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The
of His
Christmas
Grace the
Message
Archbishop
The great thought for the future in the Church is the forthcom-
Looking back over the past decade could cause us to look with a certain amount of ap-
ing Ecumenical Council, Second Vatican the Council, which is very
prehension to the coming sixties.
to the dear Father's heart.
Several times, due mainly to the avarice of Godlessness and man, the world has come close to a conflict
This Council will do great things for the We Church of God. have advanced into an age which of its very nature calls for a well and secularmaterialism the oppose to organised Church unity of ism so rife today. If propositions for the more much so Council, Christendom flow forth from this
which could be nothing short of disastrous to the human race. Never before in the history of the world have man's puny hands held such powerful instruments of destruction. Yet, like all God's gifts, these self -same instruments could be used to achieve untold advantages for
the human race.
Holy
will be achieved. The Council also needs peace for it to work.
But for that to happen we need peace.
We have seen world-wide appeals for assistance to the hungry, the oppressed and those living in the bondage
now appeal Hence, my people, as your Archbishop, prayer for and work your in generous be to to you in prosadvance will Not only that the world peace. Church, fortified a of leaven the perity, but that through throughspread will give can Christ only that the peace I
of refugee settlements.
Great strides have been made and we are proud that our Catholic people have participated in these endeavours either through their own organisations or through parallel civic bodies. On the other hand some great mistakes have been made. Men have, without due thought or recognition of God's prerogatives, arrogated to themselves the right to transgress His laws to solve some of these problems by unlawful means. They have imposed their immoral ideas on people who themselves would not want their
ways.
Everywhere we have been faced with the good that man strives for being nullified by the evil he accomplishes by going against God and His laws.
This year have had the privilege of an audience with was pleased to our Holy Father, Pope John XXIII. You Archdiocese. the of state spiritual the report on can be assured that even though His Holiness does not know you by name, he has you in his heart in common with all the Catholics of the world for whom he feels responsible to Him whose Vicar he is.
out the world. Pray Prayer con work when the strivings of men fail. men's and work for peace; pray for the success of good the efforts to help those in need; pray above all that
of the coming Council may not only order the household Faith, but that it may shine as a light to all mankind turning them away from evil to the source of all good.
May your celebration of the Feast of the Christ Child you be all be in the spirit of love and reverence. May year coming the may and Christ of happy with the love bring you nearer to God whether in prosperity or difficult times.
I
I
om,
I
THE
RECORD
*
Devotedly yours in Christ,
44:41--nutudite.44414.miter, Archbishop.
CHRISTMAS, 1960
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