1968 Pacem In Terris Peace and freedom Award C. I. c. Darenport Ca,holic Interracial Council April 23, 1968 FATHER JAMES E. GROPPI Recipient of the 1968 Pacem In Terris Peace and Freedom Award -3- "Racial discrimination can in no way be just- ified .•. Thus, he who possesses certain rights has likewise the duty to claim those rights as marks of his dignity, while all others have the obligation to acknowledge those rights and respect them." Pope John XXIII in Pacem in T'e rris , Pope] ohn XXIII The Pacem In Terris Peace and Freedom Award THE 1968 PACEM IN TERRIS PEACE AND FREEDOM AWARD By establishing the Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award, the Davenport Catholic Interracial Council intends to commemorate one of the With courage and remarkable humanity, Father James E. Groppi of the pastoral most notable events in the modem history of Christianity - the publication of team of St. Boniface Catholic Church, has demonstrated in his Milwaukee civil the encyclical PACEM IN TERRIS. Further, we intend to honor the person of rights activities the kind of leadership a Christian can provide in dramatizing Pope John XXIII, a maruwho for a brief time was truly the leader of all men of glaring social injustices in American life. The well organized, sustained non- good will, Protestant, Catholic, Jew, and non-believer. Finally, we intend that violent demonstrations for fair housing in the Wisconsin city carried on by the this award proclaim the inseparable connection between freedom, equality, Commandos under Father Groppi's guidance have focused national attention on and peace in the lives of all people. the major cause of racial tension today. More than that, the very creation of the Commandos as a di scrpl ined group of Negro and other youth trained to direct ince the creation of the award in 1964, on the first anniversary of publication and pretect such demonstrations, has given meaning and purpose to the lives of of Pacem in Terris, both Pope John and his encyclical letter have grown in hundreds of young people. And all of this at a time when Black Power violence stature and meaning. I'he name of the good Pope has become a household word seemed to be taking over the civil rights movement. for all men, believers and non-believers alike. The germinal concepts of the historic encyclical--the dignity of the human person. liberty of conscience, the progre s s rve evol ut.ion or political doctrines, the realization of human s.ociety In freedom, ce s s ati on of the arms race, world government- are ever more widely Father Groppi has preached justice and love of the Gospel by his actions as appreciated throughout the world. well as by his words .. His has been a full Christian vocation. In a fearless fashion, against considerable odds, he has exemplified in his ministry the con- More specifically, fo: Catholics the world over, Pope John and his encyclical victions of the late, beloved Pope John who insists in his -encycl ical letter, Pacem 1Il Terns c ombine WIth the Second Vatican Council to provide the foun- Pacem in Terris, that "he who possesses certain rights has likewise the duty dation of the present, on-going renewal of Christian life and practice.Chris- to claim those rights a!; marks of his dignity," and that "the dignity of the t ian s will again be prophetic. human person involves thc right to take an active part in public affairs and to contribute one's part to the common good of the citizens." It only remains for us now to cease the opportunity. The dynamic human force liberated by Pope John and these events can and hopefully will change the world as each ind ivi du al fearlessly and with a new confidence assumes under By conferring upon his this Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award the God, the mastery of his/her own life. We shall overcome, and we shall be free. Davenport Catholic Interracial Council honors the courage, humanity and Chris- tianity of Father Groppi. It is CIC's hope that others will follow his example. -4- -5- ... THE MOST REV. GERALD O'KEEFE Bishop of Davenport "We urge Catholics to become more active in efforts to rid our dio- cese of racism and poverty. Catholics are encouraged to work for local Fair Housing laws, to seek the legislation and policies necessary to end the poverty of the dispossessed and alienated hard-core poor in our diocese and state .... Many people are filled with fear by the MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. magnitude of the problems of race and poverty, but St. John tells us, 'In love there can be no fear, but fear is driven out by perfect love ... PACEM IN TERRIS AWARD, 1965 and anyone who is afraid is still imperfect in love.' (1 John 4: 18) 1929 - 1968 From Bishop 0' Keefe's letter to the Diocese of Davenport, February 12, 1968. -6- -7- Prior Awards We are confronted primarily with a moral-i ss ue , It is as old as the scriptures and is as clear as the American Constitution. The heart of the question is whether all Ameri- cans are to be afforded equal rights and equal THE DEATH OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. opportunities, whether we are going to treat our fellow Americans as we want to be treated. If an American, because his skin is dark, cannot eat in a restaurant open to the public, if he cannot send his children to the best public schools available, if If there is a note of sadness about the conferring of the Pacem in 1964 he cannot vote for the public officials who repre- Terris Award this year it is because the Davenport Cathol ic Inter- sent him, if, in short, he cannot enjoy the full and racial Council-with millions of Americans-has lost a good and dear free life which all of us want, then who among us friend. would be content to have the color of his skin changed and stand in his place? Who among us On Thursday, April 4, in Memphis, Tennessee, an as sas in's bullet brought a violent end to the life of Martin Luther King, jr, the Amer- would then be content with the counsels of pati- ican apostle of non-violence in action for civil rights and peace. ence and delay? -John F. Kennedy We are empty. We are sad and bitter. In 1965, when Dr. King came to Davenport to receive the annual "Racism - discrimination based on skin color - CIC Pacem in Terris Award, he honored us far more than we could has grown strong, hard, and bitter throughout the ever have honored him. Quietly he walked among us, he talked, he listened. He had just come from Los Angeles where he had attempted length and breadth of America. Racists who claim to prevent what became Watts, and he would shortly leave to return to be anti-Communists are doing the Communists' to Selma, Alabama. Even then, three years ago, we sensed his dig- work magnificently well by showing the world our nity, his deep faith in God, and his remarkable faith in man, Even 1964 racist abuses and thereby turning the world from us then we sensed the largeness of his life which knew no fear of death. in disgust." -John Howard Griffin As we gather, again, to continue the work Dr. King helped us begin, let us listen once more to the words he addressed to us that evening in April, 1965: It is because of men and women like you, the "May I say to you that as I prepare to go back to the Deep South, Catholic Interracial Council, that we are going to to the dark and desolate moments of Alabama with all of its, diffi- win the War on Poverty. culties still ahead, I have faith in the future and I have faith in America. And I believe we're going to solve this problem. I believe The Church, all the churches collectively, and that we are developing a coalition of conscience that will mobilize individually, are dropping what some have itself on a continuing basis to the point of bringing about a solu- jokingly called its "edifice complex" and have tion. I believe that somehow and in some way we shall overcome. Before the victory is won some of us will get scarred up a little; set about to "walk with the poor." before the victory is won some more will be thrown into jail; before the victory is won some will be called bad names, misunderstood; 1966 We're working for something else too. We're some will be called Reds and Communists simply because they be- working for a sense of community that brings all lieve in the brotherhood of man. Americans of all races and creeds together in a common cause, the cause of humanity, the "Before the victory is won somebody else may have to face physi- cause of the poor and the underprivileged. cal death. If physical death is the price some must pay to free their children from a permanent death of the spirit, then nothing can be -Sargent Shriver more redemptive. "Yes, we shall overcome; we are not afraid; the Lord will see us through.' , "What we need is a Freedom Budget for All Amer- icans, a practical, step-by-step plan for wiping out poverty in America during the next ten years." 1967 A. Philip Randolph -8- -9- MER IT AWARDS ~CQ.I c. 9 A native of Rock Island, Chester Hale received Program his education in Muscatine, attending that city's high school and junior college.