January 27, 2012

What was in the news on Jan. 26, 1962?

Speculation on what topics the Council will discuss, and dozens of nuns taking vows

Criterion logo from the 1960sBy Brandon A. Evans

This week, we continue to examine what was going on in the Church and the world 50 years ago as seen through the pages of The Criterion.

Here are some of the items found in the Jan. 26, 1962, issue of The Criterion:

  • Variety of topics explored by Preparatory Commission
    • “VATICAN CITY—His Holiness Pope John XXIII has announced that he will issue two new documents—one calling on the world’s priests to recite the Divine Office for the success of the coming ecumenical council, and the other urging increased use of Latin in seminaries. The Pope revealed his plans in a speech at the final meeting of the third session of the Central Preparatory Commission for the council. A highlight of the central commission’s third session was discussion of a proposal to revive the ancient office of deacon to aid priests in pastoral work. The wide variety of topics considered by the commission during its eight meetings between Jan. 15 and 23 also included improved relations between Catholics and Orthodox Christians, use of the vernacular in the Eastern Rites, modern morality, spiritualism and related errors, the need for early baptism and the real nature of sin.”
  • A moral problem: Crumbling jail breeds corruption and crime
  • Soviet Union ‘stepping up’ persecution
  • Rap Castro’s claim on Church liberty
  • Electric utilities and the public interest
  • ACCM announces plans for Leadership Institute
  • NCWC study concludes: No constitutional bar to private school aid
  • Mother of four asks the Catholic stand on ‘population explosion’
  • Kennedy avoids favoring Catholics, article says
  • USSR head bows to Madonna icon
  • 74 pronounce vows as Providence nuns
    • ST. MARY-OF-THE-WOODS, Ind.—Seventy-four young women pronounced vows as Sisters of Providence Tuesday morning in profession ceremonies held here at the motherhouse of the Community. … Thirty-four novices took first vows, 32 young Sisters renewed vows for one or three years, and eight others professed perpetual vows.”
  • Laity dominate new school board
  • Holy hours planned for Council success
  • Fear more religious murdered in Congo
  • ‘Electronic instructor proving popular
  • ‘Lay apostolate’ term confusing, speaker says
  • Benedictine speaker: Points up unity factors to Protestant pastors
  • 7 consecrations reported in China

(Read all of these stories from our Jan. 26, 1962, issue by logging on to our special archives.) †

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