“I still get boiling mad when some timid, narrow-minded adult tries to rebuke young Catholics’ enthusiasm and scoffs at their so called “Hootenanny Mass”—I’ve stood around the altar with them in their close-knit gatherings, listening to their songs, observing a joy in their faith and a single-minded reverence in their attention that put me to shame!”

Does this sound like a new-breed-layman or priest? A teenage magazine editorial? Cardinal Lercaro? Or was it someone trying to put us on?

No, it was a slow-speaking, almost lethargic TV star who recently startled a Catholic audience when he said: “The church is a living being”, and he set out after those who are keeping it “from growing, from changing, from evolving.”

And, hardest of all to believe, the talk was given at a communion breakfast! These events for years have been marked by nervous speakers who specialized in denouncing communism and politicians, gingerly talking all around such things as race and poverty. They were always against secularism, and would not dig the crack that secularism is the only heresy which can be practiced and denounced at the same time.

As a long-time breakfast speaker myself, I know. It was a specialized profession that needed only a handful of cliches; sweet-rolls to win a reputation.

Brian Keith’s Insight

Keith is the sustaining star of “Family Affair”, one of those situation-programs that prompted Mr. Minow to call TV a “wasteland”. But he does another show called “Insight”, sparked by a Paulist priest in Hollywood. And apparently this was where he picked up some highly explosive views. The communion breakfast, for the film-and-TV people in Los Angeles, was sponsored by Cardinal McIntyre.

Keith spoke bluntly. He is against clergy and laymen who “have so identified our souls with the status quo that we can no longer think rationally about anyone who questions it.”

But he was all for those who “travel in faith”. This means putting aside our fears of the modern world. Openness is what we need most.

He is against pressure brought upon Church leaders by conservative Catholics. “If a priest marches with the grape-strikers in Delano, the bishop is flooded with letters of protest—just let a priest demonstrate for a change in the segregated housing patterns of Glendale or Pasadena, and the Cardinal’s office is flooded with demands for his removal.”

(To which most bishops in the nation would add “Amen, amen!”)

A Marvelous Deep-Freeze

He is fighting those who see the Church as “a marvelous deep-freeze” fully stocked by Christ with all that the Christian needs on his journey through life.

He is fighting for the young generation. He has four of his own, and he likes the young approach; “I know so many wonderful kids with more honesty, courage and basic integrity than half the people who are criticizing them.”

Brian Keith told the breakfasters (presumably a surprised group) that in his travels he had joined a number of Catholic Action groups for Mass. “In these groups have been veterans of lonely and dangerous assignments in Appalachia and Mississippi, young recruits for work in India, Africa, and Mexico—all united by a common dedication to Christ and His work.”

Thanks From A Bishop

I know very little about Mr. Keith because I prefer even TV commercials to situation comedies. I am not sure whether a lot of Brian’s thinking has rubbed off on the Paulists, or a lot of the Paulists’ influence has rubbed off on him. This community, thoroughly modern and American, is probably the company of priests closest to American young people, especially in Newman work on our campuses.

His speech this month in Hollywood was a breakthrough. I know of few American bishops who would not say a little prayer of gratitude upon hearing a layman speak so convincingly of the Church in the modern world.

It was like being back at Vatican II all over again.

Paul J. Hallinan

Archbishop Of Atlanta