St Vincent Seminary - Symposium Yearbook (Latrobe, PA)

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genius. The club is easily able to make its selection known to a wide circle. And of very great advantage to Catholic letters is the favor which the Catholic Book Club has given to Catholic thought in providing a market for the work of Catholic authors. The benefits accruing from the success of the project are in- calculable. It means that books embodying the Catholic view on vital and far-reaching subjects will no longer be hidden away in the maze 'of books that crowd the shelves of bookshops. It means, too, that the Catholic attitude on matters of prime im- portance to the moral and economic well-being of the nation cannot any longer be denied a hearing. Evidence of these benefits can be seen in the fact that books already chosen by the Catholic Book Club have received high praise from the secular book-of- the-month associations. In addition, under Catholic auspices, it gives to the Catholics of the country ready access to the best books published. Another notable result is the incentive given to Catholic authors for devoting their talents to the creation of worthwhile literature. The knowledge that there will be a large sale of their books, provided that their work reaches the high standard required by the Book Club, may be expected to have a weighty influence on the work of our Catholic writers. The secular book-of-the-month associations have been responsible for stimulating the sale of meritorious books, and there is every reason to expect that the work of the Catholic Book Club will have a similar effect in the Catholic field. In view of the profound infiuence that the Catholic Book Club will be able to exert upon the world of letters, Catholic and otherwise, we cannot refrain from expressing our sincere desire that the success that has so far attended their efforts may con- tinue to accompany the projects of the leaders and supporters of this progressive Catholic movement. The Solution of the Roman Question , HE whole world, and more especially the Catholic world, cannot but rejoice with the Holy See and the Italian government upon the occasion of the settlement of the Roman question. The benefits bound to result from the removal of this point of conflict, make it an event of unusual importance in the history of the world. Too much credit cannot be given to those who effected the agreement-the Pope and his Secretary of State for the Church, and Signor Mussolini for Italy. It was ll79ll

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fi la Fl ls : x. ,Q whlch IS to be the richest of all churches in symbolism, represents in a striking way the veneration that the people of our country have always shown towards our Heavenly Queen. It seems fitting that the shrine representing the gratitude of Catholic America for the many favors received through the intercession of Our Blessed Lady should be incorporated in a book composed and published under her patronage. Mary Immaculate is in a special manner the Patroness of the seminarian. He who must lead a life of virtue in a world where temptation and sin are all too common, can find no better assis- tance in his ministry than the guidance of her who was entirely immune from the stain of sin. We feel, then, that we are express- ing the wish of the Seminary, in producing Volume Xl in honor of the Immaculate Conception. ' The Catholic Book Club OR many years, the proponents of Catholic letters have been making a valiant effort to obtain a fitting place on the stage of American thought. They have been encouraged by the realization of the great influence that English, Irish, and other European Catholics have exerted upon the intellectual activity of their respective countries. But there have been great, and until recently almost insurmountable obstacles which have prevented the attainment of such a goal. It was, for example, difficult to decide just what books were not only Catholic in thought but worthwhile from a literary point of view. Then, too there arose the need of having some method for selecting works possessing these indispensable qualities, from the vast mass of literature now being published, and making known these selections to the World and especially the Catholic world. An- other problem was that of finding a market for literature that would be of a h1gh order and acceptable from the Catholic point of view , The book-of-the-month-club idea which has been used so widely w1th1n the past few years, presents itself as the long sought solution for the above-mentioned difficulties, and, for this reason has been chosen by the newly organized Catholic Book Club Its board of distinguished Catholics, including Kath- leen Norr1s M1chaelWill1ams, Dr. James J. Walsh and Father Wilfrid Parsons S J 1S well qualified to search the field of liter- ature f or books that represent the ultimate in Catholic thought and f'X i ll78ll ' ' + 55552 I Ill IIIIIL . 7 7 1 . . 7 . . . 1 . . . . . Y . . . . . v . . . ! ' 'r 5 Ellllllllllllg . mlf x l ul u , I ' ' E E 'U' Elllllli - - : I E E 5 , , .. .. Blllllllllllll' gg Illlllllllllllli

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Qllllllllllllk Slllllli E 5 . . . . . . . 1 . . fff the patient labor of these three, who for a period of several years have striven to reach a common ground in their demands, that brought about the initiation of friendly relations between the Vatican and the Quirmal. What will be the ultimate effects of this action cannot be easlly foreseen. However its immediate results are rather ob- vious The Pope once more becomes a Sovereign, and the Vatican a Sovereign State. The Holy See is indemnified, in part at least for the illegal and unjust seizure of the Papal States by Gari- baldi and the House of Savoy. The necessity for a United Italy under one king and government is recognized by the Holy See, and the claim of the Vatican to the Papal States is withdrawn. Furthermore, the many anti-clerical features in the Italian Civil Law are to be removed, and the wishes of the Church, as expressed in the Code of Canon Law, will be respected. Undoubtedly, it is a source of surprise to many that the Vati- can should be willing to surrender its claim to the Papal States, a claim which was defended with so much bitterness for a period of more than fifty years. It will be no mystery, however, to those who are aware of the sad condition resulting from the estrange- ment of the Vatican and the government. The King and a num- ber of high officials were under the ban of excommunication and many an earnest Catholic hesitated to accept office under his own government because of the fear that he was thereby giving approval to the unjust seizure of the Papal States. This lament- able condition could not help the cause of religion in Italy, and the Holy Father is to be commended for taking advantage of the opportunity of making a settlement so advantageous to the Church. The Pope's position among the nations of the world is strength- ened by the recognition of his status. Accordingly, the leadership of the Vatican in a movement for world peace will be greatly enhanced by this pact for it makes the Pope an independent ruler equal to other sovereigns in power, and superior to them in his inliuence. This profound infiuence that the Holy See may now be expected to exert for harmony and peace in the world is not the least of the benefits that will result from the resumption of the sovereignty conceded by the Italian government It is no wonder then that it should be the sincere wish of all Catholics that God may bless the friendship so felicitously renewed between Italy 'md the Holy See. as ll80ll mnnmun: I - , S 2 - : Ellllllg e , ' 3 3 illlllllllllll' r E---5 '1 no u. I allihlllllllllli -glllg :ll : . m n m :F