The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1957-11-29
Pope, Poetry and Patois:
Believes Holy Fathers Talk
Had Deeper Meaning
by Erik v. KuehneIt-L addihn

LANS, TYROL, Austria-The Holy Father recently
has received in audience a group OF ltanan poets VINO
do not write in literary Italian, but in the local ldlom, tne
patois, of the different parts of Italy. He has nignly
praised their work for a variety OF reasons ana en-
couraged them to continue their efforts.
Still, wonder whether most readers VINO saw me
Pope's address TO these poets realize the deeper, Cafno-
lie significance of the Holy Fathers exhorfafions and af-
firmations.
There is a much deeper sense to this particular
Papal allocution, a much deeper sense than meets the
eye. 1t ties right in with a long-standing Catholic tradl-
ton in the general human and political sphere; IL mas
a great deal to do with the Catholic concept OF mans
personality and with the ideal structure of the state.
Catholic tradition land partly even Catholic doc
trine, which is not exactly the same) considers it desir-
able that mans loyaIfies should expand from the smaller
TO the larger unit-and not vieeversa.
Catholic man Tor woman is, first OF all, a child OF
God and thus a member of the Mystical Body, a MEMBER
of the Church.
The next natural or supernatural loyalty belongs to
the family, the secular clergy or an order. Before | am
a citizen, a taxpayer, a soldier or an Austrian, | am a
father of my children, the husband of my wife.
Next in order comes the city or the village am lv.
ing in, which l want to see in the physical and social
condition to offer to its people the basis for living a
sound spiritual and intellectual life.
Then comes my loyalty to the province or the fed
eral state lin my case the TyroD which is my home-coun-
try in the narrower sense of the term. Only then comes
(a) Austria, 3D. Europe, (c) the Western World from
San Francisco to the gates Of Istambul' 3D. christen-
Thus l am perfectly within my right to love more
than others those people who are nearer to me by bonds
of blood, oaths, friendship, language and faith.
Hence the Church has always been opposed to "col-
oSSaliSm" in the political order. The Church has always
been opposed to centralism and Capitalization, oddly
enough called federalism in this country. On Europe
we call federalism the demand that a unitary state
ought to be broken up in federal states with strong local
rights. Hence much of the confusion in our political
talks when we use these labels.
Some Of the readers will remember the protest OF
the Church in America against the Child Labor Amend
ment. II created a great sensation and ended in a total
misrepresentation because so many non-Catholics believed
that the Church preferred children to work in coal
mines rather than to learn the three RS which would
enable them to read the Bible and Yellow Pages Of the
telephone book, thereby increasing piety and trade.
Yet the motivation of the Church was an entirely
different one. She disliked the Child Labor Amendment
merely as another piece of federal legislation; she pre-
ferred to see this Law passed by the individual states
and not by the central government.
Everywhere in Europe the Church has fostered
forms of administration which left the initiative to the
smallest possible unit. This is the practical aspect of the
time honered principle of "subSidiarity" so frequently
mentioned in the social-political E~ncyclicals of the
Popes.
Only if the village or the city is unable to cope with
an emergency, should the provincial government step in;
only if the provincial government fails should the cen
trail government be called upon. All this presupposeS a
graduation and a distribution of power which, at all
times, has been a Catholic demand.
The Catholic political and economic formula is very
simple: Freedom, personality and responsibility through
. distribution Of right, power and wealth.! Avoidance Of
all concentrations in one place and in the hands OF .
single agency"
It is in the light Of this attitude, this perennial policy
that we have to understand the Popes' praise for the
poets writing their verse in the various local dialects OF
Italy.
In order to develop a sense for local independence
and autonomy, one must, first of all, have a sense OF
pride in what a given region represents. Some ~left1sts,
zone Worlders' believe that there should be one uni
tary language for the whole globe, but the Holy Father
knows what a great Catholic and convert once wrote:
1.-The Lord, Our God, delights in diversity"