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N.C.W.C. Expert Says:
“Pacern In Terris” Steals Red Thunder On Peace Issue
(The following interpretive
article on the new encyclical
Pacern in Terris is written by
an expert on Catholic social
doctrine and communism. He
has been assistant director since
1946 of the Social Action De
partment of the National
Catholic Welfare Conference,
Washington, D. C. In 1962 he
wrote the study, “Commun
ism: Threat to Freedom,”
ivhich attracted national at
tention.}
(By Father John
F. Cronin, S. S.)
Pope John XXIII , from the
beginning of his reign, has as
tounded and delighted the world
by his paradoxical behavior. He
was advanced in years, yet
he moved with the vigor of
youth. He called Vatican Coun
cil II, primarily to nenew the
inner life of the Church. But
spirit of this Council has al
ready attracted our separated
brethren and breathed a new
atmosphere into relationship
between the Churches. He is
gentle and kindly, preferring
exhortation to condemnation.
Nonetheless, he has made de
cisive and far-reaching changes
within the Church, in the space
of a few years.
His latest encyclical letter,
Peace on Earth, is perhaps the
most remarkable paradox of all.
Here is a profoundly anti-Marx
ist document yet it has much
that should appeal to the com
munist world. The vieled ref
erences to communism are
kindly. Nevertheless, this En
cyclical will steal Communist
thunder on the peace issue, just
as Christianity and Social Pro
gress undercut the social and
economic appeal of Marxism.
Pope John made history by
receiving in private audience
Alexei Adzhubei, son-in-law of
Preimer Khruschev. In the
present Encyclical, as will be
noted presently, he widens
somewhat the "opening to the
left." But the basic tenor of the
Encyclical is totally different
from the marxist approach to
peace and to history.
Vol. 43, No. 31
10c Per Copy — $3 A Year
WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 1963
U.S. Labels Encyclical i Historic\
World-Wide 9 In Importance
WASHINGTON, (NC)— The
United States officially praised
the peace encyclical of His Holi
ness Pope John XXIII and said
that "no country could be more
responsive'’ to its reassertion
of the dignity of man and his
right to peace and freedom.
The statement, made public
by State Department Press Of
ficer Lincoln White (April 11)
the day after Pacern in Terris
was issued, began by saying:
"The United States govern
ment warmly welcomes the
stirring message by His Holi
ness Pope John XXIII to all men
of good will. Pacern in Terris
in an historical encyclical
worldwide in its import and
strongly in keeping with the
spirit of the ecumenical con
ference."
White in answer to questions
said that the statement was is
sued with the knowledge of
President Kennedy. He said he
believed it was the first time
in history that the United States
government had commented on a
papal encyclical.
The official statement said
that the Pope in his peace mes
sage had voiced “the desire of
mankind the world over."
Full text of the statement
was as follows:
The United States government
warmly welcomes the stirring
message by his Holiness Pope
John XXIII to all men of good
will. Pacern in Terris is an his
toric encyclical worldwide in
its import and strongly in keep
ing with the spirit of the ecu
menical conference. No country
could be more responsive
than the United States to its pro
found appeal and reassertion of
the dignity of the individual and
man's right to peace, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness.
Pope John’s call for disarma
ment with security for all, for a
strengthened world order
through a strenghtened United
Nations, for the extension of hu
man rights, religious freedom
and economic opportunity to all
men, expresses the desire of
mankind the world over. These
should be the aspirations of all
governments to make possible
the attainment of the encycli
cal’s central goal; peace based
on justice, on truth and on re
spect for the rights of nations
and individuals.
Superintendent Hits Critics
Schools Do Job “Supremely Well
5?
ST. LOUIS, (NC)—An Illi
nois school superintendent said
here there has been too much
unfair criticism of Catholic ele
mentary schools and not enough
recognition that they had done
their job "supremely well."
Father John J. Sweeney, Peo
ria diocesan school head,
charged that the only voices
heard recently from Catholic
education have been Catholic
college educators critical of
alleged failures in the Church’
educational system.
"I refuse to accept the blame
any longer at the elementary
level for the problems of the
Catholic colleges and universi
ties," he told (April 17) a
session of the National Catholic
Educational Association’s 60th
anniversary convention.
"And I wish," he added, "that
the critics of Catholic education
within our ranks would properly
identify the area of the problem
at its proper level.
“Why should we in Catholic
elementary education be blamed
for the inadequacies of the Ca
tholic colleges and universities,
when we have done our job sup
remely well?" he asked.
He said Catholic college edu
cators have been complaining
about the alleged weakness of
higher education.
"Had they not been so con
cerned with building their own
separate dynasties, and a little
more willing to cooperate with
each other, this sorry state
might not have arisen in their
ranks,” he commented in an
aside.
Father Sweeney launched en
thusiastically into what he call
ed "my bold contention" that
Catholic elementary schools
have strengthened the faith of
American Catholics, provided
a basic education "every bit as
good if not better" than public
schools and produced "first-
class patriotic American citi
zens."
The quality of basic educa
tion in Catholic schools he said,
has not been made sufficiently
clear. He said the most-used
testing device, the Metropolitan
Achievement tests, "clearlyin-
dicate the superb job we are do
ing in the basic skills of read
ing, spelling, arithmetic and
social studies," he said.
Father Sweeney said the
schools’ patriotism has been
proven repeatedly. He cited the
"Guiding Growth in Christian
(Con’t on Page 3)
To Marx and Lenin, the state
is supreme. The individual does
not enjoy rights, only privileg
es. By contrast, the Encyclical
states at great length and with
profound eloquence the dignity,
rights, and duties of the individ
ual person. It bases these truths
upon God and the moral law
implanted by God in the hearts
of men.
The specific rights explained
by the Pope are in sharp con
trast to Communist theory and
practice. "By the natural law
every human being has the right
to respect for truth and in ex
pressing and communicating his
opinions, and in pursuit of art,
within the limits laid down by
the moral order and the com
mon good. And he has the right
to be informed truthfully about
public events."
Relations between individuals
should be governed by a sense
of personal responsibility and
initiative. Individuals should act
for the common welfare for
reasons of conscience, not as
a result of external pressure.
"For any human society that is
established on relations of force
must be regarded as inhuman,
inasmuch as the personality of
its members is repressed or
restricted, when in fact they
should be provided with appro
priate incentives and means
for developing and perfecting
themselves."
Government, of course, must
have authority to enforce laws.
Yet since, "authority is chiefly
concerned with moral force, it
follows that civil authority must
appeal primarily to the con
science of individual citizens,
that is, to each one’s duty to
collaborate readily for the com
mon good of all." The Pope
notes that "where the civil au
thority uses as its only or its
chief means either threats and
fear of punishment or promis
es of rewards, it cannot effec
tively move men to promote
the common good of all."
When the Encyclical com
ments on political refugees,
there is a note of personal ten
derness and sadness that is un
usual in a solemn pontifical
document. At the same time, the
papal letter notes that this
situation shows ‘ ‘that there are
some political regimes which
do not guarantee for individual
citizens a sufficient sphere of
freedom within which their
souls are allowed to breathe
humanly. In fact, under those
regimes even the lawful exis
tence of such a sphere of free
dom is either called into ques
tion or denied."
Communism is atheistic. It
holds that “the relationships
between men and states can be
governed by the same laws as
the forces and irrational ele
ments of the universe.” Ac
tually, "the laws governing
them are of quite a different
kind and are to be sought else
where, namely, where the Fa
ther of all things wrote them,
that is, in the nature of man.”
The basic theme of the en
cyclical is that peace will be
had when truth, justice, love
and freedom prevail within na
tions and among nations. These
are all moral concepts, exclud
ed by the very nature of Marx
ism-Leninism. The contrast
between the two views of human
society is total. Yet these truths
are expressed in a manner so
friendly and so persuasive that
even the most hardened
Communist is not likely to take
offense.
Given these sharp differen-
(Con’t on Page 3)
Pontiff Calls Encyclical
“Great Appeal To Love”
VATICAN CITY, (NC)—His
Holiness Pope John XXIII told
diplomats from almost 50 na
tions that his peace encyclical
Pacern in Terris is a "great
appeal to love."
"We have no more cherish
ed desire than to see the great
human family . . . finally gath
ered in union and in peace," : -
the Pope said in a discourse in
French (April 11) in the Vati
can’s Sistine Chapel to diplo
mats accredited to the Holy
See.
He said he hopes that a "new
energy" will animate the rul
ers of nations.
"May the charity that will
penetrate their hearts help them
to believe in the presence of God
in history and to accept His law
even to the concrete applica
tions that it requires," he said.
"May they thus be induced
to do everything in a spirit of
obedience to a duty which ex
ceeds and transcends the life
of individuals.”
The Pope recalled the Last
Supper, where Christ institut
ed the Blessed Sacrament as
the final gift of His message
"of truth and of life."
It is this message, the Pope
said, which "the encyclical Pa-
cem in Terris sought to
repeat—in words which We hope
will be welcomed and under
stood by all. We wanted it pub
lished on the day on which there
sprang from the lips of Christ
the divine words: ’Love one
another.’ ’’
"It is in effect a great appeal
to love which We sought to ad
dress to all men of our time."
Recalling that Christ washed
the feet of the apostles, the Pope
said that it was a "precious
lesson which the Church has
heeded . . . but more than the
gesture, it is the spirit which
counts and the lesson is not only
for’religious leaders.
(Con’t on Page 3)
PRAY FOR OUR
PRIESTLY DEAD
REV. CHARLES W. VOGEL
April 26, 1935
VERY REV. MSGR.
JAMES J. GRADY
April 26, 1955
Oh God, Who didst give to
thy servants by their sacredota!
office, a share in the priest
hood of the Apostles, grant,
we implore, that they may-
also be one of their company
forever in heaven. Through
Christ Our Lord, Amen.
Padre Pio, the 75-year-old Capuchin stigmatic who has
carried the marks of Christ’s Passion for more than 40
years, is still the main attraction at San Giovanni monas
tery, near Mt. Gargano on the Adriatic coast of Italy.
Thousands of pilgrims and curiosity-seekers flock daily to
the small monastery town to see the Capuchin monk offer
Mass or make their confession to him. At left, the famed
monk offers the Sacred Host during morning Mass. In
photo at upper right, he blesses the congregation during his
Mass which is a slow and deeply fervent ritual. Because of
the monk’s reknown, a multi-million dollar addition to the
hospital at San Giovanni is being built with funds donated
from all over the world. In photo at lower right, both the
old (right) and the new portions of the “House for the Re
lief of Suffering” can be seen. The new addition will have
600 beds, ten operating rooms, facilities for 100 student
nurses, and a medical convention and study center capable
of handling international meetings. (NC Photos)
Padre Pio Unlike Stereotype Of
Persons Famed For Holiness
By James C. O’Neill
. SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO,
Italy, (NC)—"Pray for mei
Padre Pio, pray for mel"
"Why? It’s late. It's time
you prayed for me."
This brief and brisk conver
sation took place on the stair
case inside the Italian Capuchin
monastery in which lives Padre
Pio, the 75-year-old stigmatic
who has borne the marks of
Christ’s Passion on his body
for more than 40 years.
As a conversation it is both
typical and unusual. It is typi-
St. Matthew’s
Parish Center
At Statesboro
STATESBORO — Parishion
ers of Saint Matthew’s Church
are watching with approval the
construction of the new Parish
Center.
The structure of concrete
block and steel will have a
large assembly room, kitchen,
lobby and men’s and women’s
rooms.
Temporary partitions will set
off part of the auditorium for
Sunday School classrooms. The
unfurnished building will cost
about $30,000.00, of which $10,-
000.00 is being donated to The
Catholic Church Extension So
ciety.
The Men’s Club of Saint Mat
thew’s has voted to underwrite
the Sunday Offertory Collection
$235,00 per Sunday is needed to
assure payment of added expen
ses to meet indebtedness
monthly of principal and inter
est on a loan of $10,000.00.
In two months since the men
so agreed, the average Offer-
atory Collection has been over
the required amount. The Of
ficers of the Men’s Club are:
Messrs. Joseph Robson, Pres.,
Gerald Strozzo, V.P., John Sa- j
vage, Secy, and Walter Barry,
Treas.
WORK PROGRESSING on
boro.
the new Parish Center for St. Matthew’s Parish, States-
cal of the fervent, chance en
counters of Catholics with the
exteriorly brusque monk. It is
unusual since it is not like the
usual sentimental portrait
painted of men and women famed
for holiness. For the grizzled
white-haired friar, whose
fame is worldwide, appears so
human, so ordinary in most
things as to make one won
der.
The whole feeling of this
small town on the slopes of
Mount Gargano near the Ad
riatic Sea is a mixture of con
trasts. It is a town in which
faith and science not only live
peacefully together but also
serve each other. It is an ac
tive town where the bustle of
everyday life is somehow muted
and transformed by a spiritual
isolation with contemplation, by
sorrow and contrition.
The big "news" of San Gio
vanni today is the immense
multi-million-dollar addition
that is well on the way to com
pletion of the hospital which
the friends of Patre Pio have
built with their contributions
from all over the world.
The present hospital, called
the House for the Relief of
Suffering, has more than 300
beds. With the new addition it
will jump to 900. The modern
ity of the spacious, handsome
ly designed plant, which rivals
anything found in the United
States, catches the visitor by
surprise.
When completed in Septem
ber, the hospital will have 10
operating rooms, facilities for
100 student nurses (double the
present enrollment) and a medi
cal convention and study cen
ter capable of handling inter
national congresses.
Impressive as the new hos
pital is, it is still only a re
flection of the greater story,
Padre Pio himself.
Morning here begins at 4:30
when townspeople and visitors
get up in time to attend the
daily 5 a.m. Mass celebrated
by the friar who has been a
stigmatic for almost 45 years.
Despite snow and rain, the aver
age number of people cluster
ed outside the doors of the new
monastery church of Our Lady
of Graces is at least 500. When
the doors are opened the crowds
hurry to the two sides flanking
the main altar and wait for
Padre Pio to appear.
His Mass is a slow, deeply
felt event. Frequently Padre Pio
takes a handkerchief and wipes
his eyes. Asked about this, a
fellow monk said: "O, they are
real tears all right; tears of
sorrow and pain."
Age and physical exhaus
tion have taken their toll of the
the remarkable Friar. He can
no longer perform a full gen
uflection. Brother friars assist
him up the stairs of the altar,
lest he fall. And Communion is
distributed only after the Mass
by another priest to spare Padre
Pio the exertion of the hundreds
upon hundreds of Communions
received daily.
During the portions of the
Mass when rubrics require the
priest to lift his hands, those
of Padre Pio are centers of
attention, both of the devout
and curious. However, the pos
sibility of seeing the marks
on the hands are slight since
the sleeves of the alb cover a
part of the lower part of the
hand.
After Mass, Padre Pio sits
in the sacristy of the new
church with his head covered
by his rough brown cowl, pres
sed against a table. Around him
stand 20 or 30 men, pilgrims
who shuffle in respectful si
lence as he makes his thanks
giving. Frequently the sounds
of sobs and an occasional cough
break the concentrated quiet
of the room.
As the half-hour period of
prayer draws to an end, the
assembled men form them
selves into two rows running
from the table to the doorway
leading to the stairs up to the
monastery cloister. Thanksgiv
ing completed, Padre Pio rises
and moves steadily past the im
promptu honor guard of devoted
(Continued on Page 6)
INDEX
QUESTION BOX 4
EDITORIALS 4
JOTTINGS 5
YOUTHSCOPE 6
HERE AND THERE., 6
