March 25, 2016

What was in the news on March 25, 1966?

An historic meeting with the archbishop of Canterbury, and a light-hearted take on the Batman sitcom

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 25, 1966, issue of The Criterion:
 

  • Historic meeting enlarges Rome, Canterbury dialogue
    • “VATICAN CITY—In an atmosphere carefully compounded of friendliness and formality, a pope and an Anglican archbishop of Canterbury met officially for the first time since the Reformation. Archbishop Michael Ramsey, spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion of 17 independent churches and 45 million members, arrived at Rome’s Fiumicino airport [on March 22] for his historic three-day visit. The overworked word ‘historic’ rings clear and strong in this case for several reasons. The previous visit of the then archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Geoffrey Fisher, to Pope John XXIII, symbolized a new era of good feelings, but was strictly personal and unofficial. Archbishop Ramsey’s visit was formal and official. The archbishop himself said he would get down to business with the pope, speaking to him of the relations between the two churches and the impact of these relations upon feelings and consciences.”
  • Theologians agree: ‘People of God’ concept seen as major council contribution
  • St. Meinrad will host conference
  • Ecumenical overtones: Vatican revises rules for ‘mixed’ marriages
  • Bible ‘no longer barrier’ among Catholics, others
  • Cardinal Eugene Tisserant: Top prelate once aspired to military
  • Text of Church in Modern World schema
  • Notre Dame will inaugurate graduate theology program
  • Crowleys will received ND’s Laetare Medal
  • Editorial: Batty, what?
    • “Unlike the hula hoop and swallowing goldfish, television’s Batman show sets no age limits. Grade schoolers and grandmas seem to be equally addicted. Nor are the pillars of the community immune to the nuttiness. Reports have it that lodge meetings, bridge games, and even Lenten church services have been rescheduled so as not to interfere with the midweek adventures of the super-hero. Besides driving a large segment of the public batty, the show has crystallized a new philosophy of success, American style. There are now two ways of getting ahead—being exceptionally good or unbelievably bad. Only a cynic would say that the latter is a less painstaking process. Painting soup cans and composing rock ‘n’ roll is no cinch. Nor was the Batman program born without travail. Network executives battled falling ratings with one bad show after another before they discovered the right formula, a show so awful it couldn’t miss.”
  • New Apostolic Center will have lay leader
  • Cincinnati reports 90 percent return of first graders
  • One-act play contest enters the semifinals
  • Report challenges schools in Britain
  • Vietnam criticism not CU consensus, rector declares
  • Church in Holland to begin renewal

(Read all of these stories from our March 25, 1966, issue by logging on to our special archives.) †

Local site Links: