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Published by the Catholic Lay men’s Association of Georgia ‘To Bring About a Friendlier Feeling Among Neighbors Irre spective of Creed” Vol. XXIV No. 9 THIRTY-TWO PAGES AUGUSTA, GEORGIA, SEPTEMBER 25, 1943 ISSUED MONTHLY<—$2.00 A YEAR Catholic Laymen 9 s Association of Georgia to Hold Convention in Augusta, October 31 Report of Nazis Occupying Vatican City Held Groundless In Face of Conflicting Rumors, Dispatches From Vati can Correspondent Say Occupation Has Not Taken Place—Nazis Mount Guard at Boundary of Papal Territory NAZI GUARDS STAND ON ITALIAN SOIL, ‘OSSERVATORE’ SAYS (Radio, N.C.W.C. News Service) VATICAN CITY, — Os- servatore Romano is publish ing the information which has previously appeared in the newspapers of Rome re garding the placing of Ger man sentinels in Italian ter- ritory at the confines of Vati can City. It has been noted here that sensational reports have been published abroad purporting to picture the actual situation in Vatican City. They are without foundation. (By N. C. W. C. News Service) Sifting the welter of rumors and reports that have followed the seiz ure of Rome by the Nazis, the fol lowing seem to be the facts: Contrary to the oft-repeated as sertion that the Nazis have “occu pied” Vatican City, this is in fact not the case. It is certain that the Germans have stationed troops about the Vatican, but it is not clear that the troops have been put on Vatican territory at any point. In the face of reports from Eu ropean sources that anti-aircraft guns have been set up at the world-famous Colonnade (and this would not have been done by the Vatican), the N. C. W. C.'News Service has a report from its own correspondent reporting that all is calm and quiet at the Vatican. While other reports from Euro pean sources assert that the Nazis have cut off communications be tween the Vatican and the outside world, the N. C. C. W. News Ser vice continues regularly to receive dispatches from its Vatican City correspondent, who tells of the Holy Father receiving foreign dip lomats in audiences. N. C. W. C. dispatches from Vat ican City report that Italian car abinieri continue to guard the three entranses to Vatican City, in accordance with stipulations of the Vatican Treaty. Reports from other sources speak of German soldiers replacing Italian police men at St. Peter’s Square. While this may be partially correct, there is no conclusive evidence that these replacements have taken place on territory belonging to the Vatican. In connection with the reports that Italian Carabinieri are guard ing the entrances to Vatican City, it is possible writers in the secular press do not know the Lateran Treaty confers police powers in the Square on Italian authorities. Article Three of the Treaty be tween the Holy See and Italy con tains these paragraphs: “It is agreed, however, that the piazza di San Pietro (St. Peter’s Square), although forming part of Vatican City, will continue ordi narily to be open to the public and subject to the police powers of the Italian authorities. The jurisdiction of these authorities shall not extend beyond the foot of the steps leading to the Basil ica although the latter continue to serve the public for worship. The police, therefore, will refrain from ascending the steps and entering the Basilica unless they are re quested to do so by competent au thority. “When the Holy See, in connec tion with special functions, shall deem it necessary to close St. Peter’s Square to the public tem porarily. the Italian police, unless requested by the proper authori ties to remain, shall withdraw be yond the outer limits of the Ber- mini Colonnade and its prolonga tion.” (RADIO, N. C. W. C. News Service) VATICAN CITY.—Radio reports emanating this week from Switz erland and London, that German troops have occupied Vatican City are without foundation. In fact, newspapers of Rome have commented upon the calm ness prevailing at the Vatican fol lowing recent events. The Rome newspapers also state that two fully equipped German sentinels are patrolling the outer limits of St. Peter’s Square at the line of demarcation between Vat ican and Italian territory. They say this arrangement is the result of conversations between the Sec retary of the German Embassy at the Holy See, the commanders of the Pontifical armed forces and German officers. At the same time, guarding the three entrances to Vatican City are armed Italian Carabinieri, as provided for by Article Three of the Lateran Treaty. The United States Foreign Broadcast Intelligence Service re ported that broadcasts by the Vati can City radio said that Vatican offices have continued their regu lar work and that the Holy Father has continued to give audiences, but that precautions have been taken for stricter control of en trance into Vatican City. (A wireless dispatch of the Ger man Transocean agency reported to the Office of War Information by United States Government monitors said the Italian police men who heretofore have guarded St. Peter’s Square under the terms of the Lateran Treaty “are re placed by German soldiers,” and that “behind the German soldiers at the entrance to the Vatican the Pope’s Swiss Guards have taken up posts.” (Another foreign broadcast mon itored in this country quotes the Stefani agency in Rome (German- controlled) as saying that “two German soldiers have been mount ing guard in St. Peter’s Square exactly on the marble line which divides the Square itself from Ital ian territory. (The Transocean agency broad cast reported by U. S. monitors also is said to have asserted that German parachutists are “stand ing guard” in St. Peter's Square with “armored defense guns” to “protect the Vatican against a Communist mob or anyone else who might seek to force a way into the Vatican City.” It is pointed out here that “in St. Peter’s Square” may be a loosely-worded expres sion actually meaning on the Ital ian side of the Square’s boundary line. (It is also noted in the United States that the tenor of the N. C. W. C. Correspondent’s radioed dis patches makes it clear that Nazi soldiers have not occupied Vatican territory. T h e correspondent speaks of Nazi soldiers being on the boundary line between Vatican City and Rome, but relies upon Italian sources for word of their activities — indicating that they have not come under his personal notice inside Vatican City.) To Attend Laymen 9 s Convention BISHOP GERALD P. O’HARA His Excellency the Most Reverend Gerald P. O'Hara, D. D„ J. U. D., Bishop of Savannah-Atlanta, who will celebrate the Mass which will open the coming convention of the Catholic Laymen’s Association of Georgia, and who will deliver a message of importance at the close of meeting in Augusta next month. To Preside at Laymen 9 s Convention BERNARD J. KANE Presiding at the twenty-eighth annual convention of the Catholic Laymen s Association of Georgia, which will be held in Augusta on October 31, will be Bernard J. Kane, prominent Catholic layman and cotton mill executive, of Atlanta, who has headed the Association as its president for the past three years. BISHOP O’HARA TO ATTEND AND OFFER CONVENTION MASS President B-ernard J. Kane, of Atlanta, to Preside at Sessions of Twenty-Eighth Annual Meeting CONVENTION PROGRAM TO BE STREAMLINED AUGUSTA, Ga.—Augusta will be host on Sunday, October 31, the Feast of Christ the King, .to the twenty-eighth annual conven tion of the Catholic Laymen’s Association of Georgia, a gather ing which will bring to this city representative Catholic men and women from all sections of the State. His Excellency the Most Rev. Gerald P. O'Hara, D.D., J.U.D., Bishop of Savannah-Atlanta, will celebrate at the Sacred Heart the Pontifical Low Mass which will open the convention, preach the sermon at the Mass, and deliver the closing address at the after noon session of the convention. The morning session will fol low immediately after the Mass, with Bernard J. Kane, of Atlanta, who has served as president of the Laymen's Association since 1940, presiding. At this session, John B. McCal- lum, of Atlanta, state secretary; Hugh H. Grady; of Savannah, treasurer; Hughes Spalding, At lanta, chairman of the Endowment Fund Committee; Alvin McAuliffe, Augusta, auditor, and Hugh Kinch- ley, Augusta, executive secretary, will submit their annual reports. Reports will also be made . to the convention at this session by the presidents of the branches in various cities, Estes Doremus, At lanta; Charles J. Walsh, Savannah; Martin J. Callaghan, Macon; Hen ry J. Murphy, Columbus; Garrett Fleming, Albany: Bernard S. Fahy, Rome; Robert E. McTigue, La- Grange; George E. Crisp, Gaines ville; E. M. Heagarty. Waycross; Reginald Hatcher, Milledgeville, and John T. Buckley, Augusta. At one o’clock the delegates will adjourn to the Bon Air Hotel where luncheon will be served, and at half-past two o’clock the afternoon session will convene to hear reports of committees, to hold the general election of of ficers, and conclude any unfin ished business. Because pf conditions created by the war. an endeavor will be made to dispense with all matters' except business of importance. In arranging the convention pro gram every effort will be made to provide as much time as pos sible for the discussion of affairs of the Association, accordingly the program will not include the social features that had been asso ciated with peace-time conven tions. Each parish in the Diocese of Savannah-Atlanta and every Cath olic organization in Georgia is en titled to representation at the con vention, and President Kane has urged that delegates be appointed promptly and notice of the ap pointment made at Once to the of fice of the Laymen’s Association in Augusta. Representatives thus appointed and other members of the associa tion who contemplate attending the convention are reminded that the hotels in Augusta are taxed to the extent of their capacity each day to accommodate their guests, and those who desire hotel,accom modations are being requested by the convention committee to make their requirements known la (Continued on Page Five)