March 16, 2012

What was in the news on March 16, 1962?

Pope Pius XI saw Red danger when others were blind to it, and vocations exhibit draws crowd to Clarksville

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 March 16, 1962, issue of The Criterion:

  • Bishops report communism infects all Central America
  • 25 years ago: Pius XI saw Red danger when others were blind
    • “On March 19, 1937, Pope Pius XI issues his masterly encyclical ‘On Atheistic Communism.’ In spite of the tremendous changes in the communist word in the interval, the encyclical is still timely today because the pope wrote with remarkable foresight and insight. In 1937, few of the world’s statesmen considered communism a threat to peace. The so-called Russian experiment was discarded primarily in terms of economics and political philosophy. Many in the universities, disillusioned with the capitalist system, thought that a planned society was the wave of the future. Too often the opponents of National Socialism took a friendly attitude toward communism, on the grounds that one system totally opposed the other. Hitler’s enemies were their friends. … Most of the world did not see the dangers inherent in this new trend. It was ignored by many, and approved by some. Of the world’s leaders, only the pope had the understanding to appreciate the looming menace of world communism.”
  • Illinois Catholics already have ‘shared time’
  • Jesuit student-priest is master photographer
  • U.S. cardinal reports on progress of Council
  • Dutch ask Latin decree clarification
  • Vocations exhibit draws throngs in Clarksville
  • Brother Hilary Lang: Finds Brazil’s waterways key to missionary growth
  • Money problems down south: Peruvians don’t like the collection basket
  • Cuban refugee children airlifted to freedom
  • A priest in Russia: Religion still vital to Russians
  • Religion on the campus
  • Newman would approve U.S. Catholic universities
  • Major repairs, alterations completed in St. Peter’s
  • Quiz content finals on WFBM Radio
  • Catholic schools should take lead
  • Shun extreme sacramental attachment
  • Protest closing of Catholic paper
  • Pope again joins Lenten practice
  • German Lutheran observer to study council’s proposals
  • A Kennedy ducks federal aid issue
  • Predicts Scandinavian return to Catholicism
  • Lenten pastoral asks union labor support
  • Pontiff asks generosity of faithful
  • Takes Dr. Crane to task on cost of lay missionary
  • Dutch bishops stress devotion to holy Eucharist

(Read all of these stories from our March 16, 1962, issue by logging on to our special archives.) †

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