• JO."ll1 PO
ibraries are symbols of educatIon and culture. The history of the
race vouches for the tact that saTaga tribes and barbarian natio
lett no traoes of collections ot manuscripts, books and treeSU1'es of art,
but "rc.ther ~ave many eVidences ot nndalism in theIr destructIon by 1'i or other efteett eans ot annihilation. n the other as tar back as 2500 years bef ore ChrIst Mesopotamia had a colleotion 01' cuneiform wrItlll.O:s, Which are still extant in the wuvre in FariS, that the
syrIans had gathered a collection ot precious mannscrI~ts Which are t prized treasures ot the BritIsh eum and tl-at the Romans to valuable papyri and other symbols of learning among the EgypUana.
There are also records to indicate that t he Romans, both before and under the empire , cultiTated an appreCIation ot histOrical and l1'terary reoorda Whioh gradual1y found their way int o priTate and punl1e collao tiona and te .ade aTallable in libraries, ot VllUch twenty-au: are known to have existed in Rane durlng ge ot Augustus. Among others
neea proved himself Ii. great cr1t ic of book an advocate of l1terar,r 00< lections. In tact he criticized very sharpl y tl-eae Who held be 1 lr -2
possession simply f or the aake ot boaatin« about t heir treasures Without
eit usi~ t hem or th ~ aTallable t o ot her s t or t he spread ot knowledge. Little is known about the attitude ot the ancient j ewa t owards
the colleotion ot books but have at l east the assuranoe t hat t~e Sacred
rit i lU1:8 Wh i ch constitut e the 0 l d Testament were scrupulously safeguarded and passeCl 0 generation to generation under the direct ion ot the
Sanhedrin.
Let i t be re.membered that in t hose tor.matiTe years ot ciT1l1zatlon and oulture, t her· quest ion of books in t he t orm in which we knovl them t oday.
The art ot printing , of course, ati and, therefore J books had to be wrItten and t ranscribed by hand. so that t he books spoken ot in those early days are principally manuscripts written on parchment, ch are t
Taluabl e because of the care involved preserv1~ them f or f ut ure generat i ons •
is custom partially explains the restriction .ieh were put upon the use an diBtr i but10n of books practioally up to t he end ot the Middle Ages, When tbe art ot printing f inally made t he oopyin,; and reproduction ot books a poSS1bility.
1ng the early Ohristian peri od, Which was marked by oruel persecutions and t he imposition at severa restrictions, there was probably l ittle ettort t o ... 3
collect and preserve wr1tings other than those ot t .... e inspired authors t whic' constitute What 1s knowu as the New Testament and the works ot the earlt
'athera. These sacred writ1np:s were safeguarded With supreme scrupulosity i the principal Ohristian centers. ,is may have given rise to the early practice ot collecting and preserTins especially rel1ld.ouB work der the custody ot t"e churches and i n the t BiShOPS and other Christian leaders. know
that tne Fathers ot t~e Church expressed their love and reverence especia~
tor re1i~ious writIngs. . Jerome and St. Augustine are knoWll to have given speCial admonition to the rai t hful regarding the reverence 'that s,",ould be sho towards re ous wrlt1DV1, ortl D.1t them. to read t hem wit h zea care.
Notable tor its colleotion ot books in those early Christian times 1s th library ot entl uB in R! records are st! extant. 1\
It waSt however, the rise ot ~nasta.I i n the f itth and sixth centurIes that gave t greatest impetus to the collection ot 11terary and cultural works in the torm ot libraries as we understand them today. Far t rom. belD« ettered an oly men embodied their const!tutiona the minutest regulat re5rarding the collection, preservation and use ot writ ings then
aTailab~e. elfu we ot only eXhorted but even dI.rected and commanded ~
under obedi ence to take books out ot the library and read them carefully i their cells. The regulations i ncluded minut e details as to hoW t hese books,
.,.,lch were i n reality manuscripts , were to rest caretully on the wide sleeTe of t readert s l eft arm, pr actically serTing as a euShiONJ the page were t o be t ed with the greatest care by the right d. Books had to be
returned regularly to the 11brar;r J ere exact record or ea t alo~e preael'T8d by one ot the Monks Who act ed as custodlan and eventually became
,wn as 11brarl an. Monks were t h aeyars penalties i f they tailed to »et urn books at t proper time or it t hey gave evidence or carelessness 0 abuse l1e these books were in t helr custody and tinally t he severest penaltl and anathema re d as a t hreat ovoer t'l1ose wl!o wo .are to a11e e or destroy theBe venerable treasurea.
Stmd l ar minute regulations were eventually develOp !Rated against the lending of books tsi of t he preCincts of indiVidual monaste , r e
strietions ~ i ch becam.e so aeTere t hat in the t hirtee century a Dioee
Syno eld i n Parts eontraryw1se, ely by promulgating seve peual
ies against those o ref used to make owledge avail able by a broader policy of lend1n« books to ot hers t han the i t es of the monasteri es. -51!
It is historically established that this interest and zeal tor knowledge and t he pres8nation ot books by the monastio Orders laid the toundation for thl
,eTe1oment ot education and cu1'hre in pract1cally all European countries. The pioneers in thi s illustrious fie14 ware the Sons of St. Benedict , but they had followers and tators in tbe Orders W'Ilioh gradually SPHllg up in tbe Catholic
Church. The Cistercians, the Carthusians and t llgUstlD1ans and practically Ill. religiOUS Orders became the t ers of libraries in connection Wit h their monastiC 1nst1tutions, l1brari reserved tor posterity the literary treas s of the ages and gave a tremendous impulse t o the di88 tion ot humll
]mowle ana. cul ture. Especially celebrated in thiS connection are the' libraries
:1300\)1 j) t that aprang up in Italy a t SubIao~A and Monte Cassino and the tamous Laurentian library in Florence; outstan·· in France were the Monasteries at Clairy-au ani
Cluny, in Switzerland t he Monastery of St. Gall, in Germa.ny the Monastel"1 of Falda,
in ~land the Benedietine Monasteries in Dover and Bury, to mention but a 'lew that are typical of the un!"ersal custom existi in practically all monastIc institutio
ot the Middle ~es.
or must we oTerlook the t~endous contribution Which the Papacy made in the promot1on of science and culture through the enoouragement ieh the Vic ot
,riat gave to the to~tion ot libraries and eventually the establishment or unl -6..
versities• .Monumental in t his regard 1s the world fliUIlous Vatican l1brarr, Whio!:!. even today holds a pre-eminence for the quality as well as the quantity ot the treasures Which the Popes have assembled ill the tom at manuscripts, books and art treasures.
aI,nst t his background of antiquity and· ot t he Middle Ages we can rGad1ly
understand how the deTelo~ent ot l1brarIes, private and public , progressed atter the art of printing had been invented. This made books available in quality and quantity to practica.lly' every stratum ot humansoolety. Unfortunately it a.1so presented the -danger that arises trom t'le promisouous dissemination of books, among them bOoks that contain doctrines whioh are not only heretical from the religiOUS standpoint , but also dootrines WhIch are questionable from the scientific standpoint and dootrines Which have a demoralizing intluence upon human conduot and oiTlUzatlon. Sometimes the Ohur oh 1s eriticize en it expresses caution and pronounces penalties against the publication and d1sseminat1on at Q.uestionable
lt1ngs. evertheless , such restrictions and cautions are in their order no less reasonable than are t he restrictions placed upon the distributIon ot po1sons and the necessary caut10IlS issued tor t he preseT'Tat1on of h ealth in our homes and the safeguard ot human 11te on our highways , terways end skyways. Certainly the Jl..
preserTation ot the welfare and salvation ot the h oul Is no les cred
an obligation than is the pres8rTation ot the healt"h and Ute ot the boa,..
thIs prompts us to emphasize the signiticanoe and the importance 0
the ceremony Wherein are today dedicating this new accession to the splendi4
ensemble ot buildings that adorns the campus ot Loyola UniT8rsi ty. sterpiece
.rchiteoturaU,. and a model from. the ste:ndpoint ot practical equipment, this new
la University Libra ry will stand forth i n the City ot New Orleans and in our
beloved Southland as a veritable citadel of learning, -wherein there will b
aoeumulated over a period of years approxtmately 300,000 Tolumes , ose content
will cover the widest t1eld ot scientitic , literary and cultural lOl.owlellue . Well may we visualize that tens ot thousands of students and scholars in succeedlnc
generatIons will flook here to prepare themselves for their VOcations and to build
up material tor their publicat ions Which in turn will accrue to the benefit ot the
ever growing number ot American oitizens in search of human knowledge.
I t is particularly f ittiD& that thiS new Loyola Un!TeTslty Library 1s bein&
dedicated to the memory of those distinguished mElllbers of its student body 'Who
sacrificed their lives in the defense of our countl"'j" durIng t'l-te late war . Thus the
Library will BarTa as a monument ot patriotic devotion and sacrifioe that will be
a source of inspiration aDd encouragement to professors and students of the UD1Tarsity for all t • I t will also serTe as a witness to the patriotic principles Wh ioh are embodied in the very constitution and Ute ot the University
under the insp1ration ot the highest spirttual ideals ~ich Ist1an educatio~ tosters and oultivates in the minds and hearts ot the yo •
in oonolusion oongratulate Very Reverend Harry Crane, the Provinci ot the Society of :resus, and his Council , tbe Very Reverend Thomas J' . Shield... , distinguiShed President of the University, and the members of his faoulty upon thia new acquisition ot the University and express the hope that their expectation aM drefillDS for the future may be realized to the utDlost degree and that Loyola
University of the South may go on increast its suudent body and extending its sphere of Influence in thiS sectton of our country from generatIon to generation. ADDRESS: UPl!.'NING SESSION mST REV. JOSEPH: F. Rt.T.WEL, S .T.D., . C . E. A. . OONVENTION ARCHBISHOP OF NF.W ORLEANS SDAY. APRIL 11, 1950
ADDRESS OF
It 1s with a sense ot partioular gratiticatlon and joy that we exte%l4
to the officers, delegates and guests at the National Oatholic Educational
Association a most cordial welcane for this their Forty-seventh annual oon
ntion, the fourth l'Ihich we are priVileged and honored to greet here in Nell'
rleans Wi tbin a period of thirty years. Well do we realize the vital. impOrtanoe of an assembly ot Oatholic educators in tbese times and days, when religion is so seriously challenged not only in eduoation but in practicall
every phase ot human lite and in the world's nat1ona~ and international relationship... .
We are delighted. to erlend again our hospitality to the illustrious members ot the hierarchY, to the clergy, religiOUS and the latty Who haTe come into our midst to deliberate upon the proble.ms ot Catholic education in its applioa tion to the spiritual and moral , the intelleot ual and the Booial welfare ot youth.
We teel genuinely honored by tbe presence of distinguished representatives ot the aivU government ot our City and State and hail with particular satista.o tion the privilege ot reoe1vlIl8 a peraonal 'Uessage from one who belongs to th very intimate tamily ot the President ot the Unl ted States, the most Bonorabl,
Secretary ot the Navy, Francis P . Matthews.
t ls partlcularly pleasing to note among our guests tbe presence ot represent atives at 0Ity and State Departments or Education, o will UDdoubt edly make valuable eontrlbut1on.e to the discussions Whioh are on the agenda o~ this convention.
Fo~ost among our guests we are happy to greet Hls nence Bemuel
CardInal St r lteh, illustrious ArchbishoP or the Diocese ot Chicago, a Prince ot the ChurCh , Who achieved distinctl on as one-time Cha11"m.a1l ot the Adminls tret1w Boar d ot the National Catholic Wel tare Oonterence and Who today exercises a powerfnl influenoe a s a student ot history and a close observer ot the thinking and trends tllat agitate our complex modern world. Be has e.l.l'eady tavored us with h1s SCholarly keynote semon at the opening Mass ot tbl s assembly a nd l1as pledged t o part1cipate 8S presiding ottioer ln a number ot the most important meetings SCheduled OD. the program. e are fortunat indeed to be blessed· with t he presence, the prestige and the guidlng infl uenoe ot one Wbo is so prominent in the hierarah7 of our ChurOh and Who holds so dominant a posi tion in tbe ranks ot our nation's spiritual and moral leaders. -:>0
It is neither our tunction nor our i ntention to ProiOund a special
thesis in this address ot weloome . Nevertheless, iII8 do 'hail with joy the
timeliness ot the theme Wh10h has been selected as the guiding inspiratIon
tor this convention, namely ItEIXJOATIO N FU R IN'lERNATIONAL UNDERBrANDING".
For well-nigh balt a oentury such an understanding haa been laoking, i1'
indeed it ever existed at all. Certainly t he forebodings that precede
orid War I clearly indicated jea1ousy, rivalry', discord and strite rather
t han a conmon basis at unde-rstanding among nations. The elld of that war
brought changes in the torm. ot govermnent and in territortel boundaries
and gave us the League ot NBtion& , but it failed to give assurance at either
peace or understandingo
The interval between World War I and World War II was marked by ne
torms at imperallsm, despotism and even tyranny but there on the horizon
not the slightest sign at understanding. We are now in the tUth year atter
.~ the cessation of open hoatlli ties.and yet there is no Sign ot peaoe but a
oold war that grows more pronounced, more open and. more intensely bot almost from day to day, While a great power pursues a phtl.oeoPh7 of goverllllent and conquest that threatens to usurp the mastery of the wor ld, polit1callr.
SOCially and even spiritually. -4ret and tamiliarity that might in any way weaken the affection and jeopardize the
lavotion that must at all times Characterize the relation~ip between husband and Wite. An ana!Tsi8 ot the causes that lead to the breaking up ot homes will warrant the conTiotion that most ot them have their origin in th.e circumstanoe that infraotion. ot oonjugal purity and integrity have been regarded lightlr and as ot little importanoe. At tirst such iDf'idel1t1es are praotioec1 oludell tinely without the knowledge ot the injured partner in lite, gradually they be come more trequent and bolder, and tinally there oomes the rupture Whiob is bound to tollow open detianoe ot the law ot tidel1ty.
Pun.ty in the home must also inolude the teaChing ot this virtue by WDrd and example on the part ot parents to their little Children and even more emPhatioally and ins1stently to these ohildren When they reaoh adole.oent age and approaoh maturity. In thia respeot every home must be an exaot reproduotion and a living dem.onatration ot What the ohildren leam in their oatechiBlll olasses and in the a.tmoaphere ot the Christian SChool. All too otten is their religiOUS
taith weakened and unde~ned by brazen violations in word and deed ot the basio implications ot God's holy law Whioh demama purity in thought, in word and in
action. It is only by a rare power ot eUvine grace, Which i8 olosely allied ~ -s tbe miraculous that children surriTe the scandalous example ot parent., Whose conduot is a living detianoe ot Godts ordinanoes and ot the pattern which Christ set in Hia personal Ufe and Whioh was SO conTincingly demonstrated by His ever Blessed Mother and His loster J'att.er in the holy house ot Nazareth. Viewed merely from the natural standpoint we are justitied in believing that His growth in wisdom and gr'8.ce was an eloquent retlection ot the example Which Mary ud
Joseph undoubtedly gave to the Christ-Child.
How wondertul and wortl:.y ot admiration is the Catl:!olic hane in Which the
Ter" atmosphere breathes purity, fidelity and devotion, the Catholio hame i~
Which every suspicion and the remotest suggestion ot insincerit,. is banished with zealous determination, the home in Which children lean to loek up te and 'admire their parents as liTing expressions ot saintliness and astinted deYOtion and sacritice, the home in Which Christ Jesus withMar.1 and Josep' are V8Derated, extolle4 and imitated as the patterns ot the Tirtue8 that shou1d characterize respectiTely the children and their parents! Truly there is strength and power in such a home atmosphere. There is also present that rare element ot unity, bOrJle ot charity, Which breathes oonfidence, unselfishness and a willintness tor sacritice.
We are contident that the CatholiC Daughters ot America are excellent ..6 exemp11f1cat10ns of these 1deala of purity and integr1ty in the home and that they are settingmagn1ticent ex.mples for the 8.mulation of their Catholie s1stera in tbe falth and for the ed1tication ot their tellow .Amar1c... Who are not members ot our rel1g10us household. Kay 1t please Alm1ghty God to continue to inspire, encourage ancl strength.a tbe Catho11c DaUghters eTerywhere 1. this beaut1tul mission ot realizing in the Oatho11c home the highest Ohristi.. ideals and thus lay1ng the toundat1on tor a social lite ot 1nteu1t1ed strengtll and stability. It is practically all axiom of aocial philoeophy that the stabil1ty and streagtll ot all social life depend almost entirely upon the streDgtll and stabiUty ot the indiTidual home. Bence a. our .American homes approacll closer to the high Ohr1stio 1deals ot purity and integrity, 80 Will SOCial re lationships become more puritied, sweetened and sanctit1ed. Such is the mission
R JVt ,'501»;0 fI that we hold out to the Oatbolic DaUghtersJ\....ill whioh we inToke tor them tbe bleas1ngs ot the All High God and the intercessory powers ot tho•• tw sterling aaint17 Characters Whom the Divine Sa'f'1orchose as the guardians ot Hi. hcmt at
Nazareth, the eyer Blessed Virgin Mary and her spouse st. Joseph. INVOCATION IN Almighty and Rternal God, Creator, Preseryer and L:>rd 01' the Un.lTerse, Ruler 01' all things Tisible and inTl.lble, we humbly bow in reTerenee betore Thy SoTereigA Majesty. On behalf 01' this City 01' New Orleans we praise Thee tor Thy perteotion., we thank Thee tor Thy bountitul gitts 01' nature and grace Whicb Thou doe. constantly shower upon our oommunity notwithstanding our UBworthi..... We ht1llbly implore Thee, 0 Father 01' lderc1es, to pardon our sins, and to overlook indulgently our sbortoomings and our negleots, streDgtheniD8 us in our desire sincerely to repent and to mend our ways in great.r contom.ity wi th Thy holy will. We humbly' implore Thy blessing today upon our City administration and upon the men and women Who are in this hour assuming anew the responsibilities 01' govermnent. With all the tenor 01' our soula we implore Thee to grant them the gitt. 01' wisdom and Tieion so that they may determine What is in reality con duci" to the spiritual and moral welfare 01' our oommunity as well as helpful towards its material developnent and progress. We hl.DD.bly ask Thee to grant them courage in determining wbat is objectively useful and helpful for the good 01' all rather than What may be subjeotively pleasiag to a tew. Grant them, we beseeCh Thee to work out the problema and destIn.les 01' our CIty in their oOUBsel. and deliberation. on the basis 01' unity, peace and harmony rather than in an atmosphere of discord and dissention. Grant them likeWise the gitts 01' mutual respeot and contidence in the carrying out 01' their indiVidual responsibilities. We beseech Thee especIally to bestow upon His Ronor, the Mayor 01' our City, Mr. deLe••eps S. Morrison, the wisdom, the courage and the persenrance 01' -2 of genuine leaderShip so that he may inspire his 8.sociate. in government to carry out etfeotiTely the programs most conduc1T8 to the common welfare od to solve mo.t judioiously the problems w1tb Which they may be oonfronted. Mayest Thou likewise, 0 lord, inspire all. our fellow c1tizen. to mani fest towards the officials' Whom they have chosen a genu1ne spirit of good Will, confidence and cooperation so that uDder the force and power of unity our City may continue to thr1Ye, prosper and expand for the good and welfare of all. These favor. .. ask of Thee, 0 God, most humbly yet contide.tly in the name of Christ jesus our "lord and Savior Who with Thee and the Holy Ghost liTeat and raigaest world without end. J\MEr.T. 'roAST TO OUR ID LY FATllER roPE PIUS XI :OST REV. JOSB:PH F. RUMMEl , S.T.D. ARCllBlSOOP OF NEW ORLEANS ) HIM , GRANT HIM IENGTi:r DAYS INESS DELIVER HIM roT m:ro OJ' HI S ENEMIES" BountltullT blessed has baell the Church 1n the Pontltt. Whom D1T1ne P'ro~1dellOe has ralsed up tor her go~erDlleDt With1ll the Ufe tima or our gelleratlon. I. the latter part of the nlneteenth c8nturr tound i O'De Leo XIII, the grand ezpo O~ Social Justice, Who establl tor It.! "~ E (GiJ M NoVH/l.I)Jt*.· time the guiding prlnclp aOOOrding to Wb lch human bet ng. Shoul d b " treated in the1r soclal relations and responslbll1tle.. The Pontificate at Pope Pius X ga~e to us the reyelation ot the treasure of grace aId lch our Div1n .T1or haa proTided for Ris dsn>ted flock i:a the Most Boly Euoharist. It th1s Pontitt Who inspired the trequell' reception ot HOly Communion and the beneflts ot dally attendance at BolT Mass . Truly UDder hi. Pontlt1c~te the 'OreBenc. ot our DiTine SaviOur ill the MOst Holy Eueharist became a liying power- giving reality 1n our Holy Churcn. POpe Benediot XV enjoyed a comparatlnly Short relga., but he gaT the basic rule tor the gClTOrn:aient ot the Church in the new Code ot Canon Law , Which Is Inde mo nt ot w1sd rudence and just1ce that wlll at -2 tor a ges as the guide post t or the administration ot Holy Churoh in all he r delJartment.,. To Pope Pius XI ot T8ry happy memory we owe the creation ot the Vat1ca1l ate , WhiCh opened a new era ot compant1ft freedom Independenoe tor the Church as Ii. un1t ot goyel"Iltl8nt recognized by the nations ot th8 Bartn. him owe the reattirmat10n ot So c :rustics in hi S eTer m.emorable "Quadragesimo Anno" and the initiatlon ot Catholio Action, in ?bich the L.Ff y resources ot the ChurCh WhiCh tor centuries seaned to li. domant rBT1tallzed and energized under the pro~ of Catholio Action. Our present Pontlft, gloriously reigning, enjoys the respect an, admiration ot the world and the af't ection and de'fCtlon ot the CathOlio people to a degree nBTer exoeeded ~ y successor ot the f iSherman Whom e1.8TIlted to become the rock against iCh the Tf!IrY ga o hell are never to prevai• • Prepared. tor his exalted otfice by 8. long and Tarled B%perience in ChurCh administration in many ts ot the v.orld; Pope Piue XII has nroven himself a Pontitf of r ,te prudence and unconQuerable courage. thin the Church he has suocessively rea1"t1rmed and giTSn ne' interpretations to the principles of justioe established by Pope Leo XIIi; ~1.l~1'" he haS g1 Tan n me~ to the practioes of piety that "oharacterize the -3 flook of Ohrist as outlined by Pope Pius Xi he has applied the basia 1 ot the ChurCh to new conditions and circumstances without detraatlns t its tundamental wisdom and streDgtb; he has :pointed t he way tor the appl1ca tlon ot Oatholic Actio~ to the various vocational groU~B that eonst1tut. the multiple memberShip ot Holy Church , so that today there is not a body ot the laity Which lacks motlTatlon and IncentlT8 fOr ettectlT d tru1ttul action according to the prinoiples and 1deala ot our Holy Catholic Faith. the world at large Pope Fius nI stands as a cO'lrageous teacher ot the prinoiples ot the i ndlTldual dignity and rights ot the human being and the necessity ot oharity as well as justioe in determining the relatioD.ShlnlJ between the elements ot human soolet1 and the nations at the eartb. With wi sdan. tbat bear the eam.arkB ot divine guidance and witb. 1ndQ!dtabl courage he has propounded the bas1c prinCiples ot peace 1n whiOb, througk just1ee and cbarity, stabllity and happi ness e an be reallzed 1n a much oontuae and lmhapP1 world. It is Pope XII WhO ha lnted out tearlessly tbe inherent ertl and d rs ot COl!lllunism. not only as a talae eoonomio system ot goTerDment but also as an enemy' ot religious ta!th and morality. tiCw this great Pont!!t stands in the middle of a Boll" Year ot grace and benedict10n, a year Which he has desi gnated as the year ot "the great return and 01' the great plirdon" , a year in Which faith , hope , coDt'idenoe and oharity are being re-establlS,hed in the mind. and heart. 01' men and all elements 01' human society. In this year 0'1 benediction he towers high IlIOODg the hundreds 01' thousanu 0'1 talthtul soul., WhO are tlooldng to the Eternal CIty from eTery corner 01' the earth with hearts direct towards him as the representatlT. of the Divine She1>herd 01' souls tor an inspir1ng message and an eneourag1nc blessing. y the tlgure 01' this great Pont1ff is all the world an object of admiration and a symbol 01' talth 1n God. May we thell j01n again in tbe prayer with Yblch we began these ret'lac tiona: "MAY TEE l.ORD PRESERVE OUR OOVEREIGN , GRANT En! lENGTH 0'1 DAYS AND HAPPINESS AND DELIVER HIM roT IN'ro THE HANDS OF ENWIES." IDRESS: ~1)sr REV. JUSElBi F. ROMMEL, S . T.D. 'ROCESSION OF mAYER ARG.tiBlSAOP OF NEd URLEANS OCIDBER 8, 1950 (NOT rro BE RELEASED BEFU;RE 6 P • OC'ltlBER 8, 1950) "GRANT, 0 IORD, PEACE IN OUR DAYS - .CE TO 3JULS, PEACE TO FAMU.TFS, PEACE 'ltl OUR CuUNTRY, PEACE AWNG NNI'IUNS." (HOLY YEAR FRAYER OF roPE PIUS nIl Profound is our gratitude to our heavenly Fat'her J to our Savior Jesus Christ. the Prince of Peace, and to the Holy Spirit for the inspiration and guidance that have enabled us to carry out todayts program of prayer and solemn liturgy in the interest of peace tbroughout the world. e are grateful also to the officers of "t11e Metropolitan Union of Holy Name Societies for their sponsorShip of the Procession of Prayer, to the members of the clergy, o have so zealously encouraged and p~oted the exercises and to the faithful Who have participated so generously and in suCh large numbers in the magnificent demonstration of faith and confidenoe in prayer. 'lb His .l:ionor , Mayor deLesseps S. Morrison, and to our City Commissioners and other officials, especially to the officers and members of the Police and Fire Departments, we express most grateful appreciation of t'heir encouragement and generous oooperation in making t~is demonstration a worthY expression of our beloved city's longing for peace, order and security. We are also grateful. to the Radio StatiOns, the Preas, the Ne Orleans Publls SerVice and eo many organizations and agencies that have been cooperative in the developnent of our plans. .May God bless t'hem all. MilY it please God to hear our united prayers for a world in ~iCh fear Shall be replaced with oon -2 fidenoe, hatred with Christian love, enslaving tyranny with democratic freedomo llG.rant, 0 Lord, peace in our days - peace to souls , pea.ce to fiiIIlil1es, peace to our country, peace among nations. " In these pre .t words has our Holy Father, Pope Pius XII, i n his Prayer for the Holy Year summarized the yearning of souls for t~e key to happiness and aecurityo In these four objectives of peace individual souls, families, country and nations - we can envision a veritable pyramid of peace as strong and enduring as tne everlasting bills, more reassuring than the battlements devised and built for the protection of the most valiant armed forces. t the base of this pyramid of world peace, we envision peace to souls. that peace WhiCh springs from fa!th in tbe dignity of the human soul as the image of God, its pledge of ~ortality and its destiny to happiness in time and in eternity. This peace to souls implies a life of con:formity with the will and plan of God, III life at control over passions and emotions, a life well-ordered in its rslation- Ships of mutual respect , justice and charity tOW1U"ds all fellovmen. '!be material latta concepts at mants nature and destiny, ita negation of his dependenoe on the divine Will, ot hiS spiritual nature and destiny are mainly responsible tor the arroganoe, the selfishness, tne cruelty and the savagery of Whioh recent history and experience have borne sucb hcu;rowing testimony. Faith and personal self-discipline alone can guarantee peace t o the individual. soul -3 and radiate its beneficence to other souls. On t~is baae personal peace of soul Will rise the second tier in the Pyramid of Peace, peace to families . e family is the basia un!t of the social structure of bUIIlQIl. society. Instituted by God, it receives through. matrimony the elements ot strength, unity and stabilityj in t",e eIevatioD by Christ 01' marriage to the dignity of a Sacrament, there is given to the couple the additional quality of holiness, Whereby the love bet~en tre spouses is sanotified, the dignity of of fathe~ood and motherhood is parenthood glorified and the responsibll1ty/Vested vdth authority akin to the authority of God Rimsslt. Feilles in the family is the result of these qualities, natural and supernatural with ~ic~ God has endowed marriage; in turn social pea.ce and stability are t he result of t'be extent to Which unity, strength and stability are saf'eguarded and preserved in the family and home . Peace, harII¥)ny and stability in the family spell peace, harmony and stability in social lite and a peaceful, armonious , stable social structure is tbe prelude and indispensable condition for peace and strength within a oountry or nation. Bence, the third tier or story in our Pyrmid of Peace is peace in our country. History proves that peace Wi thin a country or nation 1s possible notwithstanding diversities of opinions , of social groupings and even of raci~ origins, but no nation bas ever prospered or endured witb.out intern!ll peace, based upon un!ty of principle , un!ty of purpose, uniform recogn1tioD of rights, mutual respeot and --4 reoiprocal guarantees of justice and oharity between citizens of every type or classification. Because of diversifioation of oharacters and te.mperaments, social and eduoational backgrounds, personal interests and qmbitlons, the internal peace and unity of a country or nation cannot be aChieved except at the cost of mUCh selfrestraint and sacrifice for the common good. Such qualities must be developed and welded into unified strength by capable and prudent leaderShip, leadership t hat 1s inspired by high ideals and governed by high and unselfiSh motives. History again proves that even small countries and nations have been able to endure with such unity of purpose, selt-sacrifice and leaderShip, notwithstanding the march and changes of time or pressure from without. On the other hand great nations and powerful empires have crumbled beoause of internal dissention and selfiSh leaderShip_ Our prayer for peace tcr our oountry enVisions a peace based on righteousness upon recognition of divine as well as human rights, upon equality of rights regardless of social distinctions or distinctions of race, creed or color. To "3 the ' extent that" we bave respected this internal peace bave VIe grown strong and powerful, strong and powerful not for aggression but strong and -powerful for internal stability and seourity) and for defense W't>en defense was c'l1allenged. So long as we /hall persevere in this vision of internal peace, so long Shall we tltrive and prosper as a nation. and continue to be a cltidel of human dignity, human rights and human happinesQ_ -5 This is t he purpose of our prayer to God for "peaoe to our countryd . e apex of our P7ramid of Peace is "peace among nations". Two terrificall3" destructiVB l'lorld Wars wit hin one generation have proven moat -convincingly' hOW divided the world is and hOW disastrous can be the leadership of unscrupulous men under tbe aegis of false PhilosoPhies of life and government. It is a strange and sad oommentary on human nature that after an experienoe of two Vlorld wars, tbat bave been bitter, costly and destructive, tpere is still no prospeot of world peace, but rather the imminence of a tBK~ iorld War Three, that pro.mises to be more disastrous than its two predecessors. The rld wars seem to prove that nations can unite far more sucoessfully for battle than for peace, that the Chief burden and prime aChievement of tne League of Nations and of organization a United Nations ~~I.t.n,."t is to form coalitions and orga.nize armed forces in preparation for a new confliot. Daily it seems to beoome more evident that into instead of unitins all nations /lItttk one p3aceful family, tbe world's leaders can alignment acoomplish only a new/~ of t~e world 's armed forces, in iCh tho followers of democratic ideals will be arrayed against t .... e leaders and slltel1ites of Com munism and socialism, the Blues inst the Reds. eace ~ong nations cannot be realized on tne basis of armed force. There must be an impressive repudiation of t he .f2.1ae principle that might makes right, a universal recocnition of t~e principles of justice and morBl reSpOnsibility on the -5... part of nations d t~eir 19ader~, universal reaognit!on of human dignity and every man's riSht . t o justice and fair opportunity to bappiness and security. Peace ong nations is not attainable without universal faith in God and recogni tion ot man's responsibility to Him, without recognition t~at such responsibility increases i n gravity in proportion tc t be authority and influence ot the 10 dividual man . eacs among nations cannot be built up enduringly on compromise , godless a.theism, or a secret way of lite behind an iron curtain. No , pellce lilIllong nations cannot be built up on cOI'..lpetlt1ve arID.liIlllents; experience proves that such try out competition eventually climaxes in the itch to test Y'eapons and .destructive Cbem1cals in a n rmageddon, tbe outcome of ~iCh c only bring ciisaater, misery and dea th. Peace among nations can be l1zed only through the inspiration , the wisdom, tl)e courage J the fortit ude that comes frcI!l God . SuCh is tl1e peace of iCh the angels sang in the blessed night of the Savior's birth: "Peace on earth to men no te ot good vall tf - I to men of good \'/i11 . SUCh is t'he peace of iCh Christ spoke , When lie said to liis disciples: ''My peace I leave you , my peace I give to YOUj not as t-re 'I'lOrld gives do I give to you" - not e " not as the world gives" - the world of unbelief, the ~orld of hypocracy, the world of violence , the world of the stony heart and of the ruthless arm. e ~ellce that is at the angels and of Christ is a -7 heavenly gift, Which can and must be obtained through prayer, sincere prayer, persevering prayer, united prayer, rising up With confidence out of the heart ot all humanity. This is the prayer that Will help build t~e apex of t~e F~am1d of Peace, iCh we have envisioned. Tbis prayer for peaoe must rise not in silence or ispered acoents, but like a mighty thunder over the assembly of the United Nations, t~e prayer that must rise like a tidal wave over the face of the earth, the prayer trat will find a response and eChO in every home, the prayer in WhiCh every believer in God "nll J',.t>1nin the sinoerity of his beart.. SuCh is the prayer WhiCh we have dedicated tod~ to the construction of the tyr&m1d of Peace. May it find acceptance ·in the mercy of God throUgh the merits of Jesus Christ, our Savior, and the intercession of y, the ~e9n of Feace. that Pyramid of Peace soon appear as a vision realized with the figQr8 of Christ the standing on Prince of Feace, blessing the world/a.K3 the summit. ADDRFSS SOLEMN CONVOCATION lDST REV . JOSlSt'H F. RUMMEL, S. T . D. " XAVIER UNIVERSITY ARCHBISHOl"' OF NEiV OBLEAI~ S OCTOBER ll, 1950 Most cheer.f'uJ..ly and with a sense of honor do we discharge the privilege of presenting to Hi.s Excellency, Yost Reverend Aml.eto Giovanni Cicognani, Titular Archbishop of Laodicea and representative of the Holy Father as A:postolic Delegate to the United States of America, the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws, so graciously tendered to His Excellency by Xavier University on this the twenty-fifth anniversary of its establisbment. His Excellency, .lrchbishop Cicognam, has been offioiating as represen tative of the Holy See in our beloved country during a period of more than seventeen year&, having been appointed to his present bigh office on the 17th day of March, 1933, and coming to take charge of his responsible position on the 22nd day of May of the same year. His Excellency brought to his e.xalted office an experience of almost thirty years. as a member and officiall.. of a. number of Sacred Congregations, which are charged If:ith responsibility for the most important affairs that concern the administration and government of the Church Universal. Among these are the Consistorial Congregation, the Congrega tion for Extraordinar,y Ecclesiastical Affairs, the Congregation for the - 2 Propagation of the Faith and the Congregation of the Council. In his associa tion with the Consistorial Congregation he was entrusted With great responsi bility for organizing the Canon Law for the Oriental ohurches and was in charge of the affairs that concerned the relation between the Holy See and the Church in the United States of merica. ThuB even before biB assumption of the responsibility of Apostolic Delegate he had acquired a rather comprehensive and intillla.te knowledge of the history and life of the Catholic Church in our country, which knowledge was greatly intensified by two previous visits made to the United States on special miSSions, one in 1924, the other in 1931. MOst Reverend Archbishop Cicognani has won for himself an enviable reputation as an expert and professor in Canon Law and numbers among his students at the Apollinaris College in Rome DlB.Ily members of the hierarchy and of the clergy in the United StateB'. We are. indebted to His Exoellency for several important works not only in Canon La but also in a diversity of subjects lfbich he has elabor~ed in countless sermons and addresses; delivered during bis incumbency. He holds Doctors Degrees m Philosophy, Theology and Canon Law and is one of the officially recognized advocates before the Tribunal of the Roman Rota, which is the ordinary Tribunall constituted by the Holy See for the hearing of appeaJis all over the world. -3 During the seventeen years of his presence amongst us as Apostolio Delegate, MOst Reverend Archbishop Cicognani has given countless evidences of bis affeotion not only for the Church in the United State~, but also for our country as a democratic inatitution and in generaJl for our American way of life. Shortly after his arrival in the United Statea he laid a wreath on the tomb of George ''Iashington in Mount Vernon, and has insisted that the portrait of the father of our country should hold a place of honor in his official residence on Massachusetts Avenue in our national. Capital. On occasions almost too numerous to tabulate His EKcellency has visited pract1 cally every part of our country for the purpose of lending dignity, encourage ment and edification to clergy and people, 'While his charity and admiration for our institutions prompted him to visit, besides numerous Cathollc institu tiona, many Army posts and hospitals and prisoner of war camps during the late world conflict. His genial personality, his eminent intellectuall qualities and his eloquence have won for him the endearing affection of our Catholic peopLe and the esteem of those who are not of the household of the faith. e of the Archdiocese of New Orleans have many reasons to be grateful to His Excellency, Most Reverend Archbishop Cicognani, for repeated evidences of bis kindness and friendship . In 1935 he presided at the Installation -4 and the conferring of the Pallium upon the present Archbishop of New Orleans, in 1938 he officiated as one of the most prominent prelates; attending the Eighth National Eucharistic Congress held here in our City. On two occasions he favored us with passing v-lsits en route from other Dioceses and today he has come to us to cOlIDDemorate two important events in the history of the Church in the Southland, namely the Centenary of the Archdiocese and the twenty-fifth anniversary of the establisbment of Xavier University. His presence as the guest of honor at this Solemn Convocation bears testimony to his regard for the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament and their foundress, venerable Mother Katherine Drexel, because of their charity, vision and solicitude for the Negro and Indian Races in the United States of America. His graCious presence here this evening and at the Jubilee Ceremonies to '1\" e. morrow morning ie likewise a- signal proo~ of his profound interest for the spiritual and cultural welfare of the Colored Race in our country. Indeed he is conferring an honor upon Xavier University in accepting at the hands of Reverend Mother Mary Agatha, President of Xavier University, and her associates on the faculty the Degree OI Doctor of Laws.., and Xavier University w:i.ll aJ.waya be proud to mow that Most Reverend Archbishop Amleto Giovanni Cicognani, Apostolic Delegate to the United StateS' of .A:merica . ranks foremost -5 among the University' s friends and distinguisbed patrons. Your Excellency on beball' of the President and the faculty of XavieE' University I am very happy to present to you the Honorary Degree of Doctor ot Laws . ~ON DlAM0ND JUB O~T !WV . JOS . F . Rl11:ilt.ill. , 5 . '1' • .1.1" v~' T~ ~0 0R CLAR1S I . 0 . 1'\ 10 lGHBL...l1JP OF !'O!.II mu.~Ju.Js OCTOBbH 24, 1950 ,I , ..,.JU.I!U' I .JAy TO YOU , UNLl!SS '1' G&.IN uF GRJGND hiID DIhl, I 'r I1 BUT IF' I' DIi!,.;) , I T BlUNGb FOH1'H r..LJ(';ll FHUrr." (JJHN AlI, 24) ost interesting if not fascinating i s the story of the beginning and development of the founuation of the ~oor Clare COlliffiUnity in the united states of America. The record shows that ~n effort was made to establish this in teresting religious order in the Unittid states as eaI'ly as 1801, but so in differe~ t was the reception to this initial effort that those wLo had been charged with t he teak were recalled to Europe, posslo1y to Italy, whence they had coce. Thereafter, it was not until the year 1875 that , under the direction of the saintly Pope Pius IL, two noble ladies of the historio house of Benti voglio, sisters in the flesh as we ll as religioll, came to these shores with tl.e expressed can:m1.ssion to ol'~nize a ltton:Jstery of Poor Clares in our country. This missiJn had received encouragement from the Most Reverend Bishop Ohatard of Indianapolis in Indiana, who was at the time Rector of the North .AJllerican College in Ron.e. It \'iUS proo8b1y his interest that was later responsible for the l,sta.blishDtent of tho Poor Clel'e hlonastery in Evansville, diana , by Mo ther Jrlar ddalena BentiToglio , the older of the two Sisters. The proposal was also hailed with enthusiasm by tue Very Heverend lseaa T. Hecker, cunvert to the Church and founder of the Paulist Fathers in New York. liowever, rrAny diffi cul ties, trials and disappointments a·.~aited JJother llar) ~addalena of the Bcred Heart and ther lIary Constance of Jesus, the two Ben t i vogUo sistel's. before success finally crowned tho il' z.ealous labors. Neither New York nor New Orleans was ready to cooperate with them in tho establishment of a Monastery ; on the contr 3ry, 8 welcome vias accorded to then, in the lalddle \'1est , in the Oity of Omaha , Uebraska , \Ihere eventually in 1882 'their first Monastery in the Uni ted States was off1cially and forn.al1y 9stablished as a cloister. ':!'his was made posoible chiefly throu~ the benefi oence of Jo1'>..:1 Creighton. a Clistinguished Catholic gentleman who received from the llolv See the title of Count for his -2 generous benefactions to the Church in he. This institution continued under the sponsorship ~f kother Constanoe Bent1vogll0 who died in Urnaba in 1902. New Ur]eans , however, was not forgotten, for in 1885 Mother .Ii!addal ena Bentlvoglio came here \1i th tber ~ary Francis ~~r~n and two co~panions to organi~e our own Iwlonastery of ut. Clare . This est8blisbn:ent was aided by the generous efforts of Mr. an "s. worris .wurray, the uncle and aunt of Siater l.lary .r'ra~ci8, who solicited contributions f?x tbe enterprise amo~g the Catholics of th~ C1t ~... St..b&1; ...·lt ial assist&nce was also afforded in B contribution of ...5 , 000.00 from Co unt John Croighton vf umaha. Thus t ~le cor.memoration of the seuenty fifth anniversary of the corning tv the u.S.A. of the venerable ~others Bentivogli marks tlso the suty-fifth :mnl vcr naIJ-" of the establishmsnt of ou ~' own poor Clare ~)nastery. Fron:. that original fo.mdation of the Clar-etie.n Order the.:e l:.:.ove sprung up in tile Uni ted I:>tate..l ten additions anr vlare liionastaries of the so-called Italian discipline located as f~' Last as Boston in ~essa.chU3etts, another a s fer Wl~fJ t as $pokane, ~ jas b lngton t another in tl:e liorth of )ux country in Seuk RapidS, I.-.innesots, and finw.ly our own lVeYJ OrleWls in the Deep S::>1.... th. Besides there are ni~e Poor Clare ~onasterie8 of the so-called Colettine discipline in the United States and Canada, making a total of tMmty E's tablishrents dedicated to the c onteJkplatlve life aocordi.:tg to the idea ls of bt. 1.;13"' 6 under the initis l ~uid&nce of th~ great St. Francis of Assisi. Thus we have another illustration of the ways of divine providence expressed by our Divine vavior when He said : "Arr.en, amen I say to you, unless t he grain of wheat f~l13 into t he ground 8!ld dies, it rorr..sins alone . But if it dies, it brings forth much frui t." (J"ohn ..u.I , 24) The monastic vocation unncr the inspiration of cit. Clare was indeed born in the Onited otates amidst difficult} I trlul and sacrifice, but the persevering efforts of the sqintly ~ others Bentivoglio finally triumphed ~nd today their spirit lives on to the sanctification of hundreds of indivi~ua l soul~and to t h -3 in~stimable benefit of their prayers and sacrifices. The Order cf ~t . Clare dates bbck to the year 1212 when a young woman of the noble families of Scif'1 ana :HUId. , noted in their generation for their \'Jealth and influence i n the btate of Perug1a in Italy was attracted to e life of poverty and penance by the pr£aching of St. Francis of ~ssisL 89.1 izing in the atmosphere of prayer and meditation that the Divine Last~r was 03111ng her to a superior lit'e of consecration sbe e~chanp€d her costly garments for a somber gray habit, allowed st. Francis to cut her tresses and withdr ew to a onaatery of benedictine Huns in preparation for establishing herself finally in t he Ji..lonaster.v of St . DaIUiano which st. »rancis hod prepered for the Initial Co~unity. Naturally her w~althy and influen~lal father, who had been prepari ng a most pro~ iti ous marriage for his favorite elder daughter remonstrated most vehem~ntly against the decision of Clare, but all to no effoct for under the iUSDiration of divine graoe she not only persevered blot also won over to herself as companiJns in religion her own mother, her sister, her aunt and niece. In the providence of God that little group produced t wo Canonized Saints, ,st. Chre and her sister St. Agnes, while her mother ranka among the beatified as Blessed Hortolana and her niece became the foundress of several monasteries. otwithstanding the fact t hat extreme poverty, the strictest kind of fasting and prolonged hours of wOl'k, l'ra~:er und meditation beoame the Irule of life for the ~onastery of ~t. Clare, tho Order flourished and spread rapi dly, first to roan~r parts of Italy, then to Fr£.nce, Spain and Belgium and finally to Germany. It attracted to i ts r..em berahip many r;eroons of ~igh social rank and many daughters of the nobility; it wSS highly f"lvorod b:,' the Popes and frequently made the oDject of benefaction by ruling princes . Towards the end of the 16th century it is recorded that the Order numberad Diore than 9018 monasteries and pOinted wit h joy to 8 menber~Lip of more than 34,000 pious women , who dedicat9d their lives in the seclusion of t cloist er to p l'eyer I penance I E.nd other sacrifices for the houor and glory of God and 'ihe 1"elfare of aruls . -4 The Poor Clare Nun s leaa a life of aosolute retirement, fast througbout t he entire vear except on Christruas day , never enjoy the taste of mea t and rise daily at midnight t o chan t the Dtvine Office. Tlle period between night prayers and t he end of Holy llass in the ITlorning is r apt in complete silenc e in the Poor Clare t.1onastery, and t his obl::lerv&nce is called "tbe gr::.a t silence" , The c loistered Huns t in addition to t he cus"tornary vo\', s of poverty, chastity and obedience, uBke a fOI~ t h vow obl i gating themselves to the enc l osure , wh ich means that without special permission in extraordi nary cases they may not leave t he interior of the Monast ery or even sp~uk t o externa except through t 11e grating in t he parlor or r eception r oorr. . Vary recent s t ati stics are unavailable at t he pr~sen t ~om~n t , but a t the nd of the first decade of the present century there t'J91't: spread over the face of the earth more t l'l.an 500 Poor Clare Monasteries with a JIlt been cons iderably m1 t1g&ted. Never t heless , it is c~nsoling to know tr~t I n a world which has been so largely dominated by secul ari sre , mc.teria11s.m. and sensualism , there 8:1'e still more than 10 , 000 holy souls VlLo da ily gather around our a l taTS and shrines as hol ocausts fOl' the s ins 01 the world an.d as fervent tJor sbipers of the Divine Savior in humble supplication for human needs. Tne great Book of Lit e alone will reveal the effect of th9 unint9rrupted canticle of praise , thanksgi ving, reparation and impetrat ion, wnich thus ascends fro earth to the vary throne of tbt: All High God . Pope Al exander IV, who Canonized St. Cl ar~ in 1255, only two :refirs after she had br ~a th ed f orth her soul in the odor of sanctity) r:; r ows a1lr.ost ecstatic -5 in his praises of the virtues of this extre.ordinar~ Saint, when he re:'f'~'s to her in t he B of Canonization: IIChre, a clear shining light by r eason of her merits , noVJ shines in hoaven I by the ilrw.ortal glory with ",'hieh If she 15 crovmod I and on eart h by the 8!I',azing miracles wh ich she perfor, In fact , t11ere is no t a virtue that might adorn a human soul oapecially consecrated to Lhe love and service of Almighty God, which the great ~ontiff does not attrlbutt:l to the holy fO\llll!ress. In her life of renunciation and sacril'ice she illustrated and passed un a glorious tradi tion to her devoted daughter6 of all time. '''e are fortunate indeed to have in our midst a .Monastery of her Urder, for we are confident that the City and Archdiocese of' New Url_ans derive countless blessings from the prayers and sacrifices which are here cultivated dey and night. ay it pleBse our Divine b&vior, through the intercession end pa tro.nage of .sot. Clare and of ;jt. .l1'ranc is to perpetuate this grand work in our Itidst fur ich the foundation was l&id 75 years ago through the sacrificing efforts of Maddalena and Constance Bentlvoglio. ost tnt c i 'Y ur co , ..uo • It t 110, 1. .1 ir t, v~. orric1ally lly e oister. Th1 s .sibl t netic , 1 T. 1_HillA n • the t t Bordl1 otner o to Or1ltm • '0 • • , '¥ olicited • among • o o~ o. n on 0 • v r • o It • of o~ 1. • ~llau n r • i- f.uI" I J.3 f • o e 0 i ...... • or co tory 0 t1al r 11810 • In the • of • 8 e • i 'I'~n.Tft,. , ,trict r ul.. ot 111". ry • , • lDulUl8 woman, • y t ,v in • , J, , to .t, t, ~ 1 commun1t. tor Vv uu,,"""-v, o c , :1lJ. o t c v d St. t. y 1. , o , Iy • CO 8 ± TO BE REI:EASED MONDAY! DEC1!MBER 25 ! 1950 ',;;)~UN MIDNIGHT MASS Maar Rl!."'V. JOSEPH F . RrThlMEL, S.T . D. CHRIS'lMAS - 1950 :CHBISBOP OF 1m1 ORLEANS ar. !.OUIS CATEEDRAL tfFOR WITH TEE WRD mERE IS MERCY .tOO> UITa :am THERE IS PIENTIFUL RED]ID1TION" (PSAlM 129, VII) Once again our minds wander back over the oenturies to a spot in the little land of Israel called Bethlehem, the House of Bread. :Musing there in the crisp air under the starl1t sky of a December night, la.'k--4:41·iFwilllte», we are suddenly startled by the appearance of a luminous figure in htnnan form standing with a group of shepherds Who were keeping the night watches over their flock of sheep. "Fear not" \'Ie hear the voice of the mysterious figure say "for behold, I bring you good news of great joy whioh shall be to all people ; for today in the town. of David a Savior has been born to you, Who is Christ the IDrd. And this shall be a sign to you: you mll find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothea and lying in a manger" . d then our eyes behold a sight never before experienced by mortal man. Preceded by a light of transcendent brightness, the heavens are opened and there appears a host of angelic spirits, sweeping majestically over the plains to the rhythm of a melodious chant , the like of which had never tallen on mortal ears; "Glory to God in the highest , and on earth peace among men of good will." And as the strains of that heavenly measage die, away and the angelic choristers recede beyond the horizon, darkness seta in once more , leaving only the shepherds silhouetted against the light of the stars and the silvery mid'winter moon. \7hat tollowed is the s1mple , abnost prosaic yet momentous story of what the shepherds round in the stable in the town ot Bethl.ehem - the Babe clad in swaddling clothes, resti.ng on a bed of straw in a crib or manger . ~a.el1ng besides Him. the fairest , # ....2 the purest, the holiest of mothers, Mary the Virgin, of vThom the prophet Isaias spoke : ttBehold a Virgin shall conceive , and bear a Son, and His nane shall be called Fimnanuel - God with us" . And standing thoughtfully, watohfu1ly over (Isaias VII, 14) them is Joseph of the royal House of David, divinely chosen spouse of the Virgin Mother and foster father of the ohild to be oalled Jesus, Son of the Most High God . In the light of the flares or torohes oarried by the shepherds the Beene contre-sta! unfavorably With theEt'fulgenoe of brightness that an hour before had tlDoded their pastures beyond the cityl s gates , and yet there was here before their eyes the oonvinoing sign foretold by the angelic messenger from on high - "the Inf'e.nt clad in swaddling c lathes resting in a manger" . In the si.mplio1ty and sinoerity of their faith, they fell upon their knees and adored Him "Who is Ohrist the wrd" And the glory of that night spread out over all. that country, yes , and since then over all oountries and among all peoples , for that Infant was the expected one of the nations , the Savior of the mrld, the Supr9llle Gift ot the heavenly Father, o loved the world, despite its sintulnees: "For God so loved the world that He gave His on.J.y begotten Son that those who believe in Him may not perlsh, but may have life everlastiDg. (J'ohn In, 16) That grotto stable in Bethlehem became the rendezvous for all the world. To it was summoned not only the shepherds and their fellow c1 tizens ot Bethlehem, but also the Wise Men , Maji or Kings , the white , the brown and the darkskinned from the East , with their offerings of gold, franld.ncense and myrrh. Dolm through the ages men of all nations and tribes and races , peasants and kings , men of simple faith and men of profound learning, the poor and the rich have sought and found comfort and strength, wisdom and joy, as in spirit they fell prostrate at the feet of the O.hr1stchild and worshipped Rim in the sinceri1iT of their faith fl. ! the Son of God made mBll , resting on a bed of straw. Tonight, this Christmas night of 1950, the worl.d bas greater need than ever -30 of a spirttual pilgrimage to Bethlehem to ~ook upon the entranoing countenanoe of the Babe that from heaven was sent to spread the light of divina truth over the face of the earth, to kindle the fire of divine love in the hearts of men aDd to point the l''By to peace to all who would race1va it - "peaoe to souls , peaoe to fE!milies, peace to our country, peace a:mong nations". Never in the history of the world has there been more Ulliversal trepidation, more anxiety, more confusion among all nations on the slx continents and in the isles of the Seven Seas. Never has there been drawn a more complete line of cleavage be tween the nations of the world. Never has there been a threat more drastic, a ohallenge more daring to all that the Ohristch1ld symbolizes in the ille of man. Never have the lines between truth and error, between faith and unbelief, between decency and indecency, zig- zagged and overlapped into one another more confusingly• Yes, all the v.orld 1s in need of that pilgrimage to the grotto stable of Bethlehem - good pioua souls, men and woman of faith and virtue need the visit to the Ohr1.stchild to be reassured and strengthened in thalr \om.ys of truth and righteousness in the face of mockery and contempt that so frequently greets their loyalty to truth and holiness , courage and strength to face talse charges, prison and death in some countries tor justice sake. 'lb the grotto stable in BethlehEml Will wander today again in SJ.)irit the thousands of mothers and tathers, Wives, children and sweethearts Who have sons, husbands, fathers, brothers or loved ones in the snow and ice covered mountains and burrowed plains at Korea. In the crowded cave before the crude straw covered crib they will rub elbows with the families who have sons on the homafront line awaiting the call to duty , the call to service on foreign shores and ~ illtferlands, where man t s right to the basic freedoms , seourity and happiness is challenged and the very existence of our beloved country as a nation free and indellendent is threatened. All these Will ask from the Babe of Bethlehem strength of faith 0.4 and confidence, spiritual fortitude and moral courage and the blessings of His tiny yet all powerful hands upon their yoUDg men who are serving so gallantly our country's cause and striving so valiantly to preserve our cherished American " way of 11fe. ell may these lOving souls teel the air vibrating with the prayers riSing up even in distant Korea out of the hearts of their loved ones whose fBith has brought thElll. too in spirtt to this rendezvous of fei th, love and strength. There , too, gazing With gleaming eyes upon the radiantly sweet face of the Ohristohild will be the myriads of little ohildren, to whom. the story of . Bethleham. has never lost its fasoination. More liks musio than sonorous thunder rises up out of their unspoiled hearts t he t911.der prayer for the love, the mercy t the all powerful proteotion of the Intant saVior. And Who Will gainsay that ot all prayers none is more effective and fru.1 tful 12lan 1s the prayer of' those at Whom J"esus onoe said: "Let the little Children oome unto me, tor ot suoh 1s the kingdom of heaven"; those preo ious souls over vilose beads and hearts He extended the warning protection of: scandalize not the least of these my little ones. These are the preciOUS souls whose lives, seour! ty and happ1ness must be closest to our hearts even as they are dearest t o the Heart of the Pr1 noe of Peaoe . But there is another group of 1ndividuals who have ~ed of the pilgrimB8e today to the lowly shelter in which the Son of God ohose to beoome ona with us on that blessed first Chr1stmas night . These are the men in high places, charged with the government of nations and peoples the world over , the men and woman who represent the civillzed world in the United Nations Organizat10n, who are charged '11 th the responalbil1ty for bringing about peace for all human! ty, responsibility tor doing away with the horrors at war, respons1bility tor bringing order out ot chaos, convertiDg tear into confidenoe , hatred into love and mald.ll8 God ' s 'I'IOrld a better place to live in for God ' a childr8l1 everywhere. Tremendous are these responsibilities and exceed1Dgly grave. History and experience prove that success -5 lies not in human Wisdom or ingenuity alone, surely not in the creation and increase at armaments and new instruments ot destruotion, least ot all in the denial ot God and His ProVidence. The rulers of nations and the delegates that sit in conferenoe on the shores ot !.ake Suooess must hie themselves to the Sovereign Ruler of the universe, the KiDg of kings , ,0 holds in the hollo' of His hand the entire un1verse and the d3stIn1.es of the nations. They must learn from the wisdom of the Babe of BethlehElIl grown to the maturity ot manhood that peaoe abOUllds only where justioe and charIty aoound, that faIth and oon fidenoa among men a.re inconceivable and imposeible of attaiment without fa!th and confidenoe in God I that spiritual and eternal values alone can satisfy the craving of the human heart for happiness. Not too late, we hope, bas that chamber for meditation aDd prayer besn installed in the plaoe of assembly for the U .N . delegates, where they may find wisdom, prudence and fortitude under the inspiration that comes from communion with God. It would indeed be a miraole of divine graoe, and yet not an impossibility, for with God all things are POSSible, even those Who 80 boldly protes9 and try to spread atheism could bring themselves to ponder at the feat of the Christ ohild the heavenly Wisdom that fell like dew fran. His lips during His earthly oojourn. ords that breathe justice and charity and promise happiness to the peacemakers: "Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for justice. for they sha be satisfied; •••• •blessed are the peaoemakers. for they shall be called children at God ." They might even ponder "nth profit His prophetiC '\'lOrds: "i'/hoevar (Mat. V, 6-8) disowns Me before man , I in turn will disown him befOre my Father in heaven ." (Mat . X, 33) Heaven and earth wiII pass away, but my words will not pass away." (Mat . XXIV, 35) Tonight that pilgrimage and rendezvous are realized again in spint at least by the Christian world, by the myriads of men , w::>men and children of every raoe , color and tongue Who do honor to the Mystery of the Incarnation, re-enacted - ~ sacramentally in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. still war weary from two rld co~licts Within one generatlon, they tremble with anx1 ety lest even the semblanoe or peace that has buoyed up our spirits during the last five years may prove a delusion ending in a nightmare of horror, destruction and death, the like of lvhich the hlJl!lan l.'e.ca has never yet eXperienoed. let us take oourage from the promise of the Divine Savior, Who promised that for the sake of the elect even the terrlty1Dg days precadi~ the end of the world and the last judgment shall be shortened. let us thank the heavenly Father for the Mystery of the Incarnation, for the gift of His only begotten Son to be our Brother in the human f1.esh, our Teacher by word and example , "the iiayJ the Truth and the Lif'e", yes , even the Lamb of Sacrifice "that taketh Q\'18.Y the sins of the world", the purchase price of Redemption , of grace and of eternal salvation. '1th the gloriOUS message of the Bllgel1c choirs ringing again in our eara "Glory to God in the highest , and on earth peace Emong men of good will" , let us pray that this "good Willa !!lay replace anger and hatred in the hearts of men, that faith in God may enlighten the minds of men , that the will to VTorship and serve God may rule the conduct of men end that mercy and fraternal charity may inspire and dan.1nate the relations between the sons and daughters of men everywhere . Then will we prepare the way for the peace that is of Ohrist and through Christ, the peace promised only to "men of' good wi11"; t he peace that is not of the world but of heaven and of God : y peace I leave with you, my peace I gI. ve to YOU; not as the world gives do I g1ve to you. " (John XV, 27) Let us pray for courage and the calmness that come from our fa1th in God; let us pray for our country, for our leaders and for the boys who are 80 valiantly "fighting our battles; for those vfuo are called upon to bear