The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1954-12-17
Just Among Ourselves
Passing Comment Considered or Ineonsidsrats

A nationwide concern is manifested In the cur
rent illness of the Holy Father, Plus XII. Editors,
broadcasers, teleeasters, and the weekly secular
reviews appear to be honestly interested in the stale
of the Pope's health, not merely as an important
item of news, but with plain implications of rev
erance for the Supreme POntiff, and even Tor MS
sacred office. The President has sent an official
message, expressing hope for the Pope's recovery.
large Protestant group has offered public prayer
that God may restore him to health.
Surely, this is something new in what Is often
called for lack of better phrase, the American
scene" Millions Of people now living remember
the active cult of 100 per cent Americanism;'
the anti Catholic speeches and demonstrations the
midnight meetings of sheeted yokels and slickers;
the futile flaming of crosses and the bursting Of
silly bombs. And our fathers remember the earlier
days of Menace and YettolD Jacket and HefIns and
Maria Monks Grandfather recalls the Know Moth
ings, and the flaming not of crosses on hillside,
but of churches in the cities
II is not too much to say that the non-Catholic
American of earlier day took in anti-Catholic
bias with his pabum, and considered it patriotic
duty to hate the Catholic Church. and to foster an
nexpressible loathng for the Pope. OF course, not
one in million of the ardent patriots could tell
you what the Catholic Church teaches, what the
office of the papacy implies, or upon what grounds
Church and papacy are established.
Nor can many tell you these things today. But
il seems we have come upon better times; less
bitter less blindy anagonstie to the faith. Or, 1t
may be we are experiencing a lull in the customary
ceremonies Only God knows. But, whatever the
cause ii is pleasing to consider that our country
by and large is showing respect Tor the
Church and for the Pope at moment when much
Of the world is subiecting everything Catholic to
violent persecution
There was time when non Catholics who called
themselves Christians actually believed, with no
mere placid academic assent Of mind that Christ
is God. Then the unique claim of the Catholic
Church to be the one Church established by Christ
was the point OF bitter attack. The Catholic Church
has not changed whit in her position or her claim.
But the world outside the Catholic Church is less
and less concerned about what Christ did, and what
He established For the world has ceased to have
any living belief in the divinity of Christ.
For long time the world preached tolerance
so ardently that millions of people actually came
10 believe in ii. And tolerance, accepted as kindly
and reasonable attitude towards religious practice
OF all kinds quickly folded up into a complete In
difference towards religion and religionists. Peo-
pie learned, not TO tolerate the religion of their
neighbors, but to cease to continental what
religion their neghbors practised or whether
they practised any religion at all
And with religious indifferentism came
general apathy with reference TO moral matters
Marital virtue ceased to ne regarded as shining
jewel pearl of great price lnfidelity to vows be-
came peccadillo. Divorce was accepted casually,
and divorced people longer felt the stigma OF
social and political ostracsm Couples seeking their
ease and enjoyment avoided the nuisance OF off
spring or discussed, unashamed the number Of chill
dren they proposed to have, feeling that God had
nothing to do with the matter or at least nothing
significant to say.
Religion continued TO be fine and respectable
thing. kind of spiritual parlor accomplishment
lending graeiousness to life that tended, in the hub
hub of industrial and maeraliStc civilization, to
become loud, and gross, and uncouth, But religion
made no demands upon the mind and will With
everybody in hot pursuit of Ph.D, and forming
their minds upon the models proposed by little
pcayune professors in universities, IL was not con-
sidered quite modern scientific or even polite,
10 mention the abrupt name of God God did not
have the full approval of the campus.
Now that era of indifferentism appears to be
coming to close, The turmoil OF a supposedly
civilized modern and scientific world; the un-
Speakabe barbarity of recent wars, and the contin
ung barbarity Of some established governments
the fact that rickery treason and all vileneSS have
been and still are, connected essentially with anti
religious and atheistic movements,-a these things
have made people who have instincts of deceney
pause and ponder
True, there is much vague mutterine about
spiritual values" but the vaeuenesS is apparently
beginning TO settle into something like definite
meaning People hitherto content to toss off any
venient theory about God and the meaning of hui
man life, seem now to be more serious, more ready
to admit the need OF knowing concrete facts, Many
religious leaders who taught their followers that
religion is seeking for the truth appear now to
be at least half.convinced that the business of
tVt4tk kn
sibity of finding what one seeks
In this mood, IT is not surprising that people
furn with kind Of comfortable feeling. 10 in.
vestigate anew. and with respect if not reverence
the ancient institution which has never merely
sought truth, but has proclaimed it, The Catholic
Church is a rooted reality in world that seems to
have lost all other roots. The distracted minds oil
modern men cannot but find an assurance in the
undying Church whose voice of appeal and diree
tion has never faltered nor failed.
Have here the explanation of the new atti