The United States is in great agony deciding if all its citizens can live together, the executive director of the Episcopal Society for Cultural and Racial Unity told the St. Martin’s Council on Human Relations Sunday.

“What we do with tensions in this country will have something to do with the rest of the world,” Father John Morris said in a talk to the Roman Catholic interracial group.

“I don’t know if we can turn back the tide of crisis -- look at Africa, look at the regime in Rhodesia. What will happen if there is a revolt of the black in Rhodesia in a year or two?”

“In our own domestic life, the burden of 300 years is ventilating itself in riots, and maybe it is too little with too late. We can only do what we know we must do. Our duty is to cleanse the body of Christ and to reflect our oneness.” Father Morris said the level of involvement of “religious” people in Atlanta has been limited. “If churches really become involved, the parishes will look at their neighborhoods. The Church should be the aggressor for the whole, integrated neighborhood.” Explaining the role of ESCRU, Father Morris said it is an effort to seek commitment to the teachings of the Church. “We believe there is a need within our household for a group to move with freedom. It sometimes brings us into conflict with the establishment, but it also brings happy relations with many of our bishops.”

He said America has been a haven for the persecuted and the dispossessed. “Every sort of man came to these shores, but with the beginning of the American opportunity came the American dilemma.”

In preliminary remarks before his talk, Father Morris said, “I used to say that reunion would not come in my lifetime. Now I don’t really think it is far off.”

Dave Martin, new president of the St. Martin’s Council, said he hoped the organization would be revitalized. He said the council will investigate plans for an interracial home dialogue program. “We hope to have a special concern for our own ‘house’ because civil rights involvement has not touched nine-tenths of our Catholics.”

Other officers of the council are Leon Allain, vice president; Miss Mary Wells, secretary; and Henry de Give, treasurer. The group met at the Cathedral Center at the invitation of Bishop Joseph L. Bernardin.