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No. 2905
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(Registered et the 0 O. Perth. for transmission by post as a Newspaper)
Perth, Thursday, Dec. 24, 1959
Pope John Warns The Press Beware Of Causing Moral Harm P441.04.4404
The President-
". . . The Wonderful Pope"
.04.1.004,4
(By Patrick Gavan-Duffy Riley) Vatican City: "I was very moved by the welcome shown me by the wonderful Pope," President Eisenhower said here immediately after his meeting with His Holiness Pope John
(By Mgr. James I. Tucek)
Vatican City:
His
Holiness
Pope
John
XXIII has called for laws to curb the abuse of
XXIII.
freedom of the press. The Pope has also told Catholics that they have a duty to shun publications that harm the religious and moral .well-being of a community.
Pope John spoke to Italian Catholic jurists taking
part in their national congress, whose theme was "Free-
dom of the Press in the Juridical Order." It was one of the most frankly worded and severely critical statements a Pope has ever made on the press. Catholics, Pope John declared, "should not buy or give credit to or favour or even name the errant press." Quoting Pope Pius XII, he continued: "The protection of personal freedom is the aim of every juridical order worthy of the name. One would legalise licentiousness if one allowed the Press to undermine the religious and moral foundation of the life of the people." Pope John then told the jurists that a sense of responsibility shoud be an incentive "to act quickly and to act well." He said that "it is better to be explicit in this matter, without regard for human respect." When he finished his address he told the jurists that the expression of deep concern regarding Press abuses had "given Us some relief, like a person who has rid himself of a great burden weighing on his soul." The Pope submitted three points for the attention of parents, educators, statesmen, legislators, publishers and industrialists "trusting in the good will and rectitude of each of them." He said: "First, each individual must above all keep his own conscience clear. He must be inspired by a just balance without being insensitive or lax. "Second, this clear conscience by itself calls for and assumes those due limitations which must restrain the rights of the Press in regard to respect, order and legality. "Finally there must be clear-cut positions and a positive programme." The Pope revealed that he is an avid reader of newspapers and made it clear that he had drawn the impressions expressed in his speech from that fact, Pope John began his address by saying that the problem of freedom of the Press "is one of the truly crucial points of today's social life." He added that it is a matter to which he has given much thought for many years, but especially since his election to the papacy. He recalled his youth and how he had been reared in a tradition that was always open to a knowledge of the true and beautiful. He said he could not remember ever having been offended in his youth by "disconcerting visions, words or accounts." This, he went on, he considers a tribute to the fortrightness, honesty and delicacy of the conscience of his people. He noted, moreover, that the days of his youth were those "tempestuous and polemical times" following the Italian seizure of the Papal States when conditions for many Catholics were less favourable than they are today.
An Influence On The Mind Of All which forbid him doing harm to the freedom, goods and life of his neighbour. He declared: "It is not lawful for the press, under the pretext that it must be free, to assail daily and systematically the religious and moral well-being of humanity. All financial and news considerations must be subordinated to these basic laws." He said tlytt, while a free Press must inform the public and sometimes for public opinion, it cannot be left free to "deform public opinion." He charged that "it is not the love of knowledge, culture and truth that guides certain pens, but the unhealthy fire of certain passions and the immoderate desire for notoriety and gain which puts aside the insistent appeals of conscience." He continued:
Details An Incentive To Vice
"Can it be lawful for someone blatantly to offer details and descriptions to a curiosity which should be reserved to police laboratories and the courts? Is it ever lawful to allow criminal deeds to become the occasion and incentive to vice, when it would be better to throw a veil of pity over these crimes? "Advertising itself, especially in particular fields, following evil rules, has assumed disconcerting and Unrestrained Detail Hurts Young With this memory of his youth in mind, he asked: frightening aspects that cannot be justified except by "How can the Pope remain indifferent when confronted a deliberate intention of arousing passions and swaying with the spread of news, advertising and historical fic- decision without concern for the wounds left on souls. "Attentive examination of *is painful situation tion which have nothing to do with instruction or honest information? Does his heart not suffer at the must therefore lead responsible authorities to a logical and dutiful conclusion: That there must be certain thought of the poison that is adminisered with unconon the exercise of freedom of the Press. strained detail to so many innocent people and to youth limitations in their inexperience and the confusion of their adoles- And these limitations must be strictly determined on by law, so that such a delicate, important and decisive cent years with accounts, exposes and .illustrations which have nothing to do with the knowledge of truth field for the future of every nation may not be left to. and the love of what is good and the vision of what is the mercy of improvisation, or feeble self-control, of so much has been said, or worse, to the mercy beautiful, but which indeed are clearly excluded from which of bad faith and deceit." them?" Speaking of the attitude of Catholics in criticising He repeated the words of Christ as a clear warning the Press, the Pope said that they should not be afraid to purveyors of such a Press: of the charge that they are scrupulous or that they "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it were better for him to have a great exaggerate. He said it is primarily up to Catholics to millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in make every effort to create a decent Press. All they should fear in this respect is the sin of omission, he the depths of the sea. "Woe to the world because of scandals! For it must declared. It was pointed out by one observer of Vatican affairs needs be that scandals come, but woe to the man that, without diminishing the force of the Pope's words through whom scandal does come." (18 Matt. 6, 7). as they apply to the Press throughout the world, two He said that a free Press must discipline itself and facts should be borne in mind: first, the Pope conform to the divine laws which are reflected in important was to a group of Italian jurists. Second, the human laws in the same way that a free man must Pressspeaking with which the Pope is most intimately familiar discipline himself and conform to positive precepts is the Italian Press.
And at Rome's Ciampino airport, just before the President left for Turkey, he stated: "I have just come from a visit with His Holiness the Pope, and I have been inspired by his approval of the effort that the free nations together are making to bring some progress toward peace and friendship in freedom." During the meeting with Mr. Eisenhower which lasted about 25 minutes, Pope John said he rejoiced to see the American nation "striving so actively, under the guidance and impulse of its worthy President, toward the lofty ideals of a loyal and effective concord between nations." He also said there is no doubt that Mr. Eisenhower will continue to receive from U.S. Catholics "an exemplary contribution of action, loyalty and discipline." When the President arrived for his meeting with Pope John there were crowds assembled around barriers in St. Peter's Square to greet him. Many persons waved banners of welcome. Standing with a group of children were Bishop Ferdinand() Baldelli, president of the Pontifical Relief Association, and Mgr. Andrew P. Landi, director in Italy for Catholic Relief ServicesNational Catholic Welfare Conference. The children. who benefit from the charities dispensed by the worldwide relief organisation of the U.S. Catholic Bishops, held aloft posters with the words "Thank you, Thank you." The President arrived in St, Peter's Square in a blue convertible with the top down. It was a beautiful day. As the car entered the square, at 9.30 a.m. on December 6, the President stood up and waved to the crowds. The official procession of nine cars was preceded by seven police motorcycles.
Guard Of Honour At the Vatican the pres4dential party passed through +he Gate of the Arch of
Bells ,then circled behind St. Peter's basilica and entered the courtyard of St. Damacus. There a guard of honour of the Palatine Guard snapped to attention. As the President and his party alighted from their automobiles the honour guard pre-
sented arms and the Palatine Guard baud played the U.S. national anthem while all stood at attention. In the presidential party were recently - retired Deputy Under-secretary of State Robert D. Murphy; Major and Mrs John Eisenhower; James C. Hagerty, presidential press secretary; Lt. Col, Vernon Walters, interpreter and staff aide to the President; and James J. Rowley, head of the White House Secret Service detail. After reviewing the Pala-
tine Guard, President Eisenhower entered the Apostolic Palace and walked over a long carpet to an elevator.
Vatican personnel said they could not recall such a carpet having been rolled out for any other visitor. At the elevator the President was greeted by Mgr. Beniamino Nardone, secretary of the Sacred Congregation of Ceremonial, and by Mgr. Pius A: Benincasa, a priest of the Buffalo diocese who is attached to the Vatican Secretariat of State. He was then presented to Mgr. Federico Callori di Violate, a member of the Pope's household. The President, Ambassador Murphy and Mgrs. Callori di Vignale and Nardone entered the elevator, and others in the 'party followed in another elevator. At the elevator exit the party was met by papal ushers and a detachment of the Swiss Guard which formed a cortege leading to the papal apartment. Mgr. Mario Nasalli Rocci di Corneliano, the Master of Chambers, and other officials of the papal household received the President and his party at the threshhold of the Clementine Hall.
25 Minute Audience
cortege
The moved through colourful halls to the Small Throne Room, where His Eminence Domenico Cardinal Tardini, Vatican Secretary of State, met Mr. Eisenhower, In the Small Throne Room where the President was received were two armchairs placed side by side, for the Pope and the President. Flanking these were three other chairs: for Cardinal Tardini, Col. Walters, and Archbishop Antonio Samore, Secretary of the Sacred Congregation for Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs. This group of five was in audience alone about 25 minutes. Then the rest of the President's party was brought in, and Pope John read a formal speech in English, expressing his great satisfaction at "the visit which you are kindly making to Us, Mr. President." The Pontiff said he rejoiced to see the American nation "striving so actively, under the guidance and impulse of its worthy President, towards the lofty ideals of a loyal and effective concord between nations." He extended to the American people "Our gratitude for the generosity with which they are promoting the welfare and progress of more needy peoples by so liberally placing at their disposal the material gifts received from Divine Providence." Invoking God's blessing and protection on the United States ,the Pope continued: "We have no doubt that Your Excellency will continue to receive also from the Catholics of the United (Continued on Page 2.)