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JANUARY. 26. 1046
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
THREE—A
WITH OTHER EDITORS
NEW AMERICAN CARDINALS
Not only American Catholics
but those of other faiths as well
will find cause for gratification in
the creation by Pope Pius XII of
four new cardinals from the
United States, amon> the thirty-
two appointments to bring the
College of Cardinals for the first
time in many years to the full
limit of seventy.
Only four of the new cardinals
are Italians, and the new college
will have the highest number of
non-Italians in history. Vs im
pressive recognition of the increa
singly large part the Americans
have played in Catholic affairs,
the Western Hemisphere is given
a total of eleven new cardinals.
For the first time this country
will have five; Latin-America,
which has, like the United States,
only one cardinaL will have seven,
and Canada will“ave another one,
to give that country two. Asia
for the first time will have a
Prince of the Church in the per
son of a Chinese bishop.
Of the greatest importance in
this country, of course, is the nam
ing of Archbishops Spellman,
Mooney, Stritch and Glennon. The
archbishop of New York, in carry
ing out his duties as military vicar
to the United States armed forces
traveled to every theatre of the
war and endeared himself to many
thousands of all creeds. The other
appointees are distinguished mem
bers of the American hierarchy.
Archbishop Glennon has been the
beloved head of the St. Louis
archdiocese for many years. Arch
bishop Stritch and Mooney have
proven able and zealous adminis
trators in Chicago and Detroit.
With fourteen members of the
College of Cardinals, the Americas
will be bound to exert at the Vati
can an influence never before ex
ercised. The time is perhaps not
too remote when the lands where
the Jesuits and Franciscans were
planting the seeds of the Catholic
faith when the papacy was already
old may produce the first Ameri
can Pope.—The Savannah Morn
ing News.)
which has consistently opposed
totalitarianism in civil government
lias won a victory. Count von Gal
en, Bishop of Muenster, was one of
the boldest Germans in opposing
Hitlerism. Also in oposition, but
not so boldly, was Count Preysing,
Bishop of Berlin. Among the new
French cardinals is Monsignor Sali-
ege, Archbishop of Toulouse, who
boldly and bitterly opposed the
Vichy government in its persecu
tion of the Jews. The four Italians
named have no past connection
with Mussolini’s government. The
Pole, Monsignor Sapieha, is a Po
lish nationalist. His nomination
will not please Russia.
Americans will applaud the
selection of Monsignor Mooney. It
was he who, t soon after his ap
pointment as Archbishop of De
troit. . . . They will be pleased,
too, at the appointment of Monsi
gnor Spellman, one of the most
influential of all Catholic clerics.
The other two American nominees
are well and favorably known in
their cities.
Pope Pius XII is the first Roman
Pontiff who has a real knowledge
of the United States. His appoint
ments indicate the belief that it
is outside devastated and chaotic
Europe and Catholic church must
look for its growth and support in
the years ahead. That this is no
new view, but rather support of
one long ago reached, is apparent
from the aggressive campaign to
gain members, hospitals and
churches in which the Catholic
church has been increasingly suc
cessful.—(The Atlanta Constitu'
tion).
To The Catholics of Georgia
GENEROUS THINKING
In its issue for January 9, The
Christian Century takes gen
erously sympathetic notice of Pius
XIIs Chrstmas Allocution, in an
edtoria! entitled, “Rome Broadens
Its Bases”. As a Protestant ma
gazine, The Christian Century
naturally “shares with Protestant
ism strong convictions jf disfavor
toward the monarchical system
which characterizes the Roman
Church.” Nevertheless there is
an appreciation of the readiness
of Rome to grapple with the is
sues of a new day,” as shown both
in the “supranationalization” of the
College of Cardinals and in the
“points for peace” of the Allocu
tion. The editorial says:
. . . taking the Roman
Church as an existent fact in
the world, we cannot be other
wise than grateful when the
head of this church displays a
true Christian statesmanship.
This we believe the Pope has
done in recognizing the supra
national character of Christian
ity in the superior order of tho»
hierachy. Protestants will re
gret that no equally impressive
church statesmanship, on
equally commanding message
has as yet come to this post
war world from any authorita
tive Protestant body or leader
ship. But they will rejoice in
the evidence now at hand that
a vigorous fife is pulsing ill
that part of the Christian
Church represented by the
communion of Rome.
This is generous thinking, large
ness of heart. It commands our
gratitude. It also indicates to
Catholics that there is a certain
quality of thought, a certain type
of leadership, to which men of
good will cannot but respond.—
(America).
NEW CARDINALS AND
CATHOLIC POLICY
Always intelligent in its concept
ion and execution of planning, the
recent papal announcement of
cardinals shows a significant and
definite crystallizing of policy on
the part of the Catholic Church.
Much more important than the
change in numerical strength of
Italian and non-Italian cardinals is
the shift in numbers as between
Europeans and non-Europeans. A
non-European cardinal was some
thing of a rarity in former years.
Now the non-Europeans make up
more than a fourth of the whole
college.
Also significant is the ideologi
cal record of some of the - new
cardinals. It would seem that the
party within the Catholic church
SPREADING THE FAITH WIDER
The precedent-shattering ap
pointment of 32 new cardinals has
several points of world-wide signi
ficance. Principal among them is
the preponderance of non-Italians,
bringing the international aspect
of the college of cardinals to the
widest representation in history.
The increase in the number of
cardinals in the United States from
four to five; in Latin-America to
six and in Canada to two, and the
conferring of a red hat on a na
tive Chinese, are illustrative of the
trend in the Roman Catholic
church, historically an internation
al institution.
Pope Pius XII by training and
inclination is one of the best in
formed and most skillful diplo
matists in world today, and it is
not surprising that at the end of
the war, he should make an im
portant and significant move to
ward reassembling the splintered
fragments of Christendom. For if
ever there was an opportunity
since the birth of the Savior for
spreading Christian religion, that
day is now. In a frightened world,
weak from slaughter, tense with
unsatisfied yearning for spiritual
as well as military peace, the field
is wide open for missionaries. They
must be missionaries adapted to
the times, aware that customs and
viewpoints change regardless of
the fixed and eternal verities, and
prepared to clothe those principles
with modern understanding.
Of the 32 new cardinals, only
four are Italians. The college now
consists of 28 Italians and 42 -non-
Italians. the highest membership
ever held outside Italy.
It also is the first time the col
lege has been filled to the limit ot
70 members. Two new wearers of
the red hat are anti-Nazis in Ger
many One of them had been
marked for death. They will help to
carry (he word to the conquered
nation not as foreign missionaries
with a prayer book in one hand
and a sword in the other, but as
the native saving the remnant that
survived the Hitler heresy. On
such people, Catholic and Protest
ant, will depend the hope of salva
tion not only for the victims of dic
tators at home, but for the peace
of the world. — (The News and
Courier, Charleston, S. C.).
Bishop’s House
Savannah, Gocrgia
v.
At this time of the year, it is usual for the Officers of the Catholic Laymen’s
Association of Georgia to launch their campaign for new members, and it affords
me the greatest pleasure to endorse the campaign again this year and to express
the hope that those who have not yet enrolled in our Laymen’s Association will
hasten to do so without delay.
1 appeal particularly this year to our Catholic youth, even those who are still
itr their teens, for they are the hope of the future and the ones who even now
should be taking a vital interest in all that concerns the welfare of the Church in
Georgia.
. %
Every year marks the thinning of the ranks of those who were the pioneer or
ganizers and champions of the lay apostolate in Georgia. Our Catholic youth should
be eager to step into their places and to carry on the noble work that the Laymen’s
Association has done in this Diocese for the past thirty years.
A few years ago there were some who thought that there really was no
further need of Laymen’s Association since apparently the objectives that prompted
its inauguration three decades ago had all been obtained. Recent events, however,
show that there is an increasing need to keep our Laymen’s Association dynamic and
energetic lest the gains achieved in the past be lost through indifference and a false
sense of security.
Celebrated indeed is the Catholic Laymen’s Association of Georgia because of its
profoundly Catholic spirit and salutary activities. Throughout the entire Country it
is hailed as a lay organization of matchless worth. Catholics in Georgia have reason
to be proud of their Laymen’s Association. Unfortunately, there have always been
only too many Catholics in Georgia who, whilst glorying in the renown brought to their
group by the work of the Laymen’s Association, have nevertheless not lifted a finger
to assist this great Association in its endeavors.
I sincerely trust that the campaign for new members now about to be inaugurat
ed will be crowned with-the fullest measure of success.
Devotedly yours in Christ,
Bishop of Savannah-Atlanta
be dominant in the United States,
and it is none the less encouraged
by news of the progress of any
and all Christian churches in our
country.—(The News and Courier'.
INTERESTING, ENCOURAGING
The appointment by Pope Pius
XII of four Americans to be mem
bers of the College of Cardinals
does not imply that at any time in
the predictable future the College
of Cardinals will elect an Ameri
can to be the Pope, and still it is
interesting that the possibility of
an American to be Pope is men
tioned by a newspaper in Rome.
The News and Courier is not a
Roman Catholic newspaper, not a
church newspaper, and still it re
joices at the growth of this great
church which, incidentally is a
mighty defense of conservative
policy throughout the world. The
News and Courier could not wish
any denomination of Christians to
SENSIBLE AND WATCHFUL
J. Edgar Hover, director of the
Federal Bureau of Investigation,
warned the nation in a recent
country-wide radio address that
war-time juvenile delinquents are
"spearheading an army of 6,000,-
00 law breakers in a new crime
wave which threatens to rival the
gangster era of the twenties.”
Mr. Hoover charged that the
press “is guilty of understatement'
in playing up crime stories; 6,000,-
000 individuals, he maintained,
have been arrested and finger
printed. one out of every 23 in
habitants of the United States.
The worst offenses, he said, are
committed by juvenile delinquents.
Arrests of gills under 18 have in
creased 198 per cent since 1939
while arrests of hoys under 18 have
increased 48 per cent for homicide,
70 per cent for rape, 39 per cent
for robbery, 72 per cent for as
sault, 55 per cent for auto thefts,
and 101 per cent for drunkenness
and driving while intoxicated.
Mr. Hoover labeled American
communists as “ponderers of dia
bolic destruction who are concen
trating their efforts to confuse and
divide by applying the fascist
smear to progressive police depart
ments, the FBI and other Ameri
can institutions to conceal then-
own sinister purposes.” He warn
ed true Americans to be “on guard
for an enemy that brazenly and
openly has advocated the corrupt
ion of America, that spends sleep
less nights working one propa
ganda line after another, that poses
behind a dozen fronts, that squirms
and twists his way into great Am
erican forces such as the churches,
schools and ranks of labor. They
are even seeking to use the re
turning veterans as a new front
behind which they can hide.”
Mr. Hoover insisted that he was
not aiming his thrusts at Russia
but at the “lunatic fringe which
represents the great majority of U.
S. communists.”
The sincere, outspoken, sensible
and categoric statements of the
FBI head on so many occasions
have been a source of unbounded
consolation to thinking Americans.
For in spite of the self-imposed
blindness and the “can’t happen
here” dullness on the one hand and
the “boring from within” on the
LT. JULIAN HAMMON
ON TERMINAL LEAVE
KATHWOOD, S. C.—First Lieu
tenant Julian B. Hammond, U. S.
Marine Corps Reserve, is home
on terminal leave from the Pa
cific area, where he served as
navigator bombardier. In addi
tion to the Air Medal, with two
bronze stars, Lieutenant Ham
mond holds the National Defense
Ribbon. the American Theater
Ribbon, the Victory Ribbon with
a bronze star, and. the Marine
Corps Good Conduct Ribbon. He
has been in the service since 1940.
Lieutenant Hammond is the
son of Mr. and Mrs. C. C. F. Ham
mond, of Kathwood. and is a
nephew of rho Right Rev. Msgr.
Andrew Keene Gwynn, P.-A , ot
Greenville, S. C.
other, they have many proofs that
there is at least one agency that is
-‘sober and watchful” in its con
scientious efforts to guard the
fundamental essential interests of
America.—(Tlic Gatliolic Sentinel).
LAW AND ORDER
Addressing more than one hun
dred Catholic, laymen, the Most
Rev. Vincent S. Waters, Bishop of
Raleigh, advocated organization of
a Catholic Laymen's association in
North Carolina, and made a strong
plea for a nation-wide return to
the faith of America’s Founding
Fathers.
Bishop Waters selected as his
subject, “Obedience to Law Is
Liberty.” “1 have chosen to speak.”
he said, “of something very much
forgotten in the modern world
that is—that all law and order de
pends fundamentally on God.”
Deploring the fact that “only 52
percent of our population in this
supposedly Christian country even
claim nominal membership in any
church,” His Excellency said: “We
used to be a Christian counrly, but
as we grew up we forgot that it
was that made us great—our trust
in God—and our religion growth
diu not keep pace. Secularism,
which means that God and religion
should be kept out of everything,
took hold.”
Bishop Waters made a plea to
the men of the diocese to “learn
your faith as well as you know
your business or profession, as
well as you know your trade or
work.”
“It will be more important to
you in the end than any of these,”
he added, “and it may be import
ant to your country or to your free
dom, or your way of life.” —
(Catholic Messenger).
President Truman Sends
Bishop Sheil to Germany
WASHINGTON, D. C.—(RNS)—
The Most Rev. Bernard J. Sheil,
Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago, and
founder and director of the Na
tional Catholic Youth Organiza
tion, has left Washington by air
to make a survey of youth condi
tions in Germany for President
Harry S. Truman, it was learned
here. The White House, however,
declined to comment on the re
port.
Bishop Sheil, who only recently
accepted (he chairmanship of the
I ational Committee for a Fair
Minimum Wage, was a visitor at
the White House and left for Eur
ope shortly thereafter, according
to an unimpeachable source.
CHRISTMAS PARTY
AT ST. MARY’S HOME
SAVANNAH, Ga.—The annual
Christmas party was held in the
artistically decorated auditorium
of St. Mary's Home on December
23. Gifts were distributed from
a Christmas tree on the stage, and
refreshments were served from ta
bles which were adorned with
birch log candle holders, holly,
evergreens and miniature Christ
mas trees.
Entertainment included a floor
show, under the direction of Miss
France TomanCe, and a motion
picture. Mrs. J. E. Sheppard
headed the committee in charge,
with Miss Angela McDonough,
Mrs. Edith Coneff, Mrs. Catherine
Sheppard. Miss Mary Ellen Flynn,
Mrs. T. P. Wright, Mrs. J. P. Me-
Ddkiough and Miss Kate McKay
assisting.
IN INDIA, following the ex
ample of the Catholic laity of
Georgia, a Catholic press board
has been organized under the
sponsorship of the newly-formed
branch of the South India Catho
lic Association in Madras, India,
to answer anti-Catholic articles ap
pearing in' Secular periodicals.
FOUR MILLION LIRE have al
ready been spent in clearing the
debris from the Benedictine Ab
bey of Monte Cassino which was
destroyed during the war. A tem
porary monastery has been erect
ed to house the monks during the
time it will lake to rebuild the
famous shrine. The recently
excavated Chapel of St. Benedict,
which was buried in the ruins was
found to be virtually undamped.