CHURCH MUST BE ABOVE NATIONAL FEELINGS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 89, Issue 304, 26 December 1945, Page 5

CHURCH MUST BE ABOVE NATIONAL FEELINGS

THE POPE’S 32 NEW "cARDIaALS Recd. 6 p.m. London, Dec. 24. The Pope, broadcasting said: “This was the first Christmas for six years which could be celebrated without fear of danger from sea, land and air. The Church, in troubled times like these, must, more than ever, remain above national feelings. Never before had such formidable responsibility rested on those labouring to restore peace. Whoever desired reparations must ask for them on a moral basis. “We give thanks for peace, but is this yet a true peace? ’ the Pope asked. “No, it is but a post-war phase. Mankind is now awakenimr to a realisation of how much wisdom, patience and goodwill will be necessary to bring back peace of a right order. The strength of the totalitarian State has shown its tyranny. A stroke of the pen and frontiers changed; a hasty decision and millions of people suffered. This system is contrary to human good. Only one solution remains—a return to God, to true Christianity. “We must turn thoughts to the endless numbers of prisoners of war, and the sufferings they endured. We recall, with emotion, the inhuman treatment of civilians and missionaries in the Far East.”

Referring to the creation of 32 new cardinals, the Pope said the Sacred College was now complete. It was fairly often full in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, but never in the nineteenth and twentieth till now.

The Pope added that the greatest, possible number of races and peoples were represented in the Sacred College in order to reflect truly the Church’s universality. Italy would not suffer by diminution, but, on lhe contrary’, would share, in the eyes of all peoples this grandeur of universality.

The Pope announced the early conferment of cardinals’ hats on 32 prelates. They are distributed as follows: One each to England, Canda, Australia, Poland, Armenia, China and the Portuguese empire; two to Spain; three each to Germany, Central Europe and France; four each to the United States and Italy; six to South and Central America. This is the largest creation of cardinals for four centuries, and for the first time leaves Italians with a small minority in the Sacred College. A. Consistory will be held on February 18 to confirm the appointment. Prominent conferments are: Archbishop Griffin, Westminster; Archbishop James MacGulgan, Toronto; Archbishop Norman Gilroy, Sydney; Archbishops Francis Spellman (New York?, Samuel Stritch (Chicago), John Glenn (St. Louis), Edward Mooney (Detroit), and Bishop Vonrad von Prey-sing (Berlin).

Cardinal Griffin was born in Birmingham, ihe son of a Birmingham city councillor, in 1899, and received his education at Cotton College, near Stoke. He later attended Ascott seminary, in the archdiocese of Birmingham. He studied for the priesthood at the English College in Rome, and was ordained in 1924. His postgraduate studies were carried out at Beda College, Rome, where he attained the degrees of Doctor of Divinity and Doctor of Canon Law. After completing his studies in 1927, he returned to England and was appointed secretary to the late Archbishop McIntyre, of Birmingham, and on the death of the latter in 1929 was appointed secretary to the Archbishop of Birmingham, Archbishop Williams, holding that position till 1937. From 1929 to 1938 he was Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Birmingham, and was also made administrator of Father Hudson’s Homes, at Coleshill, Birmingham. In 1938 he was consecrated auxiliary Bishop of Birmingham, and in’l944 he was appointed Archbishop of Westminster. Cardinal Spellman was born at Whitman, Mass., U.S.A., in May, 1889, and was prepared for the Church at universities in Rome and in the United States. He was ordained in Rome in 1916, and his first appointment was as assistant in All Saints’ Parish, Roxbury, Mass. After four years on the editorial staff of the “Boston Pilot,” he became assistant chancellor in the Archdiocese of Boston in 1922, and 3 years later was appointed attache at the office of the Secretary of State and translator of Papal broadcasts and encyclicals at the Vatican. Late in 1932 he was consecrated an auxiliary bishop, and he served in that capacity in Boston for seven years, and then for three years as pastor of Sacred Heart Church, Newton Centre, Mass. Since 1939 he has been Archbishop of New York, and during the war has served as military vicar. Cardinal McGuigan has been Archbishop of Toronto since 1934. He was born at Hunter River, Prince Edward Island, in 1894, and had his general and early theological education in Canada. ‘He was ordained as a onest in 1918. and thereafter received appointments as follows: —Professor ol St. Dunstan’s College. Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. 19018-19; Secretary and Chancellor of Charlotte town. 1919-20; and of Edmonton, 1920-25; Vicar-General of Edmonton, 1923-30; Rector of St. Josephs Cathedral. Edmonton. 1925-27; Rector of St. Joseph's Semina> Edmonton, 1927-30; Archbi hop of Regina, 1930-