Newspaper Page Text
Published by the
Catholic Lay
men’s Association
of Georgia
“To Bring About
a Friendlier
Feeling Among
Neighbors Irre
spective of Creed”
Vol. XXV No. 1 TWENTY-EIGHT PAGES
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA, JANUARY 22, 1944 ISSUED MONTHLY—$2.00 A YEAR
VATICAN CITY IN WAR TIME
These pictures just received from Vatican City show, upper left, two German paratroops patrolling:
|the white marble line in St. Peter's Square which marks the border between Italian and Vatican ter- (
jritory. Right photo. Vatican guards equipped with rifle, bayonet, saber and pistols are stationed at
'all entrances to the Vatican. Lower photos, all persons, employees or visitors, entering the Basilica
of St. Peter’s or any of the Vatican offices must present passes and have their credentials thoroughly
examined. (N.C.W.C.)
Diplomats Accredited to Holy See,
Including U, S. Charge d’Affairs,
at Christmas Mass of Holy Father
Holy Father’s Christmas Message
a Plea for Restoration of Peace
Based on Justice and Equity
Bulletins
DESPITE an intense cold wave
which is currently gripping that
area, the authorities of Vatican
City are adhering to an earlier de
cision to postpone indefinitely the
heating of offices and dwellings
within Vatican City, including the
apartment of His Holiness Pope
Pius XII. The decision to postpone
the heating of Vatican City struc
tures was taken originally by the
authorities by a special disposi
tion of the Holy Father, owing to
the special requirements of the
present grave war period which
demands from all the most rigid
economy and the willing accep
tance of sacrifices and privations.
MARKING THE COMPLETION
of one year’s collaboration in the
work of the Vatican Information
Service for war prisoners, the
Apostolic Delegation in Washing
ton announced that in 1943 it had
cleared 345,398 messages relating
tb prisoners of war; internees and
others.
CHURCH UNITY OCTAVE,
originated in 1908 by Father Paul
James Francis, S. A., of the then
Anglican Church affiliated Fran
ciscan Friars of the Atonement, of
Graymoor Monastery, Garrison, N.
Y„ which has as its intention the
return of all dissident Christians
to communion with the Apostolic
See, will be observed from Janu-
ary 18 to 25.
(Radio, N.C.W.C. News Service)
VATICAN CITY. — At five
o’clock the afternoon of Christ
mas Eve, His Holiness Pope Pius
XII celebrated successively the
first two of his three Christmas
Masses.
Present for the Holy Father's
Masses were approximately 200
persons, including members of the
diplamatic corps accredited to the
Holy See, relatives of Pope Pius
XII, and members of the Papal
household. There were about 110
members of the diplomatic corps
present, including Harold Titt-
mann, United States Charge des
Affaires, and all the members of
his family. Practically the eptire
group of accredited diplomats,
virtually all of whom are Catho
lics, received Holy Communion
from the hands of the Holy
Father.
It presented a moving and im
pressive sight to see the diploma
tic representatives of belligerent
powers kneeling side by side in
recollection and prayer. It was
observed to symbolize the essen
tial human fraternity before God,
to be a living picture of the pos
sibilities of the peace so ardently
desired, and to be an eloquent ex
pression of sentiments contained
in the Christmas Eve address of
Pope Pius XII delivered a few
hours before.
The music for the Mass was ren
dered by soloists from the Choir
of the Pontifical Academy of St.
Cecilia.
Interviewed following the sacred
ceremonies, diplomats enthusiasti
cally gave expression to the deep
est impressions made upon by the
services.
Decree Tuto Approved in
Canonization Cause of
Blessed Mother Cabrini
(Radio, NCWC News Service)
VATICAN CITY, — In the pre
sence of His Holiness Pope Pius
XII, the Sacred Congregation of
Rites on January 11 approved the
decree Tuto in the cause of canon
ization of Blessed Mother Frances
Xavier Cabrini, Foundress of the
Missionary Sisters of the Sacred
Heart of Jesus.
Following these proceedings no
thing remains except the formal
canonization ceremony in St. Pet
er’s.
VICTIM OF A HEART ATTACK
the Most Rev. James .1. Hartley,
fourth Bishop of Columbus, Ohio,
died on January 12. He was 85
years old. ,
(Radio, N. C. W. C. News Service)
VATICAN CITY, — Speaking by
radio to the world as it prepared
to observe its fifth Christmas “in
a sombre atmosphere of death and
hale,” His Holiness Pope Pius XII
called upon the leaders of peoples
to “give mankind, thirsting for it,
a peace that shall reinstate the hu
man race in its own esteem and in
that of history.”
“Scrupulously faithful as we
wish to be to the duty of impar
tiality inherent in Our pastoral
ministry,” His Holiness said, “We
formulate the desire that Our
dear children will not let slip any
opportunity of securing the
triumph of the principles of far-
seeing and even-minded justice
and brotherhood, in the questions
that are so essential for the salva
tion of States.”
The Holy Father said “a real
peace in conformity with the dig
nity of man and the Christian con
science can never be harsh impo
sition by arms but rather is the
result of a provident justice and a
responsible sense of equity to
wards all.”
“You must not tomorrow slain
the peace and repay injustice with
injustice, or commit an even
greater injustice,” the Sovereign
Pontiff declared.
His Holiness was vigorous in
insisting that the rights oi every
people and nation, despite its size,
be respected in the peace that will
be made. He sternly warned that
all members of the “family of
States” must be left its own dig
nity “without renouncing or des
troying itself.” “Do not ask,” he
pleaded, renunciation of substan
tial rights or vital necessities
which you yourselves, if it were
demanded from your people,
would deem impracticable.’”
Repeatedly he referred to “the
family of States,” “the Family of
peoples,” “a new spirit of world
union.”
ANXIETY FOR ALL PEOPLES
Speaking to “all of you who by
the disposition and permission of
God hold in your hand the destiny
of your own and other peoples,”
Pope Pius said he is “anxious for
the welfare and even for the very
existence of each and every peo
ple,” and he called upon leaders
to: “Rise above yourselves, above
every narrow calculating judg
ment, above every boast of mili
tary superiority, above every one
sided affirmation of right and
justice.”
Pope Pius prayed that this will
be the last war Christmas, but
told his^. listeners that “all of Our
efforts cannot cause this horrible
war to end of a sudden.” “Much
less is it . Our power,” he added,
“to open to you the future, of
which God holds the keys.” “Two
things, however,” His Holiness
said, “We can and will do.”
“The first is that We have used
and shall use all Our resources,
material and spiritual, to lessen
the sad consequences of the war
for prisoners, wounded, missing,
straying, needy—for all those in
suffering and trouble of every
language and nation.
“The second is that in the
course of this sad time We want
you above all to remember the
great consolations with which our
faith inspires us when it teaches
that death and the sufferings of
this life lose their bitter sorrow
for those who can with calm and
serene conscience make their own
that prayer of the Church in the
Mass of the Dead: ‘Unto Thy faith
ful, O Lord, life is changed, not
taken away: and the abode of this
earthly sojourn being dissolved,
an eternal dwelling is prepared in
Heaven’.”
OUTLINES CHRISTIAN DUTY
Pope Pius, outlining the duties
of Christians at the present mo
ment, said “the progress of man
kind in the present confusion has
been a progress without God and
even against God; without Christ
and even against Christ.” “It is
fitting, however,” His Holiness
continued, “that Christians reflect
on that share of responsibility
which belongs to them for the pre
sent afflictions.”
Pope Plus said it is “tragically
sad’ ’to think of the “countless
men” who have found only “decep
tive illusions and painful disillu
sionment” in their search for hap
piness that will satisfy them on
this earth.
‘DISILLUSIONED SOULS’
In the ranks of “these Straying
disillusioned souls,” His -Holiness
said, “it is not hard to find those
who placed all their faith in a
world expansion of economic life,
thinking that this alone would suf
fice to draw the peoples together
in a spirit of brotherhood, and
promising themselves from its
grandiose organization, perfected
and refined to an even greater de
gree, unheard of and unsuspected
increase of prosperity for human
society.”
“In the same way acted and
thought in the past those other
deluded ones,” the Holy Father
said, “who placed happiness and
prosperity exclusively in a form
of science and culture which was
averse to recognizing the Creator
of the Universe.”
“Let not these disillusioned
votaries of science and economic
life fear to come before the Crib
of the Son of God,” Pope Pius
said.
His Holiness said that in addi
tion to those who are “profound
ly disconcerted because of the
bankruptcy of social and intel
lectual trends ’largely followed by
political leaders and scientists,”
there is “the not less numerous
class” of those “who are in great
distress and sorrow because of the
collapse of their own personal and
private ideal of life.”
The Holy Father added that this
class “comprises the immense
number of those for whom labor
was the end of life, and for whom
the goal of their fatigue was a
comfortable material existence,
but who, in the struggle to attain
this end, had put far from them
religious considerations, and had
neglected to give to their life a
healthy moral orientation.”
Algiers Newspaper Suggests
Revision of Lateran Treaty
(Radio, N.C.W.C. News Service)
ALGIERS. — In an article in
Journal Soil - , Algiers daily, Jac
ques Desroches discusses whether
the Lateran Treaty ought to be re
vised.
On the occasion of the meeting
of the Mediterranean Commission,
the article says, the question ought
to be put up to public opinion.
The status of Vatican City, it
adds should not be handled as an
Italian affair since it is actually
an international matter and should
be regulated as a matter having
to a great extent a relation to the
Italian question.
A Pontifical State—small doubt
less but with access to the sea and
international guarantees—ought to
be included among plans for geo
graphical changes on the penin-
sula, the article says,
THE 4th WAR LOAN HAS BEEN LAUNCHED
BACK THE ATTACK!
... ..