The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1954-04-16
The COnmOnWeal:
OYSTER Or Whale?

kind Of manifesto a KIND Of solemn
and restrained but lengthy exercise in the
art of double talk The folder devotes sixteen
columns of the size and type ordinarily used in the
Com1nontoeaL itself 10 its svowed and fesrsomely
impressive purpose which appears to be the formu
lating of once-andforall answer to the question,
what Is The Commonweal?" We have the highest
regard for the Commonweals purpose and organ
zaton. We are enthusiastic about magazine edited
and published by Catholic laymen Certainly in our
country there is much room for reviews published
by capable Catholic lay journalists Such publica
tions merit attention if they worthy exponentS of
Catholic ideals and truths.
To be sure great many people know that the
Conmontcedt is, and has been these thirty years
weekly paper magazine of the sort now called
review. To SET the eager world at rest on this point
requires word-heaVy declaration reprinted in
fourpage folder But unnumbered readers seem to
be puzzled about the magazine and unable TO deter
mine just what is its character its tone its slant IFS
attitude, its complete purpose its policy, is base of
principles To set the universe at rest all these mat
ersters the editors doubtless out OF decent respect
To the opinions of mankind have set the rationale
of their publication in a printed article and
printed dodger
Inevitably this situation brings 10 mind another
editor and another paper Mark Twain tells of one
Conrad Wiegand, editor OF The Peoples Tribune
"a newspaper about the size of double letefsheeD
in the little mining town OF Gold Hill Nevada nearly
eightyfve years ago. This editor Conrad Wiegand,
had printed harsh things about of his towns
and they manhandled the Journalist 10 some extent
Then came the Grand Manfesto Conrad Wiegand
published in the Territorial Enterprise (his pa
per manifestiy not big enough1 True Bill,
Apologize Pro Vita Sua four times the length OF the
sufficiently extended effort of the CommoRlBedl.
To Conrad Wiegand il matter OF tremendous
importance that the whole wide world should know
how he had been treated, and how he shining
and scathess out of the ordeal still firm m defence
Of his cloudy but inflexible principles. OF this
knightiy editor MT says, If there
oyster that faneied itself whale iack-o olantern
confined TO swamp that fanced itself planet
with blion-mile orbit OF q summer zephyr that
deemed itself hurricane, II was Conrad WlegaRd."
Perhaps the image OF G. Wiegand is evoked in
the present instance by the following sentences
from the Commontoeats manifesto: IF there were
CoHlmongreai TO give expression to the liberal
element among American Catholics liberal mag
aZne would have 10 be founded Ii has been predict
ed-and not without reason-thst II the present
Comnoutgen were TO fail today almost as q sure
thing similar magazine would be on the planning
boards in the morning" Here we have selfappre
citation, eompacency, that is really funny. Voltare
once said that If God did not exist we should have
TO invent Him But until has dared to
set itself in direct comparison with the Deity and
TO declare that anything short of Infinite Being in
wolves in itself the necessity of existing Conrad
Wiegand is not the only oyster that fsnces itself
whale.
OF the Co,nmon1ceal article il may be fairly said
that whatever its value lack of value, il does
not clearly answer the question which ii employs
title. One Who wants the exact answer to the
question What is The Commonwea?" will have TO
inquire elsewhere. For this article to say
that the Commoni0edt is Catholic magazine that is
not precisely Catholic magazine; that it cannot
speak with the authority of the Church nor even
(oh, precious Wegsndian touch; especially in that
word eUenl with the Churchs temporal experience"
and yet speaks with authority nevertheless on mat
ters touching the Church. that the magazine is
fortunate TO have priests bishops and religious as
its best contributors yet vigorously excludes them
from 1.-The direction, policy, and general responsible
ity for the magazine"
There is one consistency in this article That is
its endless harping on lay contrasted with
Official" IL is canny handling of terms that pre-
vents this contrast from being between lay and
clergy. The article seems throughout TO enviSion
the Church A. an institution of departments each
of which Is TO mind its business in IFS sphere
and to leave the other alone II sees certain high
values in the secular field which seeks and serves
The editors of C0B1moHHedt might devote q few
moments of thought,-n0t necessarily TO bear fruit
IN sixteen columns of prnt,-upon the sound and
unehsnging Catholic quality OF feeling and thinking
with the Church-Sentire Ecclesid The Church
Is not broken into departments il Is the household
Of the faith IL is the family OF Christ il the
broken Mystical Body Of the Lord Within the Church
there IS the family spirit which binds all in loyalty
and love. and permits none. even in The legitimate
arena of family rows, to withdraw into a position
of superior aloofness and, by some foggy and cold
philosophy, to attempt to Justify attitude alien to
the family spirit
Chesterton wrote that II is impossible (he
hoped for any Catholic to write on any subject
whatever without showing plainly that he is
Catholic. Our business is to live the Catholic life all
the time, and, by that life, 10 show all others the
way to the Church and to heaven There can be
nothing worthy for any Catholic lay or clerical
which loses sight of this family business When
Catholic person publication loses this view or
speculates upon the possibility of ignoring it. at
least and again. that Catholic person or publ
cation becomes secularist person or publication.
And seeularism is the religion of this world in
which Christ has part. He said. THE prince of
this world cometh and IN he hoth not anything"
This whole matter is not merely question OF
pro-McCarthy con-MeCarthy II is a question of
fundamental thinking and outlook To assume one
side the other in discussing public persons or
matters is one thing to have a misty philosophy of
"the superior view" in all such discussions is quite
another And of this Wiegandian attitude We have