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DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH EDITION
Serving
Georgia's 88
Southern Counties
OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF SAVANNAH
Published By The
Catholic Laymen's
Ass'n of Georgia
Vol. 40, No. 14
MONROE, GEORGIA, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1959
10c Per Copy — $3 a Year
Ike Lauds "Wonderful Pope"
Audience Lasts For 25 Minutes
President Very Moved
By Welcome He
8
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I
fe:
To Our Venerable Brother
GERALD PATRICK O'HARA
Archbishop-Bishop of Savannah
Apostolic Delegate in England
Venerable Brother, health and the Apostolic Blessing. You have informed me
in a letter of particular candour that you are finding difficulty in governing the
Diocese -Savannah-,■ which- has now been entrusted to you for twenty-four years,
but which you have ruled in absence ever since you were named a Legate of the
Apostolic See by Pius XII, my Predecessor of reverend memory. In this letter you
also showed that, despite a natural regret, you are ready to resign the rule of this
diocese _ particularly since the important duties which you perform as Apostolic
Delegate to the illustrious English nation are increasingly preventing 1 you from ad
ministering diocesan affairs.
I can easily appreciate the feelings you have expressed to Me; indeed I
endorse them with great pleasure. For many years I discharged similar legations in
foreign countries, and later was Pastor of the See of Venice, it is therefoie quite
clear to me that ever-growing cares are daily engendered by these duties, cares
which human strength could hardly sustain, were it not for the powerful assistance
of grace from on high.
Therefore, in this personal letter, I wish to let you know that your suggestion
has given Me great satisfaction, since I can see that in this matter you have been
prompted by such feeling for the needs of the Church, and by such burning zeal
to devote yourself to her.
I therefore accept and grant your request that you be permitted to resign
the task of governing the Diocese of Savannah. While congratulating you warmly
on the pastoral diligence you have exercised for the benefit of the flock there, I
must inform you that shortly, as is only right, you will be named to a titular archi-
episcopal See.
I beg Almighty God to assist you with His goodness and to reward your
labours with abundant fruit, in the admirable performance among the noble
English nation of the usual duties assigned to you by the Apostolic See. In token
of these gifts, and as a sign of My good will towards you, Venerable Brother, I
bestow on you with fatherly heart the Apostolic Blessing.
Given at Rome, at St. Peter’s, on the 19th day of October, 1959, the first year
of Our Pontificate. i
JOHN XXIII
POPE
By Patrick Riley
VATICAN CITY, (Radio, NC)
—“I was very moved by the
welcome shown me by the won
derful Pope,” Eisenhower said
here after his meeting with
Pope John.
At Rome’s Ciampino Airport,
just before the President left
for Turkey, he stated: "I have
just come from a visit with His
Holiness the Pope, and I have
been inspired by his approval
of the effort that the free na
tions together are making to
bring some progress toward
peace and friendship in free
dom.”
During the meeting with Mr.
Eisenhower, Pope John said he
rejoiced to see the American
nation “striving so actively,
under the guidance and im
pulse of its worthy president,
toward lofty ideals of a loyal
and effective concord between
nations.”
He also said there is no doubt
that Mr. Eisenhower will con
tinue to receive f r o m U. S.
Catholics- “an exemplary contri
bution of action, loyalty and
discipline.” ,
When the Preside it arrived
for the meeting with the Pope
crowds assembled around bar
riers in St. Peter’s Square to
greet him and waved banners
of welcome.
In the presidential party
were: recently retired Deputy
Undersecretary of State Robert
D. Murphy; Maj. and Mrs. John
Eisenhower; James C. Hagerty,
Presidential Press Secretary;
Lt. Col. Vernon Walters, in
terpreter and staff aide to the
President; and James J. Row-
ley, head of the White House
Secret Service Detail.
The President was greeted by
Msgr. Beniamino Nardone, Sec
retary of Sacred Congregation
of Ceremonial, and by Msgr.
Pius A. Benincasa, priest of the
Buffalo Diocese attached to the
Vatican Secretary of State. He
was then presented to Msgr (
Federico Callori Di Vignale, a
member of the Pope’s house
hold.
Msgr. Mario Nasalli Rocca Di
Corneliano, the Master of
Chambers, and other officials of
the Papal household received
the President and his party at
the threshhold of the Clemen
tine Hall.
They moved through colorful
halls to a small throne room,
where Cardinal Tardini, Sec
retary of State, met Mr. Eisen
hower.
in the small throne room
were two armchairs for the
Pope and the President. Flank
ing these were three other
chairs: for Cardinal Tardini,
Col. Walters, and Archbishop
Antonio Samore, Secretary of
the Sacred Congregation for
Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Af
fairs.
This group of five was in au
dience alone about 25 minutes.
Then the rest of the President’s
part was brought in, and Pope
John read a formal speech in
English, expressing his great
satisfaction at “the visit which
you are kindly making to us,
Mr. President.”
The Pontiff said he rejoiced
to see the American nation
“striving so actively, under the
guidance and impulse of its
worthy president, toward lofty
ideals of a loyal and effective
concord between nations.”
He extended to the American
people “our gratitude for gene
rosity with which they are pro
moting the welfare and progress
of more needy peoples by so lib
erally placing at their disposal
material gifts received from Di
vine Providence.”
Invoking God’s blessing and
protection on the United States,
the Pope continued: “We have
no doubt that your excellency
will continue to receive also
from the Catholics of the Unit
ed States an exemplary contri
bution of action, loyalty and
discipline.”
The Pope noted with pleasure
the presence of the President’s
son, Maj. John Eisenhower,
“Because of happy and encou
raging coincidence of the name
‘John’ that he bears in common
*■ witli us.”
The president congratulated
the Pope on his English pro
nunciation. The Pope responded
he had mastered his speech
only by dogged repetition. He
added he is learning his English
from Msgr. Thomas Ryan,
whom he described as a good
teacher with a poor pupil who
has little time to study.
’RESIDENT FIRMLY OPPOSES
iCHEMES FOR TAX PAID
IIRTH CONTROL PROMOTION
NCWC—ON 40th ANNIVERSARY
(N.C.W.C. News Service)
WASHINGTON — President
Sisenhower has firmly commit-
;ed his administration to oppose,
schemes for tax-paid promotion
)f birth control in under-
ieveloped lands.
The Chief Executive told a
lews conference (Dec. 2) that
le cannot imagine a subject
nore emphatically not a proper
lolitical activity or govern-
nental responsibility than birth
:ontrol.
He made these other points:
1. Promoting birth control in
ither nations would be inter
ference in internal affairs.
2. If countries want to get
help to deal with increasing
oirth rates they can get it from
professional agencies.
3. The birth control subject
has a religious meaning to great
denominations and he has no
quarrel with opponents, princi
pally the Catholic. Church
which he admires and respects.
The President was asked
about the report of one of his
advisory committees on over
seas aid which last July sug
gested foreign aid funds be used
to help countries formulate
plans to deal with their increas
ing populations.
Asked for his reaction, the
President responded:
“I cannot imagine anything
more emphatically a subject
that is not a proper political, or
governmental activity or func
tion or responsibility.
“This thing has, for very
great denominations, a religious
meaning, a definite religious
tenet in their own doctrine.
“I have no quarrel with them,
as a matter of fact this being
largely the Catholic Church,
they are one of the groups that
I admire and respect, but this
has nothing' to do with gov
ernmental contact with other
governments.
“We do not intend to interfere
with any other, the internal af
fairs of any other government,
and if they want to do some
thing which admittedly — to
do something about what is ad
mittedly a very difficulty ques
tion, an almost explosive ques
tion, that is their business.”
The East Addition to the headquarters building of the Na
tional Catholic Welfare Conference (NCWC), in Washing
ton, D. C., pushes rapidly forward as the agency of the
U. S. Catholic Bishops marks its 40th anniversaryDecem
ber 10. This voluntary organization of the U. S. Bishops
is an outgrowth of its parent-predecessor, the National
Catholic War Council, founded in 1917 to co-ordinate the
efforts of Catholics in World War I. (NC Photos)
Christmas Fast,
Abstinence Moved
To December 23
. VATICAN CITY (Radio.
NC) The Christmas vigil
of fast and abstinence has ;
If been transferred from Thurs
day, December 24, lo Wed- \
nesday, December 23.
This announcement was
i made here in a decree of ihe
1 Sacred Congregation of the
If Council which was orderedfl
by His Holinss Pope Pohn
XXIII.
The change of fast and ab-j|
; slinenee to December 23 is;
; permanent.
The decree states:
"Acquiescing to the ex-|;;
pressed desire of many bish
ops in different nations, the'
Supreme Pontiff, John;
XXIII, has deigned to grant
to all the faithful of the
Catholic world permission to
anticipate the obligation of
fast and abstinence, transfer
ring it from December 24, the
vigil of the feast of the Na
if tivity of Our Lord Jesus
ff Christ, io December 23."
APOSTOLIC DELEGATION
London, England
November 16, 1959
Right Reverend and Reverend Clergy;
To the devoted Members of Religious Communities
and laity of the Diocese of Savannah.
Dearly beloved in Christ:
Last Wednesday, November 11th, the “Osservatore Romano” published my
resignation as Bishop of Savannah. For some time 1 knew in advance that it
would be published and again and again I began a letter to you that could be read
on or about the date of my resignation but each time I had to abandon the
attempt. I realized more than ever the meaning of the ancient saying: “To bid
farewell is, in a way, to die.” One does not sever without heartache the happy
associations of almost a quarter of a century.
Even now it is not easy to write to you, but perhaps I owe you an
explanation of the step that, after long thought over several years, I finally decided
to take. On the 7th of last October I asked permission of His Holiness, Pope John
XXIII, to relinquish my office as Bishop of Savannah. His Holiness, in a letter of
October 19th signed in his own hand, deigned to grant the permission that I had
humbly requested. In my letter to the Holy Father I said that I had come to the
conclusion that it was only fair to the Diocese that I should step aside as Bishop.
I told His Holiness that in justice to my Auxiliary Bishop and to the priests,
religious and the faithful of the Diocese, the Bishop should be one living in their
midst and not almost permanently absent. If I hesitated so long to terminate a
rather unusual state of things it was because I felt that my work for the Holy See
in Europe, by its very nature, might come to an end at any time. In such an event
I wanted to come home to Savannah, the Diocese that I know and love and where
I knew I would feel at home.
When shortly after the war the late Holy Father, Pope Pius XII of blessed
memory, asked me to undertake a special work for the Holy See in Albania, an
appointment which was later changed to Roumania, I felt sure that given the
confused state of affairs in Europe at that time, mine was an interim appointment
that would be of brief duration. But two other appointments followed and as the
years passed it became more and more clear that what I had at first considered a
“temporary” assignment had, so to speak, become something of a “permanency.”
The time had come — in fact was long overdue — when I felt I should no longer
stand in the way of the return to normal diocesan administration. I told His
Holiness, in fact, that perhaps I should have resigned when I was appointed Nuncio
to Ireland. But even then I hesitated. His Excellency, The Most Reverend J.
Aloysius J. Muench, Apostolic Nuncio in Western Germany, was also Bishop of
Fargo, North Dakota. I was anxious not to make any move that might embarrass
him and accordingly last summer I wrote to Archbishop Muench telling him what
I was planning but assuring him that I would not pursue the idea if in any way
my action would trouble him. In a very kind and fraternal letter the good Arch
bishop assured me that he had no objection whatsoever and that I should feel
entirely free to present my resignation to the Holy Father if that was what I
thought best.
This I did, as I said above, on the 7th of last month at a time when I was in
sight of the Silver Jubilee of my appointment as Bishop of Savannah.
In bidding farewell to you it is with deep emotion that I pay tribute to you,
my dear priests, religious and laity, for that incomparable cooperation which
for almost twenty-five years you never failed to give me in all that concerned the
welfare of the Diocese and the good of souls in Georgia. There are no words of
mine that could adequately express to you the affection that I have always had
for you and the joy that was mine in being your Bishop. Of course there are regrets
— regrets, that is to say, for all that I should have done for you but which,
through human frailty, I failed to do. Looking back, I am sorry that I was not of
far greater help to you and to the Church than I was.
I salute you as a body of priests, religious and laity, second to none in all the
world. I have always been in full admiration of the depth and tenderness of your
Catholic Faith and of the generosity, promoted by that faith, which made you
always so willing to make sacrifices for the good of the Church and souls. I know
that you will be constant in giving to your new Bishop the self-same devoted
cooperation that you always gave to me.
I do not have to tell you that nothing could ever cause me to forget the
years that I spent as your Bishop. I will be unfailing in my prayers to God that He
be ever generous in the blessings and special lasting graces that He will confer
upon you to make your lives holy in His sight. I commend you too to the maternal
care of the Mother of God that she may always plead for you with her Divine
Son and obtain for you the answer to your every prayer.
Of you, beloved priests, I take a particularly fond farewell. In you I have
admired the exemplification of every priestly virtue. I have been the witness of
your zeal and love for souls both in the urban sections of the Diocese and in the
vast rural regions where your work was, I know, particularly difficult. In days gone
by, whilst I was living in the Diocese, nothing ever gave me so much pleasure
as to visit my priests, especially those who were laboring in the rural areas of
Georgia, often alone, and almost always many miles away from the nearest priest.
May God richly bless you, my dear Fathers, who were always such a consolation
and a source of edification to me.
I also take this occasion to offer a well deserved tribute of sincere praise
to the religious, both men and women, for their remarkable work in schools,
hospitals, orphanages and in the Home for the Aged in the Diocese. I commend
all of you to God’s loving care.
I conclude this letter with deepest gratitude to those who took my place in
the actual government of the Diocese during the past more than thirteen years. I
refer particularly to The Right Reverend Monsignor Joseph E. Moylan, who had
charge of the Diocese prior to the appointment of an Auxiliary Bishop; to His
Excellency, The Most Reverend Francis E. Hyland, who was my first Auxiliary,
and finally to His Excellency, The Most Reverend Thomas J. McDonough. All three
of them are deserving of the highest praise and certainly of my deepest gratitude
for the remarkable progress made in the Diocese under their respective administra
tions. May the Good Lord amply compensate them for so much zealous and
apostolic labor and for the blessings that their prayers and their good works have
brought upon the Diocese.
With affectionate best wishes and a blessing and assuring you that I count
upon the prayers that you will, as I hope, never fail to say for your former Bishop,
I remain, my dearly beloved in Christ,
Most devotedly yours in Our Lord,
Apostolic Delegate