Newspaper Page Text
Published By The
Catholic Laymen's
Ass'n Of Georgia
Yol. 39, No. 10
DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH EDITION
OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH
MONROE, GEORGIA, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1958
Serving
Georgia's 88
Southern Counties
10c Per Copy — $3 a Year
Bishop McDonough Calls
Pontiff "Pope Of People"
The death of Our Sovereign
Pontiff, Pope Pius XII, has oc
casioned much sorrow to J;he
whole world. We, the Catholics
of the Diocese of Savannah, are
in mourning for His Holiness,
our spiritual father, the Vicar
of Christ on earth.
His Holiness, during his pon
tificate, had merited the deep
esteem and abiding affection of
the entire nation in his unrelent
ing, indefatigable labors to bring
universal peace to all men. With
Christ-like charity, coupled with
an absorbing devotion to Mary,
the Mother of God, he became
all things to all men. A father
to all Catholics, he ever dedi
cated himself to bringing them
closer to our Heavenly Father.
- His deeds and accomplish
ments are now recorded indel
ibly in the annals of time. His
fearless and intrepid leadership
brought hope to all because, as
the Vicar of Christ on earth, he
was acutely aware of the fact
that the Church is not bound
by continents, not committed to
nations.
People of all faiths who have
been privileged to see him and
talk to him left his presence
ready to proclaim him as the
most poignant figure of this cen
tury. The willingness of Pope
Pius XII to. give himself so un
selfishly to the increasing de
mands for public and private
audiences has earned him the
encomium of “Pope of the peo
ple.”
Pope Pius XII dedicated his
entire pontificate and himself
completely towards the better
ment of the whole human race
under the aegis of Almighty
God. The white Shepherd of the
Vatican for almost twenty years
has offered to the world the
dove of peace. For almost twen
ty years he has listened to the
rumbles of war—but never re
lented in his insatiable aspira
tion for peace. For almost twen
ty years he has held on high the
light on the mountain for all to
see and follow. His death now
shrouds the world in sorrow.
We, the Catholics of Savan
nah, Bishops, priests, religious
and devoted laity, are shocked
and grieved in our great loss.
But in our grief, in our sorrow,
we must look up to heaven and
thank Almighty God for Pius
XII who has given us so much
as a great person, as a great
leader, and as a great man of
God.
We beg Almighty God to give
Pius XII the peace which the
world could not give him. And
to this end we beg that your
prayers be joined with ours in
petitioning the mercy of God
upon his great soul.
May the soul of His Holiness,
Pope Pius XII, rest in peace.
thomas j. McDonough
Auxiliary Bishop of
Savannah
CATHEDRAL PONTIFICAL MASS MARKS
ROME FUNERAL OF DECEASED PONTIFF
While the Pontifical Mass of
Requiem was being sung for His
Holiness Pope Pius XII in St.
Peter’s Basilica in Rome, His
Excellency, Bishop Thomas J.
McDonough was Celebrant at
Pontifical Requiem Mass in the
Cathedral of St. John the Bap
tist, Savannah. The Mass was
sung at 11:00 a. m. Monday. An
overflow crowd including civic
dignitaries of Savannah heard
the Mass.
Assisting Bishop McDonough
were Right Reverend T. James
McNamara, Rector of the Ca
thedral, as assistant Priest, and
Rev. Bede Lightner, O.S.B., and
Very Rev. John Toomey as Dea
cons of Honor. Deacon of the
Mass was Rev. John Cuddy
Pastor of St. Michael’s Savan
nah Beach and Diocesan Su
perintendent of Schools. Sub
dean was Rev. Robei’t J. Teoli,
Assistant Rector of the Cathe
dral.
The Very Rev. Andrew J. Mc
Donald, Chancellor, was Master
of Ceremonies and Rev. Herbert
J. Wellmier was Assistant Mas
ter. Priests of the Diocese serv
ed as ministers at the solemn
ceremonies. The eulogy was de
livered by Bishop McDonough.
PIUS XII AND ARCHBISHOP
-The Holy Father is pictured
as he greeted Archbishop O’Hara in May of this year. This photo
was taken during the audience attended by the Savannah Dio
cesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes.
BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS
“Bethlehem’s air rang with sweet songs of “Glory!!”
The night that Christ was born,
But His Robes of Glory and Mantle of Peace
Never on earth were worn.”
More Than Two Million Pay Final
Tribute To The "Pope Of Peace
VATICAN CITY—More tha
two million mourners viewei
the body of Pope Pius XII as jt
lay in state prior to the buri
of the late Pontiff on Monda,
at 4:00 p. m. Rome Time. Th
doors to the huge Basilica of St. 1
Peter were closed at noontime
in order to make final prepara
tions for the Solemn Requiem
Rites and more than fifty-thou
sand mourners still waiting ir
the great square outside were
unable to view the mortal re
mains of “The Pope of Peace.
Federico Cardinal Tedesehin:
Archpriest of St. Peter’s Basili
ca, began the funeral rites b
blessing the body of the Pope.l
The Solemn rites continued!
with the Pontifical Requiem
Mass.
In attendance at the impres
sive Obsequies was James Dav
id Zellerbach, U. S. Ambassador
to Italy, who had been invited
with other foreign dip
lomats At the conclusion
of the Requiem Mass, Car
dinal Tedeschini -then read the
names of officiating prelates
and in hushed and solemn tones
informed the congregation that
the body of the Pope was being
placed in the coffin.
Three coffins were used. The
one which held the Pontiff was
of cypress lined with scarlet
silk. This was encased in a
leaden one and finally an oak
en one on the outside. The three
coffins were used to preserve
the Pope’s remains.
Three Cardinals, who had
been named to the Sacred Col
lege by His Holiness participat
ed in placing the body in the
coffin while the Archpriest in
toned the final Absolution of
the body. Placed in the cypress
coffin was a scroll testifying to
/#
the Pontiff’s deeds, hailing him
as “Papa Pacis, Papa Veritatis,
Pastor Angelicus, Orator Mag
nus . . . Pope of Peace, Pope of
Truth, Angelic Pastor, Great
Orator.” Also enclosed in the
coffin was a velvet bag contain
ing examples of all medals and
coins struck during his pontifi
cate. Each of the three coffins
was individually sealed. The
body was then lowered into a
crypt selected by the Pope prior
to his death. The tomb is next
to that of Saint Pius X, whom
Pius XII raised to the Honors
of the Altar, and close by the
Tomb of Pope Pius XI, who
raised Eugenio Pacelli to the
Episcopate and named him to
the Sacred College of Cardinals.
The Solemn ceremonies were
recorded by television cameras
and witnessed by millions of
people throughout western Eu
rope.
STATESMEN, DIGNITARIES
PAY TRIBUTE TO PIUS XII
(N.C.W.C. News Service)
President Eisenhower let!
North American statesmen ar
other dignitaries in paying tri>
ute to His Holiness Pope Pius
XII as a revered spiritual lead
er and tireless worker for tl
cause of peace.
The President saluted the Ia1 2
Pontiff as “an informed and ai -
ticulate foe of tyranny.” Hi;
statement declared:
“The world is poorer becaus :
of the death tonight of Pop:
Pius XII. His was a full life o:
devotion to God and service 11
his fellowman.
“An informed and articulati.
foe of tyranny, he was a sym
pathetic friend and benefactor
to those who were oppressed,
and his helping hand was al
ways quick to aid the unfortun
ate victims of war.
“Without fear or favor, he
consistently championed the
cause of a just peace among the
nations of the earth. A man of
profound vision, he kept pace
with a rapidly changing uni
verse, yet never lost sight of
mankind’s eternal destiny. I was
privileged to know him person
ally. With men of good will
everywhere, I mourn his pass
ing.”
Vice President Richard M.
Nixon declared that by the
Pope’s death the world lost
“one of the foremost champions
of human dignity, freedom and
-peace.” He added: “Millions of
all faiths throughout the world
will mourn his death.”
“The wisdom of his counsels,”
Mr. Nixon said, “will guide
statesmen for years to come.”
“I had the great privilege of
twice meeting and talking with
(Continued on Page Three)
MASSES TO BE
OFFERED FOR
POPE PIUS XII
After being notified of the
death of Pope Pius XII on Wed
nesday evening, October 8th,
His Excellency, Bishop Mc
Donough announced plans for
ceremonies to mark the death of
the “Pope of Peace.” The Cathe
dral of St. John the Baptist in
Savannah will be draped in
black for a period of 30 days,
and Mass will be offered once a
week for a year for the repose
of the soul of Pius XII. The first
of the Masses was offered by
Bishop McDonough at the Ca
thedral on Thursday morning,
October 9th. Special Masses
were offered throughout the
Diocese and many pastors an
nounced plans on Sunday for
future Masses of Requiem for
His Holiness.
When the Infant Jesus was presented to the Lord in the Temple, a few short
days after His joyous birth, Simeon, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit prophe
sied, “Behold, this child is set for the fall and for the resurrection of many in Israel
and for a sign which shall be contradicted.” And though, by His Almighty Power He
overcame the power of, Satan, and though He, Himself, is the “Resurrection and the
Life,” yet He lived a life of suffering, rejection, and contradiction.
His Church is Christ in the World. Saul persecuted the Church, yet Christ asked,
“Saul, Saul, why dost thou persecute ME?” This Mystical Body of Christ, down through
the ages has lived and relived His life of suffering, rejection, and contradiction.
Nor has the Vicar of Christ on earth ever escaped the Prophecy of Simeon.
The successors of St. Peter have labored for more than nineteen hundred years in
battle against Satan, carrying on Christ’s mission of Redemption. Yet, suffering, rejec
tion, and contradiction have been the Mantle of the Papacy.
Did this prophecy of Simeon, so soon succeeding the song of “Glory to God . . .
and peace on earth,” perhaps ring in the h eart of Eugenio Cardinal Pacelli as he heard
the thunderous “Viva il Papa!!” on the evening of March 2nd, 1939? For it is reported
that on being informed of his election to the See of Peter, he murmured, “Domine,
miserere mei . . . O, Lord, have pity on me.” But, in obedience to the command of
Christ, “Feed .My lambs . . . feed My sheep,” he mounted the Papal Throne as Pope
Pius XII, Successor to St. Peter, Vicar of Christ, Servant of the Servants of God.
In his heart he cherished a dream and he dedicated his Pontificate to the cause
of peace. But within weeks of his accession to the Chair of Peter, the hordes of a
tyrant poured across the borders of Austria and Czechoslovakia, and until his dying
day, Pope Pius XII, Pope of Peace, was to be the vice-gerent of God in a world at
war. More prayerfully and tirelessly than ever another man had done, he would plead
the cause and the Gospel of the Prince of Peace. But, like his Divine Master, though set
for the fall and for the resurrection of many, he was also a “Sign which shall be con
tradicted.”
In 1950 he proclaimed the Holy Year and exhorted all men everywhere to re
turn to the eternal principles of Truth and Justice, which alone could bring true and
lasting peace upon earth. But there was no end to war, only an end to its sounds.
Four years later he proclaimed the Marian Year and consecrated the world to the
Immaculate Heart of Mary, for during his own lifetime, Mary had appeared at Fatima, in
Portugal, promising peace to a world which would do penance, pray, and honor her
Immaculate Heart. Still, though millions heard, with Faith and Hope, the voice of
Christ in the pleadings of the Pope, the world at large cried out once more, “Away with
him!!” No, for more than nineteen years the heart of Pius XII, Pope of Peace, was
never to be gladdened by peace, and God alone would lighten a heart which dwelt in
a cell with Cardinal Mindzenty, with Cardinal Stepinac, with Cardinal Wyszynski, with
thousands upon thousands of his children in all parts of the world.
But the Cross was made for mounting, for dying, and for eternal life. Pope Pius
XII mounted the Cross, and with the records of history before him, no truthful man
can deny that, with Christ, he was nailed to it. He died upon it and. please God, has
found Eternal Life and the Peace which was his Grail.
CARDINAL DEAN BLESSES PIUS XII—His Eminence Eugene Cardinal Tisserant, dean
of the Sacred College of Cardinals sprinkles holy water on the body of Pope Pius XII following
his death at his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, October 9. Shown with him in this
radio photo from Rome are, left to right: Msgr. Domenico Tardini (partly hidden); Msgr. Nassali
di Corneliano; Msgr. Angelo Dell ’Acqu.a (partly hidden); Cardinal Tisserant; Frederico Callori
di Vignale and an unidentified layman.—(NC Photos).