February 5, 2016

What was in the news on Feb. 4, 1966?

A hope for peace in Vietnam, confusion over decrees on the use of Latin, and Father Hans Kueng expresses changes he’d like to see

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 Feb. 4, 1966, issue of The Criterion:
 

  • Pope’s plea prompted UN effort for peace
    • “UNITED NATIONS, N.Y.—U.S. Ambassador Arthur J. Goldberg told the United Nations Security Council that the United States supports ‘the view expressed by the pope’ that the Vietnam conflict could be resolved by arbitration under UN auspices. Earlier, he told the NCWC News Service that the Holy Father’s special appeal in a speech three days earlier ‘was an important factor in the U.S. decision to bring the question of Vietnam to the United Nations.’ ”
  • U.S. liturgy leaders: Question directive on seminary Latin
    • “ST. LOUIS—National liturgical leaders interviewed by the St. Louis Review have questioned the propriety of a new document on the liturgical training of priests issued by the Roman Curia Congregation of Seminaries and Universities. The document calls for the use of Latin as the ‘language of public worship in seminaries.’ Sent to bishops, it states that Latin is the language of the Church and should be known to every seminarian. It also cautions against using the vernacular to the extent that Latin is excluded. The reference to Latin liturgy ‘seems very strange to me,’ Father Daniel O’Hanlon, S.J., professor of theology at Alma College in Los Gatos, Cal., told the Review.’ ”
  • Vatican decree reinforces Latin use among clerical religious
    • “VATICAN CITY—The Holy See has issued a decree reinforcing the use of Latin in the worship of clerical religious communities on grounds of providing for ‘opportune uniformity.’ The decree establishing laws for use of vernacular language in the Mass and community recitation of the Divine Office was made public less than a week after publication of a similar order requiring the use of Latin in the Mass in seminaries. The new law for religious communities of the Western Church in general provides that Latin must be used by these clerical Religious bound to recitation of the Divine Office in choir.”
  • Archbishop raps school ‘boycotts’
  • Clergy transfers are announced
  • Issue confirmation schedule
  • Change mixed marriage laws, Father Kueng urges Church
    • “HAMBURG, Germany—Father Hans Kueng has suggested that the Catholic Church recognize the validity of mixed marriage in non-Catholic churches and that it give parents full freedom to determine the religious training of their children. … Among other things, he said: Catholic decrees of excommunication against Martin Luther should be lifted, just as they were last year from the 1054 excommunication of Orthodox Patriarch Michael Cerularius of Constantinople.”
  • Montessori expert to appear at Marian
  • Marriage of priest draws fire
  • Need for new-type missionary seen
  • 90 per cent favor new liturgy
  • New Sheen movie ready for release
  • Kentucky enacts civil rights law
  • Forbids jazz music at Mass
  • Hint steps in mill for papal visit
  • Dominican nun is 105 years old
  • Protestant scholar gets papal honor

(Read all of these stories from our Feb. 4, 1966, issue by logging on to our special archives.) †

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