Catholic Center's Publication Disappears from Newsstands

"From the Housetops," a quarterly published by the St. Benedict (Catholic) Center on Arrow Street and publicly endorsed by Rev. Leonard Feeney, S.J., spiritual director of the Center, disappeared Yesterday from Square news stands.

Fr. Feeney was deprived of the right "to perform any priestly function including preaching and teaching of religion" by a decree of Archbishop Richard J. Cushing issued on Monday.

The magazine was unavailable at all but one news stand in the Square area yesterday. Two dealers reported that a "priest from St. Paul's" had visited them Tuesday night, and advised them to take the publication off their stands, while a third said he had received a phone call from a woman who told him that "a bunch of the boys would be over to tear up the books" if he didn't get them out of the shop.

A priest contacted by phone at St. Paul's said that one of the priests connected with the Church and spoken to newsdealers about the sale of "From the Housetops." The cleric, who refused to give his name, said "we didn't want it around the Square."

Fruit Stand Only Seller

The only establishment around the Square selling "From the Housetops" last night was the fruit shop next to the Coop. The manager there stated that no one had complained to him about "any of his merchandise."

The current issue of "From the Housetops" is devoted entirely to an article by Raymond Karam, a student and lecturer at the Center. Karam recently resigned from studies at Boston College, which he accuses of teaching "heresies." In his articles which Fr. Feeney has endorsed, Karam lists 15 errors "in the modern liberal presentation of the Church's doctrine concerning salvation outside the Church."

Fr. Feeney was removed from his priestly functions, according to Archbishop Cushing's decree, because of his "grave offense against the laws of the Catholic Church." The offense was not cited, but last week Fr. Feeney publicly supported three Boston College lay faculty members who, like Karam, accused the Jesuit college of teaching "heresy."

Fr. Feeney said Tuesday "the reason I am being silenced is because I believe there is no salvation outside the Catholic Church without personal submission to our Holy Father, the Pope, and Archbishop Cushing believes there is ... I believe the present silencing of me is totally invalid." This is the same doctrinal stand taken by the ousted BC professors, and by Karam's article in "From the Housetops."

Archbishop Cushing disclosed in a statement that "Father Feeney had been defying the orders of his legitimate superiors for more than seven months and since January 1 of this year has not possessed the faculties of this archdiocese."

No University Protest

The manner in which Fr. Feeney has been "defying his superiors" has not been disclosed, but both Harvard and Radcliffe officials have denied making any protest to the Church about his activities. The Jesuit priest has often attacked Harvard College for allegedly weakening the faith of Catholic students and has advocated withdrawal of some of them to Catholic colleges.

"I have never at any time had any communication with anyone on St. Benedict Center," Provost Buck asserted yesterday. We would never interfere with a non-Harvard group." Radcliffe's Dean Sherman also denied communicating with Archbishop Cushing, but stated she had "tackled the matter over with officers of the Radcliffe Catholic Club."

St. Benedict's was organized nine years ago as a center for Catholic students, offering lectures and discussions on Catholic subjects.