January 17, 2014

What was in the news on Jan. 17, 1964?

The power of the papacy, a call for a council every 10 years, and the war on poverty

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. 17, 1964, issue of The Criterion:

  • Marian College getting ready to occupy its new ‘south campus’
  • Temporal power of papacy thing of past, pope declares
    • “VATICAN CITY—Pope Paul VI declared that his rule over Vatican City is essentially a sign of his independence, and that modern popes not only cannot but should not exercise any power other than that of the ‘spiritual keys.’ The pope was addressing the nobles of Rome [Jan. 14] at their traditional papal audience at the beginning of a new year. He told them that the papacy is ‘wholly absorbed in its spiritual functions’ now that it has been stripped of its temporal possessions. Referring to the fall of Rome and the Papal States to the Kingdom of Italy in 1870, the pope said, ‘History marches on.’”
  • Work of council to continue during recess, pope declares
  • Unity meetings seen with Greek Orthodox
  • Trip called a big gain for unity
  • Spain Church-State link rapped by Basque clergy
  • Two new Serra chapters opening in archdiocese
  • Urges interfaith drive against race prejudice
  • UN chief answers pontiff’s appeal
  • The liturgical year in today’s world
  • Speaker weighs future of Catholic schools
  • Moral theologian: Calls excessive smoking sinful
  • Question Box: Why the shortage of married saints?
  • Urges nuns take active role in modern world
  • Priests’ fast rule revised
  • Pontiff cites importance of origins of the faith
  • DeGaulle replies to pope’s message
  • Liturgy translation progess reported
  • Editor to address first luncheon of S. Deanery women
  • Plan Jerusalem papal garden
  • Notre Dame plans new $20 million development drive
  • Seminary to host literature expert
  • Husband-wife team have ‘family’ of 62
  • Cardinal Ritter urges council every 10 years
    • “ST. LOUIS—Cardinal Joseph Ritter has advocated the Catholic bishops of the world to meet in council every 10 years to insure that the Church keeps up to date after the Second Vatican Council. The Archbishop of St. Louis also predicted that most of the schemas now being considered by the council eventually will be approved. He expressed doubt that the third session of the council, scheduled from Sept. 14 to Nov. 20, will be the concluding session. ‘There is too much work to be completed and insufficient time to complete it,’ he said.”
  • President stresses rights ‘morality’
    • “WASHINGTON—President Lyndon B. Johnson in his State of the Union message told Congress that racial discrimination is basically a moral issue and asked that the new session to do more for civil rights ‘than the last hundred sessions combined.’ Mr. Johnson also urged an ‘all-out war on human poverty and unemployment in the United States,’ and called for a special federal effort to improve teaching, training and counseling in schools in hard-pressed sections of the country.”
  • Pope visits palace of Italian president

(Read all of these stories from our Jan. 17, 1964, issue by logging on to our special archives.) †

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