u Hello Tfiert. i | 

A friendly messale 
ßrieffy ttyCaüwuj some 
Cedilo 6c teac/ungs . . . 

B Y 

R E V . P H I L I P P . B R U N I 



Nihil Obstat: 
R E V . W I L L I A M J . C O L L I N S , S . T . L . , 

Censor L i b r o r u m 

Imprimatur: 
• F - E R N E S T J . P R I M E A U , S . T . D . , 

B i s h o p of Manchester 

November 29, 1960 

ILLUSTRATIONS BY CHARLES FLAYHAN 

COPYRIGHT, 1 9 6 1 

BY P H I L I P P . B R U N I 

A d d i t i o n a l copies available, 10c, f r o m : 

M A N L E Y O F F S E T C O M P A N Y 

5 6 1 Central A v e n u e 
D o v e r , N e w H a m p s h i r e 



"Hello Tftert. . . 
I have been w a n t i n g to write this m e s s a g e 

f o r s o m e time. Actually, it's been in the 
m a k i n g for several months. A n d n o w , with 
a more-determined search for t i m e a n d effort, 
I ' m s e n d i n g you the completed product. I 
assure you, here a n d n o w , that I ' m writing 
you in all sincerity a n d friendliness. 

T h e contents of this mes s ag e, I hasten to 
a d d , are not strictly original. T h e material, 
in its essentials, is that t a u g h t by the Catholic 
C h u r c h f o r nearly twenty centuries. I w a s 
aided, in d e c i d i n g just which parts of the 
C h u r c h ' s vast body of teachings to discuss 
with you, by opinions of friends, Catholic 
a n d non-Catholic, a n d fellow priests. T h i s 
assistance, plus m y o w n experience, leads m e 
to pick just several of the m a n y items I 
m i g h t e x a m i n e with you. Consequently, w e 
will be concerned here with things m o s t 
c o m m o n l y discussed by people all over the 
country. 

It surprises m e that so m a n y are s o often 
misled about u s Catholics. Y o u a n d I share 
m a n y activities, belong to the s a m e C l u b s , 

1 3 ] 



attend the s a m e theatres, r e a d the s a m e 
publications a n d watch the s a m e television 
p r o g r a m s . In fact, it's not i n f r e q u e n t here in 
our country to greet each other with a 
friendly 'hello' in c o m i n g to or g o i n g f r o m 
our Churches. W e Catholics never claimed 
to have any secrets. A l l this a n d yet you 
sometimes hear such weird a n d radical stories 
about u s ! 

B e f o r e you put aside this letter with the 
r e m a r k : " H e ' s trying to convert m e " , let m e 
insist that my only intention in w r i t i n g you 
is this: to a c q u a i n t you with some of the 
beliefs and practices of your Catholic friends 
. . . perhaps even your next-door neighbors. 
Y o u r conscience a n d your sincerity will be 
your g u i d e s . N o , your conversion is in greater 
h a n d s than m i n e ; I will leave your conversion 
to G o d . 

Catholics d o not, you k n o w , object t o 
public schools; we simply prefer our o w n 
religious or parochial schools. N o r d o w e 
bel leve that G o d will condemn those of other 
faiths. T h e pope, w e sincerely believe, is the 
divinely-appointed head of the C h u r c h w h o 
rules within the f r a m e w o r k of a divinely-
constituted C h u r c h . A n d Catholic parents 
are not c o m m a n d e d to have large n u m b e r s 
of children. T h e s e are but a f e w of the things 
I want to write you about in this message. 

[ 4 ] 



Fish on Friday 
S o m e t i m e a g o , I was a s k e d the q u e s t i o n : 

" W h y d o Catholics have to 
eat fish on F r i d a y ? " W e 
don't h a v e to eat fish on 
F r i d a y ! W e d o t h o u g h , ab-
stain f r o m e a t i n g m e a t on 
F r i d a y . R e p l a c i n g m e a t with 

fish is a custom started in the early days of 
the C h u r c h , Abstinence f r o m m e a t on 
F r i d a y s is practiced out of reverence f o r 
J e s u s Christ, w h o died on F r i d a y ( G o o d 
F r i d a y ) . 

In connection with fish on F r i d a y , you 
m i g h t have heard the phrases 'day of f a s t ' 
and 'day of abstinence'. I'll clarify these. 
D a y s of abstinence are simply days when w e 
refrain f r o m e a t i n g mea t. D a y s of f a s t a r e 
days on which w e are allowed but one full 
meal and t w o smaller ones. Instances of fast 
a n d abstinence are f o u n d in both the O l d 
T e s t a m e n t a n d N e w T e s t a m e n t . 

The Mass 
V o l u m e s have been written about the 

M a s s . L e t m e tell you, briefly, 
w h a t the M a s s is a n d then I'll 
explain why it is celebrated 
in the L a t i n l a n g u a g e . 

T h e M a s s ( n a m e used for 
the ceremony of the Euchar-

[ 5 ] 



istic Sacrifice) is the renewal of Christ's 
sacrifice on the cross t h r o u g h H i s minister, 
the priest. In other words, the M a s s , the 
m o s t sublime act of w o r s h i p in the C h u r c h , 
is the s a m e sacrifice as that of Christ on the 
cross; n o w , t h o u g h , it becomes an unbloody 
sacrifice of joy. 

Christ H i m s e l f instituted the Sacrifice of 
the M a s s on the eve of the L a s t S u p p e r . W e 
read, in Saint Matthew's g o s p e l : " A n d while 
they were at supper, Jesus took bread, a n d 
blessed and broke, a n d g a v e it to his disciples, 
a n d said, "Ta\e and eat; this is my body." 
A n d t a k i n g a cup, he g a v e t h a n k s a n d g a v e 
it to them, saying, "All of you drin\ of this; 
for this is my blood of the new covenant, 
which is being shed for many unto the 
forgiveness of sins." ( 2 6 : 2 6 - 2 8 ) . 

T h e order to repeat this u n i q u e Sacrifice 
is mentioned specifically by Saint L u k e . 
F o l l o w i n g the w o r d s of consecration, C h r i s t 
said to H i s A p o s l e s : "Do this in remem-
brance of me." ( L u k e , 2 2 : 1 9 ) . A n d so it is 
that the M a s s , the H o l y Sacrifice, is re-
enacted every m o m e n t of every day in Cath-
olic Churches all over the w o r l d . 

Y o u , yourself, m a y have a s k e d the c o m m o n 
q u e s t i o n : " W h y doesn't the priest use a 
l a n g u a g e that people can u n d e r s t a n d ? " I 
hasten to a d d that the L a t i n l a n g u a g e 

[ 6 ] 



happens to be that used in the Western 
w o r l d ; other l a n g u a g e s are utilized in other 
parts of the world. T o o , any and all prayers 
used in the M a s s a n d other services are 
printed in E n g l i s h . . . or whatever l a n g u a g e 
happens to be in use in a particular area, so 
that everyone can follow the prayers. 

In the early days of the R o m a n Church, 
G r e e k w a s replaced by L a t i n as the official 
l a n g u a g e because it w a s the c o m m o n lan-
g u a g e of the day. A n d n o w it is still in use, 
h a v i n g been used f o r mo r e than a thousand 
years. You'll a d m i t that the use of only one 
l a n g u a g e strengthens the unity of the C h u r c h . 
N o w that E n g l i s h and other l a n g u a g e s have 
replaced L a t i n to * a great extent, a m u c h 
larger use of E n g l i s h in the administration 
of the various services is permitted. 

The Blessed Virgin 
and the Saints 

Catholics don't worship, as some think, 
the Blessed V i r g i n ; we don't 
consider the Blessed V i r g i n a s 
a g o d d e s s of some k i n d . Wor-
ship or adoration, our beliefs 
state, is due only t o G o d 
alone! T h i s is seen in the 

teachings of the very first c o m m a n d m e n t : to 
worship any creature is seriously w r o n g . 
M a r y , the Mother of Christ, is, as you a n d I, 

[ 7 ] 



a creature; so, t o a d o r e her w o u l d be a n 
offense against the c o m m a n d m e n t s of G o d . 

It's not denied that the Blessed V i r g i n is 
highly respected. Y o u m a y have heard us 
say prayers of intercession t o h e r — the 
Rosary, consisting of a series of H a i l Marys, 
is such a p o p u l a r prayer; you m i g h t even 
h a v e heard one of o u r m a n y h y m n s dedicated 
to the Mother of Jesus. In honoring M a r y in 
this way, w e are simply i m i t a t i n g A l m i g h t y 
G o d . H e r place in the divine p l a n c o m m a n d s 
respect a n d veneration in her honor. 

W h e n we a d m i r e someone very m u c h , or 
when we want to become friendly with t h e m , 
we seize every opportunity t o m a k e a g o o d 
impression with his or her mother who, 
we're certain, h a s m u c h influence with this 
potential f r i e n d . W h y not honor, in a special 
way, the Q u e e n of Saints, the person m o s t 
closely associated with our divine S a v i o u r 
in H i s redemptive w o r k ? 

Intercession of the saints follows this s a m e 
pattern. O n e writer recalls to us that it is 
" u s e f u l a n d s a l u t a r y " t o a s k their prayers. 
W e have a b u n d a n t testimony f r o m Scripture 
to s h o w that the saints assist us by their 
prayers. U n d e r s t a n d this: we d o not dishonor 
G o d in the intercession of the saints. T h e 
Catholic C h u r c h teaches that G o d alone is 
the Giver of all g i f t s , that H e alone is the 

[ 8 ] 



Source of all blessings; the C h u r c h f u r t h e r 
teaches that whatever happiness or glory or 
influence the saints possess, all comes f r o m 
G o d . 

O n e of the c o m m o n prayers of the Catholic 
C h u r c h , the Apostles Cr eed, includes the 
belief: " I believe in the c o m m u n i o n of s a i n t s " . 
W h e n Christians recite this beautiful prayer, 
they are a d d i n g their voice to that of C h r i s t 
a n d the A p o s d e s stating that there exists a 
spiritual c o m m u n i c a t i o n or intercommunion 
between all the children of G o d : the saints in 
H e a v e n , the f a i t h f u l u p o n earth a n d the 
s u f f e r i n g souls in Purgatory, a place of 
temporary p u n i s h m e n t d u e to sin. C h u r c h 
teachings reveal that all m e m b e r s share in the 
s a m e spiritual blessings, merits a n d prayers. 

It m i g h t interest you to k n o w that all 
statues, i m a g e s a n d pictures of the Blessed 
V i r g i n Mary, as well as the Saints, serve only 
as incentives t o more easily a n d sincerely 
gather our thoughts a n d emotions while 
p r a y i n g ; nothing more. T h e b u r n i n g of 
candles on our altars a n d before our shrines 
is, as the b u r n i n g of incense, a n aromatic 
m i x t u r e , symbolical of Christian prayer. T h e 
o f f e r i n g of both, in a spirit of prayer a n d 
sacrifice, a n d r i s i n g t o the throne of heaven, 
symbolizes faith a n d devotion. 

[ 9 ] 



Confession of Sins 
I can recall s p e n d i n g m a n y hours, in the 

seminary, s t u d y i n g the various 
aspects of the sacrament of 
Penance or, in m o r e f a m i l i a r 
terminology, C o n f e s s i o n . I 
remember the code-words I 
u s e d to help write a logical a n d 

complete explanation of the subject: 'pro' 
and 'con'; the first stood for the promise 
while the latter represented the word conferral 
of the power to forgive sins. 

O u r L o r d promised the power of forgive-
ness of sins when H e told the A p o s t l e s : 
"Amen I say to you, whatever you bind on 
earth shall be bound also in heaven; and 
whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed 
also in heaven!' ( C h a p t e r 18 of S t . M a t t h e w ) . 
T h e later specific conferral of power to 
forgive sins is revealed in the words of C h r i s t , 
spoken after H i s glorious Resurrection: "As 
the Father has sent me, I also send you.' 
When he had said this, he breathed u p o n 
them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy 
Spirit; whose sins you shall forgive, they are 
forgiven them; and whose sins you shall 
retain, they are retained." ( J o h n , 2 0 : 2 1 - 2 3 ) . 

Y o u m a y already k n o w that everything one 
tells a priest in Confession remains secret as 
the priest is b o u n d , even unto death, by what 

[ 1 0 ] 



w e call the 'seal' of the Confessional. T h e 
physical structure of the Confessional, in the 
event you've visited a Catholic Church, 
m i g h t have caused you to a s k : " W h a t ' s t h i s ? ' 
Ordinarily, it resembles a very small r o o m . 
It is partitioned in such a way that the 
kneeling penitent, the one confessing the 
sins, is separated f r o m the Confessor by a 
solid barrier with a small perforated screen 
for s p e a k i n g purposes. 

T h e actual confession of sins is performed 
thusly: after sufficient preparation, the peni-
tent enters the confessional and confesses his 
sins. T h e priest, here a j u d g e in G o d ' s n a m e , 
m a y desire to offer some advice on h o w to 
be a better Christian, d e p e n d i n g on the 
number and gravity of sins confessed. S o m e 
prayers or g o o d w o r k s are then a s s i g n e d ; an 
act of sorrow, in the f o r m of a prayer, is 
m a d e by the sinner. 

T h e priest says, following a short but 
beautiful prayer: " T h e r e f o r e I absolve you 
f r o m your sins, in the n a m e of the F a t h e r , 
a n d of the Son, a n d of the H o l y Spirit. 
A m e n . " In order to obtain forgiveness for 
sins, there m u s t be sorrow and a desire to do 
better. 

* * * 

T h i s is t u r n i n g out to be quite a lengthy 
message, isn't it? I m u s t a d m i t that I a m 

a n 



r a m b l i n g on a n d o n ; I hope you don't object. 
Besides, it's not often that we h a v e a f e w 
m o m e n t s to share. 

m * * 

The Pope 
T h e P o p e is not another G o d ; nor is he a 

C h u r c h dictator. H e is, w e 
believe, the successor of Peter, 
the first Pope. T h e Catholic 
C h u r c h teaches that the H o l y 
F a t h e r , the Pope, is the 
divinely-ordained head of the 

C h u r c h . It's as simple as that. 

C a n the P o p e ever be w r o n g ? Of course 
he c a n ; in matters of simple choice like 
p i c k i n g one team over another, etc. B u t when 
it comes to questions of faith a n d morals, w e 
say that he is infallible. By infallibility of the 
Pope, we m e a n this: when, in his capacity 
as head of the universal C h u r c h , he defines 
some doctrine pertaining to faith or morals, 
he is protected f r o m error. T h i s does not 
m e a n that he cannot be erroneous in other 
matters. 

I can presently think of t w o Scripture 
passages which refer to this conferral of 
forgiveness-power to Peter, thé first P o p e . 
Christ conferred the g u a r d i a n s h i p of reve-
lation u p o n Peter and his successors when 

[ 1 2 ] 



H e s a i d : "Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona, 
for flesh and blood has not revealed this to 
thee, but my Father in heaven. And I say to 
thee, thou art Peter, and upon this roc\ I 
will build my Church, and the gates of hell 
shall not prevail against it." 

F o l l o w i n g this important speech, Jesus 
a d d e d : "And I will give thee the \eys of the 
kingdom of heaven and whatever thou shalt 
bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and 
whatever thou shalt loose on earth shall be 
loosed in heaven." ( C h a p t e r 16 of St. 
M a t t h e w ) . T h e w o r d f o r Peter in A r a m a i c 
m e a n s 'rock'; a n d , translated into our m o d e r n 
speech, Christ w a s s a y i n g that Peter was to 
be the rock, or solid f o u n d a t i o n u p o n which 
H e w a s to construct H i s C h u r c h . 

T h i s conferral of infallibility in teaching 
authority is a g a i n witnessed by Christ's speech 
to the Apostles: "All power in heaven and on 
earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, 
and make disciples of all nations, baptizing 
them in the name of the Father, and of the 
Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them 
to observe all that 1 have commanded you; 
and behold, I am with you all days, even 
unto the consummation of the world. 
( C h a p t e r 28 of St. M a t t h e w ) . T h e r e a r e 
other Scripture passages and teachings of 
T r a d i t i o n which help clarify the C h u r c h ' s 
teachings in this matter. 

[ 1 3 ] 



Priests and Nuns 
D i d you ever wonder why priests a n d n u n s 

m u s t study so l o n g to prepare 
for their ministries? S i m p l y 
because of the importance of 
their w o r k . A n d have you 
wondered why they don't 
m a r r y ? I guess we could say 

in order that they m a y be m o r e free t o devote 
themselves to the w o r k of G o d . F a m i l y ties 
and responsibilities d o not bind t h e m ; they 
are able to devote all their time and talents 
to furthering the k i n g d o m of G o d here on 
earth. 

T h e following words of Saint P a u l are 
often quoted on this topic: " B u t I say to the 
u n m a r r i e d and the w i d o w s , it is g o o d for 
them if they so continue, even as I . . . " H e 
that is without a w i f e is solicitous for the 
things that belong to the L o r d , h o w he may 
please G o d . B u t he that is with a w i f e is 
solicitous for the things of the world, h o w 
he m a y please his w i f e ; and he is d i v i d e d . " 
T h e g a r m e n t s of priests a n d n u n s , incidently, 
are derived f r o m earlier periods of the C h u r c h 
and are m e a n t to convey virtues of poverty 
and humility. 

One True Church 
Y o u probably have heard the claim that, 

in matters of religion, Catholics think they're 

[ H ] 



always right, a n d everyone else w r o n g . O r 
you m a y have heard it this w a y : " W h a t 
m a k e s those people think theirs is the one, 
true, C h u r c h ? " 

W e ' v e been accused many times of being 
intolerant. S o m e of this accusation, in a 
certain sense, is justified; some, false. Y e s , 
w e do believe that ours is the one, true 
C h u r c h a n d for this t w o f o l d reason: 

1) Because the Catholic C h u r c h is the 
only C h u r c h f o u n d e d by Jesus Christ (it's 
logical that C h r i s t w o u l d n ' t f o u n d several 
Churches, isn't i t ? ) ; 

2 ) T h i s C h u r c h is the only one t o have 
received the divine commission, ( a l o n g with 
the necessary p o w e r s ) t o "Go and teach all 
nations" in her divine F o u n d e r ' s n a m e . 

Yes, in these respects, w e d o claim that 
ours is the one, true C h u r c h . W e r e we to 
teach otherwise, w e w o u l d be contradicting 
the evident teachings of Christ, the Apostles 
a n d the Scriptures. Rest assured that w e 
don't m e a n to be independent or p r o u d when 
we m a k e this claim. 

L e t ' s investigate, briefly, the origin of the 
Catholic C h u r c h . C h r i s t said to H i s Apostles: 
"Go into the whole world and preach the 
gospel to every creature ( M a r k , 16-15); a n d 
w e read, in the 20th chapter of St. J o h n : 

[ 1 5 ] 



"As the Father has sent me, I also send you". 
A l l o w m e to offer one m o r e pertinent q u o t e 
on this topic: "All power in heaven and on 
earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, 
and make disciples of all nations, baptizing 
them in the name of the Father, and of the 
Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them 
to observe all that I have commanded you; 
and behold, I am with you all days, even 
unto the consummation of the world" 
( M a t t h e w , 2 8 : 18-20). 

T h e r e are other related passages which 
help show that J e s u s Christ really a n d actually 
f o u n d e d a C h u r c h to which H e g a v e power 
a n d authority to teach H i s truths t o all 
nations. F u r t h e r m o r e , H e promised H i s 
assistance "unto the consummation of the 
world". 

O u r L o r d a n d S a v i o u r J e s u s Christ t a u g h t 
m u c h about m a r r i a g e . F o r 
clarity a n d convenience, I will 

T h e partners, by p r o n o u n c i n g the life-long 
contract of m a t r i m o n y , c o m p l i m e n t each 
other in the procreation a n d education of 
children. 

Marriage 

classify the C h u r c h ' s teachings 
into t w o m a i n divisions: 1 ) 
M a r r i a g e is a sacred union 
instituted by G o d ; and 2 ) 

[ 1 6 ] 



T h e Catholic C h u r c h teaches that the 
union attained in m a r r i a g e is m o r e than a 
natural union. C h r i s t raised this contract to 
the dignity of a sacrament, thus sanctifying 
the union a n d o f f e r i n g graces needed for the 
fulfillment of the duties of this sublime state 
of life. T o o , the C h u r c h does not allow 
divorce. 

It's been nearly twenty centuries since 
Christ f o u n d e d the Catholic C h u r c h . It has, 
in this period of time, u n d e r g o n e m a n y 
difficult periods; it has stood u p under 
n u m e r o u s persecutions. In this l o n g a n d 
sometimes tedious process, it has learned 
m u c h . A n d as a result of this, the C h u r c h ' s 
teachings on m a r r i a g e are based both on 
divine teaching a n d experience. 

Everyone a d m i t s that religion is something 
very close to both partners, a subject present-
i n g itself to h u s b a n d a n d w i f e in thousands 
of different w a y s ; it is definitely an area of 
life m u c h m o r e i m p o r t a n t than any other a s 
far as h u s b a n d a n d w i f e are concerned. A n d 
it automatically carries over into their social 
and cultural lives. W h a t happens when they 
differ on such an important matter a s 
religion? You'll readily a d m i t that disagree-
m e n t in such a vital topic as religion is not 
conductive to h a r m o n y and peace. 

[ 1 7 ] 



Scripture and Tradition 
It's a f i r m belief of Catholics that their 

C h u r c h is the first and prima-
ry instrument by which Christ 
transmitted H i s teachings to 
H i s followers. It m i g h t startle 
you to k n o w that this C h u r c h 
w a s preaching a n d teaching 

the sacred word of G o d for several years 
before a single w o r d of the N e w T e s t a m e n t 
was written . . . and for nearly seventy years 
before it was completed. 

Jesus Christ instructed H i s Apostles to 
"Go . . . and preach the Gospel to every 
creature". T h e y fulfilled this c o m m a n d 
primarily by oral teaching. T h e Bible doesn't 
show all the truths of our Religion. T o o , 
Saint John's closing of his gospel should not 
be overlooked here: 

" T h e r e are, however, m a n y other things 
that Jesus d i d ; b u t if every one of these 
should be written, not even the world itself, 
I think, could hold the b o o k s that w o u l d 
have to be written". 

T h e importance of u s i n g both Scripture 
and T r a d i t i o n as sources of authority for the 
C h u r c h is m a g n i f i e d by S a i n t P a u l when he 
states: " S o then, brethren, stand firm, and 
hold the teachings that you have learned, 

[ 1 8 ] 



whether by w o r d or by letter of o u r s " ( 2 
Thessalonians, 2 : 1 5 ) . So, the Bible remains a 
rule of faith for us, but not the only rule; 
there is also T r a d i t i o n . 

Catholic and 
Non-Catholic Services 

I wonder if you've ever asked yourself the 

for our friends w h o have died, w e m a y attend 
the funeral services in non-Catholic Churches. 
A n d the s a m e follows for occasions such a s 
w e d d i n g s . Attendance under these circum-
stances is understood t o be a gesture of 
friendship a n d courtesy; it does not involve 
any f o r m a l participation in the services a s 
such. 

B u t , outside of these and similar cases, w e 
don't attend non-Catholic services. W e refrain 
f r o m attending these services for this reason: 
to attend such services without a g o o d reason 
( s u c h as I've m e n t i o n e d ) w o u l d indicate, 
implicity at least, that all religions are equally 
valid a n d true. T h i s w o u l d lead to the 
conclusion that 'one religion is as g o o d a s 

q u e s t i o n : " W h y is it that 
Catholics don't attend non-
Catholic s e r v i c e s ? " W e d o 
attend t h e m occasionally; a n d 
w i t h full permission of C h u r c h 
authorities. T o show respect 

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another'; a n d , f r a n k l y , w e don't agree with 
this aspect of religious indifferentism. W e 
hold that Christ f o u n d e d one C h u r c h , a n d 
not m a n y C h u r c h e s ; w e teach that this 
C h u r c h f o u n d e d by O u r L o r d is the H o l y , 
R o m a n , Catholic C h u r c h which H e H i m s e l f 
called "My Church". A n d so, if n o t h i n g else, 
we're being consistent by not actively parti-
cipating in non-Catholic services. 

Birth and Birth Control 

F i r s t of all, the C h u r c h does not f o r b i d 

when this is accomplished by natural m e a n s , 
such as abstinence or continence a n d f o r a 
serious reason. T h e conjugal act has two ends 
or purposes: primary a n d secondary. T h e pri-
m a r y a n d objective end is the procreation of 
o f f s p r i n g ; the secondary and subjective end 
is the fostering of their m u t u a l love; in these 
circumstances the sensual pleasure accompa-
nying the action is legitimate a n d desirable. 

T h e l a w f o r b i d d i n g control of birth is 
more than a disciplinary rule b i n d i n g only 
on Catholics. It is a natural law which binds 

birth control; it forbids con-
trol of birth when it is 
accomplished by unnatural or 
unethical m e a n s . S o , w e see 
that the Catholic C h u r c h is 
not opposed t o birth control 

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all people. A theologian explains it this w a y : 
" S i n c e , therefore, the conjugal act is destined 
primarily by nature for the begetting of 
children, those w h o in exercising it deliber-
ately frustrate its natural power a n d purpose, 
sin against nature a n d c o m m i t a deed which 
is s h a m e f u l a n d intrinsically v i c i o u s . " 

CafAo/ic Schools 
A friend once a s k e d m e why we're 

opposed to public schools. I 
quickly pointed out that Cath-
olics are not opposed to 
public schools as such. It's 
m o r e a question, I think, of 
preference rather than opposi-

tion. W e prefer Catholic schools because w e 
believe public schools to be deficient in w h a t 
w e sincerely consider an important element 
of true education: religion. 

T h e Catholic school, mo r e often called the 
parochial school, doesn't teach religion at 
the expense of secular subjects. It offers 
courses that are f o u n d in other schools. 
Secular education and religious t r a i n i n g are 
combined, resulting in the necessary knowl-
e d g e of both body and soul. 

Catholics are so deeply convinced of the 
need for religious training that, in addition 
to s u p p o r t i n g public schools, they also 

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support, whenever possible, their o w n schools. 
W i t h us, it's a question of believing that 
religion is s o m e t h i n g to be lived daily, a n d 
not a matter of mere occasional observance. 
Christian education doesn't hinder one's 
secular education; it helps it. 

# * # 

I ' m just realizing that this h a s become 
almost a book rather than a simple m e s s a g e . 
T h e reason f o r this, I believe, is t w o f o l d : 
first, the subject at h a n d is so inclusive a n d 
enormous that I couldn't help but mention 
the things I d i d ; a n d secondly, I d i d want 
to a c q u a i n t you with these f e w topics in a 
somewhat-detailed way. 

Y o u m i g h t easily think of other subjects 
I m i g h t discuss with you. If so, m a y b e one 
of your Catholic friends could help explain 
the teachings about which you a r e curious. 
A n d , there are books available o n this sort 
of t h i n g too. Better, still, why not contact 
a Catholic Priest f o r mor e i n f o r m a t i o n ? 

I've written these lines to you in all 
sincerity a n d kindness. I honestly a d m i r e 
people w h o are true to their religion. M y 
primary reason for writing you is not to try 
t o give a number of reasons why you should 

[ 2 2 ] 



become a Catholic. I've tried simply to 
present some of the things I thought you 
m i g h t like to k n o w about my Church, the 
Catholic C h u r c h . 

Sincerely yours, 

Rev. Philip P . B r u n i 
* * * 

" T H A T T H E Y A L L M A Y B E O N E , 

A S T H O U , F A T H E R , I N M E A N D I I N 

T H E E ; T H A T T H E Y A L S O M A Y B E 

O N E I N U S ; T H A T T H E W O R L D M A Y 

B E L I E V E T H A T T H O U H A S S E N T 

M E " . 

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