Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

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