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FEBRUARY 25. 1939 THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA SEVEN Georgia Press Editorial Tributes to Pope Extracts From a Few of Many Estimates of Holy Father in Newspapers of State The following editorial tributes to the Holy Father condensed from Georgia newspapers are typical of Scores appearing in the daily a l\ weekly press of the state. The Beloved Pontiff (Augusta Chronicle) The career of Pope Pius XI, whom the world mourns, demonstrates that life does not necessarily begin at for ty. For twenty-one years after he Was forty, Father and later Monsign- or Achille Ratti was librarian at Mi lan and Rome, known to few except international scholars. At the age of sixty he appeared destined to finish his career among his beloved books, and to go to his grave comparatively Unknown even in Rome. Then started his meteoric rise. As He approached his sixty-first year, Pope Benedict XV sent him to Poland to direct tne administering of the Pa- Pnl charities there and in Russia; at sixty-two lie was named Papal Nun cio to Poland and elevated to the ranks of the Bishops; at sixty-four he .Was appointed Archbishop of Milan end a member of the College of Car dinals; eight months later he was elected Pope. From priest to Pope in a period of twenty-eight months is a record to challenge universal interest and imagination . . . No claim of Pope Pius on the mem ory of future generations will be {greater than that merited by him through his efforts for peace. Con nected with the Vatican during the tragic years of the World War, which broke the heart of his predecessor, his first encyclical was a plea for peace. He ended the long misunderstanding between the Vatican and the Italian government. But he demonstrated With quiet dignity that a desire for peace was not to be construed as a policy of pacifism, and he repeatedly deplored the excesses of Communism, Nazism and Fascism, to the annoyance Of the dictators of Europe, with Pre mier Mussolini particularly irritated by his inability to bend him to his Brill . . ’ The death of Pope Pius XI, there fore. is a loss not merely to the mem bers of the Catholic Church, b*t to the world, and particularly to those Who realize the necessity of religion &nd who respect sincere convictions. jUie concern of the public during his Illness and the prayers offered for his (recovery by so many not of his church ^Indicate not only the respect and af- ■fection in which he was held, but the progress the world has made along She road to mutual understanding and good will. Mourned by World l (Hartwell (Ga.) Sun) The death of Pope Pius XI. which Occurred Thursday night of last week, Has been mourned over the entire .world. The 261st head of the Church of Rome, he was beloved as “the ±*ope of Peace”, and as such command ed the love and respect of all Chris tendom. Messages of condolence from rulers In every land carried both words of praise and sorrow to Vatican City, where the frail body of the great man, nearly 82 years of age, lay in State over the week-end. Secretary of State Cordell Hull, of the United States, expressed the pro found condolences of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Ameri can people to Cardinal Pacelli, Papal Secretary of State, as follows; “The President desires me to express to .Your Eminence profound condolences on the death of His Holiness, Pope Pius XI. His great spiritual qualities and his zeal for peace and tolerance Won him a place in the hearts of all faces and creeds. Word of his pass ing has been received with deep sor- throughout the United States.” SWorld Leader ,i (Dawson (Ga.) News) The 17-year reign of Pope Pius XI Came to an end with the Pontiffs death at the age of 81. The Holy Father of the Catholic Church was a world leader for permanent pea'ce, and although his disappointments Were many as he labored in this particular field, he continued, with Vigor and courage, up to the time Of his death to work and pray for (t better international understanding. 'As head of the Church he contributed as much as was humanly possible to peace projects of many kinds and originating in various nations. He Was wholly sympathetic with other advocates of peace and co-operated with them in efforts to advance the Cause Friend of Peace (Quitman (Ga.) Free Press) As a Christian world grieves at the passing of His Holiness Pope Pius XI. admission is made by men Bad women of all creeds and national ities that the greatest friend of uni versal and lasting peace is gone. His Holiness from boyhood had hoped that somewhere in the future peace Would become the substitute for war end hatred and his life had been de voted to this Christian and humane philosophy. When crowned head of foe Roman Catholic Church, sixteen years ago he declared: “Pius means peace; therefore my name shall be eius”. - — Friend of America (Savannah Press) The world was saddened but not surprised at the passing of Pope Pius XI. It has been evident for some time that His Holiness was not well and that he was gradually losing his strength. It required but little to carry him off at the end of a long period of illness and indisposi- ion ... Peace was the shining light which led him across countless battlefields to wage a ceaseless war against all threats to religious and racial free dom. He championed not only Ca tholics but Protestants and Jews as well. In his last years the forces which caused him greatest sadness were those representing the religious and racial tenets of both Communism and Nazism. He flayed Communism for its denial of God and he ac- cued the Nazis of barbarism in their campaign of “race purity” directed at the Jews. Italy, too, felt the lash of his verbal whip for what he term ed the Fascist State’s “disgraceful imitation” of Germar- s anti-Jewish program . . . America and the United States have lost a friend in the passing of this leader of a great Church. So profoundly interested was he in the United States he added two Ameri cans to the list of cardinals—Hayes of New York and Mundelein, of Chi cago. The people of America could well inscribe upon his tomb the legend; “Here rests a friend.” Held in Affection (Macon Telegraph) There was something of poetic jus tice in the fact that under Pope Pius XI, who had so loved the great out- of-doors that he became an expert in climbing the mountains of Northern Italy, the conflict between the Ital ian government and the Roman Catholic Church came to an end and the “prisoner of the Vatican”, could go forth freely, as other men . . . Pius XI was devoted to the cause of peace, and yet from the time he was elevated to the papal throne in 1922 the ferment of the World-War aftermath was almost as terrible to him as the World War itself- He strove to prevent II Dues from ven turing into Ethiopia and after it had begun sought a “peace with justice.” The persecution of the church in Germany brought forth all his fine qualities of courage, but he could hardly fail to- realize that the tide was setting steadily against religious freedom under Nazi paganism. His broad sympathy for his fellow man deserved a better reward than the reign of madness and aggression which saddened his last years and which he must leave as a heritage to the pontiff who is to succeed him when the college of cardinals has finished the work it must soon take up. He was an integral part of an epochal period in the world's his tory and will be borne in affection ate remembrance by millions inside and outside the fold of his faith. NBC FLASHES WORD OF DEATH TO U. S. Only Ten Minutes Elapsed, Say Officials, Before Radio Listeners Heard News (By N. C. W. C. News Service) NEW YORK—Claiming to have flashed the first news of the death of Pope Pius XI to the American radio audience at 11:41 p. m., Thurs day evening, “just ten minutes after the 81-year-old Pontiff passed quietly from life”, the National Broadcasting Company has revealed that for a long time it has had a microphone install ed in a hotel overlooking St. Peter’s Square. For the past 18 months, a National Broadcasting Company announcement says, Phillip McKenzie, whose voice was heard from Rome, “has been as signed by NBC to the specific task of bringing news concerning the Pope to America”. “A microphone was installed in his hotel room, overlook ing the Vatican, and arrangements had been made for him to take the air almost immediately at any time,” the announcement also says. When it received word of the Holy Father’s death, NBC cleared both its Blue and Red networks of all sched uled programs and dedicated its full facilities to broadcasts concerning the late Pontiff. Following the “flash” on the Holy Father’s death, an NBC commentator read a tribute to the Holy Father. SENATOR ROBERT A. TAFT, of Ohio in an address over the American Forum of the Air. on the Mutual Broadcasting Network, declared his opposition to lifting the embargo on Spain, asserting that “Congress was wise in adopting the neutrality: bill”. He Stood as a Rock (Atlanta Constitution) The religious world, Catholic and non-Catholic, will mourn the passing of Pope Pius XI as the loss of an ecclesiastical prince of outstanding stature in the troubled times of his reign. In a day in which material forces clash as never before in the history of the world; in a day in which man, hardened in the blazing hatred of modern nationalism, turns more and more from spiritual to temporal gain, Pope Pius stood as a rock in the midst of this swirl of passions, a liv ing example of faith for Christians of his belief and of all beliefs. The task of his successor will be heavy, yet infinitely less difficult because of the great and good work of Pope Pius XI. The Lateran trea ties and the consummate diplomacy of Pius have removed many of tlie difficulties of the office, yet troublous times will require the full attention of a powerful figure. The world will mourn with the members of his . faith. His work ex tended to all mankind: embraced all in its kindly deeds. He served Him well. Unfaltering Spirit (Atlanta Journal) There has passed, in the death of Pope Pius XI, one of the great and noble figures of our time. Visible head of the Roman Catholic Church throughout the world, he represented power such as no king or emperor ever possessed, and he used it in the spirit of one who signed himself “Servant of the servants of God ” . . He exerted his great influnce for social justice throughout the earth, and for sound morality in an era of loose and cynical standards. He asserted the rights of the human soul against cruel oppressions and the ideals of Christian freedom under the frown of pagan dictatorships. Again and again he lifted his voice for peaA and for mercy in a world gone mad with the deadly sins of greed and hate. As old age deepened upon him and the signs of the time grew darker, his spirit stood unfaltering. Despite bodily weakness and illness, he labored cheerfully, serenely to the end. And now that he has passed, all men of good will, regardless of creeds, pay tribute from their hearts to one who lived his own faith with human kindness and with heroic con secration. Great and Good Man (Adel (Ga.) News) The Catholic and Protestant world all join in deep regret at the death of Pope Pius XI. He was a great and good man and was a powerful advocate of world-wide peace and had thrown his influence on the side of right at all times. Atlantans in Tribute to the Holy Father The Atlanta Georgian secured and published these tributes to. the Holy Father on the occasion of his death: MAYOR W. B. HARTSFIELD: “We have lost a great advocate of peace”. DR. WTLI.IAM V. GARDNER, pas tor of the First Presbyterian Church: “In the death of Pope Pius we have lost a fine exponent of international friendship and peace.” DR. LOUIE D. NEWTON, pastor of Druid Hills Baptist Church: “Pope Pius was one of the truly good and great men of our day and genera tion who, by grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, worked and prayed for the coming of the Kingdom of God in all the relationships of life.” J. J. HAVERTY, prominent Atlanta layman, who was made a Knight of St. Gregory by Pope Pius XI Feb ruary 16, 1933. and who has been re ceived twice in audiences before the Holy Father in Rome, said: “The man most needed by the world died today. A true Christian, the world will sorely miss him. Catholic. Pro testant, Jewish and all other religions in the world will miss Pius XI. He was Pope of the world, the Holy Father of all the world and he was needed at this time more than any other man. Catholics feel that Christ, who named the first Pope St. Peter, will name his successor. RABBI HARRY EPSTEIN, pastor of the Congregation of Aba vatch Achim of Atlanta: “I was greatly shocked by the news of his death. A great spokesman of peace has left us. He showed a liberality and a tolerance toward all men that is exemplary in this day and time.” EVELYN HARRIS, prominent lay man: “His death removes the world's most powerful individual influence for peace and will be universally mourned." MRS. ALEX. SMITH, JR.: “The death of Pope Pius was a great loss to the world. He was one of our great Popes.” Holy Father and Mr. Hoover, MRS. WILLIAM SCHRODER: “His passing is a tremendous loss to all mankind,” Leaving: his post as prefect of the Vatican Library, Msgr. Achille Ratti, in May, 1918, went to Poland, as Apostolic Visitor, beginning a career which, in less than four years, elevated him to the Chair of Peter. In July, he presented his credentials as Papal Nuncio to the' new republic of Poland, and in Qctober, was consecrated titular' Archbishop of Lepanto, by Cardinal Kakowski, at Warsaw, where this historic picture was taken. He is shown with former President' Herbert Hoover, then European Relief Commissioner, and Ignace Jaa Paderewski, then Premier of Poland. (N.C.W.C.) I CONGRESS ADJOURNS IN HONOR OF POPE Action on Death of Holy Father, Pope Pius XT, Said to Be Unprecedented (By N. C. w. C. News Service) WASHINGTON.—The memory of Pope Pius XI was paid a tribute here which observers believe to be without precedent. Both houses of Congress adjourned as a mark of re spect to the late Pontiff. The Senate adjourned on the mo tion of Senator Alben W. Barkley of Kentucky, majority leader. It previously had adopted a resolution proposed by Senator Robert F. Wagner of New York that “the Sen ate commiserates with the millions of communicants of the Roman Catholic Church, in this country and abroad, upon the death of a pre-eminent spiritual leader.” Senator Charles L. McNary of Oregon, minority leader, also paid tribute to the late Pope, and Senator David L Walsh of Massachusetts, speaking as a Catholic member of the Senate and anticipating the adoption of the resolutions of trib ute, thanked the legislators for their thoughtful action, and lauded the labors of Pope Pius XI to pro mote justice and charity. The House of Representatives ad journed upon adoption of a resolu tion introduced by Representative James A. Shanley of Connecticut, The resolution expressed the House's sympathy with the millions of Cath olics throughout the world “on the loss of this outstanding leader,” and asked the President of the United States “to communicate this expres sion of sentiment to the Secretary of State at the Vatican.” In his prayer, with which the Senate opened its deliberations to day, the Rev. ZeBarney T. Phillips, an Episcopalian minister and Chap lain of the Senate, said: “A shadow sorrow-laden has fallen on the world, and a voice that pleaded for justice, mercy and a common brotherhood is forever hushed. Yet may the afterglow of his radiant life light the way for all the races of mankind, that holiness may return to earth as king and nobleness walk our ways again until we come into our heritage with Thee.” Message of Sympathy Sent by President WASHINGTON-On behalf of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Sec retary of State Cordell Hull sent the following message to His Eminence ■Eugenio Cardinal Pacelli, Secretary of States: ‘The President desires me to express to Your Eminence pro found condolences on the death of His Holiness Pope Pius XI. His great spiritual qualities and his zeal for peace and tolerance won him a place in the hearts of all races and creeds. Word of his passing has been received with deep sorrow throughout the United States.” , . TWO U. S. CARDINALS VOTED FOR PONTIFFS Cardinal Gibbons Partici pate in 1903, Cardinal Farley in 1914 Pope Pius IX who created the first American Cardinal, died in the eve ning of February 7, 1878, and the Conclave which elected Pope Leo XIII began eleven days afterward, in the evening of February 18. The new Pope was elected the morning of February 20, and the only Ameri can Cardinal at that time. Cardinal McCloskey of New York, did not ar rive in time to take part in the Con-- clave. Pope Leo XIII died on July 20, 1903, and the Conclave which placed Pope Pius X on the Papal Throne began 11 days later. The new Pope was elected on August 4th. There was only one member of the Sacred Col lege in the United States at this time. Cardinal Gibbons of Baltimore. He was able to take part in the Conclave because he left America without waiting for word of the Pope's death and arrived in Rome on July 26. Cardinal Gibbon’s early departure from America and the "act that Pope Leo’s mortal illness lasted 20 days made the American Cardinal’^ parti cipation in the Conclave possible. There were three Princes of the Church in the United States at the time of the death of Pope Pius X, but only one, Cardinal Farley of New York, was able to participate in the Conclave that elected Pope Bene dict XV. Cardinal Farley happened to be in Europe at the time of Pope Pius X’s death and hurried to Rome. Cardinal Gibbons arrived too late for the election but in time to join the other Cardinals in the second Act of Homage. Cardinal O’Connell ar rived after the Conclave had been opened, despite a hurried motor trip from Naples to Rome. When Pope Pius XI was elected in February, 1922, Cardinal O'Connell arrived in Rome about one hour and a half too late to participate in the Conclave. Cardinal Dougherty of Philadelphia arrived three days toS late for the Conclave, the ship which brought him from America having encountered adverse weather con ditions at sea. On the representa tion of Cardinal O'Connell, the Holy Father made the change which makes it possible to allow American Cardi nals to participate in the election in the future. Austria Protestant ^ Associations Barred j (N.C.W.C. News Service) BERLIN. — Deutsche Evangelischd Korrespondenz states that Protestant associations and young people's or ganizations, such as the Christian Youth Association, in the province* that were formerly Austria have been dissolved. The president of the German Evan gelical Pastors Association has stated that 73 of the 126 Austrian pastors were affiliated with the Nazis and oc cupied various offices in the party before the Anschluss. He also stated that members of their families were Nazis and secret meetings in the parsoaaaeg. ^