Pope Outlines Church's Role:
:Awareness, Renewal,· D.ialogue
CASTELGANDOLFO (NC)-The unique.
role of the Church as God's means of saving 'all mankind and the importance of man's 'recognition of this role formed the core of the first encyclical of Pope Paul VI's 'reign. The encyclical, called Ecclesiam Suam from the opening Latin words of the al .most 15,000-word document, was released to the world on Aug. 10 but was dated Aug. 6, the fea'st of the Transfiguration of 'Christ. ' . - In addition to a detailed study of the -nature of the Church as God's means of 'saving mankind, the' encyclical also con tained a denunciation of atheism that called it "the most serious p~blem of our time." The document hailed the ~cumenical movements toward unity to be found among Christian churches today but made it clear ,that the primacy of the pope cannot be sacrificed. Noting that many non-Catholic Ohristians regard the primacy of the pope as a "stumbling-block" and maintain that 'if it were abandoned the reunion of church 'es would Qe easier, Pope Paul declared: - "We beg the separated brethren to con sider the inconsistency of this position, not 'only in that, without the pope/the Catholic Church would no longer be Catholic, but also because, without the supreme, effica cious and decisive pastoral office of Peter, the unity of the Church of Christ would .tterly collapse."
~OPE
PAUL VI SIGNS FIRST ENCYCLICAL
The
CHOR
The encyclical is divided into three main parts with a short introduction.
The first part deals with the need' fOI the Church to be more aware of its divine nature and its role in the salvation of man· kind. ' The second part deals with the need for renewal and reform within the Church so that it can continue to carry out its mission more effectively. The final part deals with the relation of the Church to all mankind and with "the world in which it exists and labors." Pope Paul summed up the aim of his first encyclical very clearly in the document when he wrote: "We propose to ourself in this encyclical the task of showing mOTe clearly to all men the Church's .importance for the s'alvation of mankind and her heart felt desire that the Church and mankind should meet each other and should come to know and love each other." Outlining his ideas in the introduction, the Pope wrote that his "first thought is that this is the hour in which the Church should deepen its consciousness of itself." Secondly, he said, after meditation on the mystery of the Church, there arises a spon taneous desire to compare the ideal image of the Church as Christ willed itt with the actual image. Lastly this leads to the problem of the "'dialogue between the Church and the mod.. ern world." . ' Turn to Page Eighteen
Papal Encyclical Commends, Encourages Council Work
The Church must better know herself; she must reform herself; she must hotel dialogue with the world in which she exists. Briefly, this is the content of "Ecclesiam Suam". The encyclical-though treating of the Ohurch (the subject of the first debates of the coming third, ses-sion of the Oouncil) -is not meant in unduly influence such de b~te·l~' (T~e bCo~I!-Ctl'S~ ~O~k out, 'Tather, it (Council) Is to be See and the thoughts and prob s ou no e IS ur e y encouraged and commended." lems that occupied his mind this simple conversational . In his recent audiences, the wmle he took 1ihe helm in the Ietter," t h e P ontiff pointed Pope stressed the fact that this plaee of Peter, a brotherly let encyclioal is to be received as a ter, a spiritual conference. ~iUar, informal nearly perPope Paul described the aims A. AtIOAor ., •• 'owl, IItwf CIft4 ,.It III 1'1. 'AUI. sonat letter. "This encyclical," of the encydical: "One hope we e~p1ains the Holy Father, "inhaw in our heart is that this tends neither to claim a solemn 'letter of OUTS, this encyclical, Fall River, Mass., Thursday, August 13, 1964 and strictly doctrinal function, may serve to make the Chureb nor to propOse particular moral better appreciated, to increase in PRICE lOc or social teachings but merely, all good people esteem and love VO.I 8, u1""l1lI0. 33 © 1964 ~e Anchor $4.00 per Year NEW YORK (NC) - A to commwrioote a fraternal and fur the Churoh of Our Lord Jesus - - - - - - - - - - - - . . . . . ; - - - . . . . . , ; - - - - - - - - - switch in compassion which informal message," The Pope Christ whose members we all favors "the criminal, the called it "t.he opening of his are and whose sons and defend bum, the breaker of the law" !heart," the official announce- ers we must be." Turn to Page Six rather than the victim of a crime ment of his elect.ion to the HoI,. or upholder of justice was de plored here by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen. DENVER (NC)-Francis Cardinal Spellman has criticThe situation which seems to ized the U.S. Supreme Court for a "shocking decision" on be nationwide is "eating away at morality and has pleaded for a vigorous counterattack" true freedom," the Auxiliary . . . . Bishop of New York said in his agamst obscemty mus'hroommg throughout the natIOn. The sermon at the 36th annual Red LIMA (NC) Richard Cardinal Cushing of Boston has Archbishop of New York . ~ass sponsored by the New urged the training of lay experts to apply the teachings of ese said the victims of spreading by t!t perverted profIteers York Guild of Catholic Lawyers the social encyclicals of the popes to Latin American life. fall mto the "hands of unwary in St. Patrick's cathedral. pornography are "the young young "We used to feel sorry for the He also announced that he willas~ Pope Paul VI to allow people. boys and girls of our nation The Cardinal charged two re- one raped but now it is the the introduction of the can whose innocent hearts, minds cent "ominous" decision of the rapist," Bi~op Sheen said in a onization call'se of Pope John where, he noted, a third of the world's Catholics live. and souls are being deliberately U. S. Court "reflect an accept- discussion of three kinds of But, he said, the time has corrupted and diabolically di- ance of degeneracy and the beat- freedom and their relationship XXIII and praised President verted from the noble purposes nik mentality of the standard to the law. John F. Kennedy who, he come for the Church in Latin for which they were created by way of life." He characterized the three said, died for the people of both America to concentrate on train ing of lay leaders to become ex God." In approving the book ''Tropic kinds of freedom as: "the right the U. S. and Latin America. Cardinal Cushing spoke at the perts in the interpretation and "Paganism af this sort is of Cancer" five members of the to do whatever you please"; "the nothing new," the Cardinal told court in a majority decision right to do whatever you must," start of his three-week visit to application of the social encycli the Grand Aerie convention struck down ruling of courts and "the right to do whatever Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia to cals dating back to Pope Leo tour missions run by 125 priests XIII. banquet of the Fraternal Order in several states including you ought." The- Church, he stated, must Bishop Sheen said the firlJt of the Society of St. James the of Eagles. "Obscenity, pornog- Illinois, Florida and New Apostle, which he founded in bring its social doctrines to the graphy, salacious literature York where the book had been Turn to Page Twenty people of the entire Church whatever you may call it.-is a classed as "vile and obscene," 1958. The cardinal told an audience since they apply to everyone. two billion dollar a year racket the 'prelate said. Dispensation of eight Peruvian bishops and He also said that the problems - the United States. It is pro. ''Their judgment of morality The Most Reverend Bishop 120' priests at St. James language of the Church in Latin America moted and peopled by unscrupu- has been imposed on the people has granted a dispensation school near here that he Is very pertain to all its countries as a iIous profit seekers. It is shocking of the United States," Cardinal when we realize that 75 to 90 from . abstinence tor tomor optimistic about the future of unit and sho1,lld be dealt with Pel" c:ent of ~ materials peddled '!'urn to Page Nineteeo "w, Friday, August 14. lbe Church ia ,LatiD America ~iIlt17_
Cardinal Spellman Upbraids Court for Smu~ Decision
.Prelate Criticizes Sympathy Turn To Criminal
Urges Training Lay Experts In Applying Encyclicals