Yet, del Rosario, while writing precisely on such sub jects, has revealed a faulty grasp of historical socio-economic facts. Del Rosario's attention to didactics has so far cost him one of his big gest chances of becoming a literary journalist. Thot chance was provided bygone of the most dramatic episodes of current Philippine history in which del Rosario, played a personal part that must have intensely appealed Del Rosario's greatest passion has always avowedly been the rise of the masses. The war which the govern ment opened against the Huks of Luzon, who symbolize to del Rosario the down-trodden struggling for a decent place in society, therefore sjnote him and struck, ot his fondest Through his own personal initia tive and diligence attended by ri$ks THE CROSS to his own sofety, del Rosario was able to help in bringing the Admin istration and the revolting peasants into more peaceful negotiations, how ever o maneuver on the part of some politicians almost imperilled the fruition of his efforts and dreams. To that conspiracy del Rosario's answer was one of his best editorials, "Political Blackmail," which al though bursting with excitement and indignation, carried very little de finite emotion. Its overdone did actic presentation of facts has crowded out of the scene the little probable emotional message that it could transmit with equal vigor, oppeal ond freshness at all times. A notable result of del Rosario's way of reasoning is prolixity in the style of his ordinary editorials. His sentences come out loaded with de tails and premises, spun with distinc tions ond woven around some form of a syllogism rather than around a message. His more picturesque figures of speech are ordinarily not original and consist moinly of such hackneyed metaphors as “needles in the hoystack," "nip the move ment in the bud," etc. In his efforts to explain or con vince by the sheer force of reasoning, the Chronicle editor hos often ig nored the overtones of human emo tions. This distroction is generally potent in del Rosario's wdrk includOn Social Security (Final installment at Pastoral letter issued by the Philippine Hierarchy) To men who hove power, whe ther political or financial we ap peal also. Respect the freedom ond the rights of those who are depen dent on you. Remember that to be an elected representative of the peo ple is properly an honor only for the man who wos freely chosen by the people for his integrity ond abili ty, and who hos not found his woy to office through crooked manipula tions at the polls or by pressure brought to bear on defenseless men. Our just God will one doy judge with terrible rigor all such obuses. EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION The government should foster by all reasonable means on increased production and a wider distribution of wealth. In performing this task it should, other things being equal, lend its support more' to the worker and to the smoll farmer, rather thon to the big capitalist. The wealthy usualy ore well provided with meons to protect their rights;, it is the poor er man, often helpless if left. alone to defend himself agoinst men of great wealth and power, who needs the government's assistance to secure that peace and prosperity which .it is the government's obligation to pro Pope Leo XIII expressed this prin ciple forcefully in his immortal en cyclical letter, "Rerum Novarum": "The low, therefore, should fa vor ownership, ond its policy should be to induce as many people as possible to become owners. Many excellent results will follow from this; and first of all, property will certainly become more equitably divided. For the effect of civil changp and revolution has been to divide society into TWO WIDE LY DIFFERENT CASTES. ON THE ONE SIDE THERE IS THE PARTY WHICH HOLDS THE POWER BE CAUSE IT HOLDS THE WEALTH; WHICH HAS IN ITS GRASP ALL -LABOR AND ALL TRADE; WHICH MANIPULATES FOR ITSELF ITS OWN BENEFIT AND ITS OWN PURPOSES ALL THE SOURCES OF SUPPLY AND WHICH IS POW ERFULLY REPRESENTED IN THE COUNCILS OF THE STATE IT SELF. ON THE OTHER SIDE THERE IS THE NEEDY AND POW ERLESS MULTITUDE SORE AND SUFFERING, ALWAYS READY FOR DISTURBANCE. If working people can be encouraged to look forword to obtaining a shore in the land, the result will be thot the gulf between vast wealth ond deep poverty will be bridged over, and- the two orders will be brought nearer together. Another result will be the great abundonce of the fruits of the earth. Men always 47 48 THE CROSS work harder ond more readily when they work on thot which is THEIR OWN; NAY THEY LEARN TO LOVE THE VERY SOIL WHICH YIELDS IN RESPONSE TO THE LABOR OF THEIR HANDS—NOT ONLY FOOD TO EAT, but on abundance OF GOOD THINGS FOR THEMSELVES AND THOSE THAT ARE DEAR TO THEM." Leo XIII, Rerum Novqrum. In this and other encyclicals, let ters so colled because they are ad dressed to the entire Catholic world, the Popes, especially Leo XIII, Pius XI, and our present reigning Pon tiff, Pius XII, have expounded the principles of a sane social order in a foshion recognized as masterly by fair-minded men the world over. We have in this letter merely touched on certain major points of the Papal teaching. At some future date we hope to explain more in detoil the applications of these principles to our Philippine economy.All good men must realise thot the crisis through which our people are passing is very grave, hardly less grave than the emergency of war itself. Men rightly demand a more equitable arrangement of our social economy, and they will not be satisfied with anything less than full justice. THOSE MOST IN NEED OF HELP It is those at the bottom of the social order who need its benefits most. Hence, those who are already enjoying a decent living standard should be patient while all cooperate to lift these others nearer to thot level. Afterwards there will be time to see whot adjustments are proper for those whose skills or special ta lents entitle them to a still greatei reward for their work. THE CRISIS During the emergency of war, good men did not think it too much to offer their lives to protect their homes, their families, their soil, ond the freedom of their people. At this time those homes ond families, the proper use of the soil, ond a reasonable freedom for, all citizens are in reol danger, not immediately from a hostile notion, but from gross distortions of charity and justice in the social order. The men who in wor's emergency were ready to risk their lives, must not hesitate in this new emergency to" strive at no matter what personal cost, (for what sa crifice of property or wealth con be compared with the offering of one's life?) to keep faith with their slain comrades, and to honor their memo ry by building a social structure worthy of the supreme sacrifice thot they made. No good man con think without an aching heart of the bitter sti’ife that is spilling on the soil of our be loved lond the blood of men whom God intended to live together as brothers. No man should think that more serious strife can be avoided ualess the leadership of good men is JULY. 1949 49 forthcoming to leod the poor to o better standard of living. Those who would defend o system of private property must toke Tare thot it is a system which brings private property to all, ond not a system which means an ever increasing concentration of that prop erty within the hands of a few; while millions of people are left with no private property at all. It is not high-flown rhetoric that will stop the advances of communism, but on ly the vigorous, sustained execution of reforms that will let men see the beauty, and experience the joy, of living in a truly Christian social or der. Compored with the warm and soul-satisfying Christian program of life, Communism is a godless and heartless scheme aimed at man's total enslavement and degradation. But that Christian program must do minate all the actions of men—their finonciol dealings as well as every other. It is only a practical Christ ianity, lived and not merely praised, thot can rescue men from pernicious social error ond from ultimote dis aster. RESPONSIBILITY OF LEADERS TO GOD Those who govern must never for get thot the authority they possess is derived from God. In exercising it therefore, they must strive always to mirror as perfectly as they can the , justice, the fatherliness joined with firmness, and the wisdom, of God. Any misuse of thot authority He will judge severely. He will re gard as done to Himself every wrong done to one of His people; above all, any wrong done to His poor. THE MISSUSE OF WEALTH Now more than ever before, the rich must keep in mind that their right to their wealth is not absolute or unlimited. They are, as Christ forcibly warned the rich Pharisees of His doy, merely stewards of that wealth for all mankind, under God to whom belongs the supreme prop erty right over all His creation. Con sequently, they should manage the wealth at their disposal so as to benefit not only themselves but the common good. This obligation they can discharge partly by the direct re lief of those who are suffering; and this they should do generously, giv ing as to brothers in need. But be sides alms and similar temporary methods of relief wealthy men should seek a more permanent solution by investing their wealth in enterprises fhat increase the output of useful goods and furnish productive employ ment to mony men. Thus they will enable the destitute to provide for themselves, and will lessen the need of providing alms and doles. VULGAR AND USELESS DISPLAY It is particularly to be deplored that in these critical times some men and women of wealth should persist in vain and vulgar displays, displays that provoke the disgust of good people and the indignation of those who lack even the bare ne 50 THE CROSS cessities of life. Is it o seemly thing that some-members of God's family should go hungry while others squand er wealth in prodigal ostentation? All sensible people can see thot this abominable contradiction is totally alien to the Christian spirit of justice, chority ond humility. Let it be the glory of Christian men and women . who have wealth thot they do not attach their hearts to it, nor despise or forget the poor. They should give all men an -exam ple of sober Christion living, and they should show by their behavior that in every human person, .whether rich or poor, they see a living im age of God. How else con rich men oct if they remember thot the God they adore, when ■ He clothed Himself with our human nature,' passed by the wealthy ond leisured classes and chose the poor, lowly, hardworking status of o village car penter? What other attitude befits the rich woman who recalls that Mary the Mother of God performed all the humblest tasks of o poor housewife, and did not find them out. of keep ing with, her dignity- os Queen of angels' and men? INVITATION TO COMMUNISTS To those of . our beloved flock— (we sof this from the bottom of-our Hearts') —to those whb have been led by 'the, injustices of the present social order to seek a redress in Com munism, we say: Examine with a foir and open mind-what we hove said; study the true Catholic sociol teachings os they hove been laid down by Leo XIII, Pius XI, ond our present Pontiff, Pope Pius XII. Then say honestly: Do you find orrything in those teachings thot is prejudicial to the best interests of the worker* Do you not rother find in them a noble, sound ond practical basis for the re building of society in o way that is foir to all men? It is no opium of the people that those teachings offer! On the contrary, they provide the strong est incentives men con have to moke them vow never to rest until the earth's wealth* destined by God for the whole human brotherhood, shall, in fulfillment of thot destiny, provide a good living for every human being in the world. We know well thot men and women who make an outward show of piety while they refuse just ice and charity to the worker bring discredit upon the religion they pro fess. But this discredit is undeserved. When Catholics fail to fulfill what the Church plainly declares to be their grave duty, it is not their religion that is to be blamed, but the gross neglect of their religion. We .pray God to enlighten the minds and strengthen the wills of all men in these islands thot we may combine our efforts for a full Christ ian reconstruction of the social order. Only thus can a social eruption be avoided, the very thought of which should suffice to goad oil good men into action. THINKING WITH GOD By FRANCIS P. LE BUFFE, SJ. The whole people answering soid: His blood be upon us ond upon our children. — St. Matth. 27:25. And the whole people answering said— thot cry wos first heard from the Jews before Pilote's court.... thot cry should go up today to God from each of us. . . His blood be upon us — to sove us from sin . . to wosh our souls cleon from sin. . . to moke iis strong tp be holy always. to bring uis sofely home to Heoven. . And upon our children — the world is o sorry mess now, ond our children will need much help from God to right it. . . thot in their dyy the Kingdom of God moy come more reolly upon this earth . . . His blood be upon us and upon our children — thot blood which wos formed from Mory's own. . . Thot blood which was shed first ot the circumcision. . . thot blood which was drained for us on the Cross. . . thot blood which we must drink that we moy be soved. . . His blood be upon us and upon our children — out of our misery -we cry to Him. . . out of sins we coll upon Him. . . because of our love we coll upon Him. . . thot “washed white in the blood of the Lamb we may enjoy eternal', happiness". . . Dear. Lord Jesus, the. Jews colled Your, blood upon t.h.em in hatred, ond yet You shed it for their salvation. I'now call Your blood uppn me thot I mcfy be saved from sin ond from all waywardness and so came home safe to You one doy in Heaven. And so, in plentiful abundance moy Your blood be upon us ond -upon our children thot we may be truly- Yours forever. 51 Lett we forget the tragedy that shook the world “Behold, how the just dies!” A Sermon by RAFAEL J. DESMEDT, CICM “Behold, how the just dies! He was offered because it was his own will, and he opened not his mouth! He shall be dumb as a lamb before the shearer! And his memory shall be in peace!” Words taken from the liturgy of the Holy Week and interpreted in the music we just come to hear. We are os yet stunned at the news that has taken the headlines of our press since last Friday, the news that is in every mind, in every heart, on every lip; "Dona Aurora Aragon Quezon and doughter and companions have been ruthlessly killed." And in silent sorrow we are gathered here to poy homage to her blessed memory! Humbled in mind we are because we find no words to explain nor to excuse what has happened in the Sierra Madre. That peaceful moun tain range that lifts man's heart to his Creator, has been soiled with a crime against God and humanity that finds almost no equal in history! Humbled in mind we are because the ruthless murder of a lady with a record of charitableness and service ableness, of kindness and devotion, of purity of life second to none, a lady . loved more thon any queen, reveals o disgusting ond discouraging process of disintegration that tends to affect our national existence. Humbled in mind we are because Almighty God has been greatly of fended by our brothers, be they dis sidents, with a lack of conscientious ness that provokes the wrath of di vine justice against us: "Behold, how the just dies!" Our hearts grow heavy as we re member that wonderful lady, the per sonification of feminine grace and beauty, of dignity and gentleness, of modesty and serenity, that were enhanced by the solemnity and sim plicity of a greying age. Our hearts grow heavy os we re member that ideal Christian mother who found her pleasure ond her treasure in her, God-given children; she has guided them with motherly core and wisdom, step by step, on the path of Faith and Hope- and Charity; — that ideal wife who was the faithful and loving companion of her great husband; — that ideal citizen who put all her talents at the service of her countrymen; — that ideal Catholic in whom the na tural and the supernatural werd blended in marvelous harmony at the image of the God-man and His Blessed Mother. Only ten days ago. Dona Aurora 52 JULY, J 949 53 knelt, os usual, in this church, before leaving for that fateful journey. On the first bench — Epistle Side—she used to kneel, attentively following the Mass prayers in her missal. And. long offer Mqjs was over she would remain in that kneeling posi tion to complete her communion with Jesus in mental prayer. The walls of this church, if they were to speak, would bear witness to the lively faith of Dona Aurora: while still the first lady of the lond, she would pour the joys ond pains of her great family, the Filipino people, into the heart of the divine Emmanuel. From here she brought Ihot serenity of mind, thot peace of heart, which comforted ond strength ened the great president, Manuel L. Quezon, the champion of social jus tice. The walls of this church, if they could speak, would bear witness to her apostolic zeol: how many chil dren did she adopt in their rebirth as children gf God; — how many young fomilies did she occompany to the altar to consecrate their love; — how many men ond women did she introduce to God's love and friendship! Only God knows/' Of lote, Baguio hod become her habitual residence and in her unob trusive way she wos the soul of its civic and religious activities. For years she had dreomt of o better dwelling place for the laboring class: a hill colled after her nome was to become the site where they would live in contentment and peace. Unforgettable is the yearly noveno in honor of Our Lady of Lourdes that was held at HER grotto near Burnham Pork; from a family offair it grew into a city-wide outburst of filial piety to the heavenly Mother. Her child-like devotion to Our Lady was no secret to all who knew her well. Most significant is the fact that she laid down her life on the eve of the month of May: true to "Catholic Action", which means "the co-op eration of the laity with the hier archy", she appealed to the Nation for o month of Moy dedicated to Our Lody Mediotrix of all Graces a month hallowed with prayers and penance to obtain "peace and char ity and good will, as well os respect for the law, amongst our own be loved people of the Philippines." And while she was working for peace from above, because the world can not give it, she wos slain! "Be hold, how the just dies!" Perhaps, we will never know her thoughts when she decided on that somewhat dongerous trip; but is it presumptuous to say thot she fore saw that something might happen? Is it presumptuous to say that she thought it worthwhile to risk her life ond eventually to offer it on the altor of our country if in thot woy she could open the eyes of many and, through her motherly sacrifice, bring back peace and normalcy and pros perity? Recently, indeed, we celebrated the principal mystery of our Holy THE CROSS 54 Religion: the passion ond deoth of Jesus Chiist; and it must not have escaped her attention that the death of Jesus was the cause of our sal vation. Did He not say, hinting ot his death: “Unless the grain of wheat falling in the ground die, it remains alone. But if it die, it brings forth much fruit." Jo. 12. Thot the celebration of the Holy Week and the meditation on the deoth of Jesus was close to her heart is revealed by the fact that she made a solemn and public invitation to stop all worldly amusements during these holy days. On Good Friday, she wos seen in the church listening to the sermons on the seven lost words; she stayed during three hours. In her company were those thot died with her! In imitation, then, and in union with her heavenly Moster "she was offered because it was her own will. . . she was dumb as a lamb be fore the shearer: therefore, her me mory shall be in peace!" And we that ore left, we feel contrite and sorrowing because our brothers, blood of our blood, hove gone astroy. They have gone astray because we hove allowed God to be taken away from them in our schools; — we hove allowed crime to be played up and glorified in press and movie ond radio; — we have turned away from God in com merce ond business, in government and amusement; — and we should have remembered the words of on American Statesman, William Penn: “Those people who will not be gov erned by God, will be ruled by tyrGod Almighty, in his inscrutable Providence of' the world, hos taken from us the beJt we hod, our mo ther, in expiation for our sins. Let us soy in humble submission: "The Lord had given, the Lord has taken away, as it pleases the Lord, so be it The sacrifice of Dorio Auroro Aragon Quezon is o challenge to us, it 'is a challenge to action: civic action, which means: sincere interest in and co-operotion towards the common welfare; — Catholic Action, which means: a more active co-op eration of the laity with the hier archy. "Shall good be defeated by evil or sholl we defeat evil by good?" The answer is ours and the solution is: back to conscience in government, in business, in commerce, in amuse ments: back to conscience in private life, os well as in public life! Moy the death of Doila Aurora open the eyes of many and show them that, unless we go to a new way of life, our beloved country is going to its ruin; — moy it encour age those that are in authority to do their duty and to work unselfish ly for a national peace based on> justice and charity; — may it en courage all to a life of discipline and devotion: so that the sacrifice of our Nation's mother will not be in vain, but will give life to a New and Better Philippines and that "her memory may be in peace." Coop Without Tears Rochdale’s Rock By HAROLD WATSON 1 . The modern method of COOPERATION wos evolved by twenty eight weavers of Rochdale England in the year 1844. 2. Before they launched their first Cooperative Store the "crazy weavers” after much study laid down three FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES. 3. The first is "ONE MAN ONE VOTE"; it did not matter the NUMBER OF SHARES a mon had; he had only ONE VOTE. 4. The wise weavers knew thot "money talks" ond that money not only talks but "tokes" ond if they allowed the members with more money to do most of the TALKING they would olso do most of the TAKING and soon shear the poorer share-holders of their shares. 5. So they insisted “One man one vote" which is DEMOCRATIC CONTROL as against' PLUTOCRATIC DICTATORSHIP which is the rule of MEN os against the rule of MONEY. They resolved they would NOT CAPITULATE to CAPITALISM. 6. The second fundamental principle is that "RETURNS ON CAPITAL SHALL THAN THE NOT BE MORE MINIMUM PREVAILING RATE OF INTEREST". 7. They sow thot high interest leads to speculation and speculation to fluctuation; if a member's only interest is in HIGH INTEREST then HIS INTEREST in cooperation is NOT VERY HIGH. 8. They were concerned mutually to market stock; they had no concern in the Stock Morket Stock Markets abound in bulls and bears ond they could not bear BULLS and were resolved not to commit the “bull" of encouraging BEARS. 9-. Members do not buy COOPERATIVE shares in order 55 56 to help themselves to profit but in order to PROFIT BY MUTUAL SELF-HELP. 10. Fundamental principle No. 3 declares that "offer operating and educational expenses ore paid the remainder of eornings is distributed to patrons on the basis of PATRONAGE". 1 1 . These pioneers considered thot after expenses were paid the surplus represented on OVERCHARGE to those who traded with them. 12. Between the PRODUCER ond the CONSUMER stands the MIDDLEMAN who should be well paid for services rendered. 13. But our economic set up permits the middle-man because he is in the middle to put one hand in the producer's pocket ond the other hand in the consumer's pocket— to buy "cheap" from the former and sell "dear" to the latter and to pocket the surplus. 14. This system is colled BUSINESS but it shouldbe the business of BUSINESS to LINK the CONSUMER to the PRODUCER in a reasonable economy— not to separate them by a labyrinth of trading. 15. The CONSUMERS COOPERATIVE works on the principle thot it PAYS to PAY THE PRODUCER WELL ond that it is NOT PROFITABLE to moke LARGE PROFIT out of THE CONSUMER. 16. In foct it goes further FOR SINCE ALL ARE ULTIMATELY CONSUMERS then the producer and consumer are identified hence to pay the producer well is ultimately to pay the consumer well. ROCKERS The fair thing would be to tset apart on Sunday mornings a quiet room with chain, on which freethinken could sit and sit freely while believers are at their business of wonhip. —Douglas Woodruff VIEWPOINTS From The C-ROSS News Commentary By JtENARG ON THE FOURTH of July, lost, the Republic of the Philippines, pre cursor of the Eost's owakening, en tered the fourth year of its independ ence, beset by many and varied problems of grave importance to its future as a bulwark of democracy in Asia ond the South Pacific, not the leost of which was the great "election-yeor" poser: Who will guide the destiny of 19-million Filipinos in their next four crucial years, os their President and leader?. . . The World Background Against the bockground of inter national intrigue, in the session-halls of the U. N. ot Lake Success, over council-tables in Poris ond the Allied Kommandatura at Berlin, ond amid Berlin blockodes and airlifts, the ex tension of Marshall Plan aid through Europe and the subsequent formation of whot is now called the Western Union, in the woke of worldwide Church persecutions, o gigantic civilwor in China ond unrest in the tot tering Western empires in Asia ond Africo, the Philippines seemed much too concerned with locol petty politics to bother much about its interna tional relations, or how the world wos shoping up beyond its limited bound aries. . . The Philippine Scene BUT THE PAST year hos been for the Philippines, a yeor of indecision ond uncertainty. The Filipinos looked for the dynamic leadership of Quezon and Roxas, and waited for the elections to register their voice in the polls. The administration was shaky, un sure of itself, fearful of men and machines which could wreck its chances for the coming elections. The Nacionalisto opposition, though bold and outspoken, gave no con crete promises for alleviating the present ills. . . The Senate was too engrossed in their petty squabbles to poy much attention to the people's welfare. A good port of the last session was spent in exposing and expelling Jose Avelino from the Senate choir, and then suspending him from that body itself; and legislation was neglected. The house, although vociferous, neglected problems of national im portance for such local bills as the creation of new municipalities, ond passed the new Civil Code, abolish ing absolute divorce in thq Islands— about the only important bill pass ed. . . Prices of-prime necessities, such as 57 58 THE CROSS rice, were still sky-high, while con sumer ond producer goods kept stead ily declining, as a result of unre strained competition in business. The downward trend of business, wos reflected in- lowering house rent als, ond bargain sales in the Ma nila department stores. The News of the Month THE LAST MONTH hos been a hectic month of politics ond mud slingings, and scandals which, as the saying goes, smelled to the high heavens. . . There were two mojor party conventions, one which no minated Elpidio Quirino of the Lib eral Party on his own merits, and the other which proposed Dr. Jose P. Laurel to the highest magistracy in the lond, a post which he once oc cupied during the Japanese occupa tion. But the news of the month, strange to say, was not the selection of Quirino or Laurel or Avelino as Presidential candidates, nor the Yulo-Cuenco tiffs for the Vice-Pres idency, or the subsequent selection of Fernando Lopez under the Quirino ticket, nor the formidable senatorial lineup of the Nacionalista Party, in which Justice Manuel Briorfes shed judicial robes to aspire for VicePresident under Laurel; nor even eioro M. Recto, the President of the Constitutional Convention of 1935, who haeds the NP tickets. Rather, the best news of the last month proved not in the midst of a dirty political battle brewing, there was at least one man who had cour age enough to stick to his convic tions, risk his promising political fortunes, to leave the Liberal Party in power, (where he was one the key-men of influence), to take up the cudgels for clean, honest gov ernment, free from compromises or political maneuvering which has identified the politics of the years ofter liberation, with graft ond cor ruption unparalleled in Philippine history. There were some who said that Senator Lorenzo Tanada of Quezon, the young (his age: 45) crusader for the people's good, was making a mistake by bolting the Liberal Party which offered him greater opportuni ties to make good, as good partymen ore rewarded with the choicest mor sels, ofter the preparation is over. . . There were even some who called Senator Tanada o traitor to the party, which made him what he is; a blind follower of whims and preju dices,' a man with o prosecutor's mind for finding fault and capital izing on it. But none could rightfully coll him o man who went against whot he believed was right, when the time come to make a decision, where the people's good was concerned. To some, Lorenzo Tanada had signed his political death; but to others, to the youth, especially, who shared his vision and courage, and had enough ideals and backbone to back him up, as the leader of a new movement for democracy as we want it to be — Senator Tanada's rise in JULY, 1949 59 the esteem and honor of his people, wos just beginning. There wos tension in the oir, as the people of the Philippines buckled down to the task of seeing their country through its fourth year os on independent nation. There is talk of o Pacific Pact of Asian notions, to combat the tide of Communism in Asia and the Poeific; of renewed efforts for reparations from Japan; of Communism's rush to the rich re sources of teeming Asia. How will the Philippines fore? Only Filipino intelligent public opinion and action con onswer that. Thomas Merton A Modern Augustine By RICHARD J. CRONIN, S.J. VV/HEN a devotee of "Bix" Bei** derbecke and swing music switches over to Gregorian Chant, we moy well arch a quizzical eye brow; when a Columbia graduote matures into a leading Catholic poet, our curiosity heightens; but, when a Trappist monk writes a best-selling autobiography, vze grab our hats and rush out to the nearest book store to buy a copy. If any weight is to be put in the authority of Monsignor Fulton Sheen, Graham Greene, Evelyn Wough, and Clare Boothe Luce, that is the sound est advice to follow with regards Thomas Merton's new book, The Seven Storey Mountain. It has been called the Twentieth Century Con fessions, and the Catholic Education Of Henry Adams, and for once the comparison doesn't limp. The mojor appeal of Merton's book is the contemporary ring to it. Writers like Joyce, Gide, T. S. Eliot, ond Gilson rub shoulders with Dan te, Duns Scotus, and Aquinas.. The ancient Byzantine mosaics of Rome find themselves ranged besides the work of Cezanr.e, Braque, Picasso, ond Reginald Marsh. Yet for all its breadth, the book is no mere catalogue. Merton's thought hos digested and integrated what he has read into a framework of Catholic realism. He doesn't as similate everything indiscrimjnotely, but he has judiciously sifted the good from the bad. He sees beneath the surface filth of Harlem to the deeper filth of the sin-ridden Park Avenue and Hollywood which caused it. He hos felt the patent appeal of He mingway and D. H. Lawrence, but, when he found it shollow, he moved The book is contemporary, but it dodges .the pitfoil of being epheme ral. The impression seeps through that the grace of Christ is still as octive ot Coney Island ond ot Forty Second Street ond Times Square, as it was fifteen hundred yeors ago for Augustine, on the street corners of Milan. It is a long s»ep from the luxuries of broadway to the austerities of a Trappist monastery but a very in structive one. A Trappist monk deesn't leave the world because he doesn't know whot it is like, but he leaves it precisely because he knows only too well what it is like. Merton's book is a crushing argu ment to the fallacy thot religion is a hothouse product. He not only plunged into the world, he dove down deep enough to stir up some of its muck ond he didn't like the taste. There is a clique of pseudo-intellec60 JULY, 1949 61 tuols today who poy unflagging lip service to what might be phrased "the cult of the name". The’ Book-of-the-Month Club sin gles out Ross Lockridge's Raintree County as fine writing, or an avantgard magazine runs on article on the Existentialism of Jeon Paul Sarte, and they oil bow down in worship. They are like straws whisked along on the surface of other people's opinion. Merton's book is o fine tonic for that frame of mind. He not only read widely, but he also criticized what he reod. Instead of finding in Columbia's much praised Contem porary Civilization course the blue print of living, he found the seeds of his classmate's tragic suicide. He was frank enough to admit that whot he found in the rhythms of a New York night club wos not sophistication, but crass animality. Merton is o realist, so he finds much which passes for modern thought, limited and shallow. Another very salutary aspect of The Seven Storey Mountain, is the deep, visceral love of Christ that Merton hos discovered in the beouty of the Chant, cijd the silence of the cloisters of Gethsemane. He has so obsorbed Christ, thot when the tra gic news arrived thot his brother wos killed in action over Germany, he could write: "For in the wreckage of your April Christ lies slain. And Christ weeps in the ruins of my spring." The secret of Thomas Merton's penetration, his peace of soul, his poetry, is this deep, personal love of Christ. Due perhaps to the sugary variety of religious art, or to an overem phasis on novenas to the detriment of all else, recently there hos un fortunately crept into the Catholic layman's devotion a watered-down version of the manly Christ. "Gentle Jesus, meek and mild", if understood correctly, is a holy sen timent, -but, if not, it is an insulting perversion. We hove lost something of the intensity of Paul, of the rug gedness of Peter. We need to re gain some of . the spirit of Ignatius who put far more stock in deeds than in a Barclay Street book of devotions. As the level-headed St. Teresa once put it, when speaking of cer tain practices which had sprung up, "From silly devotions, O God deliver us!" The Christ which Thomas Merton has given up his life to fol low is not a Christ who lack virility. The chief sin of trying to evaluate a book is exaggeration. Yet con sistently laudatory reviews, the depth of Merton's message, his colorful prose, and his poetic insight, all point to this being the outstanding story of a convert in our times. It is more difficult to organize peace than to win wor, and the fruits of victory in wor will be lost if the peoce is not well organized. —Aristotle From Benedicto Carreon MAN OR WOMAN? Modern fashions are not new. They are old things done in the wrong way. Exomple: A womon wearing long pants. There's noth ing new in wearing long pants yet, they delight in calling it "modem" when a womon wears it. — Chesterton From Ramon 0. Santiago YOUR SLIP, SENOR Mr. Announcer: Please repeat that again I From Mariano Zoleta FOR SOCIALITES ONLY I wish I were o kangaroo. Despite his funny stances; I'd have a place to put the junk My girl brings to dances. From Fortunato Beso DANCING LESSON "Thank Heoven, that misery's over!" "What misery, pal?" "Dancing with the hostess. Hove you been through it yet?" "Don't have to; I'm the host." From Bienvenido Tamondong REASSURANCE A lady walking down the street in London one day during the lost war, when the city was under almost constant attock from the air, was startled by a loud clop of thunder. As she stood for a moment, rather frightened, a passing urchin reassured her: "It's all right, lady. That ain't Hitler; it's God." From Leonardo Froncisco y Martin YES SIR, A HOLIDAY! There was a great commotion at Hollywood. A well-dressed mon wos running down the^ street shouting, "No NO NO; I don't like it. No, no, NO!" over and over again. 62 JULY, 1949 6S Finally a policeman came up and said, ''Hello, here, what's go“It's all right, officer,'' said the mon. “I'm a Yes-man on a holiday!" From Teresita Acayan DEVIL'S TAIL "Bess," moaned her long-suffering husband, "you promised you wouldn't buy a new dress. What made you do it?" "Dear," replied the modern Eve, "the devil tempted me." "Why didn't you say 'Get thee behind me, Satan?" the poor man inquired. "I did," the little womon replied sweetly, "ond then he whis pered over my shoulder, 'My deor, it fits you just beautifully in the back'." ••Well?"—By GAT BOOKS OF THE MONTH July THE MANTLE OF MERCY, by Leo Weismantel, translated by Albert Paul Schimberg—A biography of St. Vincent de Paul told with engaging simplicity ond frankness................................................. P5.25 THE GREATEST OF THESE, by Marie J. F. Marmontel—The story of Vincent de Poul, Saint of God and Mon of Catholic Action. . . . P2.50 MARY IN HER SCAPULAR PROMISE, by John Mathios Hoffert. "Undoubtedly the most complete book in the English language on the Scapular devotion . . . Excellently written" ................ P3.15 DICTIONARIES WEBSTER'S COLLEGIATE DICTIONARY, 5th edition, thumbindexed. Based on Webster's NEW INTERNATIONAL DIC TIONARY, Second Edition. 110,000 entries, 1,800 illustra tions, 1275 f XLII pages............................................................ P7.00 (For mail orders, odd PI.00 for postage registered) AMERICAN COLLEGE DICTIONARY, Text edition, thumb-indexed. Edited by Clarence L. Barnhart. (With a Study Plan prepared by Hans J. Gottleib with a committee of consultants.)—Com plete, up-to-date, adapted for student use. 132,000 entries. 1432 f XL pages ........................................................................... Pl 2.60 (For moil orders, add PI.50 for postage registered) WEBSTER'S ELEMENTARY DICTIONARY, A dictionary for boys and girls. 38,500 entries, 739 fXIII pages .................................. P6.20 (For mail orders, add PI.00 for postage registered) 64 RECENT ARRIVALS NEW AND REORDERED BOOKS THE MASTERFUL MONK, by Owen Froncis Dudley. An onswer to the present-doy attack on man's morol nature ......................... P5.25 WILL MEN BE LIKE GODS?, by O. F. Dudley. An answer to the sfanderers of religion ....................................................................... P3.70 THE SHADOW ON THE EARTH, by O. F. Dudley. An onswer to the slanderers of God .................................................................. P3.7O THE TREMAYNES AND THE MASTERFUL MONK, by O. F. Dudley. A most hateful and lovable tole...................................................... P5.25 PAGEANT OF LIFE, by O. F. Dudley. "The tosk I hove undertaken in these pages is thot of disclosing an absorbingly lovable, difficult ond pathetic character; and of o mystery underlying thot character."—the author ................ P5.8O FORTY YEARS AFTER: Pius XI ond the Social Order. A com mentary. By Raymond J. Miller, C Ss.R.—This book hos under taken the difficult task of applying Papol teaching ond directives to actual institutions, situations, ond problems, such as, the duty to join a labor union, the just rate of dividends, maximum just income ond profits, and minimum just wages ................ P9.35 SOME NOTES ON THE GUIDANCE OF PARENTS, by Daniel A. Lord, SJ. — A comprehensive manual on that all-important pro fession — the profession open to all — parenthood. THE WORKS OF JOHN HENRY NEWMAN, edited by C. F. Harrold: THE IDEA OF A UNIVERSITY .................................................... P7.35 APOLOGIA PRO VITA SUA ....................................................... P7.35 A GRAMMAR OF ASSENT ......................................................... Pl.35 ESSAY AND SKETCHES, 3 volumes, each volume ...............@ Pl.35 SERMONSAND DISCOURSES, 2 volumes, each, volume.. @ P7.35 A MYSTIC IN MOTLEY, by Theodore Maynord, The life of Saint Philip Neri ...................................................................................... P5.25 THE HAPPY GROTTO, by Fulton Oursler, A reporter's account of Lourdes ............................................................................................ P3.15 MAIL ORDERS ACCEPTED — ADD THIRTY CENTAVOS FOR POSTAGE 15 Banquero & Escolta * Manila * Tel. 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