The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1957-12-27
Pope Challenges

~A 41AAt = uEG IL
cuses, Pope Plus declared that
the Christian would implicitly
be denying to Christ Himself the
prerogative of that power where.
by He is able to subject all things
to Himself" His Holiness added:
"He ought, on the contrary,
TO reckon u is . disgrace TO
allow himself TO be surpassed
by the enemies Of God in energy
Of spirit, werk and initiative,
Joined 10 . spirit of sacrifice.
ut is no secluded territory
nor restricted administration
which is being entrusted to the
activity of the Christian; no field
OF life, no institution, no exercise
Of power can be forbidden to
those who cooperate with God to
maintain the divine order and
harmony In the world"
The Pope's warning against blind
absorption with technology came
as the worlds two great blocs
poured new energies into the bat
lie for chronological supremacy.
His Holiness noted that men are
tortured by q real anxiety" as
today's scientists are making a N
s:'unheard Of invasion into both
the greatest and tiniest elements
of the universe"
The Ponfisf said thst ths
Christmas liturgy urges the
faithful to raise their eyes on
high with hope. but noted that
this Christmas season finds
Nmsn with their gaze indeed
raised on high, but with their
hearts heavy with anxious
thought for The uncertain fate
Of The human family and Of the
earth itself on which II dweIIs."
The Pope declared that sin
avery respect technology by it,
self is incapable of recognizing
and developing the divine seed
of unity and harmony implanted
In creatures" stated that indif-
ferance for human life and values
can be traced to 1.-THE preponder-
ant material progress" which has
shattered the harmonious and
happy completeness of man." and
somehow mutilated his appreci-
alton of those ideas and values,
giving him completeness only in
one particular direction"
His Holiness added:
Indeed, to the man born and
educated in the surroundings of
strict technology, there will ne
cessarily be lacking a part, and
not the least important, of his
complete being, as If it had been
a~trophied by conditions opposed
to his natural development.
"Jvst - . plant cultivated In
/, ground from which vital sub
: stances havs been ~subtraeted,
develops this or that quality
but does not reproduce the COM.
piete uniform type, 50 this PRO
grsssivs' civilization, that Is,
one exclusively m%ateriaIistie,
by hanishing some values and
essential elements from the life
Of families and nations, ends
by dsprivins man Of his true
form Of thought. judgment and
action.
'In reality, to attain truth, JUS
tice and h%onor--in q word, to
be human-there is need of the
widest scope and variety in d.
rection. TECHNICAL progress on
the other hand, when 1t imprisons
man within its own limitations
by cutting him off from the rest
of the universe, particularly from
the interior spiritual forces, fash
ions him to its own character
istics of which the most notable
are superficiality and instability"
His Holiness declared that
~ncwsdsys an apparently blind
fascination for progress leads
nations to overlook evident
dangers and not TO take quite
considerable" losses into nc.
count. Everyone Is indeed
aware how ths development and
!. application Of IN invention to
= military purpose almost every.
where brings harm out Of pro-
portion. even In the political
sphere. TO the advantages which
are derived from them and
which could BE- secured by other
paths ~ less cost and danger. !