Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1960-11-20

'sited the following statement;
responsibility to Judge and to
evaluate the United Nations
deliberations and decisions &C
.cording to objective norms of
morality universally binding.
This involves also the duty of
citizens to make proper repre-
Tsentation of such judgment. to
thar respective governments.
Cure Within Persons
However varied the above
mentioned evils. ranging from
the single act Of wrongdoing to
the moral laxity of the mass
mind, the root cause is the
same-the rejection Of per-
sonal responsibility. This is a
moral evil. as are ali the major
ills that beset the present
world. As such their cure is
largely within the power Of In
individual persons. A cody
society Is the work Of cody
men. Even the most universal
evilaan the threatened mocha
nization Of man can be made
to, yield before the just and
determined wills Of individual
persons.
Our Holy Father has pointed
out the capacity Of the indi-
vidual in the face Of such prob
lens. Does it follow that the
process Of Specialization Is i'm
possible to control and that,
increasing constantly in its
breadth and depth, it will one
day surely reduce men to the
role Of automatons? Certainly
not. For Specialization is not the
result Of forces Of nature act
ing according to determinism
that cannot be changed. It is
the work of man, of q free be-
ing conscious of and responsible
for his acts" dieter of July
IL, 1860, to "Semaine Sociale"
| in Grenoble).
In our national life we have
experienced the truth OF this
statement. Our progress has
been achieved chiefly according
to the measure of individual
commitment to responsibility.
The heroes of our history have
not been blind forces but stout
hearted persons; our worthy
national goals have been
achieved not as a result Of en-
viSonment but by men who
made their environment. A
strong and responsible nation
| is fashioned by responsible per-
sons, not group pressures.
AS Pope Plus XII stated:
THE people live from the full
ness Of the life Of the men who
make it up; each of them in his
place and in the manner proper
to him is a person conscious Of
his own responsibilities and Of
his own convictions" Christ
mas message, 1944.)
Rule Of Conscience
What is personal RESPONSE
bility in the context of mans
relation to the world? 1t pre-
supposes the acceptance Of
ones dignity as a son Of God
in whatever environment he
may be placed and the &C
acknowledgement of binding
moral law. It requires the free
and deliberate acceptance Of
Ione's obligations in the posi-
ton he occupies-in the family,
in the church, in the corpora
ton. in the labor union, in the
community, in the Nation, in
the family Of nations. It de-
mands the rule of conscience,
not self-satisfaction. It recog-
nizes that every deliberate acs
ton of the human person has
o relationship with his Creator
and His purpose in creating the
world. 1t affirms that every hui
man action q man performs
derives its significance from
that relationship and makes
him a co-operator with his
Creator in forwarding the king
dom of God. It is the solemn
profession that consequently
every product Of his mind and
his hand, every bounty wrung
from the earth is to serve that
high purpose. AS man, bearing
the image of his Creator, is the
brother of every other human
person, his noblest work is to
bring to his fellow man the
blessings of the destiny in
tended for him by God.
In must be emphasized, espe-
cially in these times, that the
freedom innate in man, as well
as the social nature he enjoys
demands as a correlative the
fullest personal responsibility
Therefore every one of us will
render an account for himself
to God" (Romans 14:12). The
marvellous inventiveness Of the
human mind, conquering space
and making each man a neigh.