The Georgia bulletin (Atlanta) 1963-current, June 03, 1963, Image 8

Georgia Historic Newspapers

The Georgia bulletin, June 03, 1963, Image 8

About The Georgia bulletin (Atlanta) 1963-current | View Entire Issue (June 3, 1963)

Page of 8

Prev Issue Next Issue

Text PDF JP2 (11.9 MB) Clip/Print Image

Page of 8

Prev Issue Next Issue

Return to Top

Newspaper Page TextPAGE 8 GEORBIA BULLETIN MONDAY JUNE 3, 19o3 Old In Years, Young In Spirit He Pushed Th is Special Supplement Commemorating The Death of Pope John XXIII Is Made Possible Through The Kindness and Courtesy Of The Following SUTTER & McLELLAN YOUR INDEPENDENT INSURANCE AGENT PET MILK CO., DAIRY DIVISION MARKETING SERVICES CO., INC. DECATUR FEDERAL BUILDING RYBERT PRINTING COMPANY PHOTOS BY BUCHER C.A. RAUSCHENBERG INC INSURANCE AND BONDS ST. JOSEPH’S INFIRMARY SODA FOUNTAIN GEORGIA INTERNATIONAL LIFE INSURANCE CO. J.J. HYNES COMPANY COLONIAL STORES INC. PONTIFF MAKES HISTORIC PILGRIMAGE r The first Pontiff to leave Vatican City for an extended trip by rail in 99 years, His Holiness Pope John XXIII gave his blessing to the crowd at Rome’s Trastevere Station (upper left) enroute to Loreto, some 200 miles across Italy. The Holy Father made the journey October 4, 1962, to the Blessed Mother’s shrine at Loreto (upper right), and to Assissi, home of St. Francis (lower left) to pray for the success of the impending Second Vatican Council. At lower right, the Pope is cheered by crowds at a station along (CONTINUED FROM PAGE I) right word to touch and inspire. Many times his talks were lib erally enriched with Scriptural quotations or reference to the Fathers of the Church. This was especially true in his talks to priests reminding them of the high dignity and great respon sibilities of their calling, or to seminary rectors and re ligious superiors, insisting on the need for preserving the highest standards in the intel lectual and spiritual training of seminarians and other can didates for the religious life. In addresses to groups re presenting every type of oc cupation and degree of social or economic standing, he fre quently underscored respectfor the laws of God as the basis of true peace, ju .tice and chari ty in the world. Such talks marked John XX111 as truly a pastoral Pope. In many others, devoted to the theme of Chris tian unity, he earned the title also of the Pope of Unity, FROM the beginning, Pope John demonstrated that his pon tificate was neither to be a mere transitional one, nor one bound to rigid tradition. The first indication of this was when he assumed the name of John, breaking the long sucession of Piuses, Gregorys, Leos and Benedicts. He reestablished the practice of giving regular audi ence* to the Curia cardinals which had been suspended dur ing a serious illness of Pope Pius Xll in 1954. This meant assuring access to the Pope at individually designated tunes by the cardinals and other offi cials of the Roman Curia. In January, 1960, he called the first synod of his own Diocese of Rome. This resulted mmea sures to strengthen the spirit ual ministry for the Rome fait hful and reinforce the Church's disciplinary standards. Meanwhile, certain establis hed traditions were swept aside by the amiable, easy going John XX111. Pius Xll permitted no body access to the Vatican Gar dens when he was taking his walks there. But his successor opened them unrestrictedly to all who wanted to use them. Pius preferred to eat alone; John, virtually every day, had guests to lunch or dinner. He had difficulty adjusting to the imperial "We" in his official discourses; once he joked: "Don't interrupt me — I mean us." He accepted, but only as a matter of necessity the pomp and ceremony that went with his office, IN 'PUNE with the new Pope's outgoing nature was the series of surprise excursions he began outside the walls .of the tiny State of Vatican City. One of his first visits was to the Re gina Coeli jail in Rome, where he was cheered by 1,500 con victs. In November, 1962, he made a trip to a boy^’ reform atory, bringing gifts and words of fatherly advice to the in mates. His other excursions were to hospitals, to the bed sides of ill cardinals, to chur ches (especially for Lenten ex ercises), colleges and a home for retired and infirm priests. He distributed Communion to the street cleaners of Rome. On the eve of the Second Vat ican Council, he made the long est trip ever undertaken by a reigning pontiff by journeying 400 miles to Assisi and Loreto. This gave millions of Italians in towns and villages along the route their first glimpse of "il simpanco Papa" — the "nice Pope." The quick pace rf Pope John's reign was evidenced by, among other things, the fact that while Pope Pius Xll, in his 19-year pontificate, had held only two consistories to appoint new car dinals, his successor held four. He named altogether 52 new cardinals (23 in 1958, and 29 between 1959 and 1962) raising the Sacred College to a record membership of 85. That figure exceeded the limit of 70 set by Pope Sixtus V in 1586. Among the first Princes of the Church Pope John named were the first Negro, Filipino, Uruguan and Mexican cardinals in his tory. The Pope's action, espec ially in naming a Negro car dinal, was at once striking af firmation of the Church's uni versality and a rebuke to racial discrimination, Or. May 6, 1962, he struck another blow against racism by canonizing St. Martin de Forres, a 17th century Per uvian Dominion lay brother, the decatlr-deicalb NEWS who was the son of a Spanish nobleman and a Panamian Negro woman. St. Martin is honored as the patron saint of Catholic interracialism. Also among the new cardinals were five Americans (two have since died) and the first Scots man raised to the Sacred Col lege in 148 years. One of the first cardinals created was Domenico Cardinal Tardini, whom the Pope, at the begin ning of his reign, had made Se cretary of State, an office Pius Xll had left vacant for 14 years. When Cardinal Tardini died in 1961, he was replaced by Amle- to Cardinal Cicognani, who also was raised to the Sacred College by Pope John after the latter had served for 25 years as Apostolic Delegate to the United States, When the papal tiara was pla ced on his head, Pope John had been a priest for 64 years. He had had a career marked by success as a student, professor, missionary, Vatican diplomat and spiritual leader of the 500- year old Patriarchate of Venice. As a papal ambassador he had formed many friendships with leaders of the Eastern Ortho dox Churches which were to ex plain his oft-repeated desire to help end the 1,000 schism sep arating them from Rome. BORN Angelo Giuseppe Ron- calli at Sotto il Monte in the Diocese of Bergamo, in north ern: Italy, John XX111 entered the diocesan seminary when he was only 11. Eight years later, he was enrolled at the College Carasola in Rome to begin his theological studies. After re ceiving a laureate in theology, he was ordained on Aug. 10, 1904, at the church of Santa Ma ria in Monte Santo. From 1905 until the outbreak of the First World War, the young priest served both as a private sec retary to Bishop Giacomo Ra- dini-Tedeschi of Bergamo and professor of Canon Law, apo- legetics and patrology at Ber gamo seminary. The future Pope’s priestly career was interrupted when war forced him into the Italian army, where he became a ser geant-major in the medical co rps. He was later transferred to the chaplaincy and assigned in turn to various military hos pitals. As Pope, he once refer red to this period of his life by telling a Palatine Guard who had knelt before him: "Get up, get up. After all, you are a captain and I am only a ser geant." The war over, the then Fa ther Roncalli displayed his spe cial interest in the welfare of deserving students by organi zing a Students' House at Ber gamo which assisted in provid ing free help to the children of middle class families attending public schools. Spurred by the plight of young people growing up in a secular atmosphere that was harmful to their spiritual life, the young priest also helped to set up a school of religion for them at the Bergamo Teachers College. One of his most successful early projects included the establish ment of a social and study cir cle for young women in the Bergamo area. WHEN a Eucharistic Con gress was held at Bergamo in 1920, Father Roncalli, then 39, was chosen to give one of the principal addresses. His topic w as "The Eucharist and the Ma donna." Throughout his teach ing career he had sought con sistently to arouse special de votion to the Blessed Sacram ent and to the Mother of Christ among young people. A 'turning po int in Father Ron- calli's career came in 1921, when he was made a canon and be came president of the Central Council for the Society for the Propagation of the Faith in Italy, rising to become a mem ber of the Superior Council the next year. Among his accom plishments were the centrali zation of the society's region al centers and the drafting of a new constitution. In his missionary post, Fa ther Roncalli had many oppor tunities to travel. Among the countries with which he became acquainted vsere France, Bel gium and Holland ... His tra vels also took him to many parts of Italy. Church His talents already keenly appreciated by his ecclesias tical superiors in Rome, the fu ture Pope was consecrated Ti tular Archbishop of Areopolis and named by Pope Pius XI as Apostolic Visitor to Bulgaria in 1925. This marked the be ginning of a diplomatic car eer in which he was to achieve notable success. Promoted to Apostolic Delegate to Bulgaria in 1930, he was responsible for the reorganization of the By zantine Rite Catholics, giving them a hierarchy, grouping them in a single diocese and founding a seminary, which he entrusted to the Jesuits. In this post he also got to know many of the prelates now be hind the Iron Curtain. In 1936, Archbishop Rancalli was given a new post as Apos tolic Delegate to Turkey and Greece. He also filled the ad ditional post of Apostolic Ad ministrator of the Latin Vi cariate Apostolic of Istanbul. He remained in the Turkish capital all through World War 11, winning the respect and ad miration of a growing number of friends among both the na tive and foreign population. Du ring this period of his career, the future Pope acquired not only a profound knowledge of the problems of the Eastern Orthodox Church but an insight into what could be done to promote the return of the sch ismatics to the See of Peter. One of his minor accomplish ments meanwhile was the pub lication of the first pastoral letter written in the Turkish language. His long service in the Vatican diplomatic corps gave him a knowledge of sev eral languages in addition to Italian and Latin. He was flu ent not only in Turkish, but in Greek, Bulgarian and French. In view of the archbishop's already extensive administra tive and diplomatic backgr ound, little surprise was cau sed when he was chosen in 1944 as Papal Nuncio to France. He held that post — with outstan ding success — until January, 1953, when he was created a cardinal by Pope Pius Xll and named Patriarch. He had been five years in that office when Pope Pius Xll died (Oct. 9, 1958) and he was elected to succeed. Solemnly crowned on Nov. 4 Pope John lost no time in plun ging into the affairs of the Church. Among his first steps was to reorganize the finances of the Holy See, raise the sal aries of the Vatican employees by 25 to 49 per cent, and to fill 18 vacancies in the Col lege of Cardinals, also adding five members to bring the to tal membership to 75. A few days after his election he had made his first broadcast to the world. Its theme was peace, a topic he was to stress with great frequence — especially in his traditional Christmas messages to the world — and far more sympathetically and convincingly perhaps than any of his predecessors. IN OTHER of his initial talks, Pope John spoke of Christian unity, a cause long close to his heart. In convoking the Second Vatican Council, only three months after his election, he stimulated such fraternization and vis-a-vis encounters be tween Catholics and Protest ants as to make his pontifi cate a truly ecumenical one. The first preparations for the Council had scarcely got- under way when the Pope was visited by Archbishop Iakovos, newly elected head of the Gre ek Orthodox Archdiocese of No rth and South America. This was the first time in some 350 years that an Orthodox pre late had called on a Roman pontiff. Three months later the Pope gave an audience to an Orthodox metropolitan from Greece. On Dec, 2, 1960 one of the most historic events in church history occured when Dr. Geoffrey Francis Fisher, the then Archbishop of Canter bury paid a visit of "homage and courtesy” to the Pope. In the succeeding years the Pope’s visitors were to inclu de the Presiding Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States, an American Methodist bishop who was also the head of the World Metho dist Council, the moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland (Presbyter ian), an American Southern Baptist leader, the bead of Am erica's largest Negro church body, and Anglican prelates from England and South Africa. Other visitors included Luther ans, Reformed, Congregation- alists, Quaker, Old Catholics, and Disciples and Unitarians. Also going to Rome to greet the Pope were leaders from the U.S. and Canada, a Shinto high priest from Japan, and 25 Jap anese Buddhist priests. The Bu ddhists heard the Pope declare that "both Buddhism and Ca tholicism honor God and word for peace and the good of man kind." One of the Pope’s Pre sbyterian visitors was quoted as saying after his meeting with the pontiff: "Fresh winds are blowing away age-old animos ities and prejudices ... the Holy Spirit has been working in this matter through John XX111, for whom I thank God and from whom I take courage." In an action reflecting his broad ecumenical conscious ness, Pope John decreed chan ges in the Church's Good Fri day liturgy abolishing referen ces to Jews that could be inter preted as offensive to such per sons. In other pastoral Initia tives he added an invocation of the Precious Blood to the Divine Praises, a widely used indul- genced Catholic prayer; set up new hierarchies in Indonesia and Vietnam; approved a ten ye ars indulgence for assistance at Masses for the dying; liber alized rules for distribution of Holy Communion to the sick in the homes; decreed several changes in the rules governing the conclave for the election of a Pope; established a Pon tifical Commission for the Re vision of the Code of Canon Law; and defined the duties of the Pontifical Commission for Mo vies, Radio and Television, meanwhile making it a perman ent office of the Holy See. THE sweeping range of the Pope's humane interests was demonstrated notably in his str ong support of the United Na tions in its programs for the abolition of hunger in the world. In August, 1962, he made an ur gent plea for coordinated efforts by individual organizations en gaged in providing them with material and spiritual assist ance. When the World Refugee Year was inaugurated in 1960 he gave it whole hearted en dorsement. In a talk to delegates attend ing a special assembly in Rome on "The Human Right to Free dom from Hunger" sponsored by the U.S.'s Food and Agri culture Organization, the Pope likewise called for coordina ted efforts to end the plight of the underfed and starving. In 1959, when birth control was be ing urged as a remedy for over population, with its concurrent problem of hunger, the Pope re jected this solution by saying: "There cannot be any admoni tion of erroneous doctrine or harmful methods and lethal li mitation of offspring." His re medy: "All riches which come from the earth should be put at the disposal of all. All ear thly goods must be better dis tributed." Pope John insisted that Ca tholics should be leaders in all social welfare activities, but he also believe they sjould cooper ate with others in this field. In a letter sent to the general as sembly of the Conference of In ternational Catholic Organiza tions held at Buenos Aires in August, 1962, he called for more extensive cooperation among Catholic Actionists not only from country to country, but from continent to continent. The pontiff made many forth right appeals for sound and har- monius labor-management re lations, stressing the equal re sponsibility for workers and employers in maintaining a sou nd economy. In a message to Canadian Catholics in 1961, he said workers should have a voice in managment and also share in the profits of industry. SECULAR newsmen on occa sions heard the Pope commend honest journalism as a means of "working for universal bro therhood.” He told Catholic edi tors they should stress the Christian way of life and be effective promoters of the hier archy's teachings. On many oc casions he discussed the para mount importance of preserv ing sound moral standards in radio, television and the mov ies. In October, 1961, he ex horted priests and laymen to join all men of goodwill in fostering the production of wholesome films. At a general audience to members of the In ternational Olympic Committee in August 1960, he commended the value of sports in promo ting universal brotherhood and peace. Some months previously, addressing delegates to the Se venth Congress in Rome of the International Association of Sp orts Waiters he upheld Sunday sports as in accord with Di vine law. Problems in Latin America - stemming from Communist in filtration and widespread social inequities - were also upper most in the Pope's mind. In March, 1961, he told an aud ience of religious superiors that "only an upsurge of re ligious vocations can guarantee a successful future for the Ca tholic Church" there. The same year he sent a message to the first Inter-American Marian Congress in Buenos Aires cal ling for a just solution to La tin America's social proglems. In other statements he urged strengthening the Young Chris tian Workers (Joclst) movement there, as well as efforts by dioceses in all countries to help solve the clergy shortage. the route. His Pontificate saw the inaugu ration in the United States of the Papal Volunteers for La tin America, a lay apostolate aimed at assisting the hard- pressed missions. In a letter to the Latin American hier archy in December, 1961, the Pope deplored the persecution of the Church "in some areas where pontificate Christian life flourished" — an obvious al lusion to Cuba under the Cas tro regime. POPE JOHN'S reign saw the canonization not only of St. Mar tin de Porres, but of nine other saints, among them St. Vincent Pallotti, 19th century Rome- born founder of the Society of the Catholic Apostolate; and of St Gregory Barbigo (1625 - 1697), bishop of the Pope’s na tive Diocese of Bergamo. Among five beatifications of his reign — major step toward canonization — was that of Blessed Mother Elizabeth Se- ton (1774 - 1821), foundress of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul at Emm its burg, McL — the first native born L.S. citizen to be proclaimed a Ble ssed. Four thousand pilgrims from the United States attend ing the solemn rites in St. Pet- ter’s Basicila on March 17,1963, heard the Pope declare "It is a source of satisfaction to us to pay such a tribute to that illustrious nation as an augury for further advances in spirit ual progress." "Citizens of America," the Pope continued, "have explor ed the sea and the air; they have given open-handed hospi tality and employment to people immigrating from every land. America has continued to over come with courage the various difficulties which have arisen from time to time, and to ren der her legislation — which is derived from the principles of Christian morality — ever more in keeping with the dig nity of the human person." Not only religious leaders, but monarchs, heads of state and high-ranking government leaders from all parts of the world came to pay homage to the humble-born John XX111. His visitors included the Kings and Queens of Greece, Thialand, Denmark and Belgium; Eliza beth 11, the first reigning Brit ish Queen ever to visit a Pope; and the Kings of Togo and Bur undi, Africe. The Chief Execu tives of many countries also paid their respect, the first being the U.S. President, Dwight D. Elsenhower (in December, 1959). Others came from Eu rope (Italy, West Germany, Ire land, France, Turkey), from Africa (Dahomey, Senegal and Upper Volta), Latin America (Peru, Argentina and Costa Ri ca ;, Asia (the Philippine Is lands). From at least five coun tries ( U.S., Britain, Greece, Burma and Japan) came top government leaders. Soon after he began his pontificate, the Pope received legislators and other leaders from no less than 14 new African nations. In many talks and radio mes sages, Pope John expressed satisfaction over the "growing sovereignty" of the .African people and his "abiding affec tion" for them. In May, 1962, he urged a group of European and American bankers to show special concern for the new nations seeking solutions for their financial problems. In oth er messages and addresses he stressed the duty of Catholics to help raise the living stand ards of underdeveloped count ries both in .Africa and Asia. In a talk on January 26, 1963, to delegates to the European Parliamentary Assembly, he praised the goal of economic cooperation betweeen nations. On another occasion he voiced approval of the concept of a United Europe and said Cath olics should be in the fore front of "this eminently peace ful work." Atlanta Raised To Archdiocese By Pope John On the wall of the Chancery Office of the Archdiocese of Atlan ta, there is a Latin document which bears the heading, "John, Bishop, Servant of the Servants of God." It is the apostolic let ter from Pope John which raised Atlanta from a diocese to an archdiocese in February, 1962. It serves as a daily reminder that the brief pontificate of the great man who has just died was a deep ly significant time for the Church in northern Georgia. THERE are thousands of dioceses, and many archdioceses, in the Catholic world which Pope John governed. Yet this good shep herd was aware of Atlanta, not just as a great .American City, but as a vital part of Christ's Kingdom. To St. Peter, Our Lord said "Confirm thy brethren....feed my lambs.... feed my sheep." Atlanta is new as an archdiocese, and small in Catholic popu lation, but its brethren were confirmed, the sheep and lambs nourished. In 1959, Pope John named as domestic prelates, worthy of papal honor, these priests of our diocese; Right Reverend Corn elius L. Maloney and Right Reverend Michael J. Reagan and in 1960, Right Reverend James E. King. In addition the Reverend Henry E. Phillips was awarded the cross; "Pro Lcclesia et Pontifice". IN 1961, he named Bishop Francis E. Hyland, our first bishop, an Assistant to the Papal Throne, an honor in keeping wit! these great prelate’s remarkable record of accomplishment. In 1959, Pope John gave papal honors to these laymen: Clarence Haverty and Hughes Spalding, Sr. "Private Chamberlains of the Sword and Cape"; Mrs. Malcolm Bryan: "Pro Ecclesia et Pont ifice"; in 1960, Mrs. Charlene Thomas, James Homer Bennett and Henry Yancey: "Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice". IN 1962, Atlanta was raised to archdiocesan rank, the Metropo litan See of a Pro\inee including four southeastern states. The Pope’s representative, Archbishop Egidio Vagnozzi, Apostolic Delegate to the United States came to Atlanta to execute the Decree of Erection, and to install the new Archbishop. In the same year, a request from this archdiocese that Vicars- General be permitted to administer Confirmation during the Coun cil was broadened into a universal permission. ON MAY 1st, 1963, in one of his last audiences, he sent, through the Archbishop of Atlanta, his blessings to the clergy, religious and laity of the archdiocese. In the wide Catholic world, there is no acre of land so distant from Rome to be forgotten. Since 1958, this has been especially true, because St. Peter's successor, Pope John, had a heart as great as the Church he served.