What was in the news on Dec. 1, 1961? A warning to movie makers from the U.S. bishops, and ecumenical council hopes to aid Christian unity efforts

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 December 1, 1961, issue of The Criterion:

• Movie makers warned by Bishops’ committee
  • “NEW YORK—The Catholic Bishops’ committee for motion pictures warned here that if the film industry does not show it can self-regulate its product the public may demand mandatory classification of movies. A lengthy statement stressing the need for stricter regulation of films was issued through the National Legion of Decency here by the U.S. Bishops’ Committee for Motion Pictures, Radio and Television. … The Bishops asserted in their statement that ‘the freedom of the screen is in greater jeopardy today than perhaps at any other time in the history of the medium.’ ‘The threat of censorship hangs over motion pictures,’ they stated, ‘not because of any antiquated prudery on the part of the audience but because of the reasonable public dissatisfaction with current film product, practices and exploitation.’ ”
• Council should aid unity efforts
  • “ZURICH, Switzerland—The coming ecumenical council will make no concession of dogma for the sake of Christian unity, but its pronouncements should make efforts toward unity easier. This was the core of an address by Cardinal Augustin Bea, S.J., president of the preparatory Secretariat for Christian Unity for the council. … ‘There are many … areas,’ continued Cardinal Bea, ‘in which the ecumenical council might be expected to take into consideration some of the hopes of our separated brothers. These concern mainly the questions of ecclesiastical rights, of worship and of piety.’ ”
• Catechist mission cited by Cardinal Cicognani
• Indulgences given to all who offer work to God
• Archdiocese establishes Society for Vocations
• Catholics try personal approach in effort to scale racial barriers
• Presbyterian seminarians visit Jesuits
• Broken pieces of glass used in unique Stations
• Hits Catholic apathy in anti-bias fight
• Vatican Radio warns against Congo reprisals
• Orthodox leaders praise Pope John
• Family Clinic: Refuses to take the wife to annual office party
• Scores ill treatment of migrant workers
• Polish paper polls readers on hopes for coming Council
• At New Delhi: Non-Catholic body hears pleas for unity
• Holy See expands aid to refugees
• Procedural rules for Council issued

(Read all of these stories from our December 1, 1961, issue by logging on to our special archives.) †