January 18, 2013

What was in the news on Jan. 18, 1963?

A united religious plea for racial justice, and the archbishop’s request for prayers of unity

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 Jan. 18, 1963, issue of The Criterion:

  • Eradicate racial prejudice, U.S. interfaith leaders urge
    • “CHICAGO—A cardinal, a rabbi and a leading Protestant layman called here for coordinated efforts by the three major religious faiths to eradicate prejudice in this country. Cardinal Albert Meyer, Rabbi Julius Mark and J. Irwin Miller told delegates to the National Conference on Religion and Race that religious must be in the forefront of the battle against racial discrimination. … Cardinal Meyer, Archbishop of Chicago, called the race issue the ‘nation’s unfinished business,’ and said that ‘our whole future as a nation and as a religious people may be determined by what we do about the race problem in the next few years.’ ”
  • ‘The common touch’: Pope warmly praised by Methodist bishop
  • Asks faithful to join unity observance
    • “Archbishop Schulte urged the faithful of the archdiocese to ‘pray fervently’ for Church Unity during the annual Chair of Unity Octave observance, which opens today, January 18, and extends through January 25. This year’s observance, the archbishop pointed out, takes on a special meaning because of the emphasis Pope John has placed on the work for unity through the Vatican Council. Protestants and Orthodox throughout the world will be praying for the same intention. Churches affiliated with the World Council of Churches are observing a ‘Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.’ ”
  • Protestant churchman, bishop discuss council
  • Ecumenists report: Observers ‘genuinely happy’ with their treatment at council
  • The right to know: Latin American ‘black-out’
  • Evelyn Waugh versus the ecumenical council
  • ‘No help to learning’: Hutchins sees no future for ‘wall of separation’
  • Political poll of clergy in Italy draws fire
  • Urges better news set-up when council reconvenes
  • Increase in vocations seen in Latin America
  • Tells how Reds aid the cause of unity
  • Children’s contributions to missions are listed
  • Cardinal raised $1 million for ransom
  • Seed of race problem traced to agriculture
  • Visit Chicago Negro homes: ‘Pilgrimage of understanding’ draws enthusiastic response
  • Soviets lure top Latin America students
  • Sees council project on religious freedom
  • Churches cannot ignore race issue, parley told

(Read all of these stories from our Jan. 18, 1963, issue by logging on to our special archives.) †

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