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APFJL 23. 1938
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
SEVEN
OR. ABELL GREAT
SOUTHERN CATHOLIC
An Estimate of This Year’s
Laetare Medalist in The
Record, Louisville, Ky.
(Benedict Elder in The Record)
Once more Dr. Abell brings honor
to Louisville. A year ago he was pre
elected president of the American
Medical Association for 1938, and we
noted this distinction at that time.
About the same time, the University
of Louisville, celebrating its centen
nial, honored him with the degree of
Doctor of Medical Science. Now
comes recognition from the Universi
ty of Notre Dame which confers upon
him its most coveted honor, the Lae
tare Medal which thus gives to Louis
ville and the Catholics of the nation
another honor. Because, in all of his
work, studies, professional teaching;
in all of his public addresses, Dr.
Abell, great surgeon, has never failed
to exemplify the Catholic philosophy
of life and the Catholic attitude to
ward science. On such questions as
birth control, sterilization, euthanasia,
and the application of modern psy
chiatry, he is scientist not only but
Catholic as well.
On the question of the socialization
of medical practice, he is still scien
tist not only, but charitable also, rec
ognizing his profession as one sacred
according to the oath of Hippocrates,
and yet not unaware of modern con
ditions of society which make the life
of the family physician, particularly
in rural districts, one hard to bear.
In a word, he is a scientist and a
Catholic all through, with great tal
ents of mind and great charity of
heart. All Louisville honors him and
welcomes the recognition w'hich Notre
Dame has given him. The Record
joins in, with its most hearty felicita
tions.
U h S HonZedin r Rome Dayton University Debaters
Visit Southern Universities
Process of Beatification of
Franciscan Killed by Com
munist Is Started
(By N. C. W. C. News Service)
WASHINGTON— His Eminence
Camillo Cardinal Laurenti, Prefect of
the Sacred Congregation of Rites,
having signed the decree officially
opening the “non cultus” process in
the cause of the Rev. Leo Heinrichs,
O. F. M., who was killed in Denver
30 years ago, an important step has
been taken in the long and exacting
process looking to the beatification
of this American martyr.
Father Leo met his death at the
hand of a Communist while celebrat
ing Mass on Sunday morning, Feb
ruary 23, 1908, in St. Elizabeth's
Church, Denver. He was born on
the feast of the Assumption, 1867, in
Germany, but came at the age of 19
to the United States to enter the
Franciscan Order at St. Bonaventure’s
Monastery, Paterson, N. J. He was
invested with the habit December
4, 1886, and was guided in the prin
ciples of the spiritual life by his
master of novices, Father Denis
Schuler, later to become fhe Minister
General of the Order and subsequent
ly Titular Archbishop of Nazienzen.
The young novice early gave indica
tions of great holiness, and through
out the period of his preparation for
the priesthood was an example of
sanctity and mortification. His ordi
nation took place in St. Bonaven-
ture's Church, Paterson. .
In 1788 Robert Abell, with his fam
ily, migrated from Maryland to Ken
tucky. His father, Samuel Abell, a
non-Catholic, had been high sheriff
of St. Mary's County, Maryland. His
mother, Ellen O'Brien, was a Catho
lic. Samuel permitted his wife to rear
their daughters Catholic, but insisted
on the sons being Protestant. How
ever, when his oldest son Phillip had
grown to manhood, and the father
wished him to be sworn in as deputy
sheriff, the young man declined to
take the oath because it was equiva
lent to the denunciation of the Cath
olic faith. On his deathbed Samuel
Abell became a Catholic. His son,
Robert, who came to Kentucky, was
the only Catholic in the constitution
al convention of 1799 which formed
the first organic law of Kentucky. He
had previously represented Nelson
County in the state legislature of 1792,
the first meeting of the body after the
admission of the commonwealth into
the Union of States.
SOVIET EXECUTES
ORTHODOX BISHOPS
No Relaxation of Religious
Persecution in Russia
DAYTON Ohio. — William O’Con-
nor and Kark Schreiber, University
of Dayton debaters, recently completed
a debate tour through the Southern
part of the United States which took
them into competition with 11 college
teams.
Beginning with a contest against
Xavier U. of Cincinnati, they contin
ued to Mount Berry College, Mount
Berry, Ga., Emory U. of Atlanta, Ga.,
Stetson U. of Deland. Fla., Rollins
College, Winter Park, Fla., St. Peters
burg Junior College, Southern College,
Lakeland, Fla., Georgia Southwestern
College, Amerieus, Ga., Mercer U. of
Macon, Ga., Georgia School of Tech
nology, Atlanta, Ga., and University
of Chattanooga, Chattanooga, Tenn.
In each debate the national inter
collegiate debate subiect, “Resolved:
That the National Labor Relations
Board shall be 'empowered to enforce
arbitration in all industrial disputes,”
was used.
The University of Dayton annual 7
sends out three teams on extensive de
bate tours. A not''.:- t :■?-"» at the same
time toured the eastern United States.
IGKES IS ANSWERED
BY FATHER THORNING
Communism, Not Fascism,
Growing in U. S., He Says
(By N. C. W. C. News Service)
NEW YORK—The assertion reite
rated by Secretary of the Interior
Harold L. Ickes, that Fascism is a
much more serious and imminent
peril than Communism has drawn an
other reply from the Rev. Dr. Joseph
F. Thorning of Mount Saint Mary’s
College, Emmitsburg, Md.
Addressing an assembly of faculty
members and students at the Manhat-
tanville College of the Sacred Heart,
Dr. Thorning said:
“Although it is not my intention,
after the fashion of the Hon. Harold
Ickes, secretary of the interior, to
attack either the motives or the
intelligence of those who happen to
differ with me, it is my right and
duty to point out that the secretary,
in his recent radio address, signally
failed to cope with any of the five
facts I adduced at a mass meeting in
Washington, D. C., to contradict his
view. Since my criticism on that oc
casion was the only one to be car
ried on the wires of the national
and international news syndicates in
protest against what seems to me to
be a faulty perspective on these twin
menaces to Christian society, 1 am
obliged to suggest that communistic
‘totalitaranism’ is much more ‘insid
iously boring from within the temple
of our liberties’ than etiher the Ger
man or Italian brand of monolithic
State materialism.
Another Robert . Abell, the priest,
was the orator when the Cathedral of
Bards, town was dedicated in 1819.
Agajn, he was the orator when the
golden jubilee of this proto-Cathedral
was celebrated. Dr. Abell himself, an
other scion of this distinguished
Catholic family, was the speaker at
the centennial celebration of the pro
to-Cathedral of Bardstown in 1919,
and now he brings further honor to
Catholics in the state and nation.
BY M. MASSIANI
(Paris Correspondent, N. C. W. C.
News Service)
PARIS. —One learns from Moscow,
via the Gournier Agency, that the
Soviet Government has again inten
sified its persecution of the Orthodox
clergy. Recently two Metropolitans
have been executed: Metropolitan
Theophane and Metropolitan Plotini
off, it is reported. They were accus
ed of anti-Soviet activities.
In one of the provinces of Northern
Caucasus . the Metropolitan Tetetni-
koff and about 100 priests have been
arrested.
There is no basis in fact for the re
ports spread abroad some little while
ago about many churches being open
in Russia.
Despite reports to the contrary,
there is no verification of a Protest
ant church in Russia that is being
served by a minister, except per
haps a “Reformed Lutheran” group
which meets in Moscow, but in an
ordinary building not a church. All
the regular Lutheran pastors have
been arrested. In Moscow a Luth
eran church is still open, but it has
not had a minister for 16 months.
Periodically a minister goes from
Leningrad for special occasions, but
all these have been arrested.
Bishop O’Hara Gives Retreat
to Soldiers at Fort Benning
ARCHBISHOP SCORES
BABY BIRTH SERIES
Unnecessary and Danger
ous, Mgr. Rummel Asserts
(By N. C. W. C. News Service)
NEW ORLEANS. — Reproduction
in the current issue of Life maga
zine of a series of pictures from the
film “Birth of a Baby” is declared to
be “unnecessary and dangerous from
a moral standpoint” in a statement
issued by the Most Rev. Joseph F.
Rummel, Archbishop of New Or
leans.
The sale of the magazine contain
ing these pictures has been banned
here by Mayor Robert S. Maestri,
acting on the advice of District At
torney Chcries A. Byrne. Dr. Frank
E. Gomila, Commissioner of Safety,
who said ‘ I am absolutely opposed to
the showing of the pictures, both as
official and as a doctor,” brought the
matte * to the mayor’s attention.
“In our age we have lost to our det
riment those delicate and modest un
derstandings of certain conditions of
life which were characteristic of our
best religious and moral traditions,”
Archbishop Rummell said. “I am sure
that much of the laixty that charac
terizes our modern moral and social
relationships is due to the fact that
there has been entirely too much
emphasis laid upon so-eaJled frank
ness, which frequently has at its
base a veiled desire to gratify sex
instincts and possibly commercialize
sex curiosity.
I do not know what attitude the
public authorities may take, but 1
certainly disapprove absolutely of
tne circulation of this type of litera
ture among the general public. The
publishers and editors of Life should
be strongly advised to exercise great
er discretion in the selection of spe
cial features that are bound to have
a definite influence upon the minds
and emotions of their readers.”
NEW ORLEANS HOST
TO CATHOLIC PRESS
General Singleton, Com
mandant, His Host, Says
It Was “an Inspiration to
the Entire Post” '
(By N. C. W. C. News Service)
FORT BENNING. Ga.—The com
manding officer of the celebrated
infantry school, here, a non-Catholic,
has expressed the warmest praise of
a visit paid to this Army post by the
Most Rev. Gerald P. O’Hara, D. D.,
Bishop of Savannah-Atlanta.
The commanding officer, Brig. Gen.
Asa Singleton, v.as host to Bishop
O’Hara. General Singleton said of
the Bishop’s visit that it was “an
inspiration to the entire post.” He
added that never has he seen anyone
win the hearts of ;Army personnel—
non-Catholics as well as Catholics—
more completely, and that from the
Ordinary of Sav, nnah-Atlanta the of
ficers and-men of Fort Benning learn
ed the meaning of the word “Bishop.”
The simple fact is clear for all
who wish to see; the broad Atlantic
stretches between the United States
and any Fascist nation, whereas the
Red Fascists, emissaries of Moscow,
boast of a 22,000 increase in member
ship in the American ranks of the
Third International within the past
few years. Has Secretary Ickes any
comparable figures to submit rela
tive to the membership growth in any
hypothetical branch of the Fascist
international in the United States?
If not, Mr. Ickes w uld do well to
explain to us in what sense Com
munism is a purely ‘imaginary’
threat.”
THREE PROCLAIMED
SAINTS ON EASTER
Holy Father Presides at
Ceremonies at St. Peter’s
Annual Convention to Be
Held There Mav 19 to 21
(By N. C. W. C. News Service)
NEW ORLEANS.—Many social
events appear on the program for the
twenty-eighth annual convention of
(he Catholic Press Association, to be
held here May 19 to 21, the Rt- Rev.
Msgr. Peter M. H. Wynhoven makes
know . in a letter he has sent out.
Monsignor Wynhoven is in charge
of local arrangements for the conven
tion, to which the Most Rev. Joseph
F. Rummel, Archbishop of New Or
leans, will be host. It has been ar
ranged to open the convention with
a Solemn Pontifical Mass.
The Pontifical Mass, a get-together
luncheon, a general meeting and the
convention anquet have all been ar
ranged for the first day of the con
vention, to accommodate members of
the Hierarchy, more of whom are
coming to New Orleans than for any
previous C. P. A. convention.
The retreat was -a great success.
The post chapel was crowded for
every spiritual exercise, and the final
morning every retreatant received
Holy Communion. General and Mrs.
Fmgleton attended the concluding
service. Priests from Georgia and
Alabama escorted into the chaoel
was signalized by the singing of “Eece
Grcerdsr." by the chapel choir direct
ed by Cr-nt. John Casey, of Denver.
Baptismal vows were renewed and
the Holy Name pledged was recited
with everyone holding a candle and
(he lights of the chapel extinguished.
Children of the post received First
Hcly Communion at the Bishop’s
Mass on Sunday morning. The Bishop
confirmed a class of 36 in the course
of the retreat. Twelve of these were
adult converts. The Bishop received
three adults into the Church on
Saturday, and during the week of
the retreat five converts were re
ceived into the Church. Three per
sons are under instructon as a re
sult of the retreat. A number of
fallen-away Catholics returned to the
Sacraments, and many non-Catho'ics
attended thu retreat. This is believed
to be the first retreat ever given by
a Bishop at a U. S. Army Post.
Two of the childrc x to whom
Bishop O Hara was to administer Con-
tirmation were ill in bed. The Bishop,
accompanied by Chaplain Joseph R
Kbcb and the Kci . Xnomas O’Keeffe,
M. S. SS. T„ went fo the homes of
these children, vested and administ
ered the Sacrament of Confirm 'ion
in the sick 'rooms. One child was
the daughter of an officer, the other
was the daughter of an enlisted man.
Saturday evening, five priests were
busily engaged hearing confessions.
Catholic Hour Radio
Broadcasts in South
The Catholic Hour over the Nation
al Broadcasting System each Sunday
even mg at six o'clock. Eastern Stan
dard Time, is broadcast over the fol
lowing stations in the South: WBRC
Birmingham; WJAX, Jacksonville-
WIOD, Miami; WFLA and WSUN’
Tampa; WSB, Atlanta; WAVE, Louis
ville; WJDX. Jackson. Miss.; WWNC
Asheville; WPTC, Raleigh; WSOC,
Charleston; WIS, Columbia; WFBC,
Greenville; WSM, Nashville; WBT,
Charlotte.
BY MSGR. ENRICO PUCCI
(Vatican City Correspondent, N.C.W.
C. News Service)
VATICAN CITY. - For the second
time His Holiness Pope Pius XI unit
ed the solemnity of Easter Sunday to
that of a Canonization. The first oc
casion was in 1934 when Don Bosco,
the Founder of the Salesians, was
proclaimed Saint and it was the first
time in history that this had ever
happened on Easter Sunday.
The Cardinals, Archbishops, Bish
ops and other prelates participated in
the procession. Also included were
representatives of the diocesan and
regular clergy. The mendicant Orders
led. followed by the monastic Orders,
then the Canons Regular and the rep
resented, ves of the Roman clergy,
namely the alumni of the Pontifical
Roman Seminary, the parish priests
cf the city and the Chapters of the
Basilicas. The ranks of the clergy
concluded with Archbishop Traglia,
Vinceregent of Rome, surrounded by
the officials of the Vicariate.
The Papal Court, brilliant with the
richness of the vestments and the
splendor of the picturesque uniforms,
was escorted by the Swiss Guard in
armor with halbards. First in line
c ame the Private Chamberlains in
their costumes which preserve the
splendor of the fifteenth century
courts; then the ecclesiastical digni
taries in red or violst soutanes and
capes according to their rank. Among
them were the Pope’s Chaplains, and
the Consistorial Advocates, who wore
the prelatic habit although they are
all laymen.
The choir of the Sistine Chapel
singing “Ave Maris Stella,” was led
by Monsignor Lorenzo Perosi. Then
the representatives of the various pre
latic colleges, the Auditors of the
Tribunal of the Sacred Rota with the
Maestro of the Sacred Apostolic Pal
aces wearing the habit of the Domini-
cian Order, and the Grand Master of
Sacred Hospitality, Prince Ruspoli,
and the Conventional Friars.
After them came the ecclesiastical
dignitaries: Abbots, Bishops. .
bishops, Patriarchs, Cardinals
one according to the order of his rank
and wearing sacred vestments orna
mented according to rank.
At the end, raised high in the Ges-
tatorial Chair, was Pope Pius XI in
the full splendor of his majesty as
Head of the Catholic Church. At the
sides of the Gestatorial Chair two
Monsignors carried the big ostrich
fans and above the Pontiff eight pre
lates supported the gigantic canopy of
silver material embroidered in gold.
Around the Gestatorial Chair march
ed a picturesque group of Noble
Guards in their splendid uniform
with red coats, Swiss Guards carry?
mg on their shoulders the historic
medieval swords with crocked
blades, and all the other high digi».
taries attached to the person of thr
Pope.