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Serving Georgia's 88 Southern Counties DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH EDITION OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH Published By The Catholic Laymen's Ass'n Of Georgia Vol. 39, No. 16 5"' 3 Castro Promises Christian Spirit For “New Cuba” By Gustavo Pena Monte (Radio, N.C.W.C. News Service) HAVANA ■— Triumphant rev olutionary leader Fidel Castro has proclaimed that with the ouster of President Fulgencio Batista, Cuba is beginning a new era in which the Christian spirit will prevail. Dr. Castro spoke about the place of the Church in the rev olution in an interview with Father Amado Llorente, direc tor of ACU, the Catholic univer sity students’ movement. Father Llorente was Fidel Castro’s teacher at the Jesuit College of Santiago, and the rebel leader had called him to his headquar ters in the Sierre Maestra for his counsel. Asked by Father Llorente what he thought the attitude of the Church was concerning the revolution, Dr. Castro indicated approval of her hands-off poli cy, and said she could not do more (than she had done. He added, however, that, with few exceptions, Cuba’s Catholics had fully supported the revolution. The sudden triumph of the Castro forces came about short ly after Archbishop Enrique Pe rez Serantes of Santiago urged Catholics of his See to pray for an end to the civil war and for a return to brotherhood throughout the nation. The Archbishop’s plea, made as the revolutionaries were mov ing on Santiago, _ called the struggle “the bitterest and most implacable known at any time, even the saddest, in our coun try’s history.” “May the Child of Bethlehem heal the wounds mutually in flicted during this bloody fra tricidal strife,” he said. The Church had taken no of ficial steps in regard to the con flict in almost a year. Early in 1958, the Cuban Bishops, head ed by His Eminence Manuel Cardinal Arteaga y Betancourt, Archbishop of Havana, appealed unsuccessfully for an end to the rebellion and for establishment of a “national uftity govern ment.” In their appeal the Bish ops made a plea which amount ed to asking President Batista to modify his personal control of the government, and for rule with the cooperation of the rebel forces. "Freedom And The American Catholic" Television Series NEW YORK (NC) — A se ries of three unrehearsed inter views qn “Freedom and the American Catholic” is now be ing presented on nationwide tel evision. The .interviews may be seen on the “Catholic Hour” on tel evision over NBC-TV. They will be telecast at 1:30 p. m. (EST) on January 11th and 18th. The discussions are being con ducted by John Cogley, staff member of the Fund for the Re public and columnist for the Commonwealth magazine. He will question Father Walter J. S.J., educator and author, Louis University. :rst program (Jan. 4) the chief impressions in public and in pri- the Catholic Church lolics and non-Cath- id will investigate it Catholics do not ite in American vill examine the xh’s possible fu- evelopment, and between Ameri- rurch on all lev- announced that deal with such ar that' there is a a” for the United Catholic attitude ration of Church and claim that American are “puritanical,” cri- f Catholic schools, the Catholic intellectualism, MONHOE, GEORGIA, SATURDAY, JANUARY 10, 1959 COLUMBUS DEDICATION JAN. 18TH COLUMBUS — His Excel lency, The Most Rev. Thomas J. McDonough, Auxiliary- Bishop will dedicate the new Our Lady of Lourdes Church at 5 p. m. on the evening of January 18th. First Mass was offered Christmas Eve with the Rev. William P. Dowling, pastor, as celebrant. A REPRODUCTION FROM A GREETING CARD Conception Abbey Press Catholic Mission Attacked BELGIAN CONGO Jan 6, — A state of seige was declared to day in Leopoldville, Capital of the Belgian Congo, in the wake of rioting which saw a Catholic' mission ransacked, shops burned and schools attacked, and which brought death to 34. More than 100 have been injured. Most of the dead are believed to be Africans, killed by police in an effort to put down what appears to be a budding insur rection. Rioting started on Sun day after a political rally of Congolese at which possible in dependence from Belgium was discussed. The rally began to get out of hand when groups of Congolese, under unidentified leadership, began to chant “we want independence now!” The Belgian government, long considered a progressive and en lightened colonial power, has dispatched troops to the scene in an attempt to restore order. 10c Per Copy — $3 a Year Pope Issues Plea For Peace Efforts VATICAN CITY, (NC) — A plea for efforts toward peace by men of good will and a call for Christian unity in the face of men cf ill will were voiced by His Holiness Pope John XXIII in his first Christmas radio message. The Pope also issued a “loving invitation” to Orthodox religious bodies and others separated from the True Fold to return, pledging a tireless effort to en courage them in this. The message was delivered in the presence of 23 cardinals in the Hall of the Consistory in response to the traditional Christmas greeting to the Pope by the Dean of the College of Cardinals, His Eminence Eugene Cardinal Tisserant. The four sections of the 4.000- word 20-minute discourse dealt with the new Pope’s joy at wit nessing the devotion of his sub jects; praise of his predecessor, Pope Pius XII; a survey of Pius XII’s 19 Christmas messages and his appeal for peace and unity. The appeal, he said, was a synthesis of the dominant themes of the annual Christmas messages of the last Pope. What he added as his own was to sound again the somber recog nition of the “night that gathers” ir. th"^ world^ and,^, amid the threat of ruin, to invite the “separate brothers” to return to union in the Church which Christ established and “upon which turns the peace of Christ.” In his address, Cardinal Tis serant had also paid tribute to the late Pope. He then added: “One fact is true, that Almighty God guided and ratified the choice” of his successor “and the world knew it immediately.” Pope John thanked Cardinal Tisserant for his words and said that he had been deeply touched by this and by the enthusiastic reception with which he had been greeted by the people of Rome and the world. He was especially comforted, he said, by the sight of so many young people among the crowds whom the Church would depend one day for its defense. But all the plaudits, he said, rather than detracting from the memory of his predecessor, are in great part due to him. He re ferred to the Christmas message which Pius XII left as one of the great monuments to his memory. He said that he found a study of these the best prepa ration for his own first Christ mas message. He continued: “For one wish ing to sum up in two compre hensive words the living sub stance of this teaching contained in the 19 Christmas messages... it is enough to utter these words: unity and peace.” Hr sai-i only evndition for peace is man’s good will which he may freely give or freely refuse. He added hat, man’s refusal to give his good will to the service of God’s de signs is “the most terrible prob lem of human history and of the lives of individual men and peo ples.” The Pope quickly traced the destruction of peace and unity. He recalled how in the begin ning God had impressed the law of love on the heart of man. There was peace and unity and order, he said. Then evil will entered and led humanity into the ways of injustice and dis order, and unity was broken, he stated. He recalled that “it took noth ing less than the intervention of the Son of God Himself” to re pair the damage. Here, the Pope pointed out, is the key to hope for peace and unity in our own age, for “this reconstitution (of mankind) still goes on. Jesus founded a church, impressing upon it the character of unity, achieved by gathering to it self all human nations under its immense shelter.” He said that racial and na tional differences can be re conciled in this unity for, as be lievers recognize, “the good service of God and His justice also serves the advantage of the civil community of peoples and nations.” He recounted his own exper ience 1 : in. sec.vg attempts r.t religious unity meeting with failure. But then he added thf he had never been discouraged from issuing his own “loving (Continued on Page 2) Opening Olieir OreaMire. J Oleij Offered Jditn Qifts ” When Jesus therefore was born in Bethlehem of Juda, in the days of king Herod, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem. Saying, Where is he that is born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to adore him. And king Herod hearing this, was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And assembling together all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where Christ should be born. But they said to him: In Bethlehem of Juda. For so it is written by the prophet: And thou Bethlehem the land of Juda art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come forth the captain that shall rule my people Israel. Then Herod, privately calling the wise men, learned diligently of them the time of the star which appeared to them; And sending them into Bethlehem, said: Go and diligently inquire after the child, and when you have found him, bring me word again, that I also may come and adore him. Who having heard the king, went their way; and behold the star which they had seen in the east, went before them, until it came and stood over where the child was. And seeing the star they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And entering into the home they found the child with Mary his mother, and falling down they adored him: and opening their treasures they offered him gifts; gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having received an answer in sleep that they should not return to Herod, they went back another way into their country. (From the Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew, Chapter 2, verses 1 through 12) the relations between clergy and laity and the Catholic press. The “Catholic Hour” is pro duced by the National Council of Catholic Men and the Na tional Broadcasting Company. A NCCM spokesman said the aim of the planned series is “to present honestly the problem areas for Americans and the Church in this country, and to point up the necessity for great er understanding and exchange between Catholics and non- Catholics in order to preserve the very fundamental nature of our free society.” Holy Father Has Guest For Christmas Dinner VATICAN CITY (NC) — For • the first time within living memory a Pope had a guest join him for Christmas dinner. The guest of Pope John XXIII was Archbishop Angelo Rotta, the last apostolic nun cio to Hungary, who had declin ed elevation to the College of Cardinals at the December 15 consistory. THE YEAR 1958, one of memorable events, witnessed the death and funeral (top left) of Pope Pius XII, at 82, ending a 19-year pontificate; the election of Venice’s Cardi nal Angelo Roncalli, 76, as his successor and h's corona tion as Pope John XXIII (top center); the outstanding ex hibit of the Brussels Inter national Exposition, the Vat ican’s pavilion, Civitas Dei, “City of God” (top right); Second Row: (left to right) Archbishop Egidio Vag'nozzi, Papal Nuncio in the Philip pines was named Apostolic Delegate to the United States, succeeding to the post held for 25 years by Archbishop Am- leto G. Cicognani, who was named a Cardinal in Curia; Archbishop Richard J. Cush ing of Boston and Archbishop John F. O’Hara, C.S.C., of Philadelphia were among the 23 new Cardinals created and proclaimed by the new Pope; Third Row: (left to right) as the huge National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, in Washington, nears comple tion, Cardinal Spellman, Mil itary Vicar, announced that Catholic service chaplains and personnel would donate for it a $250,000 pipe organ in mem ory of Catholic war dead; many thousands flocked to Lourdes during the centennial of the apparitions of Our Lady and where Cardinal Roncalli (the future Pope John XXIII) dedicated in March the under ground Basilica of St. Pius X, the world’s second largest church; Our Lady of the An gels grade school, in Chicago, was the tragic scene of the nation’s third worst school fire, in which 92 lives were taken; Bottom row: (left to right) in Philadelphia, Arch bishop Constantine Bohaehev- sky was enthroned as the first Ukrainian Greek Rite Metro politan in the United States; Albert J. Maggioli, Niagara University (N. Y.) senior was named outstanding Catholic Youth of the Year by the Na tional Council of Catholic Youth; In Rome, death claim ed two U. S. Princes of the Church, Cardinal Stritch, 70, of Chicago, who had been named Pro-Prefect of the Sac red Congregation for the Pro pagation of the Faith, and Cardinal Edward Mooney, 76, of Detroit, who died suddenly an hour before he was to en ter the conclave to elect a new pope; Mrs. Leo N. Stupfel, of McMinnvile, Oreg., was nam ed Catholic Mother of the Year by the National Catholic Family Life Conference; Mary knoll Bishop James E. Walsh, 67, of Cumberland, Md., last American missioner in Red China, disappeared and is believed arrested by the Communists. (NC Photos)