The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1959-01-02

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him. He referred to the
Christmas messages which
Plus XII left as one OF the great
monuments to his memory. He
said that he found a study of
these the best preparation for
his own first Christmas mes
sage.
Ne continued: For one
wishing to sum up in two
comprehensive words the liv-
ing substance Of This teaching
contained in the 10 Christmas
messages 49,. il is enough 10
utter these words: unity and
peace"
He said the only condition
for peace is mans good will
which he may freely give or
freely refuse. He added that
mans refusal to give his good
will to the service of Gods
designs is ''the most terrible
problem of human history
and of the lives of individual
men and peoples"
The Pope quickly traced the
destruction of peace and
unity. He recalled how in the
beginning God had impress
ed the law of love on the heart
OF man. There was peace and
unity and order, he said.
Then evil will entered and
led humanity into the ways
of injustice and disorder, and
unity was broken, he stated.
He recalled THAT "if took
nothing less than the inter
vention Of the Son Of God
Himself" to repair the dam
age. Here, the Pope pointed
out. is the key TO hope for
peace and unity in our own
age, for This reconstruction
tof msnkind) still goes on.
Jesus founded a church, i'm
pressing upon il The character
Of unity, achieved by gather
ing TO itself oil human nations
under its immense shelter"
He said that racial and ma.
tional differences can be re-
conciled in this unity for, as
believers recognize, ''the good
service of God and His justice
also serves the advantage of
the civil community of peo-
Piles and nations"
He recounted his own exper-
fences In seeing attempts at
religious unity meeting with
failure. But then he added
that he had never been dis
couraged from issuing his own
loving invitation to Our dear
separated brothers" He said
he would take his cue from
his predecessors, but espec-
tally from the words and ex-
ample of Christ, to issue the
invitation to unity.
I'VE intend to pursue humb.
Iy but fervenfIy our duty,
urged upon Us by The words
and example Of Jesus /.
which He continues 70 speak
to Us in the vision of the har-
vests which whiten the vast
missionary fields"
He cited the call OF Christ
to unity and said that sit is
upon these calls that
peace turns, the peace of
Christmas, the peace of Christ
which, and wherever and
as long as it is missing, leaves
the world in agony, and
wherever it is present, as the
Angels of Bethlehem announc-
ed, fills the spirit and the
heart with exultation."
The Pope referred to the
ringing of Christmas bells as
a call to this peace and unity.
But he noted that in many
parts of the world there would
be ears deaf to their call.
There, he said, lit is a very
sad duty to recognize the evil
intent the proofs of which
are now common knowledge"
He said that he had no de.
sire to make . diseovrteovs
Judgment, and that he wished
TO be kind in ~excusins, where
possible, and weighing the
gravity Of the msteriaiism and
atheism which oppresses sew.
eral nations. But. he said, Zone
cannot deny the slavery Of
individuals and masses, the
slavery Of thought and the
slavery Of labor"
Pope John cited the Old
Testament story of the Tower
of Babel and how it ended in
confusion. He declared that
there are other towers of
Babel being constructed in
the world and their end will
he fhp same