The Catholic times. [volume], December 07, 1951, Image 4

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THE
CATHOLIC TIMES
Published Every Week by
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Columbus, Ohio
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and of the Diocese of Columbus. Pray for Us!
This Paper Printed by Union Labor
Rest To The Weary
That tired old battle cry of “separation nf
Church and state" has been in great use this year.
It has been worn to whatever nether substance a
phrase can be worn to. (There seems to be no ade
quate adjective to describe fatigued words, by the
way.)
People and cloth have many such helpers but
they do not lend themselves well to words, eg. men
or clothes can be worn to a frazzle, worn out, thread
bare. to the bone, etc. Tired words cannot be so
conveniently delineated. They have to be experienc
ed.
After all the multitudinous mouthings and car
ings the "SOCAS” phrase has gotten, we can sense
the chagrin of these words as they reach a conven
ient but unwilling haven in the side of some one's
head—lying there, spent, a quivering, frustrated air
vibration—too tired for words.
Of course, we know that words or phrases do not
really get tired. It is only the people who use them
that do. In the case of “SOCAS” it is only the peo
ple who hcai it. 1 hose who speak it never tire of
doing so I hey have become verbal inebriates and
cannot forego its use.
In their mouths it is the answer to the school bus
question, sending Mark to the Vatican, electing a
Catholic picsident and the released time issue. It is
a cure all foi what they believe to be the incipient
Catholic cancer in the body politic
It would be too much to expect them to drop the
issues just because we re tired of hearing the phrase,
and weie not asking for this complete surrender at
this time What we do ask, though, is something in
the nature of a moratorium
We ask that this phrase be rested for a while.
While in repose, we could substitute another phrase
or a handy, alphabetic designation for it The initial
letters of the phrase “separation of Church and
state": SOt AS. look good in print and would satisfy
the modern mode in such matter
When spoken, though. SOCAS, because of its
similarity to such as", would inev itably lead to even
greater confusion than now exists
We suggest some like phrase, as: separation of
ynlk and white, or sheep and goats, or oil and v
ter Any one of these could he u-ed as easily as the
original. Any one sounds as good as the original.
And
Any one of them makes as much sense in the
iaanes at stake.
------------------o..................
Negro Leadership Grows
The Negro is coming into his own. The progress
is slow at times, hut it is nevertheless definite. A
few recent happenings point up the fact.
A new book. “Communism Versus the Negro,”
states that the efforts of the Beds to win the Ameri
can Negro have proven a miserable failure. The
author. Dr. William A. Nolan, of St. Louis Universi
ty, bases his thesis on a study of communist docu
ments and writings, interviews M'ith 500 persons,
and analyses of a number of important interracial
incidents. Here in Columbus recently a Negro radio
commentator stated the same thing. Rut he warned
all Negroes tn be on their guard against those who
would use racial grievances tn pit them and other
citizens against one another. The speaker was Nim
rod R. Alien, executive secretary of the Columbus
Urban league. His dignified and informed speech
gave evidence nf his stature and of his leadership.
Another incident in the news this past month
was the election of a Negrn girl as the homecoming
queen at the University of Illinois. The young lady
was also a Catholic, an alumnus of afholic grade
and high schools.
Here in Columbus last week the Catholic Youth
delegates in their annual meeting at St. Mary nt
the Springs chose as their diocesan wide president a
young Negro man. He is a convert, and gave evi
dence of a plenitude of ability and zeal for the
apoaloiatc that he now directs.
It is good to note such incidents as those. Despite
the fact that Ohio has not seen fit to enact an FEPC
law-, progress is made in the matter of interracial
relations. Despite the fact that some of our Negro
neighbors feel and act with an inferiority complex,
others are assuming a leadership that cannot help
but be far more effective in rooting out al) inter
racial evils.
...... ........ -o--------------
Rack Up Your Criticism
A sure sign that a person has reached his nia
jority is the fact that hr stops criticizing Pop and
starts to belittle the city, state and national in
cumbenls
The law of diminishing returns usually convinces
the teen age junior or the voting senior that this is
a pleasant but fruitless pastime. It is a sad and
true fact that the targets of the criticism arc seldom
reformed by the knowledge that they have been
designated as fumblers, morons, cheats and narrow
minded penny-pinching grafters.
Those who play this particular indoor sport, and
we all do at times, are only richer in the knowledge
nf invective. The whole thing seldom pays off. It
is frustrating. It is enough to make a person cry
and stamp his feet, or swear and get red in the
face—depending on the age of the contestant.
Such behaviour as was just mentioned is repre
hensible, but understandable, maybe, in a child. In
an adult, though, it is a different stor.Wi There is
something he can do He can exercise his right to
vote
If he has done this and finds he has made a mis
take or that his choice was not the popular one hr
can and should pray. He should tn any event—this
is but an added incentive.
Saturday is the feast of Mary's Immaculate Con
caption and it is under this title that she has been
chosen as the Patroness of the United States.
Those who are worried about the present state
of affairs, both national and international, have an
excellent opportunity to back-up their criticism with
something constructive They can tell Mary Im
maculate about it and beg her aid and interces
sion.
... -... o-----------------
Clarifying a
Clear Statement
Again faulty reporting made it necessary fnr a
clarification by way of reaffirmation of news from
the Vatican. On October 29 Pope Pius XII spoke to
th* delegates attending the Congress of the Italian
Catholic Union nf Midwives. Sketchy news reports
gave a misleading interpretation to what His Holt
new had to say about some moral questions affect­
ing married life. There was a great deal of mis
understanding and confusion as a result.
The other day the Holy Father spoke again, re
peating some of what he had siid previously, and
emphasizing some of the things that were not under
stood. Following the second talk, a local secular
paper had as a headline, “Marital Duty. Birth Con
trol Speech Clarified by Pope.” It should be suffi
cient to state that the Pope did not clarify a speech
that was clear in the first place he merely re
affirmed what he had said.
In his first address the Pope stated: "Every hu
man being, even the infant in the maternal womb,
has the right to life, immediately from God
not from the parents or any human so
ciety or authority. Therefore there is no man, no
human authority, no science, no medical, eugenic,
social, economic or moral ‘indication’, which can
show or give a valid juridical title for direct delib
erate disposition concerning an innocent human life
which is to say, a disposition that aims at its de
struction either as an end in itself or as the means
of attaining another end that is perhaps in no way
illicit in itself. Thus, for example, to save the life
of the mother is a most noble end. but the direct
killing of the child as a means to this end is not
licit.”
This should have been clear enough. In other
words, the end does not justify the means. The new
reports indicated that the Pope had implied that if
there were a choice between saving the life of a
mother or her child, even still in the mother’s womb,
the child has the right to live. The reports gave the
impression that the mother was to be sacrificed for
the child. What the Pope was stressing was that the
child was not directly to be sacrificed to save the
mother. Nor is the mother to be directly sacrificed
to save the child.
Jusl Among Ourselves
Passing Comment Considered or inconsiderate
The ‘‘Santa Claus Parade” marched up High
Street in Columbus last week. November 28 was the
date early enough surely for the leisurely parading
of one who is supposedly very busy these days in his
polar factory and all the department stores. The
parade, however, was rather a matter of High School
queens—whose name is legion—than of variegated
Santas. And there were floats and bands and rubber
grotesqueries in abundance.
In the whole line ol march—and the parade took
fifty minutes to pass a given TV camera—there
was one, and only one, display which recalled the
meaning of Christmas. To the lasting credit of the
local CYO it is to be reported that their float carried
a representation of the Nativity Group, and bore the
legend, “Put Christ Back into Christmas.” The TV
commentator took occasion to commend the CYO
and spoke of the timely fitness of their motto.
You have only to look at the ads and to listen
to radio to realize how very lar. at the present mo
ment, the world has removed Our Lord from the
outer celebration of His birthday. Christmas as a
modern word has no more suggestion of Christ than
Santa Claus has of the great and charitable Saint
Nicholas. Christmas is a winter festival it is a time
for walking in a winter wonderland it is an occa
sion for longing for (and dreaming of) a generous
fall of snow it is a season of sending cards and ex
changing gifts. That it happens tn be the commem
oration nf Christ's birth is sn minor an incident
al fact that nobody thinks to mention it, or thinks
of it at all.
A woman shopper in one of the big stores recent
ly noticed an attractively draped corner furnished
with a variety of things including a sizable pile
of hay. There was a placard shown with the legend,
“He is coming soon!” She thought that surely this
was the lorerunner of a true Christmas display
that the hay would he used in the manger and about
the stable of Our Lord's birth But upon inquiry she
found that “He is coming soon!” had no reference
at all to Christ. No it all pointed tn the imminent
arrival of—Rudolph the Red nosed Reindeer!
So revolted was the lady by the silly paganism
of the display that she hogan at once an intensive
campaign of her own to “put Christ back into Christ
mas.” Among her relatives, friends and acquaint
ances she spread the urgent word. Doubtless what
she achieves will not he much as this world meas
ures the doings of men. But at least there will
he some lessening nf traffic in unsuitable cards and
commodities. And the lady's good work may spread
her word and example may, a few years, send a
tidal wave to drown the worldly symbols ol Infinite
and Unworldly Love.
The thought of Christmas, that is, the true
thought nf Christmas, involves the whole spiritual
history of mankind. It brings to mind the fact that
man was made for God and heaven that he sinned,
forfeiting his glorious destiny that God in mercy
became Man to suffer and die, and so to open heaven
once more and restore to man his lost opportunity:
that Christinas Day commemorates the birth of
God-made-Man, the Redeemer, who was to die, to
rise again, to found upon earth His necessary in
stitution for the communicating In men the grace
to enable them Io take advantage of the recovered
opportunity. All this is implied in the very thought
and notion of Christmas And therefore that thought
should be the immediate and powerful inspiration
of love of God and neighbor, of sorrow for sin, of
resolution for a life of virtue.
The thought and inspiration of Christinas docs
not by any means exclude outer jubilation or feast
ing or exchange of gifts. On the contrary, since hope
and joy arc in the thought, it is right and reasonable
that men should manifest, in every suitable way.
these delightful spirits. It is of the unsuitable
things that uc now coinplain. What suggestion of
Christmas is to be found in mere sleighs, or rein
deer, or Scotty dogs, or garlanded doorways, or flam
mg candles, or poinaettias? This is as though we
uric to celebrate the coming of a great and noble
relative, the object of our love, by sending about
pictures of his household pets or snapshots of the
taxicab which took him to the railway tat ion Why
not send pictures of the man himself? Who could
understand from a picture ol a reindeer, however
red nosed, that w? mean tn honor the Creator of all
reindeer, and of ourselves, who is Our Divine Re
deemer?
True, all the creatures of God should suggest
the goodiizss of God. But when God became Man
the visible manifestations of His coming were
many, and these should he our choice of creatures
for recalling the Event. Pictures and displays which
have no manifest reference to the Incarnation are
out of place in this glorious time. Rudolph may be
very cute Bambi may entrance: the stage-coach ar
riving (jammed to the full) at the old inn door may
be delightful: Scotty dogs may please us hugely,
candles and poinscttias max put us in a genial
glow But these things, taken by themselves, have
no real connection with Christmas. Christmas means
Christ. And without Christ. Christmas is a dull and
empty time indeed,
Put Christ Back into Christmas.” The real joy
and peace of this holy time will be lost to the world
if the world has its way. Th? outer rejoicing (with
its parades and its endless Santas and its homecom
ing queens and Hs rubber sea serpents and all the
rest) will soon cease for lack of meaning We are
tn "restore all things in Christ." Let Christmas
manifest the restoration.
k-f
WASHINGTON LETTER
THE CATHOLIC TIMES, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1951
WASHINGTON—(NC) Mar
shal Tito, the communist dicta
tor of Yugoslavia, has been the
beneficiary of so much favorable
publicity in this country in the
last year or so that some people
are beginnig to ask, with rea
son, what it is all about
Time after time, articles have
appeared giving the impression
that all of the differences be
tween Tito’s Red regime and the
West boil down to and center in
the imprisonment of Archbish
op Stepinac, Each time. Marshal
Tito has been given ample oppor
tunity to try to show that he is
right, and the Archbishop is
wrong. He has said th? prelate
might to he in jail, that he won
ders why he has heen so lenient
with him, that the Archbishop
was a collaborator with the Nazi
occupiers in Yugoslavia
Nothing has been said about
the fact that, as the Vatican has
pointed out repeatedly, the im
prisonment of Archbishop Step
inac is hut one incident in a
large-scale, vicious persecution
nf religion, particularly the Cath
he Church, in Yugoslavia. No
mention at most, was made of
the fact that another Catholic
Bishop is in jail in Yugoslavia
that hundreds of priests and re
ligious have been incarcerated,
and that many have been brut
ally slain.
All this that has happened in
the recent past is brought tn
mind again by an exchange of
LOUIS l\ HU DEW
Despite the
murder of mis
nonaries in
Red lima, he
0 .11 III II 11 ISt.s
here continue
successfully
I heir work on
behalf of that
regime is Hgt
an a in azing
performance.
On Novem
ber 15, The Daily Worker went
so far as to declare that any
talk of "barbarism in China"
was an insult to the Chinese
people. That assertion is the
crudest nonsense: the Chinese
people, as the bloody purges
have shown, arc as much the vic
tims of the Red dictatorship as
are the missionaries. But this
cruel and nonsensica’ statement
is a directive. The comrades,
through the many channels open
to them, will see that this view
gets around—the argument used
all along for not taking a firm
stahd on China or the other sat
ellites. Voices are always raised
to say that anything worth while
tn alter the growing Soviet rule
throughout the world, might
hurt somebody's feelings. There
is ninth, talk of opposing com
munism, but little done in (he
nay of actually putting such talk
into operation.
Indifference, Complacency
The Catholic Bishops have just
solemnly declared that so-called
"Christian nations” haxe shown
an indifference to the persecu
tion of religion and religious
leaders going on bchinu the Iron
Curtain. That applies to the Unit
ed States as well as to other na
tions. This indifference is a part
of a whole series of events
which, when summed up. repre
sent an astonishing complacency
cr unwillingness to act.
During the very week when
the daily organ of the Red con
spiracy was giving its directive!
Our Source Of Strength!
Tito Gels Beller Publicity
Than Persecuted Archbishop
letters by columnist Drew Pear
son and Marshal Tito which have
heen given widespread public
ity. Mr. Pearson's letter falls into
the same fault that we have just
been talking about. He gives the
impression that the imprison
ment of Archbishop Stepinac is
the only thing people don't like
about Tito.
Mr. Pearson's letter indicates
that the people of the United
States do not understand Yugo
slavia. but he does (he has been
there several times). He says
Catholics form “one large seg
ment” of the American popula
tion and they feel that the im
prisonment of Archbishop Step
inac is “a serious obstacle to our
common friendship.” The reader
gets the idea that this is the on
ly obstacle. Nothing is said about
Bishop Cule, the jailed priests
and the religious, the murdered
priests, the various restrictions
on the practice of religion, etc.
Mr. Pearson says the U. S.
Catholic cannot forget the trial
and imprisonment of Cardinal
Mindszcnty in Hungary and
Archbishop Beran in Czechoslo
vakia. and “therefore, they tend
to put Archbishop Stepinac in
the same category.” Mr. Pearson
doesn't bother to tell why they
shouldn’t put Archbishop Step
inac in the same “category.”
Maybe it is because his phony
trial took place in Yugoslavia
and the others, just like it, took
place in two other Red countries.
Where Is America's Conscience?
about China, the following epi
sodes occurred:
American army officers were
telling Chiang Kai-Shek that
he should end the ractice of
political representatives for
the troops in Formosa, even
though that is one way to halt
communist infiltration.
The New York Titres re
ported from Madrid that the
United States would insist on
certain "changes" in Franco
Spain before doing anything
about aiding that country's de
velopment or defenses. But at
the same time, it was stated
that the communist regime of
Marshal Tito vouH receive
substantial loans from the
United States without any real
string whatsoever. Tito’s per
secution of the Catholics and
his continued steps toward
fullfledged communism arc ap
parently of little consequence
in the eyes of a considerable
sector of American leadership
Persecutions, Insults
Meanwhile, Senator Herbert
O'Conor of Maryland revealed
that Soviet espionage agents
were allowed to enter America
through specific permission of
the State Department. Notorious
among these was Colonel Otto
Biheler, military and air attache
at the Czechoslovak embassy.
This Red colonel was able freely
to move about the United States
and to obtain information on
many delicate military projects.
What is most outrageous about
Senator O’Conor's revelation is
the fact that this man js the
espionage agent .or a country
under Stalinite control which is
openly persecuting priests and
religious laymen and has gone
out of its way to insult the dig
nity of American citizens.
It is little wonder that, on
November 7. The Daily Worker
could exclaim in glee: “Today
the Soviet Union is indestruct
ible. The work of Lenin and
Stalin is immortal.” There was
Mr. Pearson seems to over
look the fact that our own State
Department held its official nose
.over the odor that arose from
the “trial” of Archbishop Step
inac. Dean Acheson, then Acting
Secretary of State, said he Step
inac “trial” left very much to
be desired as a judicial process.
Mr. Pearson said to Tito that,
nn the strength of his visits to
Yugoslavia, he was “convinced
that you now guaranteed com
plete religious freedom.”
This is a very loose way of
speaking. First of all, people can
he confused hy one speaking of
freedom of worship when he
should be talking about freedom
nf religion. Worship can be a
very private affair, and you
simply can’t stop people from
worshipping God. But freedom of
religion means something more.
It includes freedom of worship,
but it also embraces the freedom
to practice one’s religion, to
teach it and to preach it. There
certainly is not religious free
dom in Yugoslavia, as witness
the imprisoned priests and re
ligious. the restrictions on Cath
olic schools, the Catholic Press,
etc Moreover, there is not even
complete freedom of worship.
There would seem t*' be two
objectives involved in all this.
One is to force our tax money
on Marshal Tito The other is to
force the communist Tito on the
American people.
much more, to the effect that
with China and "the People's
Democracies” Soviet Russia will
fasten its “peace" on the world.
This brings to life questions
raised in letters from a number
of readers: Why does not the
United States press Great Brit
ain to end its recognition of Red
China? Why does not our gov
ernment bring the denial of the
Four Fredoms in the Soviet sat-
Hite nations to the floor of the
United Nations, with the view to
the expulsion of these countries?
Why, specifically, is the United
States so coy about raising the
question of the persecution of
Catholics behind the Iron Cur
tain before the United Nations?
And with these go other quer
ies: Why are Soviet espionage
agents permitted freely to wan
der about this country, with the
consent of the State Depart
ment? Why are communists from
the United States permitted to
move to Moscow and back in re
peated delegations? Why is the
loud talk about opposing com
munism not implemented into
effytivc action?
Apply Counter-Pressure
These arc matters that should
be discussed, and discussed
again, in the press and in every
organization throughout the
land
In his discussion of the “strat
egy and tactics” of world con
quest, Stalin has stated in his
“Foundations of Leninism” the
importance of concentrating on
that event which will lead to
further advances. That event or
“single link” is now the drive
for recognition of Red China and
protection of the other satel
lites from the indignation of the
American nation. It is precise
ly, again, this objective which
The Daily Worker of November
15 urges as the present big task
it demands that pressure be
brought "on the White House”
to see that this goal is achieved.
RICHARD PATTEE
GRETTA PALMER
Stalin The 'Realist9
Never under
estimate the
importance o
i s u ssions
within the So
viet Union of
points of Marx
ist doctrine.
The Europe
an press re
e n tly called
a 11 e n tion to
the fact that
Bolchevik, of
ficial publica
tion of the
Central Committee of the Com
munist Party in the USSR, has
commented on a number of in
terpretations handed down by
Stalin in matters of Marxist or
thodoxy. The Soviet dictator di
vides the communists into two
broad classes: those who are
devoted to the letter of the clas
sical texts of Marx, Engels and
Lenin, and those who are “real
ists.” The former group is con
demned as “scholars and Tal
mudists” while Stalin places
himself resolutely among the
“realists.” Since Marxism pre
tends to be absolutely scientific
and capable of rules for the pre
diction of the course of future
events, there is considerable im
portance in the fact that “real
ism” is proclaimed as the cor
rect attitude especially when
realism in this case means, in
the words of Bolchevik, “the
ability to interpret Marxist prin
ciples in accord with changing
historical circumstance.”
Still 'Encircled'
One of the major discussions
posed in the Soviet review con
cerns the old problem of “cap
italist encirclement.” For years
one of the-most unmovable and
basic contentions of the Soviets
was that the capitalist world
sought to “encircle” the land of
socialism and that all defense
measures were inspired by this
reality. Since 1945 the situa
tion has changed considerably.
With the advent of communist
regimes all along the Soviet
boundaries and the passage of
China into the Marxist camp, one
wonders to what extent “encir
clement” can be spoken of as a
fact. Bolchevik supplies the an
swer to this question with the
statement that encirclement does
continue, that “in spite of the de
crease in the area controlled by
capitalism, the major powers are
still capitalist and through their
pressure, war mongering and
espionage systems, constitute a
form of encirclement of the
lands that have shaken off the
shackles of capitalism.”
The fact that the satellite
countries have been created and
capitalism thrust back hundreds
of miles from the Soviet frontier
does not satisfy Bolchevik. The
concept is not a geographical
one, nor does the mere change
of the boundary between capi
talism and socialism solve the
matter. Stalin in July, 1950,
stated publicly that there was no
chance whatever for the “wither
ing away” of the State (so dear
to the Marxist theorists) as long
as “capitalist encirclement re
mains a very real danger.”
Naw Conditions
Another favorite Marxist the
sis, the inevitability of war dur
ing the period of imperialism,
has come in for some searching
comment. In the works of Lenin
and Stalin as well as in the reso
lutions of the Komintem, the
idea is expressed over and over
again that as long as the imperi
alist stage of human develop
ment persists, war is inevitable.
A Soviet philosopher Selezniev
recently published a critque of
this problem in a leading Soviet
review. His words contradict
most of the writing from Lenin
on. regarding 'he absolute in
evitability of war with capital
ism:
“With each year since the last
war changes have taken place in
the relation of the forces of
peace and war. These changes
have been largely favorable to
the peace forces. Therefore, in
the present historical circum
stance. it is impossible to state
categorically that a new world
war is inevitable. The Marxist
Leninist thesis regarding the in
evitability of war during the pe
riod of imperialism was correct
for certain historical circum
stances but in view of new condi
tions cannot be retained as un
conditional.”
New Tactical Approach
The forces that will prevent
war and prove the classic thesis
unsound are, according to Selez
niev, the strengthening of the
Soviet Union, the development
of its resources, and the will to
peace of the working class every
where. Stalin, in an interview
published in Pravda last Febru
ary, asserted the same thing in
saying that in presenf conditions
war was very far from inevi
table.
It behooves us to be aware of
a shifting of doctrinal position as
revealed, from time to time, in
the Soviet press.
The Real 'One World9
When the
tragedy known
in history
books as the
Reform a i o n
hit Christen
dom, many
things were
lost besides
the Faith. One
way of looking
at our frantic
age is to con
sider how much of its energy
and ingenuity is spent in trying
to find ersatz substitutes for
things the medievalman took
quite for granted because so
ciety was Christian.
There are, first of all, the big
things: the whole effort to found
Leagues of Nations and United
Nations, World Governments and
Unions now, hankerings after
something pre-Reformation Eu
rope enjoyed. Men from differ
ent countries did not meet then
around green baize tables to try
to reach fundamental agree
ments they were already in
agreement, for they were all
Catholic in viewpoint and in
judgment. They might have viol
ent differences (as, indeed, they
did) about boundary lines and
about the degree of Papal super
vision a monarch should recog
nize, even about which man was
the authentic Pope. But these
arguments were conducted with
in an unshaken framtwork of
First Principles on which all
men agreed.
You might favor this man as
Pope, I that one but no one
seriously challenged the fact
that somebody was Pope, St. Pet
er's true successor on St. Peter's
throne. You might want your
king or baron to expand his ter
ritories at the "xpense of my
liege lord but nobody suggest
ed that any king cr baron should
secede from Christian culture
No dreamy-eyed reformer
dreamt of One World, because
One World already °xisted the
only real problem wrs spreading
it to the corners of the earth
where infidels still reigned.
A Common Rhythm
A common Faith meant a com
mon body of beliefs on all sorts
of matters not concerned primar
ily with the Faith. Catholics
argue among themselves on a
thousand questions—politics, la
bor's rights, theology, philosophy
and the World's Series. But Cath
olic minds are never so far apart
that they find it impossible to
argue at all. Modern statesmen,
representing East and West, are
forever breaking up their con
ferences because argument is im
possible,
Men who do not share the
same fundamental ideas of what
human life is all about cannot
reach far enough into each oth
er’s minds to bring about
a
change of opinion. When the
representative of a Communist
state and one from a western
power go into conference, it is as
if one of them were measuring
the matter inches and the
other in ounces: one thinks
length all that is desirable, the
other wishes only weight. How
can such differing minds hope
to agree, except by accident?
But agreement between heads
of states was by no means all
that men lost when they lost
a
united Catholic Europe. They
lost the whole rhythm of their
common lives.
Caesar's World
Imagine a culture tn which the
great events of the year were
the great Feasts of he Church,
publicly celebrated by the whole
population and in public. Such
things continue tn some Catholic
countries. Imagine if your holi
days were all Holy Days, marked
by an appropriate celebration.
Then, instead of saying, “Mon
day is a holiday I’ll sleep late,"
you would probably say, “Mon
day is Corpus Christi and the
whole town will be turned up
side down for the procession.”
Holidays have a dreary same
ness: in New Y'ork there is apt
to be a parade and a band, and
there the modern imagination
stops. The community does not
share in the wonderful variety
of the liturgical year: crowds
do not get up, as a matter of
course, for the Holy Saturday
blessing of the fire, nor light
their Advent candles. The holi
day celebrations we know—tick
er-tape parades, Easter fashion
parades—are pathetic substi
tutes for the Holy Days the peo
ple knew when Catholicism spill
ed out of the churches and into
the streets.
Today we see uplifting quota
tions from Plato or Emerson in
scribed on our public buildings
the old Catholic world has street
corner shrines with candles be
fore the Blessed Mother. We
have the noonday whistle (or
even the air-raid siren) as an un
lovely substitute for the Ange
lus. Our common impoverishment
would not be greater if, tomor
row, nature’s cycle of seasons
and hours were destroyed, so
that our whole lives were lived
in the glare of a single, unchang
ing noonday sun.
There was a time, under the
Roman Empire and later, when
all Europe spoke the same lan
guage. There was another time
lasting for many centuries, when
all Christendom lived the same
life. When that ceased to be. the
greatest bond that ever joined
man to man was also lost. Our so
ciety is still seeking, in a thou
sand places, for bits of string to
join together, at this spot or
that, the tragic tatters of the old
society.