Newspaper Page Text
JULY 26, 1952
Bishop of Wheeling
Blames Secularism
For Birth Contrail
WHEELING, W. Va.—(RNS)—
Bishop John J. Swint of Wheeling
asserted here that “the complete
surrender to present-day secular-
chiefly responsible for the increase
in birth control.
The Bishop was amplifying his
stand against the establishment of
a proposed birth control clinic in
Parkersburg, W. Va., to be operat
ed by the Planned Parenthood As
sociation of Wood County.
Birth control as advocated by
the Planned Parenthood Associa
tion, Bishop Swint said, “is sinful,
not because the Catholic Church
forbids it, but because it is against
the moral law implanted by God
himself in our very nature.”
The prelate pointed out that un
til a little more than fifty years
ago practically all who considered
themselves Christians were against
birth control.
“It is only now,” he continued,
“with the complete surrender to
present-day secularism and mod
ern paganism, that many can no
longer see the sinfulness of it.
They allow themselves to be gov
erned and guided, not by what God
Wants or has commanded, but by
their own feelings and their own
ideas of what ought to be or what
is right or wrong.
“It is entirely incorrect to sup
pose that all scientists and doctors
approve of birth control as ad
vocated today. Many of the most
outstanding doctors are opposed to
it and declare that it results in
very definite physical and especial
ly nervous and emotional evil con
sequences. When you violate na
ture, nature strikes back.”
Bishop Swint said that “surely
no one will be misled by the plea-
that such birth control clinics
as are planned are necessary for
the poor who cannot afford to have
large families.”
“One would have to be exceed
ingly naive,” he said, “to believe
that these clinics would be pat
ronized only, or even chiefly, by
the poor.
“Were the advocates of birth
control to expend the same energy,
zeal and money as they do on birth
control or planned parenthood, in
remedying the conditions that pro
duce poverty, and in guaranteeing
working people a family wage,
much more would be done for the
poor, without inducing them to use
immoral, sinful and degrading
means to limit the number of their
children.”
Because modern science has in
vented easy and safe means of
bringing about birth control, the
bishop said, it must not be assumed
that it is lawful.
“Modern science,” he said, “has
also invented many easy and safe
means of putting people to death,
but it is murder nevertheless.”
Bishop Swint stressed that he
was not “telling non-Catholics
what they must believe or do.”
“But it is our solemn duty to tell
them what is right and what is
wrong,” he added.
“And, as regards our own Catho
lic people,” the bishop said, “it is
our duty not only to tell them what
is wrong and sinful, but to safe
guard them as far as possible from
the dangers of sin sueh as are of
fered them by establishing birth
control clinics in their midst and
the propaganda that goes with
them.”
Roman Ritual Published
In Latin and English
MILWAUKEE. (NO—The com
plete Homan Ritual has been pub
lished here in English and Latin,
making available in the vernacular
the great treasure of worship forms
of the Chrch.
Facing pages in the three vol
umes issued by the Bruce Publish
ing Company here are in Latin and
English, with plain chant in Grego
rian notation included where nec
essary.
This supplements the usual vest-
pocket editions in Latin for the use
of priests. The new edition may be
used as a manual for priests or for
reference, reading and meditation
by all Catholics. Every modifica
tion introduced in the Roman Rit
ual since the last official Latin edi
tion of 1925 has been included.
The Rev. Philip T. Weller is the
editor, annotator and translator of
the new edition.
APPROVAL has been given by
the Sacred Congregation of Rites
for the introduction of beatifica
tion proceedings for Father Miguel
Augustine Pro,. S. J. L who wa§ ex
ecuted in Mexico City in 1927,
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
THREE
AT CATHOLIC PRESS CONVENTION — Father Thomas A.
Meehan, editor' of The New World, Chicago, newly elected presi
dent of the Catholic Press Association, center, greets Ray Dono
van, left, public information director, at the University of Notre
Dame, where the convention was held, and Charles J. McNeill,
general manager of George A. Pflaum Publishers, Inc., Dayton,
Ohio, newly elected vice-president of the press association.—(NC
Photos).
Knights of Columbus Mode Known to
Millions Through Advertising Program
NEW HAVEN, Conn. — It was-
not a selfish desire to benefit the
Order which prompted the Su
preme Council of the Knights of
Columbus to assume sponsorship of
the Catholic Advertising program.
The primary purpose was to bring
the truth of the Catholic Faith to
the millions who might not other
wise receive it ... to refute anti-
Catholic propaganda ... to pro
vide opportunity for large num
bers of people to study Catholi
cism in privacy and to embrace it
if they wish.
These objectives, of course, are
being achieved on a magnificent
scale. But not every Knight and
every Council may realize the vast
benefits which are accruing to the
Order itself as a result of the ad
vertising.
Millions of people are now famil
iar with the name of the Knights of
Columbus who may never have
heard of it before. Many of them
now know that the Order is a so
ciety of Catholic men dedicated to
worthy purposes as indicated by
their devotion to their Faith. It is
highly probable that the name of
the Order is. seen oftener, by more
people, than that of any other or
ganization in the United States and
Canada.
It is important to the Order to
have the friendship, respect and co
operation of the Hierarchy and the
clergy in all phases of our activi
ties.
No other of its achievements has
won such high praise from the cler
gy as has the advertising program.
These commendations range all
the way from the Apostolic bless
ing of the Holy Father himself to
the warmest expressions of ap
proval from the Bishops. From par
ish priests and from missionaries
in foreign lands.
It is only natural for the clergy
to urge members' of their parish
to join an organization which is
serving the Church in such a nota
ble and practical way. And the re
sult is that numerous new mem
bers both priests and laymen, have
come into the ranks of the Knights
of Columbus in the last several
years as a direct result of the ad
vertising activity.
Many new members also have
come into the Order of their own
volition because they like the type
of Catholic action whjeh the adver
tising represents. And it may be
said without exaggeration that the
advertising project has been an im
portant factor in the Order’s mem
bership rise of more than 100,000
in the last four years.
The prestige of every Council is
enhanced by it identification with
this unique work, and this is espe
cially true where the Councils sup
port the international program
with the publication of the adver
tisements locally at their own ex
pense.
This prestige, both nationally in
the United States and Canada and
locally in each community, is a val
uable aid to the Councils in what
ever other types of Catholic or
community action they may under
take. It creates an atmosphere of
confidence and good-will among
people of all denominations and
gains respectful attention for other
projects which the Knights of Co
lumbus may sponsor or oppose.
The impact of the program
among Catholics is impressive. It
provides them with “ammunition”
in their quest for converts. It en
ables them to answer questions
about their religion which they
might formerly have been unable
to answer correctly. In general
they say, the Catholic action by any
lay organization in the history of
the Church—-which covers a lot of
territory.
Lutheran Educator Replies to Charge
That Church Schools Are Devisive
RIVER FOREST, 111—(NC)— A
prominent Luthern educator madej
a vigorous reply here to charges j
that church schools are a threat to
national unity.
He was Dr. A. C. Stellhorn, sec
retary of schools for The Luther
an Church-Missouri Synod, who
took particular exception to the re
cent statement of President James
B. Conant of Harvard University
that “the greater proportion of our
youth who attend independent
schools, the greater the threat to
our democratic unity.”
Addressing the Synod’s educa
tion conference at Concordia
Teachers College, Dr. Stellhorn de
clared that “under certain circum
stances, or to certain audiences, in
fluential men, like Dr. Conant,
sometimes make statements for
which they have no evidence, and,
when pinned down, regret and
modify them.”
“Dr. Conant infers disunity in
our national life, or at least a dis
unity in the future, if we continue
a dual system of education,” he
said. “If he speaks of the future, he
would have to base his prediction
on the experiences of the past.
Does he, then, charge that the
private and church schools of the
past have brought about an ob
servable disunity. If so, where is
the evidence?”
Posing the question of what Dr.
Conant meant by “disunity in our
national life,” the Lutheran official
inquired: “Does he infer that the
products of public education are
the genuine American article,
while the products of non-public
schools arc. not up to par, or. what
would be worse, a disruptive, divis
ive force? Or does he refer to the
fact that we do not all belong to
the same political party, or the
same church denomination, or the
same civic organization?”
“Is he,” Dr. Stellhorn went on,
“advocating a uniformity o f
thought and action, such as that
striven for by a Hitler, Stalin, and
Mussolini, or only a unity in all
essentials of American citizenship?
If the latter, does he not have it
now? Or is he referring to com
munism and similar subversive
forces? If so, he should know that
a church school is the last place
to look for communist teachers,
whereas the public school system
is obliged, because of its nature,
to purge itself of such teachers,
and, as a precautionary measure,
consider an oath of allegiance.”
Referring to the “destructive
bias” Often experienced by pri
vate and church schools in the past,
Dr. Stellhorn asserted: “Under
American law, not the private and
church school, but the biased, in
tolerant or bigoted desire and at
tempt to abolish it, is the un-
American thing. Not a dictatorial
decree by the State which directs
parents to what school to send their
children, but the sacred right of
parents to decide this question
themselves, is the thing that is
constitutional and truly Ameri
can.”
Dr. Stellhorn declared that Lu
therans do not oppose public edu
cation, but “wholeheartedly sup
port it, financially and morally.”
However, he stressed that parents
and churches have, a conscientious
obligation to ensure that children
FATHER THOMAS A.
HEADS CATHOLIC PRESS ASSOCIATION
fiy BURKE WALSH
(Staff Correspondent, N. C. W. C.
News Service)
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The Rev.
Thomas A. Meehan, editor of the
New World, newspaper of the
Archdiocese of Chicago, was elect
ed president of the Catholic Press
Association of the United States
here. The action came in the clos
ing session of the organization’s
42nd annual convention, held on
the campus of the University of
Notre Dame.
Charles J. McNeill, general man
ager of George A. Pflaum Publish
er, Inc., Dayton, O., was elected j
vice president. The Rev. Philip L.
Kennedy, managing editor of The
Observer, newspaper of the Dio- j
cese of Rockford, 111., was elected i
treasurer.
Father Kennedy, Mr. McNeill, j
Msgr. John S. Randall, managing j
editor of the Catholic Courier ;
Journal, newspaper of the Diocese j
of Rochester, N. Y., and David Host ]
of the Marquette University School i
of Journalism, representing the
Catholic School Editor, Milwaukee
were elected to the Board of dir-
rectors.
At the meeting of the board of
directors, following the conven
tion proper, Father Meehan, as
president with the approval of the (
board, reappointed Monsignor Ran- \
dall to serve as secretary of the i
Association. He also named An j
drew B. McGivney of the New
World, Chicago, to serve again as
general counsel.
Monsignor J. B. Lux, editor of
Extension Magazine, Chicago, was i
named chairman of the Assoeia-!
tions’ magazine committee; F. A.
Fink, managing editor of Our Sun- j
day Visitor, Huntington, Ind., to
be chairman of the newspaper
committee, Mr. Host to be chair
man of the school press commit
tee.
Retiring President F. A. Fink
was presented with a hand-lettered
“special citation” as a mark of the
Assoication’s “esteem for his great
contribution to the progress of the
Catholic Press.” Mr. Fink is man
aging editor of Our Sunday Visitor,
Huntington, Ind. The presentation
was made by Bishop Thomas K.
Gorman, Coadjutor of Dallas;
Episcopal Chairman of the Press
Department of the National Catho
lic Welfare Conference, and hon
orary president of the C. P. A. As
the concluding business of the con
vention, Bishop Gorman read the
act consecrating the members of
the Association to the Sacred
Heart.
The convention voted amend
ments to the C. P. A. by-laws which
admit Canadians members to full
membership; fix the organization’s
fiscal year to run from January 1
to December 31; call for the desig
nation of an official agent for
each member publication to vote
on official actions of the Associa
tion; gave recognition to proxy
votes; empowered the credentials
committee of the body to certify
the registered agents of member
publications before each conven
tion; simplified the method of mak
ing organization disbursements,
and estabilshed a new regulation
of expenditures from the Associa
tion Literary Awards Foundation.
The Association pledged the
members “to fulfill the moral re
sponsibilities of our own work by
reporting, interpreting, comment
ing upon and judging the state
ments and acts of others with strict
adherence to the demands of
charity and justice.”
The organization also called at
tention to the importance of the
coming national elections and
pledged itself “to the task of urg
ing Catholic readers to fulfill their
civil responsibility of registering
as voters and going to the polls to
cast their votes according to their
own prudent judgment.”
If the Catholic Press does its
work well “we may look forward
to the brightest period of Christian
civilization in all the history of the
world,” His Eminence Samuel
Cardinal Stritch declared.
In thoughtful counsels to the
editors of hundreds of Catholic
newspapers and magazines gather- ,
ed here from all parts of the Unit
ed States and Canada, the Arch
bishop of Chicago advised them to
use “all the techniques” available
to them and to “talk the language
of our times.”
“Remember it is our modern
world which must be brought to
Christ,” he said.
“Be clever, be untiring, be pro
found, be courageous, be ready to
say the unpleasant thing,” His
Eminence urged. “You are engag
ed in the great work for God and
country. Remember always that to
give to others what you have seen
and heard you must first spend
long hours of looking at it and
hearing the words.”
The Cardinal spoke at the
banquet session of the annual con
vention of the Catholic Press As
sociation of the United States, held
on the campus of the University of
Notre Dame. The various sessions
of the four-day meeting are devot
ed to the study of problems con
fronting Catholic publications, and
to the search for ways to increase
their effectiveness.
Present at the dinner were three
American Bishops, all prominent
ly identified with the development
of the Catholic press in this coun
try.
One was Bishop John F. Noll of
Fort Wayne, Episcopal Host to the
Convention. Founder and editor of
Our Sunday Visitor of Huntington,
Ind., he has been one of the fore
most figures in Catholic journalism
for many years.
Another was Bishop Thomas K.
Gorman, Coadjutor of Dallas,
Episcopal Chairman of the Press
Department of the National Catho
lic Welfare Conference, and him
self a former Catholic editor.
The third prelate was Bishop
Albert R. Zuroweste of Belleville,
111., Assistant Episcopal Chairman
of the N. C. W. C. Press Depart
ment, who was also an editor at
the time he was elevated to the
Episcopate.
are trained in moral and spiritual
values.
“Let it be known,” he said, “that
the obligations are sufficiently real
to our (Lutheran) people that they
are willing to spend upwards of
ten millions of dollars annually for
their schools, besides supporting
the public schools for the purpose
for which they are being maintain
ed; that while they save the State
millions of dollars annually, they
refuse to accept any public funds
for their schools. But this is at the
same time a service to the State. If
good character, conscientious loyal
ty and genuine patriotism are the
chief traits of a good American
citizens, we believe that we are
doing the State a greater service
without any loss or cost to the
State, by maintaining our own
schools.”
Priests, Seminarians,
Brothers to Attend
Religious Congress
NOTRE DAME, Ind. —(NC)—
Accommodations for a total of 800
priests, clerical students and Bro
thers will be available at the Uni
versity of Notre Dame here dur
ing the First National Congress of
Religious August 9-13.
All major superiors of male re
ligious institutes in the United
States and its possessions have
been invited to attend the congress.
They also were asked to send a
number of delegates to represent
their reliigous organizations—with
a quota of about two per cent of
their professed membership in this
country.
Sessions of religious men and re
ligious women will be held separ
ately during the congress’ three
opening days.
Topics treated will cover a wide
range of subjects related to reli
gious life in the United States.
Abbot James Fox of the Trappist
Monastery at Gethsemani, Ky„,
will discuss the contemplative life
in America. He has been granted
special permission to attend the
congress by his Abbot General.
Other speakers will include Father
Stephen Hartdegen O. F. M., of
Washington, D. C., who will talk on
secular institutes, and Father
Gerald Kelly, S. J., of St. Mary’s
College Kans., who will discuss the
theology of religious vocations.
Archbishop John F. O’Hara, C.
S. C., of Philadelphia will address
the delegates on the evening of
August 9, and Benediction will be
celebrated by the Very Rev.
Arcadio Larraona, C. M. F., secre
tary of the Sacred Congregation of
Religious in Rome.
On the following morning Bishop
John F. Noll of Fort Wayne will
pontificate at a Mass for the con
gress delegates. His Excellency
Archbishop Amelto Giovanni Cico-
gnarri, Apostolic Delegate to the
United States, will preside. Later
in the morning- Archbishop Oico-
gnani will address the delegates.