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Member of the National Catholic Welfare Coun cil Fews Service. TEN CENTS A COPY. VOL. III. NO. 2. THE BULLETIN The Official Organ of the Catholic Laymen’s Association of Georgia. “TO BRING ABOUT A FRIENDLIER FEELING AMONG GEORGIANS, IRRESPECTIVE OF CREED” AUGUSTA, GA„ FEBRUARY 10, 1922. The Only Catholic Newspaper Between Bal timore and New Orleans $2.00 A YEAR ISSUED SEMI-MONTHLY NUNCIO IT PIS PRAISES AMERICA TO FliEIC! EDITOR United States Land of Full est Religious Liberty, He Says, and It Surpasses France in That Respect. By M. MASSIANI. (By N. C. W. C. News Service.) Paris.—Msgr. Cerretti, archbishop of Corinth and ntincio of the holy see at Paris, in an interview grant ed to the editor of the Petit Pari- sene paper which is neutral oh po litical and religious questions, was led to speak of the Catholic Church in America. The editor of the Petit Parisien asked the nuncio kindly to give him his impression of the debates in the French senate which finally end ed in a definite vote in favor of credits for the maintenance of the embassy at the Vatican. “We have every reason to rejoice that such a debate took place," said Msgr. Cerretti. “This examination of a question in all its aspects is an excellent thing, and these pub lic, broad, passionate discussions have the advantage of leaving no point in the dark. Every party was heard, they all developed their ideas, and the very ardor shown was an evidence of the importance which is attached here to the renewal of relations with the Vatican.” Discusses Churcn and % Statc. “What made the discussions so heated, Excellency, as was brought out in the long speeches, was the fear of interference by the church in our internal politics.” “That is a itain fear, I assure you,” answered Msgr. Cerretti. “The church will continue to follow her path without political preoccupa tions of any sort; whenever the oc casion lias been given me, I have never ceased to confirm my will to remain outside of all political par ties.” In this connection Msgr. Cerretti expressed astonishment tfiat a sen ator/ a friend of M. Clemenceau, had accused him in the senate of having supported the candidacy of Deschancl for president of the re public. He repeated once again that he had nothing to do with the election; furthermore, he was not in France when it took place. “Did not your Excellency make a long stay in Paris during the preparation of the treaty of Ver sailles?” asked the journalist. “That is correct,” replied Msgr. Cerretti. “I had been sent by ltomc to defend the interests of Catho lic missions in the German colo nies. At article inserted in the peace treaty created a risk of as signing to Protestants certain prop erty of the Catholic missions. I supported the rights of the Catho lics missions, and the point of view o. Home was adopted.” All the answers, remarks the edi tor of tlie Petit Parisien, were made without reticence, wit han ev ident desire to dissipate misunder standings and brusli away the cloud which might darken the road he had mapped out. At Washington Msgr. Cerretti had learned with what jealousy care democracies de fend their liberties. It is from America that he brings the frank ness of his speech and welcome. “You come to us from America,” said the journalist. “Can the role of Catholicism in the two great re publics he compared in any way?” United Slates Land of Beligious Liberty. * “That is very difficult. The United States is a young country in which the citizen enjoys the full est liberty. In all the American laws there is not a single restric tion relative to the Catholic church or to any others, for that matter. All religious may establish them selves there without hindrance to influence or their expansion. The private schools select the education and the educators they want. Rc- ligious congregations, already nu merous, continue to increase. France is a land of traditions, possessing a long history, an ancient past in which religious wars arc not lack- (Continucd on page 5.) BENSON NAMED ONE OF FIVE MEN WHO WON WAR Cleveland, Ohio, —Former Sec retary of War Newton D. Baker, was one of the principal speak ers at tlie big meeting which was called to receive Admiral Benson, president of the Na tional Council of Catholic Men, on his recent visit to Cleveland. Mr. Baker praised Admiral Ben son’s patriotic services to the United States during the World War, when lie was chief of oper ations of the Navy Department. “Admiral Benson is one of perhaps five men who did the most to win the World War,” Mr. Baker told the gathering of about 5000 people. Rt. Rev. Joseph Schrembs, the chairman of the department of Lay Organizations Activities of the National Catholic Welfare Council, of which the Men’s Council is a branch, attended and addressed the meeting. Rishop Schrembs urged the unity of the nation in peace as in war and told of the aid Secretary Baker gave to national solidarity by his order that all war drives for the various organizations should be consolidated. While in Cleveland Admiral Benson was the guest of the Chamber of Commerce at a noon day luncheon, and spoke, to mem bers of the organization. Cardinal Ratti, Archbishop of Milan, Elected Two Hundred and Sixtieth Successor of St Peter | Newly Selected Pontiff Has ! Been Cardinal Only Few | Months— Will Be Known As Pope Pius XI. DISTINGUISHED HIMSELF AS NUNCIO TO POLAND Was Director of Vatican and Ambrosia Libraries Previous to His Mission to Poland. Rev. C. N. Skelton, Congre gationalism in Atlantic Monthly Article, Explains It and Urges Its Use. POPE PIUS XI. URGES MEEKNESS Washington, D. C.—Adoption of the “confessional” by the Protestaut Churches is urged in an article, which Rev. Charles M. Sheldon, a Congregational minister, contributes to the current number of the At lantic Monthly. The minister also gives an account of the good lie has accomplished among members of his own congregation by the “Open Door,” which he has attempt ed to make a substitute for the Sacrament of Pcnace. In relating his experiences with his “Open Door,” Dr. Sheldon gives instances of the spiritual help tint has been given to sinful souls. He cites tlie cases of a man who was helped hack to an honest life after having been guilty of embezzlement, and tells of a girl who was saved from ruin and of homes that were restored to happiness by compos ing quarrels between husbands and wives. Dr. Sheldon gives several hours of each Sunday afternoon to this “Open Door.” Want More Than Preaching. “But the people want something more than preaching. They want comfort and courage and tlie help that does not come to them when it is handed out wholesale. The Confessional of the Roman church is a recognition of a human crav ing so deep and eternal, that it is a bewildering thing to sec how it has been ignored by the Protestant. Church, which has emphasized preaching above piety, and the pulpit above the person. It is always easy to predict what might happen if something is done in place of something else; but I would like to suggest that if the churches of Am erica opened a Confessional that would minister to the primary needs of people’s souls, in between the preaching and the multiplied committees and meetings of organ izations, the church—the Protestant Church in this country—would be gin a chapter in its life that would do away with tlie questions, how can we reach the masses? what shall we do with the second serv ice? why don’t people go to church? and all the rest of tlie wail that goes up concerning the churches’ weak ness.” Bishop of Belfast Says Bigo try There Soon Will Die, Dublin—Bishop MacRory in a recent address in his cathedral of fered his deep sympathy to his sorely tried flock in Belfast. For seventeen months, he said , they had been subjected to violence and persecution that was a disgrace not only to Christianity but to civili zation and humanity. Hundreds of their houses had been burned or wrecked. Many valuable lives had been lost and all the time thou sands of their people remained ex pelled from work for no other rea son than that they were Catholics. The latter had not been the ag gressors in any case. He exhorted them to patience and courage; and asked them not to harbor feelings of revenge for those who were their proscutors. He liop- ed that the bigotry that had dis graced Belfast would soon pass away for ever, Self government begot responsibility and breadtli of mind and he trusted they could look forward to better things in the new era that they all hoped was opening for their country. APPEALS TO WOMEN Boston Judge Asks Them to Be Active in Civic Life, fairs. Lowell, Mass.—An appeal to the Catholic women of America to in terest themselves in public ques tions so that tlicy may use the bal lot intelligently and effectively was made here this week by Judge Mich ael J. Murray, of Boston, one of the best known jurists in Massachusetts in an address to the League of Cath olic women. CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL MINSTREL IN AUGUSTA Augusta, Ga.—Tlie Twentieth Cen tury Minstrels, under the direction of James Mathews, will stage a per formance under the auspices of the Catholic High School of Augusta on Thursday and Friday evenings, Feb ruary 16 and 17, at eight o’clock. FIRE AT LOYOLA COLLEGE Chicago, 111.,—A $50,000 fire in the mcdcial college of Loyola Univers ity destroyed specimens, instru ments, books and furnishings. Tlie fire originated in the biological laboratory, and was detected by one of the Jesuit fathers, in time to prevent its spread, amt the destruc tion of the building. Loyola medi cal college is one of the largest jn the west, and is to he taken over eventually as the medical school of the new Catholic University of St. Mary of the Lake. “We live,” said lie, “in an age when much is said of individual rights and very little of individual obligations. 'Hie spirit of Christ is not merely the spirit of liberty and equality it is more especially the spirit of love, sympathy and goodness. This is the day of service, if we arc lo reach q>radical results. “One of the practical difficulties with men and women of today is that the average person you meet is content lo look at a thing and never thinks to look into it. Take the use of the ballot. “What you should do now, if you arc resolved lo be patriotic citizen's, is to study tlie political questions of our day and of the future, oil which it is not only your privilege hut your solemn duty to cast a bal lot when ejection day comes around. And see to it that the ballot when marked records a free woman’s will. “We have no right to dodge this path or that highway if duty calls us there, because the duty is a dis agreeable one. “Let us get it into our system that life is made up of rights and obligations. I know some men who are forever declaiming about tlicir rights and what they ought to gel out of the government; but not one syllable drops from their lips about their obligations. The trouble with tlie world is that so many arc for ever insisting upon their rights, and are never ready to discharge their obligations to tlicir fellow citizens. • “You have the vote. The duty is there, you cannot dodge it. It is just like the obligations of home, and you meet those whatever the cost. Cardinal Acliille Ratti, archbishop of Milan and during the war papal nuncio to Roland, is tlie two hun dred and sixty-first supreme pon tiff of the Catholic Church. He was elected the morning of Febru ary Gill, last Monday, and liis coro nation will take place Feb. 12. He will reign as Rope l’ius XI. Immediately after bis selection Cardinal Ratti appeared on tlie out side balcony of St. Peter's and be stowed his blessing on tlie multi tudes waiting below in tiie rain, This was the first time since Ilia seizure of the papal states that tin blessing of the newly elected pon tiff lias not been given from with in the basilica. Cardinal O’Connell, archbishop of Boston, arrived al tlie Vatican too late to participate in the election, but in time for th benediction. Cardinal Ratti was born al Desio, a town of 8,000 inhabitants, eight miles north of Milan, May 80, 1857, the third of six children. His fa ther, Francesco, was a weaver and spinner, and at the time of the birth of the future pope, was in charge of tlie. weavers employed by tlie Counts of Ruslano. The Ratti fam ily was neither rich nor poor; it belonged to the respectable middle class. Achilie was sent lo a school con ducted by Don Giuseppe Volontcri, a priest noted around Milan as an educator. Under his guidance—and lie took particular pains with Acliille because he regarded him as a stu dent of promise—the young stu dent was enabled to enter the gym nasium of St. Reter Martyr. Later he was sent to the lyceum in the seminary of Monsea, where lie pur sued his classical studies for two years, the third year of tiiese stud ies being undertaken in the College of St. Charles Borronico in Milan. After three additional years in the major seminary in Milan, lie was sent by the archbishop to the Lom bard College, in Rome, where he took his courses in tlie Gregorian University, conducted by the Jes uits. Three more . cars brought him tlie degrees of Doctor of Philosophy, theology and canon law. Returning to Milan, he taught theology and sacred eloquence in the major seminary for five years. On Nov. 5, 1888, he was chosen one of tlie college of doctors of the Am brosia Library. Twenty years of his life was devoted to the work in this famous institution, during which time he was also engaged in pastoral activities. In 1907, he was selected to succeed tlie director of the Library, Msgr. Ccriani, who had died. He continued at this post until 1914, although In 1910 lie was called by Rope Pius X. lo Rome to become vice-prefect of the Vati can library. In 1914, on tlie resig nation of the director of the Vati can library, lie succeeded him. In tlie spring of 1918, Msgr. Ratti was delegated by Pope Benedict XV. lo the important position of nuncio to Poland, although going first as a papal visitor, and in spite of al most insurmountable difficulties lie succeeded beyond fondest hopes. Poland was at the time occupied by foreign troops and Russia was racked liy revolutions, but he ob tained results that could not he achieved under regime of the czars. His ability on the Polish mission was recognized by liis elevation to the. archbishopric of Milan, his na tive see, July 3, 1920, and the fol lowing June 13 he was given the red liat of a cardinal.