What was in the news on Dec. 8, 1961? Predictions on when the Council will open, and news of a microfilm archive of U.S. Catholic history

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 8, 1961, issue of The Criterion:

• Is there any place left in the Church for a Catholic conservative?
• Says personal liberty is essential to peace
• Cites Pontiff’s emphasis on public authority role
• Links Church unity and peace
• Former ‘Renegade’: Lay apostolate leader coming to Indianapolis
• Council may open during 1962
  • “DALLAS, Tex.—The Second Vatican Council may convene by the end of 1962, but a definite starting date has not yet been determined, the Papal Secretary of State said here. Cardinal Amleto Cicognani, asked at the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine congress here to comment on reports that the council may open on Dec. 9, 1962, said this is not certain. He told a press conference that a letter formally announcing the council will be sent to all Catholic bishops during this Christmas season. Such a letter or declaration, he explained, is called a letter of indiction.”
• Budding missioners: new role for the laity
• Chatard H.S. dedication set Sunday
• U.S. mission effort praised by Pontiff
• Notre Dame gets microfilm copies of Church papers
  • “SOUTH BEND, Ind.—Microfilm copies of Vatican documents detailing the first two-and-a-half centuries of Catholic Church history in the U.S. have been acquired by the University of Notre Dame, it was announced here by Father Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., university president. The documents, letters and reports sent by American prelates and priests to the Vatican between 1622 and 1861 were copied by Father Thomas A. McAvoy, C.S.C. … Father McAvoy, who supervised the microfilming project, said the collection includes many previously unused documents of American Catholic history. The microfilm copies will be housed in the $8,000,000 Notre Dame Memorial Library now under construction.”
• ‘Common Market’ also seen avenue for religious ideas
• Osservatore hits commercialism
• Family Clinic: Are today’s parents overly disturbed about teenagers?
• Little Christophers open annual Christmas drive
• Membership requirement: World Council adopts statement on Trinity
• New college to be built at Jasper
• Priest and two ministers promote Advent devotion
• Nikita helps build rectory
• School prayer sets off new
• Church-State battle
• ND to undertake education study
• Advises U.S. aid to British Guiana

(Read all of these stories from our December 8, 1961, issue by logging on to our special archives.) †