The Catholic times. [volume], April 30, 1954, Image 4

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4—THE CATHOLIC TIMES
Friday Apr 30 1954
THE
CATHOLIC TIMES
Published Every Week by
The Catholic Times. Inc.
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Cause For Rejoicing
Hardly has the penitential season of Lent passed
when the Church and her children enter into a
light-hearted season of rejoicing—the month of
May—Mary ’s month.
Our rejoicing is both physical and spiritual.
There is of course the natural up-liit that comes
with the return of color to the countryside. The
spring weather and the rebirth of growing things,
the lightness of the air, the blue and white of the
sky—all these things that mark Mary's month bring
with them a natural, buoying joy. And they should.
These things are, however, not the only or even
the main reason for our rejoicing during Mary’s
month. To find the real reason we turn to the
Church and her liturgy.
The liturgy of the Church is the external mani
festation of the internal life oi the Mystical Body,
of which we all are members. We as individual mem
bers of that Body find an official statement of our
sentiments, apirations and desires set forth in
language that is not of man's making but of the
Holy Ghost. And so, in the beautiful Masses and
Offices with which the Church has surrounded Our
Blessed Mother’s feast days we find our true rea
son for rejoicing.
It was God’s plan to send His Son into the
world as Man that accounts tor His choosing from
all eternity who would be His Mothei and preserv
ing her, then, free from all stain of sin. It is this
pre-eminent place of Mary in God’s plan tor our
redemption and the knowledge that He chose her
from our human race which makes us rejoice during
her month.
We are rejoicing that hrist had a mother cho-en
from among us. But is this all we are celebrating
during her month? Is this the entire cause for our
rejoicing?.To think thus would he to miss much of
the real reason we have to rejoice
We are happy, really happy, that we can praise
Mary as God’s mother with these words of the Mass
’’Blessed ait thou. O Virgin Mary, by the Ixird,
the Most High God. above all women, upon the earth.
Thou art the glory of Jerusalem, thou art the joy
of Israel, thou art the honor oi our people Thou
art all fair and there is no stain in thee. This is
part hut not all of our cause to rejoice.
In another of Mary’s Masses we find the lull chie
to our rejoicing add it is this: Thai she whom Ihr
Church addresses in her rightful titles ot .Mother of
God, the glory of Jerusalem, the honor of our peo
ple. is known in \ery fact to be not only the mother
of God but our mother too!
This is our |oy to hr meditated on particularly
during the coming month: That it is our mother who
says: “Now. therefore, children hear me. He
who shall find me shall find life, and shall have
salvation from the Lord.” That's our real cause
for rejoicing
Optimism For The Aging
A constantly recurring discussion among those
who are concerned with our social problems, re
volves about the situation of the aged These discus
sions reflect the slowly changing attitudes toward
this particular problem. At present. Congress is
considering a bill to amend the Social Security Act
and the Internal Revenue ode a they relate to the
Old-Age and Survivors* Insurance Program. Testi
mony on this hill brings out once more that old
age must not be labeled as a lime of helplessness
and complete dependence.
As a person approaches the twilight years of
his life, he does not look forward to be relegated or
pushed aside. Most older people desire to continue
work as long as possible. By and large they are not
thinking of retirement. Business and industrial con
cerns are becoming aware of these desires and of
the lack of logic in an arbitrary retirement age.
They realize that older people have a contribution
to make sometimes for many years longer than
age sixly-fivc.
Not only is an aged person reluctant to be ar
bitrarily dropped from employment, but there are
other activities and areas of life from which they
do not wish to be excluded They want to continue
to participate tn all the activities of life they pos
sibly can—they want to participate in religious
activities, in social activities and in recreational
activities. It truly can be said that they want to con
tinue to contribute to the economy and to culture.
Besides wanting to continue then activities, peo
pie who are growing old also do not look forward
to a life of dependence or helplessness. Building a
savings account and ownership of property or securi
ties, are the time-honored means of protection
against old age dependency. The great growth of
voluntary insurance has aided in providing thia
protection
In more recent years the deielopment of social
security in the form of old age insurance, the prem
ium of which is deducted from one’s wage, has
strengthened the ability of many people to provide
against dependency in their later years. This is
an insurance program, alheit a compulsory one.
which aids man\ who ha\e not been able to sa\e
money or buy property.
More and moie it is apparent that age is a rel
ative quantity greater number of the general
populace realizes that it is not a time when a per
son ceases to be able to help himself or others. This
changing attitude is a healthy and optimistic one.
It is refreshing as it is realistic. It means that our
people and our nation have not abandoned their
interest and hope for our older citizens.
Mary*8 Month. I I
Since the announcement of the Holy Father last
year that this present year would be one especial
ly dedicated to Mary. Bishop Ready has at sarious
times outlined and urged the obsenance of the
practices which we as a Diocese would engage in
to show love and devotion to our Blessed Mother
Now that we are about to enter into her month
and in her year the Bishop asks us again to redouble
our efforts to make ourselves true children of
Mary.
Worldly-wise we know no peace. We are separ
ated, disjoined, mistrustful. In the Mothedhood of
Mary though, we become brothers one family, and
it is to Mary as the mother of us all that the Bishop
w’ould have us turn to “plead” as he says “before
her heavenly throne the eause ef peace, to seek
her intercession for increased vocations to the priest?
hood and the religious life, and to ask her maternal
help in preserving our young men and women
from the dangers which daily beset them.”
We have all, in past years, taken part in some
particular forms of May devotions. These regular
May devotions are part of our life as Catholics. This
particular May. 1954. though, is different and the
Bishop would have us “use these days well.”
He asks us not to be satisfied with what has been
customary and ordinary in our May devotions. He,
as our spiritual father, outlines w'hat he would have
us do: "Participate in the daily Holy Sacrifice of
the Mass, receive Holy Communion and attend the
evening exercises honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary
which have been arranged in the churches and chap
els of the Diocese.”
There is our program. And the result if we fol
low it? "Your personal lives and your homes will
be enriched abundantly by a closer union with your
Mother heaxen.'”
Just Among Ourselves
Pasting Comment Considered or Inconsiderate
Since man rebelled against God in the Garden
of Eden, he has the unchanging tendency to con
tinue in rebellion. Using his injured natural powers
and proudly rejecting the aid of the supernatural, he
has constantly been learning "the hard way,” except
for the iact that he has not learned. He has multi
plied his hardships, but has failed to profit by ex
perience.
Man is aware of his ills and is always trying
to get rid of them. Against the hardships of sickness
and death, he sets up his drive for longer life and
healthier living—good aims, but inconclusive in
themselves. Against the hardship of poverty, man
strives constantly, by wise and unwise economies,
to insure the uncertain future as well as to supply
the demanding present.
In the social order, man has striven for peace
and plenty in the prosperous commerce of nations,
and for lhe establishing of tree and benevolent jus*
tic? in his own nation. He has sought, when com
pelled to right wrongs by force of arms, and to
establish peace by solemn congresses and councils.
In none of these endeavors has man been a shin
ing success. He has. indeed, made surprising advan
ces technical and mechanical skills, and has w
creased the bodily comforts and conveniences of his
earthly existence. But no triumph of mechanics or
of plastics, no wonder-work nf comfort, convenience,
pleasure, or pastime, has satisfied the heart ot man
or increased his happiness. Despite the justified
claims of physical science, and all lhe gadgetries
that ease and complicate our existence, the world
is still hill ot unrest, of discontented and surly men,
of a general and hindamental disappointment with
life.
And this is because man took over the world
in Eden, and insists still on making it his world and
of shaping it “nearer to the heart’s desire.” regard
less of what the Owner and Creator would have
him do with it. The primal pride is still blindly at
work in the affairs of mankind.
I/»ss than a century ago. the mild Quaker poet
Whittier envisioned a world won to sanity and peace
ful endeavor through the simple, and somewhat
simple-minded, etforts of “educators.” It was the
school-masters, “large brained, clear eyed.’ who
would bring the world out of its slough. In special,
they would cure race-prriiirlice they would pro
mote “labors free and unresentful rivalry they
would “scatter before their swift advance the pride,
the lust, the squalid sloth, that nurtured treasons
monstrous growth.”
How would this come about? Through “a school
house set on every hill.” These saving institutions
would be the centers of “radiate nerve lines
of intelligence” lo bring men together in a common
thought, a genial brotherhood, a sane and reason
able social existence, in which "every lingering
wrong’’ would be assailed and conquered. Education
that was, the cure all, the end-all, the be-all, of
human endeavor!
But the multiplied schoolhouses have not proved
tn be the pleasing and potent pills that human mal
adies submit to. Something seems to have happened
to the radiate nerve lines of intelligence. Or per
haps intelligence of this nervous sort is incapable
of producing the effect Whittier confidently pre
dieted. We have the schoolhouse on every hill.
And we still have race prejudice, we still have,
vastly increased measure, the evil of juvenile de
linquency we still have injustice, the broken home,
the crowded divorce court, “the pride the lust, the
squalid sloth that nurtures treasons monstrous
growth.”
The education that will cure human ills is the
education which teaches man what manner of thing
he is, on what plan formed and established and
which shows him the way to recover. and not mere
ly to discover. It is the education which will make
a man understand that he is cast in the image of
God, and that his business is to conform himself
to that image. Not by cold science, not by human
wisdom, not by proud pedantries of schools, hut by
prayerful submission of the human will to the Di
vine Plan which even our addled reason is still able
to discern in the universe, can man find his peace,
his perfection, his happiness, his full liberty of soul.
In a word, man needs the education which indi
cates to him the Natural Law, so that, through ob
serving it. he may tend towards the supernatural end
for which he is made. The Natural l^aw is God’s
plan and programme for human conduct in this
world it is the law “written our hearts it is
the law- discerned by sane reason acting as moral
conscience. In itself, this Natural l-aw (finely ex
pressed the Ten Commandments) is not suffic
ient for man. But it points the way. And inevit
ably the man who strives to know and observe it,
will be moved to ask and to use the supernatural
aids which God has prepared for all, and has made
available for all through the works and merits of
Christ.
The education here is the education essential
to man. But this education is especially derided and
opposed by the education of most of our schools.
These schools teach man to keep his pride to re
main self sufficient, to ignore nr deny God and the
Natural Law to regard religion as the parlor-prac
tice of nice people who have none of the cosmic
urges of campu« tin-gods or the other prideful
pygmies who feed and control what is regarded as
“scientific thought.”
More and more the modern educators have had
their way. More and more man recedes from the
goal to which his whole being aspires. More and
more the forces of materialism, of mechanical social
regimentation, of bitterness and unrest, of disrupted
domestic peace, of civic disloyalty and harsh gov
ernmental pressures, are at work in the world. If
the kind and serene Whittier were to do his poem
over again to-day, he would likely strike a despair
ing pencil through the lines about the quick wires
of intelligence, and the "one electric thought” that
was to come so surely from “a schoolhouse set on
every hill.’’
WASHINGTON LETTER
Stepped- Up
WASHINGTON Secretary of
State Dulles left this city with
much food tor thought when he
departed for lhe Geneva confer
ence.
Many people, apparently think
ing in terms of the truce in
Korea, were surprised to learn
from Mr. Dulles that, ever since
the meeting ot the Big Four in
Berlin, last February, the com
munists have “stepped up the
intensity and scope of their ag
gression.’’
In fact, the Secretary declar
ed that the recent conduct of
communists does not constitute
a good prelude to the Geneva
meeting.
Revelation of the seriousness
nf the Indo-( hina situation hit
most people like a dash of cold
water in the face. They asked:
How could things get so bad
there so quickly?
Actually, things haven hap
pened as rapidly as they seem to
have. The American policy in
that region has become stiffer
over a period nf weeks. The
worsening condition was there
for people to see, except that it
was hidden beneath diplomatic
language. The language of dip
lomacy may not be as studied
and courteous as it used to be,
but it still leaves the average
lavman largely uninformed.
a
But now we know. As the Ge
neva meeting seeks to hnng
LOI IS I. Rl DENZ
While Moscow was preparing
by means of its international
propaganda to bring the Ignited
States to its knees at Geneva,
o unists
here were giv
en an addition
al assignment.
The Daily
Worker heap
ed invectives
on the heads of
Attorney (Jen
oral Herb e
Brownell and
Seer etary of
Defense
Charles U ilson.
castigated for his proposals to
introduce new legislation against
the conspiracy. The latter was
berated for his order excluding
Communists from the United
States Army. Both were placed
in "the camp of McCarthyism”
and labeled "Fascist.”
The former was
Coverall Terms
The Red daily left no doubt
that it derived some encourage
ment for these attacks in the
Attorney General’s omis s i o n
from his report of the achieve
ments by Congressional commit
tees in bringing Communist pen
etration to light.
Vitriolic references were
made, particularly in the issue
of April 12, to the fact that these
moves against the Reds arose
from the probing by the "Mc
Carthyite” Senate Permanent
Committee on Investigation and
by other like inquiries. Thus it is
made clear all over again as
the Communist press has ex
plained to its readers that
the terms “Fascist” and '‘Mc
Carthyism" cover every move to
protect America.
Those who contend that thera
Prodigal Son
satisfactory peace to Korea and
IndoChina we have it on the
authority of our Secretary of
Stale that lhe communists have
not abandoned their aggression
against still free countries, but
actually have increased it.
Scott McLeod, security officer
of the State department told a
Senate committee that his de
partment fired 309 persons
during the year 1953 on secur
ity charges. Two oi the employes
were suspected of espionage, and
the department had information
on 148 of them indicating “com
munist activity or association, or
membership in communist or
ganizations.” The remainder
were fired on charges involving
morals, mental conditions, mis
representation and previous fel
onies or misdemeanors. In all.
there v ere 364 charges leveled
against the 309 employes dis
missed. In some cases, two or
more charges were directed
against the same employee.
Mr. McLeod said subversives
are still trying to penetrate the
State Department, but that he
hoped the department’s security
program would keep them out.
Officials in charge of such mat
ters have pointed out on earlier
occasions that a man or woman
does not have to be a card-carry
ing communist to be a security
risk. Actually, it is difficult to
pin down the fact that an em
ployee is a communist party
member. But. a person who asso­
The Reds: 'Small And Harmless
are “a comparatively few Com
munists” in this country—and
this has become quite a fad in
certain quarters are unaware
completely of the manner in
which the fifth column gets such
slogans and ideas into broader
American circles. That is a pri
mary weakness in the Vnited
States today.
Discipline, Penetration
Any examination of the Comin
form’s organ of directives for
1954 will reveal a continuous
and stepped-up interest by Mos
cow in the sections of its "world
Party” throughout the Western
nations. This interest is not so
much in the number of members
in these tifth columns the
Soviet dictatorship has never
considered this of primary im
portance but in the discipline
of these groups and their ability
to penetrate key positions.
Nothing illustrates this basic
concept of the Stalimtes more
vividly than the leading directive
appearing in the Conunform or
gan for March 26. To appreciate
its importance we must under
stand that it is the climax to a
whole series of directives along
the same line in preceding is
sued.
Not Numbers
What is the basic test of "the
strength” of the Communist Par
ties as presented there? It is
not numbers al all. 1 et the Com
inform organ speak for itself:
“The guarantee of the strength
and oneness of the Parties is
conscious, iron Party discipline.”
This discipline is strengthen
ed. the directive declares, by “ef
ficient and constant verification
of the carrying out of Party de
cisions” and by the "constant
verification of the Party cadres
on the basis of their work, ac­
™ASot
*0.
Aggression Predicted
ciates with known communists,
furthers communist causes, does
the work of Reds and is just as
much a security risk- as is the par
ty member And, he is somewhat
easier to discover.
The talk is reviving round the
world that Marshal Tito of Yugo
slavia has made up with Soviet
Russia. Stalin couldn tolerate
the ambitious and boastful Tito
(not that Stalin was without
ambition), and sought to put him
out of business. But Tito held on
in Yugoslavia, with the very
considerable financial aid of the
West, meaning chiefly the I Unit
ed States. Tito never ceased lo
proclaim himself a communist,
and never promised very much
to the West in the way of alleg
iance. But. despite this, we con
tinued to force our benefactions
Uj5on him.
And now we hear from several
different parts of the world that
Tito has made up with Moscow.
There never was any difference
between Tito and Malenkox, it
is pointed out. Now that Stalin
is dead Malenkov has largely
stopped off the attacks Moscow
used to launch against the Bel
grade dictator. The story is that
Malenkov and Tito have compos
ed their differences Tito is in
the camp of the East (as opposed
to the West), but is taking his
time about showing his hand,
because he still gets handouts
from the Democracies.
cording to their professional and
political qualifications.”
That statement signifies two
things: 1) that measures are tak
en within the fifth columns to
assure that they have only that
type of member who is “steeled”
and willing to do anything on
Party orders 2) that this type
of member must also be prepar
ed to penetrate with the highest
skill and by the most subtle
“stratagems and evasions" into
every available agency within his
“professional” purview.
'Peaceful Transition' Hoax
Moscow cannot mesmerize non
Communists in this country
merely by making statements
from the Kremlin. It cannot do it
even by “the power of per
suasion” which Soviet leaders
seem so easily to exercise on
American leadership whenever
the two meet. Soviet aims at Ge
neva have been prepared by the
neurotic outbusts against “Mc
Carthyism,” originated and zeal
ously stimulated by the Commun
ists in this country. Also, by
spreading the error concerning
the "minute” and “harmless”
character of the conspiracy
within our borders.
The communists have given
this error a push forward by the
hoax perpetrated in their “Draft
Program" that they stand for a
"peaceful transition" to Social
ism. This falsehood is a trick
to deceive the American people.
It denies the very essence of
Marxism-Leninism, if taken lit
erally.
The true strength of the con
spiracy will have to be explained
in every city and state, if the
I’nited States is not to be led
into many blind alleys by Red
propaganda.
Inquiry Corner
Q. Can we be sure of salvation
tf we wear the Scapular of Our
Lady of Mount Carmel?
A. We wear lhe scapular to in
dicate our dedication to the
Blessed Mother. We cannot be
dedicated lo Our I-ady without
honoring and serving her Son.
With that understanding we can
say that anyone wearing the scap
ular can be confident that Our
1-ady’s promise regarding the
scapular applies to him. There is
no automatic or magic way of
salvation, however, and any kind
of presumptio.. on the mere
wearing of the scapular would
violate the spirit of our member
ship. The vision of St. Simon
Stock has been implicitly approv
ed by the Church by his canoniza
tion. Several Popes cited the vis
ion as a reason for granting in
dulgences for the scapular.
There is no guarantee of salva
tion, however, except dying in
the state of grace.
Q. Was St. Paul in favor of
woman having an inferior posi
tion?
A. Under paganism woman had
a markedly inferior position.
Roman law placed the wife in a
position of servility and even the
Jewish religion granted her dig
nity with many reservations and
restrictions. St. Paul was one of
the leading spirits in granting
leadership in the Christian
Church to women such as Lydia
(Acts 16:14). Priscilla (Acts 18:1)
and many others (Romans 16:1
24). He pointed out the new
Christian principle to the Galat
ians when he said: “There is
neither Jew nor Greek: there is
neither slave nor freeman there
is neither male nor female. For
you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
in addition to the inspiring words
used in the marriage ritual
(Ephesians 5:21-33) he has this
principle: “Yet neither is man
independent of woman, nor wom
an independent of man in the
Lord. For as the woman is from
the man. so also is the man
through the woman, but all things
are from God.” (I Corinthians
11:5)
Q. 1 hare some difficulty find
ing proof the .New Testament
of the Priesthood.
A. The powers of the New
«Testament priesthood are
described and their bestowal up
on the Apostles is evident from
many texts in the New Testa
ment. (Mark 16:15 Luke 10:16
John 20:21 23: Acts 18) It is also
clear that they passed this power
and authority given by Christ
to others such as Matthias (Acts
1:24 26). St. Paul (Acts 13:13)
MONSIGNOR HIGGINS
Father Healey-----------------
Differing Opinions
The author of this column is
required by the nature of his
assignment at the National Ca
tholic Welfare Conference to
—hmm1
eac* very ex‘
tensixely in th?
J"5 field of period
jK ical literature,
W ■secular as
as F«thohc
and ranging
Jt
’WlI {roni Px*
treme "right”
■b- v ,hc extreme
"letl in the
■HHHHHBits obvious lim
itations, For periodical litera
ture, especially in the field of
political and economic reform,
is too close to current events 10
be always profound and com
pletely objective in its analysis
of their long-range significance.
On the other hand, extensive
reading of periodical literature
has a number of advantages or
compensations. One of them is
the sense of perspective that
gradually comes with the sober
ing realization that honest ed
itors, starting from the same
basic loyalties and the same un
derlying principles, can and fre
quently do sincerely disagree
with one another—m the inter
pretation of these loyalties and
in the application of these prin
ciples to the same set of factual
data.
Intellectual Spice
In this connection it can truly
be said that the only thing worse
than reading too many period
icals is reading too feu. Anybody
who has ever been bored by the
superficial conversation of a one
magazine expert on the problems
of the universe will agree to that
statement. Variety to com an
expression, is the spice of intel
lectual life.
This goes for the Catholic as
well as the secular press. For no
single Catholic periodical may
legitimately claim to have a
monopoly on the “Catholic’’ point
of view. On a thousand and one
controversial subjects outside a
rather clearly defined area of
faith and morals, the editor of
any Catholic periodical is more or
less on his own. He is subject
only to the ordinary teaching
authority of the Church and to
the difficult virtue of prudence,
which is not to be equaled, how
ever, with lack of editorial cour
age or a sentimental attachment
to the status quo.
Whether priest or layman, a
Catholic editor's conclusions on
controversial subjects are only
as good as his premises. And
while his major premise may
and Titus (Titus 1.5). While th*
full power of the priesthood re
mains the bishops as success
ors of the Apostles it was given
by lhe Apostles and therefore by
bishops to priests who assist
them in the care of souls. This
power in the priest docs not in
clude the power of ordaining oth
ers and it is subject to the mis
sion of the bishop as chief pastor
of a diocese. This delegation is
referred toui several texts and is
clear from Tradition, (Titus 1:5
Acts 14:22. I Timothy 5:17-20
James 5:14).
Q. When should the different
mysteries of the Rosary be said?
A. Although (here is no neces
sity of following the custom in
private recitation it is recom
mended. The joyful are recited
on Monday and Thursday, the
sorrowful on Tuesday and Fri
day, and the glorious on Wednes
day and Saturday. On Sundays
the prevailing custom calls for
changes according to the Church
Year. During Advent and the
Post Christmas season the joyful
mysteries would seem to be most
fitting. During Lent the sorrow
ful and during the rest of tha
year lhe glorious would seem
most apt. Any special occasion
e g. for one of the faithful de
parted would call for the appro
priate series of meditations.
Q. What is the rule for reck
oning time to begin the fast for
Holy Communion?
A. We are to fast from solid
food from midnight. Ordinarily
this would mean twelve o’clock
since that is the ordinary way we
judge midnight. Since the Church
in Canon No. 33 states that we
may use “that time and place
which is either local, whether
true or mean, or legal, whether
regional or some other extraor
dinary time.” we may use an
other accepted time. Mean sun
time, for example, would indi
cate that it is midnight in Co
lumbus when our clocks say
12:32. This time MAY be used,
hut it varies within this Eastern
Standard Time Zone (e.g. 12:20
in Pittsburgh. 12:38 in Cincin
nati), and we should try to ob
serve the spirit of the law al
ways. We observe the Eucharistic
fast out of reverence for the
Blessed Sacrament and there
should never be an atmosphere
of trying to get by with some
thing about our observance.
Send questions to Father Ed
ward F. Healy. Inquiry’ Corner,
The Catholic Times, Box 636,
Columbus (16) Ohio.
happen to be an article of faith
or morals, his minor premise—
his own practical application of
a given principle of faith or mor
als to the complicated facts pre
sented in yesterday’s newspaper
—-is not an infallible judgment.
A Living Body
Those who are scandalized by
the fact that there are such dif
ferences of opinion within the
Catholic fold, and that these dif
ferences are regularly aired
the Catholic press, are in the po
sition of trying to be more Ca
tholic than the Pope. They owe
it to themselves to study very
carefully the famous allocution
delivered by Pope Pius XII in
February 1950 to the Interna
tional Convention of the Catholic
Press.
The Catholic journalist was
encouraged by His Holiness
this allocution to contribute to
ward the formation of a sound
public opinion, not only in the
political order but even “with
in the bosom of the Church
with respect to matters left to
free discussion,” guarding him
self in the process against “mute
servility” on the one hand and
“uncontrolled-criticism” on the
other. That this will inevitably
result in controversy from time
to lime, e.ven on matters affect
ing the Church itself, “can sur
prise only those,” the Holy Fa
ther reminds us, “who do not
know the Church or know her
only poorly.”
"Because the Church is a liv
ing body,” His Holiness contin
ues, "something would be want
ing in her life if public opinion
were lacking—and the blame for
this deficiency would fall back
upon the pastors and the faith
ful.”
Controversy From Time to Time
Fortunately there are a number
of Catholic periodicals in the
United States which are sincere
ly trying to carry out the Holy
Fathers encouraging directive.
Our own personal favorites are
The Commonweal and America.
The former is edited by a zeal
ous group of exemplary and
highly intelligent Catholic lay
men. the latter by a distin
guished staff of priests from th?
several American provinces of
the Society of Jesus. To our way
of thinking they are the best
weekly journals of opinion being
published in the United States
under any auspices Catholic,
Protestant or non-sectanan.
More is the pity, then, from
our point of view, that their
combined circulation is hardly in
excess of 50,000 in a relatively
prosperous nation which there
ar? now more than 30.000,000
Catholics.