10.11.62

Page 1

Rome Is Place of Rare Excitement and Hope

Christendom's Greatest Event in Century. Ha~

Ho'liness Pope John Presides at Ecumenical Council

By Rev. Edward .:D'. MitchelR .

This is the lint in a series 01 a1,ticles conceming the CU1'1"ent Ecumenical Council by Rev. Edwa1'd J. Mitchell, a priest of the Dioe('.se of Fall River. Father Mitchell is in Rome studying Canon Law in the Latemn Unive1'sity.

hotels and patiently ordering their books and gathering their notes. For it is these men, the successors of the apostles, who will open and see to completion Christendom's greatest event in a century. It is the bishops who will give to the world that demonstration of faith and

On the eve of the Second Vatican Council, the old city of Rome is bristling with activity. Carpenters hammer the final touches to the tiered bleachers in the nave of St. Peter's Basilica; welcoming committees scan the skies and harbors for the approach of the honored guests; television commentators and newspaper reporters frantically search' for hotel rooms and "reliable Vatican sources"; and the battery of priest-stenographers hurriedly tries to master the intricate symbols of Latin shorthand. Even thlil bewildered tourist will agree that Rome's balmy October air is charged with a ral;e excitement and hope. . But the hope of Rome and the Catholic world is not centered in this whirlpool of preparatory bustle, but rather in those 2,600 bishops who are even now quietly checking into

PAPAlL PRE-COUNCIL BLESSING

Cas~

The ANCHOR Fall River, Mass., Thursday, Oct. 11, 1962 • PRICE lOe Vol. 6, No. 42 © 1962 The Anchor $4.00 per' Year q

Over 500,000 See Opening Rome Council Procession VATICAN CITY (NC)-An estimated 500,000 people Jostled and strained to witness the passing of history as the members of the Second Vatican ..Ecumenical Council 'marched in procession this morning across St. Peter's Square and into the basilica to begin the council. This high moment in the Church's history started at 8 :30 when the long procession of the wol"ld's bishops made their way to the basilica walking in front of Pope Jolln, who was carried on his portable throne. The council Fathers had assembled at 8, the cardinals in the Vatican's Hall of Benedictions and the Borgia apartments; the bishops in the Hall of Inscriptions, and the Pope in the Hall of Vestments. The Pope vested in mantle and jeweled miter, the cardinal bishops in ~opes, the cardinal-priests in chasubles and the cardinal dea~ons in tunics. The Oriental Rite patriarchs were vested in the soleml'\ vestments of their own varying rites. The bishops, archbishops and abbots donned white copes. All ~ cardinals, patriarchs, arch\l>ishops, bishops and abbots-put on simple white miters with ~heir double pointed crowns risftng high on their heads. Orien~al Rite prelates wore the episco11>al crown, a tall bulbous metal \head-dress, richly ornamented, rooodeled after the crown of the Turn to Page Five

unity that it so. sorely needs. And, most important of all, it is the bishops alone who hold in their hands the' power to "up-date the Church" (Pope John's expression) so that it may better show itself to the world in the decades ahead as the "spotless bride of Christ." This 'renewal and up-dating of the Church will affect the life, worship and discipline of every Catholic, and thereby, at least indirectly, further the cause of Christian unity. "The Ecumenical Council," the Holy Father has said, "will be a' demonstration, uniquely far-reaching in its· significance, of truly world-wide catholicity . . . By God's grace, then, we shall hold this Council; we shall prepare for it by working hard at whatever on the Catholic side most needs to b~ healed and strengthened according to the . teaching of our Lord. When we ,have carried out this' strenuous task, eliminated everything which could at the human level hinder' our rapid progress, then we shall point to the Church in all her splendor, without spot or stain, and say to all those who are separated from us, Orthodox, Protestants, and the rest: Look, /brothers, this is the Church of Christ. We have striven to be true to her, to ask the Continued on Page Five

Clear in North Attlebof@

Town Has Right by law To Give /

fBSM~ Rid@~ fr@ fe~h@~ PUP~~$ Rev. Patrick J, O'Neill, Superintendent of Schools of the Diocese of Fall River, haSl replied to the implications of certain Greater Attleboro Area non-Catholic clergymen that the Town of Attleboro acted illegally in providing transportation of 145 North Attleboro children to Bishop Feehan Regional High School in Attleboro. Some weeks ago, North Attleboro School Committee- sures equal treatment of pupils is within the authority of th0 man Robert H. Rickard asked attending private schools and committee to transport to the if North Attleboro was act- specifically states that they are town line students attending thG ing legally in providing such not to be denied simply because Bishop Feehan High School." transportation to the Town line. Over a year ago, the North Attleboro School Committee decided that the best interests of the' Town would be served by providing these children with transportation. In doing so, they were acting in accordance with the provision of Chapter 40, Section 8, of the General Laws of . Massachusetts, giving the Town the right to provide transportation of children to school. This Chapter places no limit- . ation on the contract the. T9wn ca~ enter into for transportation. Furthermore, Chapter 76, Section 1, of the General Laws, in-

the' school they attend offers religious instruction. On July 15, 1961, the Town Counsel of North Attleboro gave an opinion which held th8lt "it

A meeting last week of certain non-Catholic clergymen in the Attleboro Area gave the impression thllff' the transportation of Turn to Page Twenty

Second Vatican Council Has Many Interesting Facets VATICAN CITY (NC) - History is in the making here. The greatest meeting of Church dignitaries in all the Christian era is in session in St. Peter's Basilica, In many ways already one of the great assemblies of all time, its full impact is expected to be felt far in the future. Events of enormous importance, pro b a b I y unfolding slowly over many years. will be traced to it. Gathered about Pope John are cardinals, patriarchs, archbishops and bishops from the farthest corners of the earth to the number of some 2,600. Together they constitute the Fathers of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council. Theologians and other expert consultants swell the number of thoso present to about 3,000. It is an ecumenical council, and only 21st ever to be convened. The first met in 325 in Nicea in Bithynia (now a part of Turkey) with 318 persons taking part. The last previous one, the First Vatican Council, was held here more than gO years ago. On arriving in lRome, BishojP Connolly cabled his blessings W> the faithful of the Diocese,

Bishop CpDDOlly, left, and Msgr. Medeiros emplallling folL" ]Rome Monday nighto.

An ecumenical, or general, council is a solemn assembly of the bishops of the world called .Turn to Page Five


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