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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).