The Jeffersonian (Jefferson, Tex.), Vol. 3, No. 5, Ed. 1 Monday, January 1, 1951 Page: 4 of 8
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Page «
THE JEFFERB N AN
JANUARY, 1 50
1st Bible Catholic
(Continued from page 3)
refusal to grant him a divorce
bad big Parliament pass a law
(1533) that the king waB ag of
then the head of the Church of
England. In Scotland Father
John Knox, an ex-Catholic prlegt,
lived to see his Presbyterian
Church replace the Catholic
Church as the State Church of
Scotland.
BOLTERS KEPT BIBLE
After leaving the Church ex-
priests Luther and Knox and lay-
man Henry did not abandon the
Bible which thj>y had reverfed
whilst still Catholics. Leaving
the Church, they took the Catho-
lic Bible with them, made certain'
revisions and finally presented
to the world the Klag JameB
Bible, which came to be accepted
by all sects of Protegtantg ag the
"Protestant Bible." It lg nothing
more than a copy of the Catholic
Bible as originally compiled by
the Catholic Church on her au-
thority and pregerved by her for
the world.
On a little card with the Gut-
enberg Bible in Washington
gome very ,' interesting Informa-
tion lg contained. The card states
that this Bible, the first ever
printed, for almost 500 years was
the property of the Roman Catho-
lic Church, being kept during
that time In the Catholic monas-
teries of St. Blase i* Germany
and St. Paul in Austria. In 1930
this treasure was indirectly ac-
quired by the government of the
United States from the Roman
Catholic Church.
QUESTIONS PROVOKED
The Information contained on
the card must indeed provoke
many questions In the minds of
visitors not of the Catholic faith
who see It. They must wonder
why the Catholic Church owned
the first Bible ever to be printed
in the world, since some of them
would think that the Catholic
Church and the Bible weren't
ever friends. Others might be
curious about how it was that no
Protestant Bible waB printed or
even circulated until ' almost
1600 years after the Bible
had been given to the
world. Still others would ask
themselves just who decided
which books should Ro Into the
Bible and which should not.
ST. JEROME WAS PRIEST
St. Jerome, mentioned on the
card as author of the translation
which the Gutenberg Hible printed
wus a Catholic priest who was or-
dained In Antioch and who lived
In Rome from 382 to 385 until he
moved to Bethlehem, where he
died In 420. His translation of the
Scriptures into Latin waB accept-
ed by the Catholic Church as the
official text of the Bible,
Since the information contain-
ed on the card with the Guten-
berg Bible in Washington is so
interesting, we will reproduce
here Its text:
TEXT IN WASHINGTON
"The Gutenberg Bible is the
first complete book printed in
Kurope from movable metal typ-
es. It is therefore a monument
which makes the turning point in
the art of a book making and con-
sequently in the transition from
the Middle Ages to the modern
world. Not only for these rea-
sons, but also because it is a
sumptuous example of the print-
ing art — with fine page ar-
rangement, noble type and rich
ink tones — it is universally re
cognized as one of the world's
greatest books.
"The printing of the Gutenberg
Bible was probably completed in
late 1455 at Mainz, Germany. Th«
name of the printer In nowhere
given in the book. However,
Johunn Gutenberg ( who lived
from about 1400 to about 1468))
is generally credited with being
its printer and therefore the in-
ventor of printing in Europe.
TEXT IB N LATIN
>•< >Tti« text ot ttye Gutenbetf:
■Bible {• -the LaUn translation
... ... • , • I.*. J-"
known ag the Vulgate, which wag
made by St. Jerome In th« fourth
century. Printed throughout In
double columns with 42 lines to
• page, it has red and blue capl-
tol letterg added by hand. The
three voiumeg are bound in white
pigskin which dates from the
sixteenth century.
"Printed entirely on vellum (a
fine parchment made of calfskin)
thig copy is one of the only three
complete vellum copies known to
exist. For nearly five centurieg
it was in the posgeasion of monks
if the Benedictine order In their
monasterieg of St. Blagiug in the
-Uack Forest and of St. Paul In
Corlnthla (Austria). In 1930 it
was acquired from the Augtrian
'Monastery by Dr. Otto Vollbehr
ind was in the same year
mrchased from him for the
Library of Congresg by a special
let of Congress."
Across the Btreet from the Li-
brary of Congress in Washington
stands the Capitol of these Unit-
ed States. For anyone a visit to
Congress Is always an interest-
ng experience. For me on Febru
iry 23, 1950 this was especially
rue.
CALL PAtftlijMgU, PATMAN
One of my reasons for stopping
n Washington, In addition to
'isltlug priest friends at the
'atholip University of America,
''«s to pay my respects to Wright
Patman, Congressman from the
Oistrict of Fast Texas. With Mr.
"atman I had had some corres-
pondence 1" the interest of fair-
lcss to all American children in
• he matter of proposals to distri-
bute safety and health benefits,
■to obviously connected with the
:hild and not with the type of
Vmerlcan school attended or reli-
gion possessed. Mr. Patman's
osltion in the matter was a ffne
American position. Essentially it
igreed wilh that of the Cardinal
Vrchbishop of New York. With
'ardlnal Spellnian Mr. Patman
upported tire view that under
lie Coustitution no funds could
>e asked for the operation or con-
struction of schools in which re
igion Is taught. But in the mat-
er of the distribution of bene
its not connected with the school
lut with the very life and health
>f the child Mr. Patman joined
he Cardinal in advocating that
ill American children be guarari-
eed these benefits. In a nutshell
lr. Patman did not support the
lotoiicus Burden Bill. Its most
iifamous provision, and the one
vhlcli caused fair-minded Ameri-
cans to defeat it, was its denial
o some children of recognized
child benefits simply because
they happened to exercise Amer-
ican freedom of religion and at-
tend a Catholic school.
HONOR OF GIVING PRAYER
Because of my correspondence
with Mr. Patman on the Barden
Bill, 1 took the opportunity af-
forded by my journey to Rome
to pay him a courtesy call in
Washington. Through his kind ar-
rangement the great honor was
it'forded me of opening a session
it the United States House of
representatives with prayer. Of
his certainly 1, an ordinary par-
sh priest from TexaB, could nev-
r be worthy! But nevertheless
hrough the klndnes of Represen-
ative Patman and House Chap-
lin Bernard Braskamp, a Pres-
byterian minister, I was afforded
be rare honor of leading one or
he world's most important legis-
ative bodies in prayer.
HAD THE POPE'S PRAYER
In my breviary I happened lo
'ave the special Holy Year pray-
r composed especially for the
loly Year by His Holiness, Pop«
'lus XII. Thrilled as I wag at
he honor of leading Congress In
rayer, I was even more thrilled
o know, that I would be respon-
ible during the historic Holy
>ar for the Holy Father's pray-
r being read In the halls of one
•f the greatest detyberatlve bod-
ies In the world.- «'■
With a bang of his gavel ft
ilstfoguisbed native son Of T> x
• ..... wr' .«*■ '
as, th e Hon. Sam Rayburn,
Speaker of the House, declared
Congreag to be officially In ses-
slon and then introduced me to
glv« the prayer. Speaking into a
microphone, I began the Holy
Fatber'g own words: "Almighty
and eternal God, with our whole
goul We thank thee for the great
gift of the Holy Year."
Looking out across the House
Chamber, I could see the heads
of the representatives of the
United States bowed In Prayer,
ind as I continued with the Holy
father's prayer my inner soul
hrilled with the knowledge that
'lere in America, no matter how
ar We had travelled down the
• oad of paganism, still at least in
he legislative halls of our nation
lally the presence and need of
God Is acknowledged.
OFFERED FOR PEACE
Standing at the place on the
ostrum where later Mr. Patman
old me the Presidents of the
United States stand to deliver
nelr messages to Congress, 1
continued slowly but emphatical-
y to. speak the words penned by
•hat ardent champion of peace,
H|S Holiness, the 261^ Blsfcop of
loflae. Rtos
■)r's prayer I offered for his in
ention, which is a return of
teace to the world.
Justly was 1 proud of the Hls-
oric Church as I heard my volet
varying to all parts of the house
chamber these beautiful passages
r<jm the prayer of the present
listlngulshed Vicar of Christ:
PAS8AGES FROM PRAYER
"May the Holy Year be for all
lie,n a year of purification and
tanctlfication, of interior life and
eparation, the year of the great
-eturn and of the great paidon
— May Thy grace enkindle In all
nen love for the many unfortun-
ite people, whom poverty and
nisery reduce to a condition of
life unworthy of human beings.
\rouse In the hearts of those who
•all thee father a hunger and
thrlst for social Justice and for
fraternal charity In deeds and in
truth. 'Grant, O Lord, Peace in
our days' — peace to souls, peace
to families, peace to our country,
peace among nations. M|iy the
rainbow of peace cover with the
sweep of its serene light the land
sanctiiied by the life and passion
of Thy Divine Son. God of all
consolation! Deep is our misery,
grave are our faults, countless
our needs. But greater still is our
trust In Thee. Conscious of our
unworthlness, we lovingly place
our lot in Thy hands, uniting our
weak prayers TO THE INTER-
CESSION AND THE MERITS
OF THE MOST GLORIOUS
VIRGIN MARY AND ALL THE
SAINTS. Grant to the sick, resig-
nation and health; to young men,
the strength that Is born of faith;
to young p-.'rls, the gift of purity;
to fathers, prosperity and bold-
ness for their families ;to > moth-
ers success In their mission of
rearing their children; to or-
phans, af'ectionate protection;
to the refugees and prisoners,
their fatherland, and to ALL
MEN THY GRACE, IN PRE
PARATION AND IN PLEPGE
OF THE UNENDING HAPP1
NESS OF HEAVEN. AMEN."
ROOSEVELT WAS COOL
The prayer finished, I stepped
down from the rostrum and was
escorted by Rep. Patmnn to a
seat near certain people in Con-
gress fnr whose views 1 have a
ong time had a great lack of
ympathy. To my right only a few
seats away was Helen Gahagan
Douglas, wife of actor Melvyn
Douglas, both too pro-Communist
in the past to suit me. Right be
hind me sat Eleanor's soil, Frank-
in D. Roosevelt, Jr. Though
many of the Congressmen near
me shook hands with me and ex
pressed comment on the beauty
of the Holy Father's prayer, FDR.
Jr. wa quite cool and didn't
bother to speak. If he had. I whs
going to inquire about the health
of his niothe- Perhaps' in my
mind too would bare been many
questions to ask fc'jn, ag for ex-
ample, why hla father wag always
so pro-Communist, allowing these
traitors to get insiae our Govern-
ment, etc., and why his mother
had to wait go long as recently
to find out that she shouldn't
have been so friendly to the
Reds, why she attacked Cardinal
Mindszenty, why she fqught th«
fair distribution to all American
children of welfare benefits, etc.,
etc. Rep. Roosevelt, however,
didn't bother to speak. So, of
course, I had no opportunity to
ask my questions. He was soon
busy any way talking to the left
of center Negro Congressman
Powell.
MR. BARDEN WAS OUT
I asked Mr. Patman to point
out to me Mr. Barden, the fam-
ous geot(eman from North Caro-
lina who ttiinKs -parent sof child-
xen In religious schools should
forfeit benefits given children as
children. The author of the Bar-
den Bill wag no*- present that day.
Mr. Marcantonlo, the Communist
member from New York, defeat-
ed only recently by anti-Red New
Yorkers, wag very much present.
As chaplain of the day Mr.
Patman explained to me that 1
had the "privilege of the floor"
for that day, i.e. I could sit any.
where in the House Chamber.
This privilege unfortunately I did
not get to use long, for I couldn't
even stay f o r the end
of the long roll call, as I had
to catch a train for New York.
STATUES OF 2 PRIESTS
IN HALL OF FAME NOTED
Before I left the Capitol build-
ing, however, I took time to take
pictures of the two Texans and
the two priests in the U. S. Hall
of Fume. As a Texan I was natu-
rally proud of the two great fig-
ures in Texas history whose sta-
I tues the Lone Star State has
placed In Congress, namely,
specifically as a prlegt, I wa
proud of my two fellow priests
(Continued on page 5, col. 1)
STATUE OF CATHOLIC PRIEST IN CONGRESS
Symbol of the patriotism of
American Catholics and the con-
tribution of their Church to this
great land, the statue of a great
Catholic prlegt stands today in
the halls of the Congress of the
United States. Pictured above
holding the crogg of Christ, ever
the symbol of Cathollcigm, lg
Padre Junlpero Serra, pioneer
Apoatle among the Indlang of
California and and a great early
dar American. , Because of- Ms
great holiness Father Serra -nay.
some day be canonized a saint
of the Church. At present, his
cause is under consideration In
Rome. Because of biB great con
tribution to the upbuilding of
this great nation the Sta:e of
California placed him in the U. S.
Hall of Honor In Washington,
D. C. Each state is given the hon-
or of placing twp of ltg,great men
there. By an unusual coincidence
father SeiYa h^.as hi, ce.it
door neighbor., anojhjer ,,, great
American *h0 founded the col-
>ny of Rhode Island, one of the
first in the U. S. to guarantee
religious freedom. He Ib R°Kel
Williams, founder of the Baptist
Church in t h e U. 8.. His sta-
tue-Is shown above at "the I®"-
At the right 1g the Inventor of
the steamboat the man respon-
Ible lor- the rise and decline of
•Jeffergon, Mr. Robert-Fulton °i
Ohio, Details on Father SWM ,1n
Congress) may> be Utound "els^here
in tbeae Pagfts flM&PPKRSONIAS
staff photo.)
< 8KJ
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O'Rourke, John G. The Jeffersonian (Jefferson, Tex.), Vol. 3, No. 5, Ed. 1 Monday, January 1, 1951, newspaper, January 1, 1951; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth293187/m1/4/?q=%22~1~1~1%22~1: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.