What was in the news on Nov. 3, 1961? Words of praise for Pope John, and an update on the number of Catholics worldwide

By 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, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Here are some of the items found in the November 3, 1961, issue of The Criterion:

• Hails Pope John’s efforts to promote Christian unity
• Pope to observe twin anniversaries
• Bitterness gone: Catholic and Anglican prelates laud new amity
• Two rabbis, minister, priest win race awards
• Soviet blast called ‘mad’ by Vatican
• Honored at banquet: Four receive St. John Bosco Medal
• World Court—neglected bastion of peace
• Hails interfaith talks on nuclear war
• ‘Speak African’ in Africa, Catholic Church advised
• Social evils, Red advance are linked
• Editorial: Pope John
  • “The best argument for the claims of the papacy is Pope John. He is wholly the product of his Church. And he is good. … In three short years, he has captured the hearts of his Catholic family. To his separated brethren, not yet ready to accept his authority, he says: ‘We do not want to conduct a trial of the past; we do not want to prove who was right and who was wrong. All we want to say is, let us come together. Let us make an end to our divisions.’ And somehow he makes it seem possible. This man of God is an ecumenical movement all by himself. Happy birthday, Pope John. Happy anniversary. May there be many more.”
• Religion takes back seat to TV
• Role of art classes is stressed by speakers
• Parental failure linked to increase in youthful crime
• Artist can help Church’s mission, Pontiff declares
• Holy See approves new votive Masses
• CYO delegates will eat 2,000 pounds of turkey
• Paper urges Hollywood to ‘face moral duties’
• Rosary is recited in 50 languages
• Fined for failing to rear son, 12, in Jewish faith
• Greek Orthodox deplore rioting
• Calls sciences of mind ‘handmaids of theology’
• Pope John blesses Women’s Council
• African priest hits U.S. racism
• World Catholics top 550 million
  • “CINCINNATI—Catholics throughout the world total some 550,356,000, about 18.3 percent of the gobal population, according to the Catholic Students’ Mission Crusade. In the United States, Catholics number 42,104,900, or 22.9 percent of the total population of 183,666,000, according to the CSMC. The U.S. Catholic population is the third largest among the nations of the world.”
• Oklahoma judge bars parochial bus service
• Bias in Indianapolis hit by Hoey winner
• Pontiff cites award to Harvard professor
• 125,000 persons at ‘peace rally’ in Washington

(Read all of these stories from our November 3, 1961, issue by logging on to our special archives.) †