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PAGE 2—The Southern Cross, July 11, 1963
Protestant Conference
r
SUMMER VACATION SCHOOL—Youths attending St. Clare’s (Albany) Summer School
pose at the end of the session. Miss Carilyn Hall won highest honors in the upper grade
group. William Johnson was highest in the middle grade group, with William Signil
heading the lowest grade group. Robert Lee and William Signil received their First
Communion at the conclusion of the two week's school. Instructors were Sisters Mary
Ephrem and Helen Jordan, O.S.F. from St. Francis Convent, Savannah; Mr. Joseph Rau,
recent graduate of St. John Vianney Seminary; Miss Pedderborn of St. Teresa’s parish.
Polish Reds Intensify
Anti-Church Activity
In Katanga
Missionaries Return
To Massacre Scene
(Continued from Page 1)
as instruments of Royalist
policy, not because of any disa
greement with Anglican inter
pretations of episcopacy in the
New Testament or in the
primitive Church.
In a spirit of new-born real
ism, the conference determin
ed that the work must continue.
“As we’ve got together,” they
said, “we’ll stay together.”
Following the Lund Con
ference, study commissions
were set up to deal with four
topics: “Christ and the
Church,” “Tradition and tra
ditions,” “Worship,” and “In
stitutionalism.”
The Montreal Conference will
consider the reports of these
commissions, and link them up
with other ecclesiastical ques
tions. Ever since Lund it has
been recognized that the most
valid and fruitful approach to the
fundamental issue of the nature
of the Church is further studies
in the relationship of the Church
to Christ its Head, in the Holy
Spirit.
All this is of significance to
Catholics, for the more realis
tic the attitude of the ecumen
ical movement to its differenc
es, the more warmly has Rome
been interested.
There was an aloofness in the
early days. Pope Pius XI had
reason to fear that the move
ment might lead to a pan-Pro
testant federation of religious
indifference. The World Coun
cil of Churches has made it
clear that it stands for nothing
of the kind, and stronger Ortho
dox participation has provided
an effective brake to mere pan-
Protestantism.
Pius XII cautiously allowed
Catholic observers at Wrold
Council conferences. John XXIII
opened the doors still wider in
activity encouraging Catholic
participation by setting up the
Secretariat for Promoting
Christian unity under Augustin
Cardinal Bea.
The Montreal Conference
marks a new stage in Catholic
participation. For the first
time, Faith and Order will meet
in a city that is predominate
ly Catholic. Furthermore, it
meets in a diocese governed by
a “progressive” archbishop
who feels very keenly the
Church’s responsibility to those
outside the fold of visible un
ity.
Paul Emile Cardinal Leger
has already established his own
ecumenical commission for the
archdiocese, which has per
manent headquarters in the cen
ter of the city, and has appoint
ed a priest to be its full-time
head.
In connection with the con
ference, an “Ecumenical Ral-
Hungary
Relaxes Ban
On Bishops
VIENNA, (NC)—Deputy Pre
mier Gyula Kallai of communist
Hungary told newsmen here that
his government will approve as
signments by His Holiness Pope
Paul VI of new bishops to head
his country’s vacant dioceses.
He said that the government’s
only requirement is that “the
bishops respect the laws of the
Hungarian state,” and added:
"We have no intention of ob
structing such a measure (by
Pope Paul) and we are sure it
will be useful.”
Meanwhile, it was also re
ported here that improved
Church-State relations was one
of the topics discussed by U
Thant, Secretary General of the
United Nations, in his talks with
Hungarian leaders during his
visit there in early July.
Of Hungary’s 13 Sees, seven
are either vacant or have Ordi
naries who are impeded in their
work. Two of the three arch
dioceses—Eger and Kalocsa—
are vacant, and the third is
headed by Jozsef Cardinal
Mindszenty of Esztergom, now
living in asylum at the U. S.
legation in Budapest.
11th Centenary
WASHINGTON, (NC)—Some
2,000 pilgrims honoringSS. Cy
ril and Methodius were told here
that like the famed mis
sionaries, they too should carry
Christ’s message to their fellow
men.
This exhortation came in the
sermon of a Mass celebrated in
the National Shrine of the Im
maculate Conception as part of
a regional observance of the
commemoration of the eleventh
centenary of the arrival of SS.
Cyril and Methodius in Great
Moravia, which is part of pre
sent day Czechoslovakia.
ly” will be held at the (catho
lic) University of Montreal on
the evening of July 21. Cardin
al Leger himself will speak on
the subject, “What it means to
be ‘in Christ. ’ ” And he has
appealed to Catholics of Mon
treal to pray for divine guid
ance for the conference.
At Vatican level, the Sec
retariat for Promoting Chris
tian Unity has nominated five
official observers. From the
North American continent are
Father Godfrey Diekmann,
O.S.B., of St. John Abbey, Col-
legeville, Minn., editor of the
liturgical monthly “Worship”;
Father Gregory Baum, O.S.A.,
of Toronto, editor of the Paul-
ist-sponsored periodical “Ecu
menical Studies”; and Father
George Tavard, A.A., of Mount
Mercy College, Pittsburgh, who
is the author, among other
books, of “The Catholic Ap
proach to Protestantism.”
From Europe will come
France’s Bernard Lambert, and
Father Jan C. Groot of War-
mond, Holland, the representa
tive of the Dutch hierarchy for
ecumenical affairs.
A Catholic theologian, Father
Raymond E. Brown, S. S., of
Baltimore will speak on “The
Church and the New Testament”
at one of the three public even
ing meetings which are sched
uled during the conference. At
another, “The new development
in relations with Roman Catho
lics” will be a subject for
discussion.
The report on “Christ and the
Church” is probably the one
which will attract the greatest
interest from Catholic theolo
gians.
It is a formidable attempt to
break new ground, a fresh seek
ing to understand the reality of
the whole Christian community
as the people of God in a dif
ferent way, and in different
PORTLAND, Ore., (NC)—
The major obstacle in the path
of Christian reunion is “the
question of the primacy of the
Roman pontiff and papal infal
libility,” an English Domini
can from a French ecumeni
cal center said here.
“It is the only really grave
problem for both Protestants
and Orthodox,” said Father
Thomas Cowley, from the
French institute Istina, near
Paris,
An attempt to overcome the
obstacle has been presentation
of the idea of the pontiff as a
“service to Christianity rather
than domination of it,” he said.
At the same time, Father
Cowley stated, the presence of
Russian Orthodox observers at
the Second Vatican Council may
be a “presage of better rela
tionships between Catholics and
the extremely important Patri
arch of Moscow.”
“Paradoxically enough, the
Patriarch of Moscow is more
independent of the state now
than ever in the past,” he
said, adding that of all non-
Catholic churches, the Russian
Orthodox comes nearest to the
Catholic in beliefs and prac
tices.
The Vatican council had an
effect on non-Catholics’ under
standing of the primacy of the
pope, Father Crowley contin
ued.
“They saw ecclesiastical de
mocracy at work. There was no
attempt to impose a pre-con-
ceived solution of any question
before the council,” he said.
terminology, from that of most
conventional statements, Ca
tholic or Protestant.
One thorny and fundamental
issue, however, has been delib
erately avoided in this report—
the question of spiritual author
ity. (“We did not deem it neces
sary or wise,” it reads, “to
seek a precise definition.”)
The dilemma appears again in
a report on “Tradition and tra
ditions.” To the Catholic, the
whole concept of Tradition and
the development of doctrine
seems inseparable from the
question of spiritual authority in
determining which traditions
are valid and which are false.
The report, however, admits
that Tradition “may connote
either faithful or unfaithful
transmittance . . . the tradi
tionary process is both pre
carious and treacherous,” and
leaves the matter of determin
ation to the theologian and the
historian.
This approach must seem a
weakness to the Catholic, as the
whole question of spiritual au
thority is basic to our differ
ences. However, the matterwill
doubtless come to the fore in due
course.
As the eyes of the ecumenical
world focus on Montreal this
month, Faith and Order goes
forward in trust that God will
disclose answers as yet
unknown to those who seek the
unity which He wills for His
Church. It proceeds with pa
tience an d realism, with
thoroughness and with a grow
ing sense of urgency.
Catholics who see a new wind
of reform and renewal surging
through their Mother Church
can add prayers that each fal
tering human step may be guid
ed by the Holy Spirit towards
the true goal, seemingly many
generations away, of unity in
Christ in one flock, under the
one Sheph$2$.
Father Cowley, an Anglican
priest before he became a Ca
tholic and Dominican in 1957,
said “the most remarkable”
result of Pope John XXIII's
reign was the tremendous ad
vance in Catholic and Protes
tant relations” which “would
have been almost inconceivable
five years ago.”
He said His Holiness Pope
Paul VI might be expected to
continue “the ecumenical open
ing of Pope John and even a
more lively policy toward the
pastoral and missionary crises
which face us.”
Father Cowley said fur
ther advances toward Christian
reunion may be considered in
two sections: faith and order,
a doctrinal dialogue, and like
work, and implication of their
religion for all Christians and
its application to socity.
“In life and work there can
be immediate cooperation of
Catholics, Orthodox and Pro
testants for world peace, to
assist underdeveloped coun
tries, in racial problems and
for human rights, I am sure
this was the thinking of Pope
John and Cardinal Bea,” he
said. Augustin Cardinal Bea,
S. J., is president of the Vati
can Secretariat for Promoting
Christian Unity.
Growing together in * ‘frater
nal charity” will bring all ul
timately to the questions of
doctrine “in a climate of char
ity already established,” he
said.
Father Cowley will represent
the Istina institute, established
BERLIN—Poland’s commun
ist chieftain has denounced that
country’s Bishops in one of the
sharpest attacks on the Church
there since the end of the Stalin
ist era, according to reports
reaching here.
Wladyslaw Gomulka, reports
stated, told a convention of the
Polish United Workers (Com
munist) party that the Bishops
are reactionaries who do not
follow Pope John XXIII’s peace
efforts, and are out of line with
what he termed the coexistence
views expressed by the late
Pontiff in his eycyclical, Pacem
in Terris.
He interpreted as an attack
on communism the words of the
Bishops in a recent pastoral
letter, in which they said:
“Those who drowned the
world in the hell of wars were
fighting Christ's evangelism
and His Church. . .We fear they
will start a new war more cruel
than all previous wars—anato
mic war.”
Gomulka then declared that
the Bishops “protect those who
with the words ‘Got mit uns’
(God with us) on their lips, are
drawing the world into the hell
of war.”
“Gott mit uns” was the motto
inscribed on the belt buckles of
nazi troops who invaded Poland
during World War II.
Gomulka continued:
“So instead of a distinction
between supporters and ene
mies of peace, the Polish Bi
shops introduce a religious dis
tinction.”
He warned the Bishops that
MARRIED MAN
IS ORDAINED
GRONINGEN, The Nether
lands, (NC)—A former Presby
terian minister who is married
and the father of three children
will be ordained a Catholic
priest by Bishop Petrus A.
Nierman of Groningen.
A spokesman for the Bishop
said that Pope John XXIII short
ly before his death authorized
the ordination of Jacobus Loos,
55-year-old resident of Zwolle,
in the Groningen diocese. He
will be the first married man
to be ordained a Latin Rite
priest in the Netherlands.
Loos became a minister in the
Dutch Reformed Church in 1933
and was engaged in pastoral
work successively at Oudega,
Arnhem, Workum and Hilver-
sum. He resigned as vicar in
Hilversum in 1955 to be re
ceived into the Catholic Church.
Mrs. Loos became a Catholic
the same year.
Urges
Brotherly
Love
WASHINGTON, (NC)—Arch
bishop Patrick A. O’Boyle of
Washington has urged Catholics
of this archdiocese to help eli
minate racial discrimination by
looking upon all men as bro
thers.
He said in a letter read in
archdiocesan churches (June
30) that the racial crisis has
resulted mainly because of a
* ‘failure to act upon our Chris
tian belief that men of all races
are made in the image and like
ness of God and that we are all
brothers redeemed by the blood
of Christ.’’
by Pope Pius XII in 1957, at
the World Council of Churches
Faith and Order conference in
Montreal this month.
religious bodies must choose
sides in the battle between com
munism and capitalism.
Gomulka’s attack—which
came as reports from nearby
communist-ruled Hungary indi
cated that Church-State rela
tions are improving there—
climaxed reports in recent
months of a stepped-up govern
ment drive against the Church
in Poland, particularly in the
field of education.
The Red leader spoke the day
before Stefan Cardinal Wyns-
zynski Primate of Poland, left
Rome, where he had attended
the coronation of His Holiness
Pope Paul VI, to return to War
saw. Reports here said that
Church sources in Poland be
lieved the Cardinal would reply
to Gomulka’s speech on his re
turn. In 1956, after a political
shift in Poland ended the Stalin
ist period there and brought
Gomulka to power, the Red
leader made an agreement with
the Cardinal which improved
Church-State relations and per
mitted religious instruction in
state schools.
In his speech the communist
leader reverted to Stalinist tac
tics in warning Polish writers
and intellectuals that spreading
anticommunist ideas will not be
tolerated in Poland. Since 1956,
Poles have had more freedom
of expression than people in any
other Iron Curtain country.
Speaking the day before the
opening of Soviet-Chinese talks
on their ideological conflict re
garding communist strategy,
Gomulka reaffirmed Poland's
support for Soviet Premier Ni
kita Khrushchev, w ho has also
recently cracked down on intel
lectuals and artists.
“Reactionary forces still try
to influence the mind of the
community,” he declared.
“Those reactionary forces base
their activities hostile to soc
ialism (communism) on the old
classes, the activities of the
old bourgeois parties. Those
forces find the support of the
Church’s Hierarchy.”
Since the beginning of the
year, reports from Poland show
that the government has been
taking increasingly harsh mea
sures against the Church. In
particular it has been redoub
ling its efforts to force religious
instruction into the straitjacket
the Gomulka regime fabricated
for it two years ago.
KONGOLO, The Congo, (NC)
—The Kongolo diocese, which
was deserted by most of its
people after the 1962 massacre
of 21 Holy Ghost missionaries,
is awaiting the arrival of four
priests who will bring the total
here to eight.
Both missioners and the local
population left this north Katan
ga region after the New Year’s
Day killing of 20 priests and
one brother by Congolese sold
iers.
One missioner returned June
12, 1962, but he had to leave
because of fresh outbreaks of
violence. The people of Kongolo
have started to come back.
Three missioners returned at
the end of February, 1963, and
a young Congolese priest of the
Kongolo diocese joined them
shortly after.
Congolese National Army
troops stationed in Kongolo have
been helping to rebuild the mis
sion. A group of Congolese
soldiers from the Kongolo area
stationed in Leopoldville are
taking up a monthly collection
among themselves to help Bi
shop Gustave J. Bouve, C.S.Cp.,
of Kongolo rebuild the mission.
Damage done to mission
buildings has been repaired and
primary schools have been re
opened.
In September, the mission
aries hope to reopen teachers’
colleges and secondary schools
and start a new liberal arts
college.
The Congolese Army has suc
ceeded in bringing order to the
area and Bishop Bouve has de
cided to recall both Congolese
and European Sisters.
St. Joseph’s parish in Kongo
lo and the missions of Budi,
Ankoro, Malemba-Nkulu and
Manono have been reopened.
The mission of Lubunda is to be
reopened soon. Only the mis
sions of Kabongo and Ngoya-
Mputu are still without priests.
The late Pope John XXIII
shortly after the New Year’s
Day massacre told a general
audience (Jan. 17, 1962) that the
massacre was like the killing
of Abel by Cain.
“Abel is well represented by
these missionaries,” he said,
* ‘missionaries who have aban
doned their countries and fami
lies to consecrate themselves
to the good of others, their bro
thers.
* 'What is more sorrowful for
a father than to have two sons,
one who kills the other?”
Father Henry Parkinson, C.
S.Sp., Provincial of the Holy
Ghost Fathers in England,
said (Feb., 1963) that the mas
sacre was a "glorious page in
the history of the Church.”
He asked for prayers for
those who killed his fellow Reli
gious “that they also may come
to love what they threatened to
destroy.”
Father John A. Bell, W.F.,
director of the White Fathers’
African Research and Informa
tion Center, Washington, D. C.,
said in June, 1962, that the
widespread anarchy which hit
the Congo in the first years of
its independence made Congo
lese Catholics “exercise their
own initiative.” He said they
were “beginning to understand
their responsibilities as mem
bers of the Church.”
Under the colonial regime,
“there were no problems the
missioners could not solve sat
isfactorily with their fellow
Belgians, the civil administra
tors,” he said. After indepen
dence (June 30, 1960), the Con
go’s Catholic laity realized that
they had to “come to the aid of
their priests and bishops to
protect the Church and to work
for the good of the country,”
he added.
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A SECRETARIAL MEETING—U. S. Secretary of State
Dean Rusk and the Vatican Secretary of State, Amleto Cardi
nal Cicognani, chat informally during President John F.
Kennedy’s visit to Pope Paul VI on July 2, 1963. Mr. Rusk
was among the members of the presidential party received
by the pope and was given a gold medal of his pontificate.
Cardinal Cicognani, before serving as Secretary of State
under Pope John XXIII was Apostolic Delegate to the
United States for 25 years.—(NC Photos)
To Reunion
Says Infallibility
Is Major Obstacle