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AUGUST 30, 1952 THE BULLET1N OF THE CATHOLIC L HYMEN'S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA FIVE With Other Editors IN HONOR OF THE GREAT , BOOK Last February Catholic Bible j Week became an observance of note. This year, Bible Week will be marked in the week from Sep tember 28 to October 5. The switch is in deference to the fact that in October the 500th anni versary of the Gutenberg Bible, the first printed book will occur. The Greek word “Biblos” means simply ‘ book.” From it we get our word Bible which means The Book or rather the Book of All Books. Literally, dt is a book of many books, by many authors, both of Old and New Testament times. It is at once a little library and a whole literature, for only a few fragments of ancient Hebrew have escaped destruction except the writing contained in it. And these include history, poetry, romance, instruction and prophecy. The Old Testament or strictly Hebrew portion of the Bible con sisted of these writings under the name of the Scriptures. They were considered sacred by the Jewish people and were included in a translation made into Greek for the use of Greek-speaking Jews of Alexandria and called the Septua- gint from the 70 translators who did the work. This list was the ba sis for including Old Testament writings in the Bible. At the time there was no single book but only a collection of serip- tures with a list or canon (rule) as to which were approved. Like those of the New Testament, they had been written at different times and in different places by different writers. The Bible as we know it came into being when the Bishops of the Council of Nicaea in 325 A. D. drew up the list or -canon of what were considered sacred writings, both Hebrew and Christian, and declared such writings to be in spired. During the near three cen turies of persecution past, Chris tians had no Bible, although many, like St. Irene and her sisters, gave their lives for the preservation of the sacred books. Before that, few and only great churches possessed extensive col lections. And it was probably not a few years before the approved list was included in a single man uscript and then probably in a number of volumes. Everything had to be done by hand on big pages of parchment. Few complete copies remain and these are from much later times. They are the priceless possessions of the world’s greatest libraries. Not until Johann Gutenberg’s invention of movable type was quantity production possible. Un til then, books were scarce, expen sive and certainly not practical as a means of spreading the truth. That is why medieval churches were made to be Bibles in carv ing and picture and glass. Strangely, the inspired Book of the Nicaean Bishops became the source of appeal by the “Reform ers" against the authority that had declared it the Word of God,—a process not unlike that of moving upstairs and tearing out the first story below. The rule of private interpretations was substituted for the authoritative interpretation of the Church with the result that Christianity today counts over 300 different groups, each with its own separate understanding of what the Bible says. The Bible is infal lible, but it is clear that its self- appointed interpreters are not. For nearly 2,000 years, Scripture scholars have labored to collate, compare, correct, restore and transmit the intact text. Others have spent their lives to fix the exact meaning and to extract the maximum of truth from every text. This work still goes on in the Bib lical Commission in Rome. Modern science had opened up new methods of determining the age of manuscripts, detecting er rors of copy or interpolation, re storing the ravages of age. Even now it is searching for a way to unroll a bronze Hebrew find from the shores of the Dead Sea with out damage to the unusual and much corroded scripture inside. Whatever may be said about the Church's attitude towards the Bi ble—mostly through lack of accu rate information or abundance of misinformation,—none is able to question the fact that, save for the Catholic Church, there wouldn’t be any Bible today. She put it togeth er at the start, preserved it through the ages of barbarism, and brought it with her down the cen turies to our own time, through martyrdom and persecution, through fire and war. She reads it daily and encourages her priests and religious and layfolk to do likewise. It has always been and still is and always be her Book.— (The Catholic Review). from Whom is all authority and to Whom both of men and States must be referred, we, the people of Eire, humbly acknowledging all our ob ligations to Our Divine Lord, Jesus Christ, Who sustained our fathers THE POPE’S LETTER TO THE RUSSIAN PEOPLE „ „„ ou5lameu ou; The Holy Father’s message last { through centuries of trial week to the Russian people will ' u " - 1 have a triple effect. In the first a place, it will have an impact on those to whom it was directed. Are we recklessly optimistic in saying this? Can it possibly be that the Pope’s words will reach the Rus sian people? The message was sent out by radio, and unquestionably some residents of the U. S. S. R. heard it. Perhaps not many, but some. But, as time goes on, the substance of the communication will infiltrate the far-from-iron curtain and be. disseminated through the vast reaches of Stal in’s domain. Eventually many thou sands there will know that Pius XII has spoken in praise of the Russian people, of their Christian spirit down the centuries, of their strong devotion to Our Lady, of his love of them despite the er roneous doctrines and vicious prac tices characterizing the tyranny which holds them captive, and of his opposition to war. He is not their enemy—this they will know, and the Church which he heads is not their enemy and never has been. In the second place, there should be considerable effect in the non-Soviet world. It is com monly said that the Holy Father is trying by every means to stir up enmity toward the Russian peo ple and a war against their home land. This lie has been assiduously promoted by those who insist on misreading and misrepresenting everything Catholic. But in his ad dress the Holy Father traced the long history of papal benevolence toward Russia and her people, of the friendly relations which almost immemorially have existed be tween the Holy See and Holy Rus sia. He alluded to the papal re lief missions to Russia after World War I, extremely difficult and costly undertakings which aimed at feeding the starving, succoring the sick, stabilizing the lost and despondent. Despite the brutal fact of Communist hatred and persecu tion of religion, the Holy See strove to help all the Russians it ^ We challenge comparison of the could reach. This was a classic ex- I constitution of Ireland on the re- could reach. This was a classic ex ample of disinterested and often heroic charity, and a reminder of it is indeed timely just when it is irresponsible asserted that the Catholic purpose has ever been to precipitate suffering and terror in the land of the Soviets. Timely, too. is the reminder that the Holy Father resisted the fiercest Nazi pressure in 1941. when, having at- tacked the U. S. S. R„ Hitler want ed the Holy See to bless his aggres sion as a crusade against Com munism. This the Pope refused to do. though, had he been the op portunist his detractors picture him, he would readily have ac ceded. In the third place, and far more important than all else, there is the fact of the Holy Father’s con secration of Russia to the Im maculate Heart of Mary. To the worlding, to the person who sees things exclusively in terms of poli tical military, or economic strength, this will doubtless seem a superstitious gesture. Yet it is a tremendous move which will have tremendous repercussions. The Vicar of Christ has now put the tortured realm of the Russians in the hands of her who is the Mediatrix of All Graces. She can do what all the battalions of the free world, all the diplomacy of do hereby adopt, enact, and give to ourselves this Constitution.” Article 44, headed Religion, states: ‘The State asknowledges that the homage of public worship is due to Almighty God. It shall hold His Name in reverence, and shall respect and honor religion. “The State recognizes the spe cial position of the Holy Catholic Apostolic and Roman Church as the guardian of the Faith profess ed by the great majority of its cit izens. “The State also recognizes the Church of Ireland, the Presbyte rian Church in Ireland, the Meth odist Church in Ireland, the Reli gious Society of Friends in Ire land, as wgll as the Jewish Congre gations and the other.religious de nominations existing in Ireland at the date of the coming into opera tion of this Constitution. “Freedom of conscience and the free profession and practice of re ligion are, subject to public order and morality, guaranteed to every citizen. “The State guarantees not to en dow any religion. “The State shall not impose any disabilities or make any discrimi nation on the ground of religious profession, belief or status.” “Legislation providing State aid for schools shall not discriminate between schools under the manage ment of different denominations, nor be such as to affect prejudi cially the right of any child to at tend a school receiving public money without attending religious instruction at that school. “Every religious denomination shall have the right to manage its own affair, own, acquire and ad minister property, movable and immovable, and maintain institu tions for religious or charitable purposes. “The property of any religious denomination or any educational institution shall not be diverted save for necessary works of public untility and on payment of com pensation.” We challenge comparison of the ,o«S$r ... beptemben her ^rJj j M / Anniversary of vs kjutenhcm Bibl s 1 1 IHi MRS [ PRIM Fbi.) BOOS t > , T CATHOLIC BIBLE WEEK POSTER — Publicizing the social C , atI ?? llc ®. lb . le Week. September 23-October 5. some 60 000 copies ot this official poster have been distributed to churches, schools book stores and information centers throughout the United States’ . Resigned by William V. Cladek, of New York, the poster is issued by the Catholic Bibical Committee of’America to observe the 500th anniversary of the printing of the first book from moveable type the Gutenberg Bible.—(NC Photos). ’ lations of religion and government with that of the Scandinavian coun tries or any other countries as Protestant as Ireland is Catholic. We submit that this Constitu tion is as thoroughly Catholic as that of any nation. We further sub mit that it completley refutes the arguments of the “Protestants and Other Americans United for Sepa ration of Church and State” who picture the Catholic Church as striving to dominate and to crush wherever it has power.—The Cath olic News). Diocese of Dallas To Have Its First Catholic Newspaper DALLAS, Texas. (RNS)—Coad jutor Bishop Thomas K. Gorman is establishing The Texas Catholic, a weekly newspaper for the Dio cese of Dallas. First issue will go to press here in September or October. The weekly will be designed to serve approximately 80,000 Catholics. It will be the first newspaper to be published by the Diocese in its 62-year history. Bishop Gorman has named F Gordon O’Neill, GOD LOVE YOU Most Reverend Fulton J. Sheen E NOUGH evidence has sifted through the Bamboo Curtain to indicate that the Reds have three major fears: I. The Blessed Mother; 2. The Holy Father; 3. Martyrs and Saints. Those who are looking for the Divine in religion can find it bv seeing what Satan’s cohorts in China hate most. First the Blessed Mother. These Communists who know nothing about Christianity he e mmher e of 0 R e Huh° bel ° ngS l ° the Legion of * Ialy - No man hates the mother ot Buddha nor even the mother-of a Hitler. Why then the hatred of Mary? Because she is the Mother of God Tt^Com- mumsts are wiser than bigots. The latter spread lies about the “l? a ! e ’ kut the Devil knows where to attack—namely the Mothei oi Christ and the Mother of Christians. F, ™ e n, SeC ° nd ” leal , fear of the Communists is the Holy Father. Hence they organized an “Independent” Church promised release from prison if the m^sionanes would deny the Holy Father; tried to bnbe one Bishop to become the “new Pope.” As one Communist strov P ?t P ” r tU* n a y ° U Cannot retorm youl ' Church, we will de- McnH !' a I t *" ow very wel1 a Body cannot exist without a Head, and that if the Church were without its Vicar, it would become as disorganized in doctrine as the many sects. The Reds never heard ot Christ s words to ePter: “Thou art the Rock," but Stalin is telling layman widely nu i, u , an me uipiomacy ot known in Catholic newspaper eir- the geniuses in that line, all the j cle S, as editor, economic pressure that might be i Bishop Gorman is chairman of mustered, cannot do. She can j the Press Department of the Na- toueh hearts; she can influence I tional Catholic Welfare Confer- wills; she can wield supernatural I en ce. His interest in writing and fftrPA Il’miflocc __ i npwsnanpr umrtr rlofac mnn., force, limitless and irrestible so as to bring peace out of what seems the proximate conditions of war. Let all of us now join our voices with that of the Holy Fath er in urgent prayer to Our Lady that Russia will soon again be a cooperative member of the family of nations under God.—(The Cath olic Transcript). CHURCH AND STATE IN EIRE In the discussion of the rela tions of Church and State, we wish to cite the case of Ireland. Anyone who denies that Ireland is a truly Catholic nation will have arrayed against him practically all the peo ple of the Republic. Anyone who seeks to find there evidence to sustain fears of “Roman Catholic totalitarianism” will look in vain. The Constitution of Ireland opens with these words: “In the name of the Most Holy Trinity, newspaper work dates to many years ago. He was editor of The Tidings, Los Angeles Catholic weekly, from 1925 to 1931. Short ly after he was named Bishop of Reno, in 1931, he established The Nevada Register, another Catholic weekly. Religious Community To Aid Missions Has Opened Its Novitiate FRAMINGHAM, Mass. —(NC)— The first six novices of a new reli gious community, the Sons of Mary, Health of the Sick, received their habits at the opening of the community’s novitiate here. The purpose of the Sons of Mary, founded by Father Edward F. Garesche, S. J., is to help in the home and foreign missions in the .field of medical aid. In the foreign The fmal fear of the Reds is saints and martyrs. They have put stop t® Masses m Shanghai for Father Beda Chang who died a m»rtyr; they have placed guards at his grave to stop visitors coming 0 . p *' ay; "'ey asked the Bishop if he intended to canonize fX? Chang and told him he would be held resoonsible for any miracles worked through his intercession. Holiness is fixation in goodness; it is Saints the Communists fear, not Liberals or anti-Communists. Here are three of the pillars of our faith, fellow Catholics! ror each a renewed dedication: To honor the Holy Father make some sacrifice, a thousand dollars if you can afford it or the price of a dessert if you cannot afford it. To honor Our Blessed Lady send for a World Mission Rosary which is dedicated to the 110 000 missionaries in 614 missionary areas on the 5 continents. A small leaflet with each Rosary explains the significance of the colors. At your request and a $2 offering, we will bless and forward you this high form of missionary prayer. To honor the saints and to be one with the martyrs, unite yourself with our saintly mission aries by becoming a Perpetual Member of The Society for the Propagation of the Faith for $40. For $100, you ean enroll all your family, father, mother and children, living and dead. You will then share in 15,000 Masses offered each year for your in tention. This is what others are doing: GOD LOVE YOU to A. McG foi $31. “I am sending along the July check for $31. Since you told how grateful a missioner is to receive a dollar a day I want to do al least that much.” . . . GOD LOVE YOU to C A B. for the $2 she sacrificed and sent to the Holy Father’s Missions. . . . GOD LOVE YOU to V.D.K. for $22. “I am glad to be able to send you this money for the Missions. I won the office jackpot on the All Star game and as soon as I found out my score was high, I promised the Blessed Mother that if I won I would send the money to you for the missions in China.’ . . . GOD LOVE YOU to Anon, who sacrificed $125 vacation money to send to the Holy Father’s Missions. Cut out this column, pin your sacrifice to it and send it to the Most Reverend Fulton J. Sheen, National Director of The Society for the Propagation of the Faith, 109 East 38th Street, New York 16x, New York or your Diocesan Director. missions they will train native nurse-catechists and send them out to train still other natives in such work. One of the six novices is a priest, the first to be ordained for tin work of the medical missions. Tw< others are studying for the priest hood and the remaining three ar« to be become Brothers.