Greek and Latin T XIII> Dei)Artinent of Greek and Latin Has the Highest Rating of Any Dei)Arlment of the I Niversity
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THE DIGNITY OF MAN L •«•• "W^"9 iiillg^ .m I7 J -r^yssfsai- t,. THE DIGNITY OF MAN T Communist states wage ceaseless war on a world wide XLIERE are few subjects more timely than that of front. The real question at issue in the present crisis is the dignity of man which has been selected as the clearly contradictory views of the nature of man. The theme of the Cardinal for this year. Indeed that con dialectical materialism of Karl Marx holds man to lie a cept is at the very center of the present titanic world material substance evf)l\-e(l from simjiler forms of struggle Vx'tween the democratic and the Communistic ways of life. Democracy holds man to be truly a matter. In such a view it is obvious that a trans person because a careful study of man's highest and cendent (iod and Creator of the uni\-erse as well as a mo.st properly human activities, such as abstract spiritual soul in man is denied. With tlio>e denials thought and free acts of will, .show him to be pos.sessed must also go the rejection of such notions as a moral of an active principle or .soul that tran.scends the law, the inalienable rights to life and liberty, and the limitations of his material body. It is this immaterial right to ])rivate prr)perty. .Vgainst this philosophy so or .spiritual soul that rai.ses man above all the other destructive of all human ^-alues the westei'n democracies grades of visible reality and is the immediate .source of are marshalling all the forces at their disposal. It nia\- his eminence and dignity. be ho])ed they will much more clearly- realize that the Now if we look at the ((uestion of man's dignity from issue is primarily s])iritual or moral. They must under the historian's standpoint, we must say that it is only in stand that their own secularism which has crowded the light of the divine revelation of Ciod Him.sdf that God and Ilis law out of vvvvy sjihere of life during the man has been able to understand the manner of man he past four centuries has been tlu- chief reason for the is, whence he came and what is his ultimate destiny. jireseut conflict. Commuuism is seeking to o\-erconie Even the great minds of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle the evils of materialism with a more thorcnigh going of pagan (ireek philosophy at its best, faltered and fell materialism, to fight evil with a greater evil of the .same far .short of the full Irnth. Only with the Judeo- character. Christian revelation did man's own reasoning in Reading between the lines in these jiages of lia])])y philosophy receive that neces.sary reinforcement by memory you cannot but Ihank (iod that here is a which it could truthfully answer man's greatest record of an education that has iie\(.'r failed to jiresent question, the enigma of himself. Only in the light of the ti'ue nature of nian without e(|ni\-ocatiou or con the ineffable mystery of the Incarnation of the Word of fusion. This has been done not only in your classes in God and in the echoing act of faith of St. .Vngustine, religion, philosophy, the arts and the sciences, but credo lit intclligaiii, revealing (iod to man and man to ])erha])s e\-c-u more effecli\'el\- in the atmosphere- of himself, did fallen man know himself and the great reverence for (iod and tlu' things that are (iod's as well eminence his Creator had conferretl upon him as a as res])ect for the things tliat are Caesar's in which you person. have li\-ed. (iraduates of a Catholic uui\-ersity you are Now must it be forgotten that it is out of this unicjue of all young men and women, most l)lesse(l. You ha\-e, western tradition of man's dignity that our political and liowe\'er, a grave responsibility to li\-e u]) to the high social way of life arises. For it is only when man knows vocation to which you ha\-e lieen called, to li\-e a life his own priceless worth in the .sight of his Creator that that will reflect credit upon your .Vlina Mater. In this a truly democratic government under (iod, which is of fateful hour yours is the solemn oliligation to defend the people, by the people and for the ])eople is fully even with your lives the Christian democratic wa\- oF possible; a state for man and not man for the state. In life which has been handed down to you at so great a the final analysis the social doctrine of the natural right cost by yoin- Christian forebears. 'V'ours has been a of pri\'ale ])r()])erty which is found in a democratic state training of the whole man for intelligent opjiosition not has its foundation onl.\' in the conviction that man is only to tlu' enemy of Ciod and countr\- from without, truly a person, a spiritual soul in a material body, l>ut the enemy from within. The latter is not only the created by (iod. .Vt the same lime this right of jjrivate relatively small grou]) of Commimists who would use properly as a C()nse(|uence of the high dignity of man the rights of citizens oF a democracy to destroy it. but must also accept the c()ri'elati\-e duties of such a right. the far larger mimlier who by their determination to The abuse of this right is iiie(|uitable distribution, and eliminate (iod from all human affairs consciously or the failure to recognize tlu' social obligations of private uncon.sciously do the work of Communism among us. pro])erty for the common good has found no more May Ciod bless you and strengthen \-ou by His grace to se\'ere critic in modern limes than the late head of meet the tremendous ehalleime of these critical limes. Christ's Church, Pope Pius XI, in his encyclical "QiiodrcKjcs-iiiio . I imo." MOST RI:\F,HKXU PA run R .1. MrCouMu K. 1). 1). Against e\ei-y single principle of this Christian and Rector, The Cdlhohc Ciiirer.^iiti/ of .li/icricd (leuiocralic \iew of man's natni'i', origin and dignity the .liLrilidri/ Ri.ihop of l]'(i.\'hiiiiilon »#•• 'J ., t'- *"< - ' /"ill '•'..V ;•'* ' ^r*.,' -% 'IS.- . .A r '?(i FJ,-^, >. t r r*l II y^ .//i "-'^- 7^ Ijfl^^HI -'^r^' I C] rn^'-MX:- ,,,, » ! % 1 II It .-'.4 4 1 H "^yig -^r 1, ^% 1 1 P tr^^^^-*- - J^ 1•Vl Wm ^\;« ^ II •Hi ^^B KB ADMINISTRATION JTV UNTV EHSITY is judged both by the (|ualily of the academic studies it fosters and the quality of the students antl alumni it j)roduces. Rut these (|ualities are dependent to a large extent upon the (piality of the imi\ersity's administration, for it is the administration which originally determines and carries out the policies of the university. If we are to judge a university adecjuately, therefore, we must closely examine its administration. At Catholic University of .\merica we arc fortunate in having a competent and conscientious administration which has but one ultimate objective, the greater honor and glory of (iod. It acliie\'es this objective by faith fully fulfilling those immediate obligations of govern ment and guidance which enabli- the student of the University to advance more easily in a life of wisdom and grace. The more a student develops in the knowl edge and lo\e of (iod through his activities at the I ni\'ersity, the more ])erfectl.N' the administration achie\-es its ultimate objective. If we of Catholic I ni\ersity have reached a high degree of excellence, it is due in great measure to those unselfish admiuislrators who ha\'e done their utmost to pro\ ide us with a pattern of life which has eindilcd us to lead fuller lives on earth and which will eventually lead us to eternal life in heaven. MOST RKVKKKM) I'AIKKK .lOSKI'M McCORMK.K, KMIOH Ol niK lM\KI{Sri^. RIGHT REVEREND EDW.ARI) B. J(JRl)AN, RE\KREND .JAMES V. MAGNER, VICE-RECTOR. I'ROCIRATOR. REVEREND .JOHN IVIICHAEL WALSH, MARIE A(;NES CORRI(;AN, DEAN OF 1\TEN. DEAN OF WOMEN. ^ <> ^ >2X ? ^ r^ >^^'' x s^ ^ \ P^ ^\-^ \\\ \ \ ~^N^ ...MANIFEST... False Philosophies Are No Real Threat to the Dignity of the C.U.A. Graduate WE who are graduating this .lune, we who will mean but Freedom, i.e., freedom within the law. .shortly receive our first glimpse of the long road ahead, We have a political, legal, and .social e(iualily: we will do well to keej> in mind the jirinciples we have been share in the privileges, duties and res])()nsil)ilitics as taught here at C'.U.A. We have been given principles, persons participating in our government. ^^ e are free primary, basic truths, which are going to serve us as to work for whom we plea.se, and free to worshi]) (iod foundations for our lives. In the course of our lives we in any manner we so choose ... is this a reiteration of are going to be on many long roads which will be far "might is right"? Far from it! If only the.se peoiile from straight; there will be many forks and inter.sections. would sec that there is a connection between the word S])ending our lives in travel over the.se roads will be "Ciod" and "man's rights." If man has dignity it comes anything but ea.sy compared with the ea.sy environment from Ciod.