Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1959-07-25
Pope John.
CONTINUED from Page One)

man and Christian culture which
base been indelibly stamped by
more than 1000 years of civiliza-
ton.
Three years ago, at the time of
your first meeting in Paris, you
also chose city particularly dear
to us, whose literary and artistic
heritage attracts the intellectual
elite from everywhere, and especi-
ally from Africa, as We Ourselves
have often noted.
Thus, twice in a row, you have
decided to express your apprecia-
ton for those great spiritual
values which over the centuries
have found in Europe a chosen
land, land from which you your
selves have received inestimable
benefits.
We are happy to congratulate
you and to welcome you with all
Our heart to Our city of Rome.
1t is within its famed boundaries
that you are to study the unity
and responsibilities of a Negro
African culture.
Belonging to different nations
Of the old and new worlds, speak
ing different languages and doing
different types of work, you de-
clare that you are linked by
unity-that of your race of origin
and by common responsibilities
toward your ancestral heritage.
The Church appreciates, respects
and encourages such a work of
inquiry and reflection, whose aim
is to single out the original riches
of a unique culture, to find anew
in history all that can support it,
to show its profound harmonies
by means of its various express
sions and, lastly, through new en-
deavors, to make it benefit the
respective countries to which you
belong.
Everywhere, in fact, where true
values Of art and thought can en-
rich the human family, the Church
is ready to favor this work of the
spirit. The Church, you know,
does not identify itself with a sin
gle culture-not even with the
Western culture with which its
history is so closely bound-be-
cause its mission is on another
plane, that of the religious saliva
ton of man.
But the Church, with a youth
fulness that is constantly renewed
by the breath of the Holy Spirit,
remains willing to recognize, well
come and even to serve as the in
SEPARATION of everything that seeks
to honor the intelligence and the
human heart. And it is willing
to do so on shores of the world
other than this Mediterranean
basin which was the providential
cradle of Christianity.
Thus one cannot fail, gentle
men, to follow with interest your
efforts to seek out the bases of
cultural community of African in
spiration, while expressing the
hope that it will be founded on
just standards of truth and action.
In this regard, heed the CEN
turies-old wisdom of the Church.
Its enlightened outlook can discern
in old or new forms of literary or
artistic expression those elements
that must be purified in order to
be in keeping with mans dignity
and his natural rights and duties.
The universally of it's outlook,
mindful of the human resources of
all peoples, puts the Church at
the service of true peace in the
world.
In helping elite groups that turn
toward it to develop the cultural
potentialities of their nation or
race, the Church asks them to
carry out their task in spirit of
harmonious cooperation and with
a profound sympathy for other cur
rents (of thought) that stem from
authentic vicilizations.
Is it not at this price alone that
the conquests of the mind are in
creased and that the spiritual
bonds of fraternal community of
men are forged?
We therefore ask with all our
heart for divine blessings for each
and every one of you, for your
relatives and all who are dear to
you. And We hope that these
blessings will descend on your
work so that it may always be in
spired, in Rome and elsewhere, by
that love of truth and peace which
is the mark of all true servants
of culture and which, We are sure,
also inspires the activities of Our
conc who love Africa and its nOb-