Pope Commends U. S. Bishops for Work Through N. C.' W. C
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
OLIC o · Vol. XVIII, No. S . August, 1 936 POPE COMMENDS U. S. BISHOPS FOR WORK THROUGH N. C.' W. C. Youth at the Helm The Church and Democracy Monsignor Kerby--Catholic Charities Pioneer Archbishop McNicholas on the Pope's Encyclical Secular Press Lauds Holy Father's Film Views Galveston Host to N. C. C. W. Convention Our C ommon Catholic Interests: Holy Father Commends U. S. Bishops' Efforts for Clean Motion, Pictures-Individual Dioceses May Set Up Separate Film Review Boards-Contrast Between Urban and Rural Life Shows Advantages of the Country-Catholic Action in the Fields of Hospitalization and Health Month by Month with the N. C. W. C. A NATIONAL MONTHLY-OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE NATIONAL CATHOLIC WELFARE CONFERENCE ~ ---- Price: 20c 2 CATHOLIC ACTION August, 1936 FACTS ABOUT THE NATIONAL CATHOLIC WELFARE CONFERENCE :.: What I, I. Wha, I, Doe. :-: "Thi. orgaf&i~aliota (the N. O. W.O.) .. taot OtaZ1/ tf.ettfl. but ..ecellar" . ••• We praus all who in ata., wall cooperate in thi. great work."-PoPJ: Pros XI. TABLE OF CONTENTS The National Catholic Welfare Co.nference was orranized in September 1919. The N. C. W. C. is a common agency acting under the authority of the bishops to promote the welfare o.f the Catho.lics o.f the country. August, 1936 It has fo.r its incorporated purpo.ses "unifying, coordinating and organizing the Catholic people of the United States in works o.f education, social welfare. immirrant aid and other activities." PAGE It comprises the following departments and bureaus: Our Common Catholic Interests 3 Hol1j Father Oommends U. S . EXEOUTIV»-BureaUI maintained: Immigration, Publio.,., and ltalo"",atioa, Hwtoriool Bt8hops' Efforts for Olean M 0- Record., PtfbltoatioM, BflnM8I and Auditing and Latin Amerioa ... tion PictureB - Individual Diocese, May Set Up Sep OUOATION-Divisio.ns: Statutic. and Information. Teacher.' R el1i1tratio., Librar.,. arate Film Review Board8- P RESs-Serves the Catholic pre88 in the United States and abroad with rerular oetc., Oontra8t Between. U1'ban and featuy .., editorial and pictonal .",.11ice•. Rural Life Show, Advantages of the Oountry-Oatholic Ac SOCIAL AOTIoN-Coven the fields of ltadu.trial Relation,. International ADair. tion in the Fields of H ospi Oivio Educatiota, Social Welfare, Fa-mil1/ Life and Rural Life. ' talization and Health. LEGAL-Serves as a clearing house o.f information on federal. state and local legislation. LAY ORGANIZATIONs-Includes the National Council of Catholic Men and the National Holy Father Commends Episco Council of Catholic Women. which maintain at N. C. W. C. headquarters perma nent representations in the interests of the Catholic laity. These councils function pate of the U. S. for Achieve through some 8.500 affiliated locieties-national, state. diocesan. district. local ments Through N. C. W. C. .. 6 and pariah; also through units of the councils in many of the dioceses. CATHOLIO AOTION-Devoted to research and reports as to pronouncements, methods The Church and the Problems programs and achievements in the work of Catholic Action at home and abroad: of Democracy . 7 By Rev. R. A. McGowan The N. O. O. M. maintains at its national headquarters a Oatholic l!Jvidence Btf reau and sponsors a weekly nationwide radio. Oatholio HOtfr over the network o.f the National Broadcastin, Company. Monsignor Kerby-Pioneer and The N. C. O. W. maintains in Washington. D.O., the National Oallolic SeAool of Leader in the Field of Char- Bocial Service. ity ...... .. ............ 9 The Conference is conducted by an administrative board composed o.f ten archbishops and bishops aided by seven assistant bishops. Each department o.f the N. O. W. C. is administered by an episcopal chairman. Holy Father's Motion Picture Through the ,eneral secretary. chief executive o.fficer of the Conference, the reports Encyclical-An Evaluation .. 11 of the departments and information on thE' ~~nera) work of the headquarters' staff are By Most Rev. John T. McNicholas lent regularly to the members of the administrative board. The administrative bishops o.f the Conference report annually upon their work to Month by Month with the N. C. the Holy See. Annually at the leneral meeting of the bishops, detailed reports are submitted by W. C • .. .. ..... ........ 12 the administrative bisho.ps of the Conference and authorizatio.n secured for the work of the coming year. Diocese of Galveston, Texas, No official action is taken by any N. C. W. O. department without authorization of Host to the 16th Annual Con its episcopal chairman. vention of the N. C. C. W • ... 14 No official action is taken in the name of the whole Oonference without authorisa- tion and approval of the administrative bo.ard. It is not the policy of the N. C. W. O. to. create new organizations. Secular Press Lauds Pope's Plea It helps. unifies, and leaves to their own fields those that already exist. for Clean Films . .. 16 It aima to defend and to advance the welfare both of the Catholic Church and of our beloved Country. Youth at the Helm . .. 18 It seeks to inform the life of America of right fundamental principles of relirion By Lenna M. Wilson and morality. It is a central clearing house of information regarding Ilctivities of Catholic men and women. Brief Reports of N. C. C. W. All that are helped may play their part in promoting the good work and in main Activities . .. 21 taining the common agency. the National Catholic Welfare Oonference. CATHOLIC ACTION reco.rds monthly the work of the Conference and its affili The contents o.f CATHOLIC AC ated organizations. It presents our common needs and opportunities. Its special TION are fully indexed in the articles are helpful to every Catholic organization and individual Oatholic Periodical Indem. CATHOLIC ACTION published monthly by the National Catholic Welfare Conference. Entered as second-class matter at the post-office at Washingto.n, D. C., under the Act of March 3. 1879. All changes of address. renewals and subscrip tio.ns sho.uld be sent direct to CATHOLIC ACTION. 1312 Massachusetts Ave .. N. W .• Washington, D. C. Sub,criptiOta Rate. ptfblicatiota. Editorial Gfld B~.oflt",e Ojftce. $2.00 per year i $2.20 outside the United 18~ Massachusetts Ave •• N. W. II States. Make cnecks or postal money orders WASHINGTON. D. O. payable to CATHOLIC ACTION. CATHOLIC ACTION "CATHOLIC ACTION com"" nol merel,. of .he pur.ui. of per- .onal Chrl..tian per/ection, .,hich " OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THB howeI1er be/ore all other. ill fir•• and .rea.e.. end, bu. i. alao con.i... 0/ a .rue apo.tola.e in which Ca,holic. of "er,. .ocia' cia.. participate, comin. 'hu. '0 be uniled In ,hou.hl and aelion NATIONAL CATHOLIC around .ho.e cen'er. 0/ .ound doc trine and multiple .oclal acd,,'.,., legitima'e',. con.dtuted and, ,.. are .ul" aided and .u.'aiRed b,. ,he ew ,hori',. of ,he bi.hop.!' WELFARE CONFERENCE -Pope Piru XI. ViOL. XVIII, No. 8 AUGUST, 1936 OUR COMMON CATHOLIC INTERESTS T HE recently issued" Vigilanti Cura" Encyclical ago as a holy crusade against the abuses of motion of His Holiness, Pope Pius XI, calling as it does for pictures, and which. was in a special manner entrusted "vigilant care" with regard to that universal medium to 'The Legion of Decency'." of entertainment and recre This" excellent experiment," which the Holy Father Holy Father Commends ation-the motion picture asks be continued, offers most welcome opportunity to U. S. Bishops' Efforts for has evoked widely extended manifest more fully his thought with regard to the Clean Motion Pictures notice and discussion in the general problem of the motion picture and to call upon United States and through bishops throughout the world to take similar action out the world. In another section of this issue of for the protection of the morality of their people. CATHOLIC ACTION ar~ printed excerpts from editorials Stating that it is "one of the supreme necessities selected from hundreds collected at N. C. W. C. head of Our time to watch and to labor to the end that the quarters. Almost without exception, the religious and motion picture be no longer a school of corruption, but secular journals enthusiastically commend the Supreme that it be transformed into an effectual instrument for Pontiff for his sane and searching analysis of a prob the education and elevation of mankind," the encycli lem which "touches intimately the moral and religious cal adds that "there must be no weariness in combat life of the entire Christian people." ing whatever contributes to lessening the people's Likewise the editors of the nation laud the method sense of decency and honor." adopted and results achieved by the archbishops and bishops of the United States in the two-year campaign Making it clear that the obligation in this respect extends not only to the bishops, but also to priests and of the Legion of Decency directed by the Episcopal to the faithful, Pop·e Pius XI emphasizes the fact that Committee on Motion Pictures. It is with a reference the efforts exerted in this undertaking must be under to this" holy crusade" that the Supreme Pontiff begins the direction of the bishops. his encyclical letter which is addressed "to our Ven erable Brethren, the Archbishops and Bishops of the Most of the encyclical is devoted to a clear and telling United States of America, and to Other Ordinaries exposition of the tremendous potentialities of the mo enjoying peace and communion with the Apostolic See" tion picture today for good or evil, with insistence that and bears the date of June 29-Feast of SS. Peter and the world be saved- from the moral evil possible in Paul.