The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-07-20
Catholic Thought And Opinion
By REV. JOSEPH F. DONNELLY

in Washington. Notably absent we're
representatives of Soviet Russia.
CHANGE OF HEART
In the July's Readers Digest Max
Eastman brings out of the past
many Of the facts we have to face
in our effort to build good feeling
between ourselves and the people of
Russia. He adds another to the
many denunciations of the film,
Mission to Moscow, and he quotes
from Ambassador Davies report to
the State Department in refutation
of the Ambassador Davies in the
book and film.
From Moscow at the time of the
trials Mr.. Davies wrote to the State
Department: THE terror here is a
horrifying fact. There is fear
that reaches down into and horri-
fies all sections of the community.
No household, however, humble, ap-
parently but that lives in constant
fear of nocturnal raid by the secret
police Once the person is
taken away. nothing of him is known
for months-and many times never
thereafter
IRELAND'S CONTRIBUTION
Ireland's missionary zeal was
noted in broadcast on Vatican
Radio by the Proeurator of the Co.
lumbar Fathers in Rome Although
Ireland has but one per cent of the
Catholic population of the world, in
the missionary fields under the
Congregation Tor the Propa-
cation of the Faith Ireland
has sent to all parts of the world
65 per cent of the Brothers now
serving, 98 percent of all the Sis
tiers in the missions and as percent
of all the priests.
There is a native of Ireland work.
ing on the missions for each $50
Catholics in Ireland This has ever
been the tradition of Irish mission
airy zeal and tomorrow in the re-
construction of the Church in Eu-
rope the land of Saints and Schol-
ars will be the spiritual granary of
the Continent.
MORE THAN JUST PLANS
Today from mouth to mouth fly
such phrases as new order, new
civilization, new world. Mankind
wants a better, happier and a
more secure world, and sincere and
learned men have been working hard
and long on the plans and the Or
ganization. But what they seem to
miss in their planning is that for
the creation of a better world more
than just plans and organization
are required.
The minds and the hearts of men
are the nurseries in which any new
world must be cultivated: civiliza-
tons are not better than the men
who make them. But the old world
from whose bloody terrors men seek
to escape will be the same old world
just as long as the men who inhabit
it remain the same old men with
their selfish PHILOSOPHERS and their
sinful deeds. The hoped for re-
formation must come from within.
Silver and gold cannot purchase it.
Power and law cannot compel it.
Hence while the organization and
the plans are essential, the men
who will build the organization and
carry out the plans must have in
them the character and the quail
ties which will make them faithful
to the plans. So we must move back
farther than the plans. The minds
and hearts of men must be cult
waited. In America we have been liv-
ing on borrowed heritage of Chris
tianity. Today the only reliable and
I lasting basis of our plans for the
future is a newly strengthened spirit
of religion that will demand of man
respect for the rights of God and
the rights of his felloWman.