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JULY 23, 1955.
THE BULLETIN OB' THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
ELEVEN
Peron’s Promises
Follow Bishops’
Freedom Demand
Osservatore Writer Comments On
Italy’s New 4-Party Government
(N.C.W.C. News Service)
BUENOS AIRES, July IB—The
promise of a new era of constitu
tional freedom in Argentina—with
the implication of full respect for
the rights of the Catholic Church
—has been made by President
Juan D. Peron in a speech to Pe-
ronist Party congressmen.
However, both Opposition polit
ical elements and Catholic circles
here are apparently waiting for
definite assurance that democrat
ic rule and true religious ‘freedom
is hereafter to prevail.
President Peron’s talk to the
congressmen took place at Gov
ernment House almost a month
after the unsuccessful revolt
against his regime and little
more than a week after he had
issued an appeal to opponents for
a political truce.
Only two days before, apparent
ly in response to the President’s
truce appeal, the Argentine hier
archy had published a joint pas
toral letter declaring that the “le
gitimate rights and liberties” of
the Church must be respected, as
well as public and personal rights.
Calling for freedom of the
press, assembly and radio as a
first step to restoring true har
mony and order in the nation, the
Bishops wrote:
“It is necessary to admit the
need for restoring indispensable
conditions so that a real public
opinion, representing the thought
of all inhabitants of the country,
can freely and fully express it
self.”
In his talk to the congressmen,
President Peron declared that he
was stepping down as “chief of
-the revolution” to become “the
President of all Argentines,
friends and foes.” He said the
revolution he had inspired and
led was over, and added that the
time had come for the country to
seek a normality it had never en
joyed before and to restore free
doms his government had taken
away from the nation to achieve
a “new Argentina.”
“My situation has absolutely
changed,” he said, “and thus 1
must abolish all the restrictions
that we have imposed on the pro
cesses and proceedings of our ad
versaries due to the necessity of
fulfilling our objectives, so that
they can act freely within the
framework of law with all its
guaranteed rights and liberties.”
The President, went on to stress
that “the aim of our government
is to obtain peace in Argentina”
and that this is not the moment
“to initiate base controversies.”
He also said a purge of the Peron-
ist Party is necessary because it
had become soft, due to being
spared the real political opposition
and which it must now confront.
President Peron’s call for a
political truce had meanwhile
been answered also by the nation
al executive committee of the So
cialist Party which declared that
“a return to normality in political
life is not jeopardized by parties
or citizens,” but by “a totalitarian
regime that burdens the nation.”
The President’s speech promis
ing constitutional liberties was
preceded as well by the announce
ment of the formation of a new
Christian Democratic Party. Ac
cording to reports, the party is
an outgrowth of the Christian
Democratic movement which has
existed here for some 30 years as
a Catholic social and cultural
group.
It was recalled that a tentative
announcement of the formation of
the new party last year was one
of the chief reasons that led Pres
ident Peron to launch his anti-
NEWS FROM
SACRED HEART
WARNER ROBINS, Ga.—Mrs.
B. J. Reilly has been elected
president of the Altar Guild of
the Sacred Heart Catholic
Church here. She succeeds Lt.
Col. Agnes Hoffman of Robins
Air Force Base, who has served
the Guild for the past two years.
Mrs. Reilly, a native of Day-
ton, Ohio, is the wife of Colonel
Reilly of Robins AF<3. The
couple and their s i x children
moved to Warner Robins a few
months ago from Elmendorf
AFB, Alaska.
Other officers named include
Mrs. Joe Long, vice president;
Mrs. Edwin Wallace, secretary,
and Mrs. Roy Powers, treasurer.
A memorial Mass for Mrs. Nell
Maguelo, wife of Lt. Col. Ameri-
co Maguelo of Robins Air Force
Base, was said at the Sacred
Heart Church here Friday July 8.
The Mass was offered by Fath
er Thomas Bowdern, S. J.. of
Creighton University, Omaha,
brother of the late Mrs. Maguelo.
Father Bowdern, noted educator
and sociologist, gave a brief talk
during the Mass.
Father Donnelly announced
that during the recent renova
tion program at the church, a
new baldacchino for the altar
and other decorations were
donated by Col. Maguelo in
memory of his wife. Interior of
the church was repainted by the
church men under the direction
of N. M. Bentley of Macon, who
donated the paint for the work.
Arthur Philastre
Services In Atlanta
ATLANTA, Ga.—Funeral serv
ices for Mr. Arthur L. Philastre
were held July 9th at the Sacred
Heart Church, Rev. Father James
M. Cummings, S. M. officiating.
Survivors are his wife; a son,
Paul Philastre.
Church campaign.
The new party described itself
in a manifesto as “a political par
ty with a doctrinary basis.” While
disclaiming any intention of dis
placing any of the existing par
ties, it said: “We do not believe
good leadership to be the exclu
sive patrimony of what is known
as the Opposition in this country.
Some mew developments have
taken place meanwhile which are
viewed as further evidence that
the Peron regime is actively
seeking a reconciliation with the
Church.
One of these developments was
the announcement that the new
Minister of Education has ordered
the book by the late Eva Peron,
“The Reason for My Life,” to be
withdrawn as a compulsory text
book in Argentine schools.
Another was the government’s
decision to resume salary pay
ments to some Catholic clergymen.
About 900 of Argentina’s 16,000
Catholic clergy have been receiv
ing subsidies from the govern
ment, but the payments had been
delayed or discontinued during
the past two or three months.
A third development was the
decision of the National Court of
Appeals here reversing the action
of a lower court which had re
fused bail to three Catholic priests
arrested in May on charges of dis
tributing leaflets attacking the
Peron regime. The priests were
Fathers Lujan Rafael Fontanella,
Ignacio Riasol and Olivio Martina,
all of the Church of Our Lady of
the Miraculous Medal.
It was reported also that au
thorities had announced the re
lease of Jorge A. Criado Alonso,
president of the University Cath
olic Action Society, who had been
imprisoned since last March.
The author of the following
article is the former editor of II
Quotidiano, Rome Catholic Ac
tion Daily, and is noiu a member
of the editorial staff of Osserva
tore. Romano, Vatican City news
paper.
By Federico Allesandrini
(Written for N.C.W.C.
News Service)
Antonio Segni, 64-year-old na
tive of Sardinia, has formed a
new Italian government. His
cabinet includes representatives
of the parties of the Christian
Democrats, the Social Democrats
and the Liberals. The Republican
Party, while assuring the new
government its full support re
grettably has preferred to stay
outside it.
Structurally, the new govern
ment is very similar to the last
one headed by Mario Scelba and
is based on the same parlimen-
tary majority.
Within the Christian Demo
cratic Party, Segni represents
those placing particular empha
sis on social issues and it must
be said he represents them in the
noblest fashion. As the author
of Italy’s agrarian reform legis
lation, he began the work by
expropriating his own holdings.
Among his cabinet coleagues
there are others sharing his
viewpoint, but the cabinet also
includes those tending rightward.
If one wished to be funny it
might be said the new govern
ment is cross-eyed from looking
in opposite directions. But in
reality the new ministerial team
is based on a clearly worked out
program which should prevent
misunderstandings and differ
ences.
A recent Cabinet crisis thus
served to bring about that “cla
rification” within and between
parties which had been much
discussed since the end of 1954
and which could no longer be
postponed.
But it might be asked why
such clarification could not be
achievement of having given
Italy a political stability entire
ly unforeseen after the 1953 elec
tions. This stability was the prin
cipal reason for the slowdown
and regression of Italian Com
munism.
Then why change? In politics,
personalities, ambitions, states of
mind tending in one direction or
another have decisive impor
tance. In an ideal society this
should not be the case. But
where is an ideal society? It is
a fact that at a certain moment
concord among Italy’s democra
tic parties and particularly with
in the Ghi’istian Democrats could
not longer be maintained in a
government headed by Scelba.
Reasons for this perhaps were
not entirely praiseworthy but at
any rate they could not be eli
minated.
If furthermore appeared there
was an absence of a complete
understanding between Italy’s
new President Giovanni Gronchi
and Scelba. In view of such a si
tuation a change was deemed
advisable, substituting Scelba
with a person who, because of
undisputed personal prestige,
could obtain unanimous support
by the Christian Democrats and
other democratic parties. This
man is Antonio Segni.
The unexpectedly short dura
tion of the Cabinet crisis demon
strates the excellence of the
choice. It is under such circum
stances that for the first time in
the history of unified Italy a
Sardinian Premier heads the
Government, succeeding Sicilian-
born Scelba.
Another and even more impor
tant aspect is the regeneration
of the four-party coalition gov
ernment formed by Italy’s demo
cratic center bloc. Sinee January,
1954, the rightist and leftist ex
tremists fought bitterly against
this governmental formula.
Both rightist and leftists coun
seled the Christian Democrats to
form a one-party government
consisting solely of Christian
Democrats. Such a government
would have lacked a parliamen
tary majority but both rightist
and leftists hinted the Christian
Democrats could count on the
benevolent attitude of their
“friends.”
“May God protect you from
your friends,” says an Italian
proverb. A one-party govern
ment would be prisoner of its
“friends.” To exist it would soon
er or later have to turn to the
right or left, in the latter case
having to depend upon the spuri
ous goodwill of Pietro Nenni, a
leftist Socialist tied like a Sia
mese twin to the Communist
boss, Togliatti.
Because the Christian Demo
cratic Party is a center party
comprising sometimes conflicting
currents and tendencies, it would
be illusory to think the party as
a whole could yield to the right
or left. Hence a one-party gov
ernment would have meant a
weakening of executive power.
It would also be liable to split
the Christian Democrats, who
have always been the most se
cure base of Italian democracy.
The formation of a four-party
government under Segni shows
the one-party temptation has
been rejected. The majority
formed by the center parties
continues to govern. Seen from
this point, rightist, and above
all leftist, opposition have lost
a battle. In order to derive new
and fruitful developments from
this victory, it is necessary that
the Segni Cabinet receive the
sincere and unconditional sup
port by all parties of the parlia
mentary majority.
Although little is of record
concerning St. Anne, mother of
the Blessed Virgin, devotion to
her is widespread throughout
the world. Possibly, today, her
two most famous shrines are at
Auray, in Brittany, and Beaupre,
in Canada. Although Scripture
makes no mention of SS. Joachim
and Anne, since the earliest days
of the Church they have been
venerated as the parents of the
Blessed Mother.
GEORGIA STATE COUNCIL
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
Rev. Vincenl P. Brennan, S. M., State Chaplain, Atlanta, Ga.
Henry C. Taylor, State Deputy, Atlanta, Ga.
Joseph F. Kunze. Pest State Deputy, Columbus, Ga,
George W. Hughey, State Secretary, Albany, Ga.
William O'Dowd, State Treasurer, Augusta. Ga.
R. H. Casson, State Advocate, Macon, Ga.
V. J. Ryan, State Warden, Savannah, Ga.
Ed. P. Daly. District Deputy, First District
James J. O'Shea. District Deputy, Second District
Patrick R. Mulherin, District Deputy, Third District
ATLANTA COUNCIL
NO. 660
LOUIS C. BAUGNON
Grand Knight
HENRY C. TAYLOR
Financial Secretary
Council Meeting 1st and 3rd
Wednesdays at 8 P. M. at the
Council House, 1200 Peachtree
Street, N. E.
Club House open every evening
at the above address
SAVANNAH COUNCIL
NO. 631
PETER SCHUSTER
Grand Knight
Joseph m. McDonough
Financial Secretary
3 Liberty Street West
Savannah, Ga.
BISHOP GROSS COUNCIL
NO. 1019
PHILIP J. BATASTINI
Grand Knight
JOE F. KUNZE
Financial Secretary
Meets 1st and 3rd Mondays
8 P. M-. 802 Broadway
K. C. Hall
Columbus, Ga,
PATRICK WALSH COUNCIL
677
JAMES O. BENNETT
Grand Kniaht
FRANK EGBERT
Financial Secretary
Meets 2nd and 4th Monday
Visiting Brothers Welcome
2575 Henry St., Augusta, Ga.
MACON COUNCIL NO. 925
JOSEPH P. CASSIDY
Grand Knight
ROBERT J. HINSON
Financial Secretary
2986 Houston Ave.
Meets the First and Third
Tuesdays at 8:15 P. M.
541 New Street,
Macon, Ga.
HENRY THOMAS ROSS
COUNCIL NO. 1939
R. J. CLANCEY,
Grand Knight
JOHN H. STILES,
Financial Secretary
Meets Fourth Tuesday at
Xavier Hall'
Brunswick. Ga.
ALBANY COUNCIL NO. 3607
JOHN R. ROSS, Grand Knight
CLARENCE R. SHOEMAKER, Financial Secretary
Council Meets Second and Fourth Monday at 8:30 P. M.
400 N. Jefferson Street
SAINT JOSEPH’S INFIRMARY
SCHOOL OF NURSING
’ ATLANTA, GEORGIA
Approved by the Georgia State Board of Nurse Examin
ers and the National Nursing Accrediting Services.
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