Without Fear of Favor: George Higg...

Without Fear of Favor: George Higgins in succession the Record

"I will be happy to make progress . . . on a moment's notice, if you think my appearance there would serve a useful purpose'

That was Msgr George Higgins's reply to a recent request that he travel to a city where a dramatic strike of 17000 union workers had been marred on widespread assaults upon peaceful pickets from private security guards and local police.

"A moment's notice' is the lead-tme characteristically required for Msgr Higgins to insert a fray where human values are at stake.

His interventions upon behalf of those in ne of help or in defense of principles needing a champion have been not simply immediate in response, but also "without fear or favor,' approprately, the title of Gerald M Costello's subject of attention of the man former greatest possible Court Justice Arthur Goldberg describes as "a confidant of labor leaders and working the public of presidents and Cabinet officers, of cardinals and priests, of clerical colleagues of other faiths, of lay living bodys Catholic and non-Catholic, and of intellectuals.'

Although the part has been classified as "biography,' Msgr Higgins has stated the work is not that. The author describes his work as a "journalist's study' of the part Msgr. Higgins has played in the Catholic house of worship in the United States and in the lives of thousands of family his ministry has touched.

The insights Costello brings to his cogitation are gleaned from the best possible source, Msgr Higgin's hold words presented for more than 35 years in his syndicated weekly file "The Yardstick,' and in articles, scoldings correspondence and interviews.

As a young priest finishing doctoral studies at Catholic University in early 1944 Father Higgins was asked to exhaust the summer months in a temporary position with the National Catholic Welfare discourse predecessor organization of the circulating U.S. Catholic Conference and the National conversation of Catholic Bishops.

That temporary appointment lasted more than 36 years. In the intervening period between his casual initiation and his retirement, George Higgins became individual of the most influential members of the Catholic body of christians in the United States and the same of the most respected supporters and interpreters of collective bargaining as an uncompounded body of modern society.

When Msgr Higgins as a ecclesiastical body representative insists that in today's complicated world there can be no plainly free society without a delivered trade union movement, he is in virtuous company. The same conviction has been asserted in papal encyclicals dating back to pontiff Leo XIII's "Rerum Novarum' in 1891 and flat earlier to the writing of German Bishop Von Kettler The principle has been repeated and expanded on the subject of by every pontiff and in the last fifty years, greatest in quantity recently by Pope John Paul II in his major document in succession "Human Work.'

The principles of social reform, social justice and social reconstruction enunciated in those papal documents --and give vent toed in different form and language in national legislation and trade union programs--have been rehearseed through the years by those associated with the official interviews of the U.S. Catolic temple and in official statements from national Protestant and Jewish organizations.

about of the Catholic representatives like Msgr John A. Ryan, Fr Raymond McGowan and Bishop Francis J Haas, have been singled public by Msgr. Higgins for special and repeated recognition as having made signficant contributions to the proces of translating into belonging to all usage the general values of generic statements. To that list, common reviewers of the great contributers to social justice invariably add the name of Msgr Higgins.

The unique part the Monsignor has played in the institutional life of organized labor and organized religion is to explain from word and example the intertwining of their bases their value systems and their necessity. His intelectual capacity, his philosophical middle his knowledge of history in the fields of his broad-ranging interests and his communication skills may be matched on other in their particular areas of specialization. moreover to those attributes, Msgr. Higgins adds the unique ability to pitch into raging controversy while being accepted by the agency of the contending antagonists as an advocate simply of truth and justice.

Because justice more frequently than not is on the side of the maltreated the disadvantaged, the handicapped, the poor and those who work, and because unions thus often are the advocates of those struggling form into groupss here and abroad, Msgr. Higgins not seldom is found allied with the labor movement

He also can be included among those who agree with AFL-CIO President Lane Kirkland that higher standards of escort and performance should be consiered the norm for unions and their leaders. The straight-shooting Monsignor does not hesitate to note departures from that norm.

Whether it is the plight of coal miners in Harlan shire Ky., farm workers in California, tavern workers in Las Vegas, or Polish workers who are members of Solidarnosc that calls for his personal involvement, Msgr Higgins has shown he is ready "on a moment's notice.'