4
Christian Unity Is Urged
By Pope in New Encyclical
VATICAN CITY _ (NC) — His
Holiness Pope John XXIII has us
ed the words of a fifth-century
pontiff, St. Leo the Great, to in
vite all separated Christian bodies
back to unity.
Pope John spoke in a 7,000-word
encyclical, entitled “Aeterna Dei
Sapientia” and dated November 11.
The new encyclical, the sixth of
his pontificate, was released to all
“separated brothers,” but the con
tent of the encyclical directed it
chiefly to the schismatic Christian
churches of the East.
The encyclical described the life
and works of Pope Leo and quoted
widely from his homilies and let
ters, illustrating principally the
NCWC Legal Study Covers
Aid To Church Schools
WASHINGTON — (NC) — The
U.S. Catholic Bishops’ legal advis
ors have concluded that Federal
aid limited to the secular or neu
tral aspects of education in
church-related schools would be
clearly constitutional.
The Legal Department of the
National Catholic Welfare Confer
ence says in an 82-page study
that such aid has precedents in at'
least 41 programs approved by
Congress.
It states that the U.S. Supreme
Court has. held in three decisions
that government can aid the non
religious aspects of a public ser
vice performed by a church relat
ed institution.
The study says government sup
port can be limited to the secular
aspect by being directed toward
neutral items of expense, those
kinds of expenses “which are sub
stantially the same in public and
nonpublic schools.”
Support, it declares can be
given numerous ways, but the
study specifically mentions match
ing grants or long-term loans to
institutions, grants of tuition or
scholarships to students and tax
benefits.
Massive Federal aid to public
education alone, it says would pro
duce , a “critical weakening” of
church-related education and re
sult in a dangerous government
monopoly in . education.
William R. Consedine, head of
the NCWC Legal Department, an
nounced the study at a press con
ference here (Dec. 14).
He said the study is intended
as a comprehensive constitutional
statement and not as a petition
for specific aid. “It is our hope
that it will serve to clarify con
stitutional issues and to cause a
more widespread recognition of
the massive contribution of
church-related and other private
schools to the common welfare,”
he said.
The precise question taken up
by the study is this:
May the Federal government, as
part of a comprehensive program
to promote educational excellence
in the nation, provide secular edu
Christmas Vigil
Keep watch for a choir
Chanting on high,
Or a luminous light
In the dark of the sky.
Keep watch you may see Him
In lowly things,
Snow flakes that spread
Like an angel’s wings.
In the face of a war victim
Reconciled,
Or deep in the eyes
Of an orphaned, child.
Keep watch with the shepherds
Of Bethlehem Hill
For the peace He has promised
To men of good will.
cational benefits to the public in
private, nonprofit schools, church
related as well as nondenomina
tional?
Answering in the affirmative,
the study points to the public
service contributions by church
related schools, to U.S. Supreme
Court decisions, to Federal legis
lation and to the peril it sees in
aiding public schools only.
It holds that church-related
schools perform a public function
by providing essential citizen edu
cation and that this public func
tion is, by its nature, eligible for
support.
Asking how support for the sec
ular aspect can be distinguished
from support for the religious as
pect of education in church-relat
ed schools, it says this can be
done by an allocation of costs
based on the principles of ac
counting, “as informed by the
basic legal and educational prin
ciples applicable in this area."
December 23, Fast &
Complete Abstinence
Bishop Vincent S. Waters has
directed that all Catholics in
the Diocese of Raleigh shall ob
serve the Christmas Vigil fast
and complete abstinence on
Saturday, December 23, already
an Ember Day. No fast or ab
stinence on Sunday, December
24.
NEW DUNN PARISH CENTER — This is an architect’s sketch by T. C. Brown & Associates
of Raleigh and Smithfield of the new parish center at Sacred Heart Church in Dunn. A
ground-breaking ceremony was held Dec. 3. The building, which contains 3,900 square feet of
space, is at the corner of Ellis and Cumberland Avenues and will be built of cinder block
with brick veneer. It is expected to be completed in four months. It will provide space for
* "vConfraternity of Christian Doctrine classes and other parish activities. By using sliding par
titions, rooms will be made available for five CCD classes. Eventually, four classrooms will
be added and the building will be converted into a school. The builder is Mangum and Sorrell
of Benson.
traditional belief in the primacy of
the papacy.
It was occasioned by the 15th
centenary of the death of Pope
Leo, which was marked on Novem
ber 15. The Pope applied to pres
ent day divisions in Christianity
the defenses of the Faith pro
nounced by Pope Leo when the
unity of the Church was threaten
ed by the Council of Chalcedon in
451.
Pope John drew a comparison
between Pope Leo’s age and the
present. He said: “The 15th cen
tenary of the death of St. Leo the
Great finds the Catholic Church
in sorrowful conditions which are
similar in part to those which it
knew in the fifth century.”
He referred specifically to the
fact that “in many regions, the
Faith of the Gospel is in danger
and that there are not wanting
attempts to separate b i s h o p s*
priests and faithful from the cen
ter of Catholic unity, that is the
Roman See.”
By broad interpretation, this
could mean not only theological
threats to unity, but also those
political events in the world which
threaten the peace of the Church.
There was Atilla the Hun in Pope
Leo’s time, as compared with the
communist persecutions of the
present age in which bishops,
priests and Catholics are separated
from union with Rome.
To those “who patiently cry aft
er truth and justice,” Pope John
addressed the words of St. Paul:
“You have been given the favor on
Christ’s behalf not only to believe
in Him, but also to suffer for
Him.”
The encyclical briefly traced St.
Leo’s life. He was born in the
Tuscany region of Italy and rear
ed in Rome where he entered the
ranks of the clergy. While a dea
con, he distinguished himself in
See Christian Unity, page 3A
Rusk Discusses
Red Statement
On Cardinal
WASHINGTON —(NC)— Secre
tary of State Dean Rusk said here
he does not yet know the signifi
cance of alleged communist readi
ness to negotiate on the fate of
Jozsef Cardinal Mindszenty.
Rusk told a news conference, "I
frankly do not know what the sig
nificance of these statements as
'yet may be.”
He was referring to a Hungar
ian communist spokesman’s state
ment early in December that the
Hungarian regime was ready to
negotiate with the U.S. on Cardin
al Mindszenty as part of a package
deal for better U.S.-Hungarian re
lations.
Cardinal Mindszenty, 69-year-old
Primate of Hungary, has been liv
ing in asylum in the U.S. legation
in Budapest since November 4,
1956, when Soviet tanks snuffed
out the short-lived Hungarian rev
olution. Only four days earlier he
had been released by freedom
fighters from the communist pris
on where he was serving a life,
sentence.
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BISHOP'S RESIDENCE
P.O. BOX 1949
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA
December 11, 1961
My dear Brethren:
On Christmas of each year at all the Masses in the
Diocese of Raleigh we think of our Catholic orphans at Naz
areth. These children come from all over the diocese. From
the first year of grade school through the four years of
high school, they are under the charge of Father Donohue
and the Sisters. At one time there were more than 100 boys
and girls at Nazareth. The number now is somewhat less
because of the use of Foster Homes, which plan is more in
keeping with the present idea on the care and training of
children.
We would be happy to have some of our good Catholic
families volunteer for this Foster Home care. We have at
present about eight children in this type of custody and
the plan meets with great success. The greater number is
still at Nazareth and these children are helped by the
friends of Nazareth around the country.
The cost last year ran $85,000.00. Relatives contributed
around $6,000.00, and the Christmas collection amounted
to about $16,000.00. By good management, and by the dona
tions of people who are friends of Nazareth Father Dono
hue u>as able to make out somehow, in spite of a fire which
destroyed one of our buildings.
I do hope that the diocese can contribute at least $20,
000.00 in the Christmas collection this year to this good
cause. The diocese is principally benefited find these chil
dren are your children, our children, Christ’s children. On
Christmas, our hearts go out to those who have lost mother
or father and who need the affection and loving care that
Nazareth can provide. The Sisters and Priests are well
trained for this good work and are accomplishing a great
deal with very little help.
In the name of the little Christ Child at Bethlehem,
exiled from Heaven on a cold winter night, becoming the
poorest among the poor for our sakes, won’t you help our
children at Nazareth this Christmas by a Christmas gift to
the orphans in the envelopes which will be provided at all
the Masses?
Wishing each and every one of you, for myself and for
the little orphans at Nazareth, a most happy Christmas, and
promising our prayers in all our Christmas Masses for you
ivho contribute to this needy fund, I remain
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Bishop of Raleigh