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PAGE 4—The Southern Cross, June 15, 1963
Pray For Cardinals
During the approximately 1,930 year his
tory of the Catholic Church, 261 bishops
have succeeded to the Chair of Peter, the
first Vicar of Christ on earth.
For good or ill, the life of the Church
during the reign of each was but a reflec
tion of the life of the Pope. Though a hand
ful proved unworthy of the great dignity and
responsibility of the office to which they were
elected, the vast majority ruled the sheep-
fold of Christ with holiness and wisdom, and
there are many who believe that the most
illustrious of the 261 successors of the Prince
of the Apsotles was the late and beloved “Par
ish priest of the world.’’
But holiness, kindness, charity, and apos
tolic zeal are gifts from the infinite treas
ury of an infinitely holy, good, and loving
God, and they cannot be exhausted through
the life of any one man. And though we may
never see the like of Pope John XXIII again,
we know that God will raise up for us another
Holy Father to guide and direct us on the way
to Heaven.
That is why we are confident when we pray
that the successor of Pope John will be
possessed of all the same qualities which
endeared him to the entire world, and brought
to the Church a place of preeminence and uni
versal respect that it has, perhaps, never
before enjoyed.
Next Wednesday the eighty-two members of
the Sacred College of Cardinals will meet
in secret conclave to elect a new Pope.
Theirs will not be an easy lot, and the awe
some responsibility of choosing the man
who will guide the destiny of the Church of
Christ during these years of upheaval and
rapid change will weigh heavily on the hearts
of all of them.
Then, when the last ballot has been taken,
the mantle and the burdens of Peter and of
John XXIII will rest on the shoulders of one
of them.
They know, of course, that God will not
leave them without help in their tremendous
task and they will pray long and fervently
for the light of God’s Grace to direct their
choice, as each one seeks to discern and
judge the qualities and capabilities of each
of his fellows.
Nor should we leave them alone. We, too,
have a responsibility to aid in the election
of the 262nd successor of St. Peter. It is
up to us to join our fervent and compas
sionate prayers to those of the Cardinals,
begging God’s strengthening and enlighten
ing Grace.
Then we can look forward with holy and
confindent expectation to the election of anoth
er worthy and devoted shepherd to carry
on the work of Christ’s Church to bring
the blessings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
to all mankind.
Charity Begins At Home
God’s World
Leo J. Trese
There are few proverbs more
often misapplied than the ax
iom, “Charity begins at home.’’
Usually this maxium is invoked
to warrant excusing ourselves
from some obligation external
to the family.
“I can’t give
much to the
parish build
ing fund,” a
man says. “My
own house isn’t
paid for and
charity begins
at home.” A
woman, asked
to participate in some outside
activity, begs off on the score
thkt "her family needs all her
attention. “Charity begins at
home, 1 ”'* she quotes as her clin--
cher.
Both of these persons may
be fully justified in declining
the proposed responsibility.
However, when they say that
“Charity begins at home,” they
are not using the phrase in its
true meaning.
The right sense of the pro
verb is that, in the home of all
places, love should reign. If
we do not practice charity to
wards those who are closest
to us, how can we claim to love
our neighbor? How can we
honestly claim to love God?
“Charity begins at home,”
means that home is the real
test of our charity.
It is one of life’s continuing
tragedies that we so often cause
the most hurt to those who have
the most right to our love. True
enough, the home does present
many temptations in the area
of charity. Within the family, we
are so exposed to one another’s
faults and weaknesses. It is in
evitable that we do at times get
on each other’s nerves. And
little things can so annoy us.
“Do you always have to suck
your teeth that way?” we say.
“Can’t you ever sit down with
out drumming your fingers on
the table?” “Do you have to
clutter up the bath with curl
ers?”
Another source of unchari
tableness in the home is the
fact that we are so defense
less against each other. Having
nothing to fear from those who
love us, it is easy to unload
upon them the hostility and the
aggression which belong else
where^ A ^psychological com
monplace is the man who, re
buked by his boss, comes home
To give his wife" a irougfTtime.
She catches the resentment that
he dare not vent upon the boss.
Children, too, frequently suf
fer from misplaced wrath.
Johnny’s pecadillo brings down
upon him a blast of anger out
of proportion to the gravity of
his offense. Johnny does not
know that he just happens to be
a convenient lightning rod for
his mother’s pent-up fire. He
can only brood tearfully in the
injustice of the adults in his
world.
But Johnny takes his turn at
making the family an outlet
for his grievances. He made a
fool of himself in school today
and was humiliated by the
laughter of his classmates. He
comes home from school in a
wilful mood and exacerbates the
family for the remainder of the
evening. There is some excuse
for Johnny, of course. He does
not have an adult’s insight into
the dynamics of human behav
Pope Reached All
Jottings
“All days are good to be born
and all days are good to die,
and there is no need to
worry. . .”
Pope John on his 81st birthday
* * *
THE DEATH of a Pope is
always a solemn and sorrowful
occasion in the Catholic Church.
But the death of Pope John is
even more. His death is more
than that of a pontiff respected
and revered; his death touches
all people in a human manner—
a loved one is mourned. Pope
John’s sickness and death was
as if one of our household—the
father of the house was ill and
suffering and dying. It is indeed
as a death in the family. Pope
John is the spiritual father, the
Holy Father, to the world’s Ca
tholics but those “not of this
fold” were never excluded from
his fatherly love and concern.
Pope John had the happy human
facility of making everyone feel
his personal concern and love.
Pope John had that rare per
sonality which exuded personal
charm and individual concern.
There were no crowds before
him, only individual hearts and
souls. No manner of man was
alien to him. One of his first
actions on becoming Pope was
By BARBARA C. JENCKS
to visit a jail in Rome, visits
followed to hospitals, reformi-
tories. The little Pope was
anxious that all manner of men
know of his great love, even
as Christ did thousands of years
before John became His vicar on
earth.
* * *
THERE will be many citations
given to this phenomenal ponti
ficate of Pope John. He has been
hailed as the Pope of Christian
Unity and the Pope of Peace.
When someone queried him on
the purpose of the Vatican Coun
cil, Pope John crossed the room
opened a window and said: “See,
it is to let a little fresh air into
Church and world.” What Pope
John said about the council could
certainly be applied to himself
as a personality. Pope John
brought sunlight, simplicity,
humility, charity, love into this
stagnate world. The unpredict
able Pope he was called. . .his
homelies were humorous and
delightful for the Vicar of Christ
on Earth never forgot that he
was a poor farmer’s son even
as the first Pope was a poor
fisherman. Those who were
enemies, indifferent or cool to
the Church could not help but
respond to the sincerity and
sweetness of this great little
Pope. Pope John astounded the
Communists by his council, en
cyclicals and personality. Pope
John warmed the non-Catholic
.leaders by his graciousness,
interest—invitations to the
council, audiences, and person
al talks to those of all faiths.
* * *
WE MOURN a personal loss
with his death. The sun has
gone in and a chill is felt. We
have lost a father. Who did not
feel that they knew Pope John
as a friend or neighbor? It was
hoped that come October, I
would see this beloved pontiff
during the council trip to Rome.
Yet, it was not necessary to
see or meet Pope John per
sonally to know and love him.
With millions, Pope John has
had not only my eternal rev
erence but loyalty and devotion
and gratitude even as he will
have it still in death. While we
mourn Pope John in a way re
served for those dearest, we
also rejoice that we could wit
ness the glorious chapter in
Church history written during
his pontificate, which has made
our Church better known and
loved and appreciated on earth.
(Continued.on Page 6)
ior.
Yes, charity must begin at
home. For a family in which
there is frequent sniping and
snapping, there is a simple
remedy. Let the members of the
family agree to treat each
other as friends rather than as
relatives. Let them show to
wards each other the same
consideration and courtesy that
they would show, not merely to
friends, but even to casual ac
quaintances.
Let them make liberal use of
such phrases as, “Please,”
“Thank you,” “Would you
mind?” “Excuse me,” and “I’m
sorry.” Let each watch him
self carefully for resentments
that are brought in from out
side and Which are seeking ven
tilation upon an innocent head.
Let each be especially vigilant
when he finds himself unduly
fatigued or worried. Above all,
let each have enough of a sense
of humor to bear with one an
other’ s faults.
Such a family will find their
efforts richly rewarded by the
peace and harmony that des
cends upon their home. Char
ity has begun at home and will
flow out from there to the world.
And Christ can dwell there in
comfort as one of the family.
Father Trese welcomes let
ters from his readers. The in
creasing volume of letters pro
hibits personal answers but
problems and ideas contained
in such correspondence can be
the basis of future columns.
Address all letters to Father
Leo J. Trese, care of this
newspaper.)
The Error Of Dr. Rock
It Seems to Me
If the theology and phychol-
ogy of sex and marriage had
been developed, and universal
ly taught, as soon and as fully
as they should have been, I do
not think the world would now
be filled with
c o n t r o -
versies over
contraception.
The physical
side of husband
-wife love is
very impor
tant but the
trouble is that
it is not bal
anced in our minds by a suf
ficient appreciation of the spir
itual and psychological aspects
of that love.
If it were so balanced, we
would see at once that a man
and woman degrade their hu
man dignity, and indeed insult
each other as persons, when
they lower their approaches
to the level of a mere use of
each other’s bodies.
SEX IS NOT truly human
unless true human love is pres
ent at least in some degree,
and this means that there must
be a giving and a receiving
of each other not alon e on the
physical level, but on the lev
el of the soul—the psyche—
also.
Granted, for some of us,
especially in the younger years,
the physical tends to be strong
er and the spiritual weak
er. Even so, if the giving and
receiving are honest and pure,
the spiritual love is fostered,
and grows.
I suppose the theological
manuals were stooping to our
condition when they listed,
among the “secondary purpos
es’’ of marriage, the "relief
of concupiscence;” but to me
the expression seems unfortun
ate.
INDEED, it strikes me as er
roneous, because the embrace
of human beings ought always
JOSEPH BREIG
to be noble; it should be in
formed with love for the other
person as person—as this
unique person whom one un
iquely loves.
When that is so, the coming
together of husband and wife is
a true giving and receiving, an
expression not only of the body
but of the spirit, and not alone
of love for each other, but of
love of their Creator, too.
Physical love in marriage
then is spiritually uplifting; it is
, psychologically elevating; it en
gages the whole man and the
whole woman in a right and
splendid relationship to each
other, to God and to all of
creation.
MARRIED LOVE, when it is
like that, is a profoundly re
ligious thing; first because
marriage was instituted and
blessed by our Maker, and sec
ond because, for the baptized,
marriage is a sacrament.
Marriage is a sacrament con
ferred by the wife upon the
husband and by the husband
upon the wife; not by any priest
or bishop or pope, but by the
two who enter into it—two who
are the ministers and the liv
ing tabernacles of the sacra
ment.
Marriage, as Benedictine Fa
ther Maur Burbach has writ
ten, is a mystery in the full
religious sense meant by St.
Paul who compared it with the
union between Christ and His
Church; it is a mystery em
bracing the whole creative and
redemptive plan of God.
MARRIAGE, FURTHER, be
ing a sacrament, is a worship;
it is liturgy. And it is sacri
fice mysteriously partaking of
Calvary, because the husband
and wife give themselves totally
to each other, entrusting them
selves to the mystery of each
other as persons.
Every husband, then, should
realize his wife’s deep need that
his love for her be holy, and
she should realize his same
need—this because they hold
in their hands, very largely,
each other’s happiness, now
and forever.
All the purposes of mar
riage—the partnering of God in
creating, the companioning and
helping and consoling of each
other, the rearing and educat
ing of children—should fuse into
the one ultimate purpose of
marriage: the making-holy
of two persons, of the home, of
the little ones, and even of the
community and the world.
A HUSBAND and wife should
see that they are at one and the
same time the priests and the
recipients of the sacrament of
marriage, channels of divine
grace for each other at every
moment; “two souls meant for
each other,” as the Church says
to the bride and bridegroom at
the altar.
To make of this relationship,
by the use of any form of con
traception (as distinguished
from the mutual sacrifice call
ed “rhythm”) a mere sel
fish use of each other as bod
ily conveniences, is a horror;
it is a peculiarly degrading in
sulting of two persons and of
God; it is a prostituting of hu
manity and of what is immense
ly holy.
That is why Dr. John Rock
of Boston is profoundly mis
taken in saying, in his book,
that contraception — tempor
al sterilization — by pill
may come to be morally per
mitted. Contraception by any
means is fearfully destructive
of all that marriage is, and of
human persons as images of
God. Being destructive of mar
riage and persons, and of
homes, it is also destructive of
human society; it is ultimately
a subversion of civiliation, of
religion, and of the meaning of
Creation and Redemption.
Tells Poles Pope
Saved Peace
BERLIN, (NC)--In a procla
mation of mourning read at a
Pontifical Requiem Mass in the
Warsaw cathedral, the Polish
Primate, Stefan Cardinal Wys-
zynski, decalred that “the con
viction prevails that Pope John
XXIII has saved the peace of
the world.” In a report on the
proclamation received here, the
Cardinal also said: “For
a great cause, John XXIII has
given his life. We thank the Lord
for giving such a servant to
His people.”
Argentina Mourns
BUENOS AIRES, (NC)—The
Argentine government decreed
a day of national mourning and
eight days with flags at half
staff for the death of John
XXIII. The cabinet and the
president attended a Requiem
Mass at the cathedral here.
Flood Of
Condolences
VATICAN CITY, (Radio, NC)
—More than ten thousand tele
grams and an equal number
of letters of condolence were
received at the Vatican follow
ing the death of Pope John
XXIII, L’Osservatore Romano,
the Vatican City daily, has re
ported. Messages from govern
ments included 30 from Euro
pean countries, 19 from the
Americas, 26 from Africa
and 16 from Asia. Virtually all
the communist countries re
sponded.
Vietnam Buddhists
Wire Condolences
SAIGON, (Radio, NC)—
The president of the General
Association of Buddhists of
Vietnam, Venerable Thich tinh
Khiet, has cabled a message of
sympathy on the death of Pope
John XXIII to Benedetto Car
dinal Aloisi Masella, Chamber-
lain of the Holy Roman Church.
Vatican Replies
To Khrushchev
VATICAN CITY, (NC)~ The
Holy See has sent the following
message to Soviet Premier Ni
kita Khrushchev:
“The Sacred College of Car
dinals thanks Your Excellency
for the kind message with ex
pressions of condolence on the
occasion of the grievous event
—the saintly demise of Pope
John XXIII. His papal rule
shines with the tireless labors
he took for establishing just
peace among the peoples. The
respect of Your Excellency for
his labors merges with the
touching mourning and deep
homage of the whole world.”
Mexicans Refer
To Pope’s Chairty
MEXICO CITY, (NC)—Mini
ster for Foreign Affairs Man
uel Tello, offering the condo
lences of the Mexican govern
ment on the death of Pope John
XXIII, in an official communi
que said that the Pope devoted
his vigilant care to all humani
ty, “even in the hours of his
prolonged agony.”
Guatemala Mourns
GUATEMALA CITY (NC) —
Guatemalans observed three
days of mourning for Pope John
XXIII, Pope of peace and
unity,” as the official order
called him.
Knelt In Streets
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, (NC)
—People knelt to pray in va
rious streets of this capital
upon learning of the death of
Pope John XXIII. The govern
ment decreed eight days of na
tional mourning and Archbishop
Humberto Rodriguez of San Jose
stated that the passing of the
Pontiff has left behind a world
“filled with the light of his
social teachings and with his
ardent charity.”
Bishop’s Statements
Jewish Committee:
Says Pope John ‘Earned
Place In World To Come”
NEW YORK, (NC)—“Jewish
history will reward Pope John
as ‘one of the righteous among
the nations of the earth who
earned a place in the world to
come.’ ”
The tribute was contained
in a message of condolence sent
by the American Jewish Com
mittee to Almeto Cardinal Ci-
cognani, Papal Secretary of
State.
Signed by A. M. Sonnabend,
AJC president, the message
said:
“The American Jewish Com
mittee joins in the universal
mourning over the death of Pope
John XXIII. In the brief five
years of his papacy, he has given
extraordinary personal leader
ship that has significantly
transformed and irqproved hu
man relationships in such a
historic way that this may well
constitute his greatest living
monument.
‘ ‘His great personal human
ity, his overwhelming charity,
and his love for the human per
son have endeared him and have
won the universal respect of
men of all races, religions and
points of view.
“It is obvious from the an
xiety that men everywhere have
felt during his recent illness
that he was regarded as a friend
and leader by men who are out
side his own religious tradition.
Jewish history will reward Pope
John as ‘one of the righteous
among the nations of the
earth who has earned a place
in the world to come.’
“The American Jewish Com
mittee is persuaded that Pope
John’s brilliant and greatly
needed spirit of humanity and
fraternity that made such a
difference in the world of pub
lic affiars will continue to ra
diate in the relationships be
tween man and his fellow for
many years to come. May his
memory continue to be a bles-
ing.”
The AJC, founded in 1906,
has 62 chapters in 600 U.S.
communities and a member
ship of some 30,000. Its ef
forts primarily are expended in
the field of human relations.
It also is organized in Israel
and a number of European coun
tries.
Similar messages were sent
by the AJC to Augustin Cardin
al Bea, S. J., president.<of the
Secretariat for Promoting
Christian Unity, and five U. S.
Cardinals.
(N.C.W.C. NEWS SERVICE)
Grief at the death of Pope
John XXIII mingled with praise
for his character and achieve
ments in statements by leading
figures.
Among reactions at the
Pope’s death were these:
Archbishop John J. Krol of
Philadelphia: "His program for
effecting the unity of the human
family and of all Christians ...
is irreversible and will bear
much fruit.
Bishop Walter W. Curtis of
Bridgeport, Conn.: “He wish
ed to be the shepherd of souls
everywhere in the world that
he might guide all to unity in
Christ.”
Bishop Thomas J. McDon
ough of Savannah, Ga.: “Per
haps no pope in the almost
2,000-year history of the
Church has captivated the
hearts of so many people.”
Bishop Albert R. Zuroweste,
Belleville, Ill.: “The Church
has lost one of its greatest
churchmen, and men of all
creeds and no creeds have been
deprived of a great benefactor.”
Bishop Charles P. Greco of
Alexandria, La.: "His serenity,
his humility, his acceptance of
the Divine Will must be an in
spiration to each of us, whether
Catholic or non-Catholic,
Christian or non-Christian.”
Bishop Frederick W. Freking
of Salina, Kan.: “We should ...
be grateful to God for the great
good that has been accomplish
ed through this humble, kindly,
saintly man.”
Bishop James V. Caxey, Lin
coln, Neb.: “We pray that many
men will carry on the cause of
peace and unity inspired by his
esample.”
Bishop Francis J. Schenk of
Duluth, Minn.: “No pope in his
tory has ever made such a ap
pealing impact on so many
people in so brief a period of,
time.”
Bishop Charles A. Buswell,
Pueblo, Colo.: “We pray that
many men will carry on the
cause of peace and unity inspir
ed by his example.”
Bishop Leo C. Byrne of Wich
ita, Kan.: “The Catholic world
and so much of the world that
is not Catholic is of a common
mind and a single heart in the
expression of sympathy about
our Holy Father.”
Bishop Ernest J. Primeau of
Manchester, N. H.: “Pope John
XXIII has left his indelible im
press upon the Church and has
given it an orientation that will
affect its course for years to
come.”
Bishop Leo T. Maher of San
ta Rosa, Calif.: “Brief though
his pontificate was, it was fill
ed with an astonishing vigor
that renewed the spirit and vi
tality of the Church.”
Bishop Hugh A. Donohoe of
Stockton, Calif.: “It was for him
to open the window and let in
light and air so that all might
see the Church for what it
is—the society founded by
Christ to bring to men the
glad tidings of salvation.”
Bishop Ralph L. Hayes of
Davenport, Iowa: “Fewperson
ages in all history have been so
universally acclaimed and lov
ed.”
Archbishop Thomas A. Bo
land of Newark, N. J.: “He has
achieved an eminence of in
terest and a maximum or res
pect that will insure his rela
tively short pontificate a glor
ious place in the history of the
papacy.”
Bishop Coleman F. Carroll
of Miami, Fla.: “Although he
had the simplicity of a peas
ant, he also had the dynamic
power of leadership and admin
istration.”
The Southern Cross
Vol. 43
P. O. BOX 180. SAVANNAH, GA.
Saturday, June 15, 1963
No. 39
Published weekly except the last week in July and the
last week in December by The Southern Cross, Inc.
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Second class mail privileges authorized at Monroe, Ga. Send
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Most Rev. Thomas J. McDonough, D.D.J.C.D., President
Rev. Francis J. Donohue, Editor
John Markwalter, Managing Editor
Rev. Lawrence Lucree, Rev. John Fitzpatrick,
Associate Editors