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THE CATHOLIC HOUR 4m lO&L

THE CHURCH AND DECENCY
. BY

VERY REV. MSGR. JOHN J. McCLAFFERTY
Executive Secretary, National Legion of Decency, New York City

The fifth in a series of nine addresses on THE CHURCH IN ACTION, de-
livered in the Catholic Hour, broadcast by the National Broadcasting Company,

in cooperation with the National Council of Catholic Men, on October 3, 1943.

National Council of Catholic Men

Washington, D. C.



THE CHURCH

FRIENDS:

These days as we* move toward

the decision of blood we hear much,

we read much, about decency. Ra-

dio, the press, and the film carry

the words of statesmen and na-

tional figures who aver that decency

should and must characterize the

actions of nations in the post-war

world—a decency stemming from
justice and charity—a decency is-
suing from respect of human dig-

nity and rights.

Decency is defined as propriety

in conduct, speech, manners, or

dress. That is decent which be-

comes, which befits, which is seem-

ly and suitable. Becomes what,

in these premises? Befits what?

The dignity of man.

It is heartening that statesmen

talk about decency in the affairs of

nations, that they appear really to

be interested in the furtherance of

decency in human affairs. They

and the people for whom they hold

the trust are being sorely tried by

the evils which indecencies have

spawned upon the world. The

Church has had, has, and will have

until the Church Militant has

gained the final Crown, a real true

concern with decency in all the

thoughts, words, actions, and af-

fairs of men. The Church would

have men decent in international

dealings, decent in national affairs,

tteactoi?!'

AND DECENCY

decent in civic, social, and economic

relations, decent in family life, and

decent in recreational and cultural

pursuits. In fine, the Church would

have man decent in all his relation-

ships, would have man always and

in all things live in accord with

the high calling of his dignity and

destiny.

The Church is interested in de-

cency because the Church is in-

terested in the moral law and in

man.

The Church, institution of God

founded by Christ, is solicitous for

the eternal welfare and for the

temporal welfare of man as that

temporal weal really conduces to

man’s spiritual well-being.

The moral law is the pathway

to man’s eternal happiness and to

his ordered and proper temporal

welfare. The moral law perfects

man and leads him to the ends

which belong to his nature: self-

preservation, propagation of his

kind and the upbringing of off-

spring, pursuit and attainment of

eternal truth and goodness in com-

mon with other men.

The Will of God for man is ex-

pressed in the moral law. “For

this the will of God, your sancti-

fication” (I Thess. 4:3). “God our

Savior, who will have all men to

be saved, and to come to the knowl-

edge of the truth” (I Tim. 2:3-4).



The moral law is founded not up-

on any human social compact, not

upon any shifting base of relativ-

ism, but upon a real order involving

the relationship of man to God, to

himself, and to his fellowman, a

relationship and order manifested

through man’s reason and God’s

revelation.

The Church is interested in man.

To man the Church extends the

Truth and Goodness of God. To

God the Church leads man.

Man, “this quintessence of dust,”

yet “how like an angel.” Man,

weighted with earth and flesh, yet

winged with thought and spirit.

Man, deprived by sin, ennobled by

grace. Man, sometimes unhappily

blind foolish servitor of Satan, yet

free creature and glorious child of

God. Man, compared in the words

of the Psalmist to the senseless

beasts and “become like to them”.

But, again in the words of David

“Man is a little lower than the an-

gels. Thou hast crowned him, 0

God, with glory and honor. Thou

hast set him over all the works of

Thy hands.”

Bundle of contradictions and con-

trarieties, arena of strife wherein

clash the forces of good and evil,

yet master of his own fate and

captain of his own soul. Look to

the challenge of God to man: “I

call heaven and earth to witness

this day, that I have set before

you life and death, blessing and

cursing. Choose therefore life that

both thou and thy seed may live”

(Deut. 30:19).

Man, puny against the power

and expanse of the universe, yet

special object of God’s infinite love.

God loved man enough to create

him to His own Image : “Let us

make 'man to our image and like-

ness” (Gen. 1:26). God loved man

enough to redeem him after he had

fallen: “God so loved the world, as

to give his only begotten Son”

{John 3 :16) . God loved man enough

to sanctify him: “Know you not,

that you are the temple of God, and

that the Spirit of God dwelleth in

you?” (I Cor. 3:16). God loved

man enough to lift him to the level

of a son in the Household of the

Father: “Behold what manner of

charity the Father has bestowed

upon us, that we should be called,

and should be the sons of God”

(I John 3:1).

God loved man enough to iden-

tify Himself in marvelous manner

with him : “As long as you did it

to one of these my least brethren,

you did it to me” {Matt. 25:40).

With dignity so sublime man is

designed for destiny commensu-

rate: “Come, ye blessed of my

Father, possess you the kingdom

prepared for you from the foun-

dation of the world” {Matt. 25:34).

The Church, interested in de-

cency because interested in the

moral law, in the dignity, welfare,



and destiny of man, has, within

our times through the voices of

Her Supreme Shepherds, the Vicars

of Christ, asserted with force and

clarity the dignity of man and that

the moral law governs all human

actions, activities, affairs and rela-

tions.

Benedict XV, of blessed memory,

and Pius XII now gloriously reign-

ing, have besought morality and

decency in the affairs of nations.

Leo XIII and Pius XI, both of

blessed memory, and Pius XII,

have appealed for morality and de-

cency in the social and economic

orders. They have opposed anarchy,

tyrannical collectivism, atheistic

communism, and racism. They have

upraided the exploitation of the

worker. They have pleaded for the

just distribution and control of

private property and national re-

sources, for a just family wage, for

equitable relationships between la-

bor and capital, and for the due ob-

servance of all human rights.

Pius XI in his encyclicals on

Christian Marriage and on Chris-

tian Education assailed the evils

that threaten the home and the

mind of the child, and stated with

vigor the Church’s position relative

to the nature and use of marriage

and .to the training of the young.

But, the realm of the internat-

ional, the sphere of the social and

the economic, the family hearth, do

not comprise the totality of human

relations. There remains the area

of cultural and recreational pur-

suits.

Over seven years ago Pius issued

the encyclical on motion pictures.

In this letter addressed to all the

bishops of the world Pius XI com-

mended the bishops of the United

States for their leadership in or-

ganizing the Legion of Decency as

an effort on the part of Catholics,

Protestants, and Jews, and all

high-minded persons, to recall the

film industry to its great moral re-

sponsibility and thus discourage the

production of motion pictures sub-

versive of the moral order. The
Holy Father asserted that to the

cinema must be applied the “su-

preme rule which must direct and

regulate even the highest art in

order that it may not find itself in
continual conflict with Christian

morality or even simply with hu-

man morality based upon natural
law*” “The essential purpose of
art,” Pius continued, “is to assist

in the perfecting of the moral per-

sonality which is man. For this

reason it (art) must itself be

moral.”

Pius would have the film not only

not serve the moral ruin of the

soul, but become a valuable auxili-

ary of instruction. He would have
the artistic and technical progress

of the cinema ordered to the Glory

of God, the salvation of souls, and



the extension of the Kingdom of

God on earth.

He counselled “unceasing univer-

sal vigilance” against the evil film,

and urged the bishops of the whole

world to unite in this vigilance.

He displayed an unusual insight

into and conversance with the uni-

que nature, extent, and power of

the film.

He stated that the motion pic-

ture has achieved “a position of

universal importance among mod-

ern means of diversion,” that “there

exists today no means of influenc-

ing the masses -more potent than

the cinema.”

He termed morally bad motion

pictures occasions of sin, seducing

young people along the ways of

evil, showing life under false light,

clouding ideals
;

destroying pure

love, respect for marriage, and af-

fection for the family; creating

prejudices among individuals, and

misunderstandings among nations,

social classes, and races.

He observed that films morally

good are capable of exercising a

profoundly moral influence by

arousing noble idehls of life, com-

municating valuable conceptions,

imparting better knowledge of his-

tory, presenting truth and virtue

under attractive forms, creating at

least the flavor of understanding

among nations, classes, and races,

championing the cause of justice,

giving new life to the claims of

virtue, and contributing positively

to the genesis of a just social order

in the world.

Thus Pius XI bespoke the in-

terest of the Church in decency in

motion picture entertainment, an

interest born of the Church’s in-

terest in the moral law and in man.

Thus did the Holy Father seek to

recall to ways of decency and mor-

ality, a potent medium of culture

and recreation. The medium, the

light of the screen — a powerful
light piercing the darkness of al-

most 17,000 theatres and touching

approximately 85,000,000 persons

weekly in the U. S. A.,—a penetrat-
ing light, reaching into souls, that

can cast shadows across souls as

well as screens, compounded of

light, shadow, color, movement,

sound and music — a persuasive
light moving individuals to good

or evil, moulding public opinion,

shaping popular tastes, customs,

and fancies, strengthening or weak-

ening standards of morality.

In the encyclical on motion pic-

tures Pius stated that “the Bishops

of the United States are determined

at all times and at all costs to safe-

guard the recreation of the people

in whatever form that recreation

may take.” The Bishops in the

words of Pius, “are under obliga-

tion to interest themselves in every

form of decent- and healthy recrea-

tion because they are responsible

before God for the moral welfare



of their people even during their

leisure. Their sacred calling con-

strains them to proclaim clearly

and opening that unhealthy and im-

pure entertainment destroys the

moral fibre of the nation.”

The Church, accordingly, has a

proper and necessary interest in

the recreation of her children. In

modern industrial society where

people labor under fatiguing and

monotonous conditions, recreation

in its manifold variety and expres-

sion has become a veritable neces-

sity. “But/’ to quote the thought

of Pius, this recreation “must be

worthy of the rational nature of

man and therefore morally healthy.

It must be elevated to the rank of

a positive factor for good, and must

seek to arouse a noble sentiment.”

To the nation Pius uttered this

challenging warning: “people who,

in time of repose, give themselves

to diversions which violate decency,

honor or morality; to recreations

which, especially to the young, con-

stitute occasions for sin, are in

grave danger of losing their great-

est, even their national power.”

The Bishops of the United

States, determined at all times and

at all costs to safeguard the re-

creation of their people in what-

ever form that recreation may take,

confronted with a polluting deluge

of indecent literature, organized in

December, 1938, the National Or-

ganization for Decent Literature

as a dam against this putrid flood.

The National Organization for De-

cent Literature periodically evalu-

ates current publications in terms

of decency, encourages newsdealers

to cooperative in the crusade for

decency in print, confers and coun-

sels with the publishers and distri-

butors of magazines.

The Archdiocese of New York,

within the confine of which are

produced the great majority of the

plays of the legitimate stage, has

for many years sponsored the Cath-

olic Theatre Movement to provide

moral guidance to theatregoers,

and to advise with producers and

playrights who in their good will

seek counsel.

The Church is interested in de-

cency because it is interested in the

moral law and in man. The Church

is concerned that decency and mor-

ality characterize all human ac-

tions, activities, affairs, and rela-

tionships, including recreational

and cultural pursuits. So the

Church, interested in the dignity,

the spiritual and temporal welfare

of man, and in recreation enhanc-

ing that dignity and welfare, would

have the cinema decent, the press

decent, and the stage decent. What

has been said with reference to

film, press, and stage may also be

said with reference to radio. The

Church would likewise have the

radio decent in both its auditory

and visual phases.



Our present Holy Father, Pius

XII, in his first encyclical, “Dark-

ness over the Earth,” cites the er-

rors and evils which have proceed-

ed from the poisoned well of the

neglect and repudiation of religion

and morality.

Unhappily and paradoxically, in

many instances in the past and in

some instances today, the light of

the screen has contributed to the

“Darkness over the Earth”. In

some instances footlights too have

blackened, the ink of presses has

thickened, and the glow of radio’s

electronic tubes has deepened, the

“Darkness over the Earth”.

Our Divine Lord has promised

that not even the gates of hell

could or would prevail over His

Church. Camera shutters, rising

curtains, shuttling presses, radio

waves, will then never prevail over

the Church—the Church interested
in decency, because interested in

the moral law, in man and his

total welfare.



THE CATHOLIC HOUR
1930—Fourteenth Year— 1943

The nationwide Catholic Hour was inaugurated

on March 2, 1930, by the National Council of Cath-

olic Men in cooperation with the National Broad-
casting Company and its associated stations. Radio

facilities are provided gratuitously by NBC and the
stations associated with it

;
the program is arranged

and produced by NCCM.

The Catholic Hour was begun on a network of

22 stations, and now carries its message of Catho-
lic truth on each Sunday of the year (and Good

Friday) through a number of stations varying from

90 to 107, situated in 40 states, the District of Colum-

bia, and Hawaii. Consisting of an address mainly

expository, by one or another of America’s leading

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usually by a unit of the Paulist Choir, the Catholic

Hour has distinguished itself as one of the most pop-

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A current average of 41,000 audience letters a month,
about twenty per cent of which come from listeners

of other faiths, gives some indication of it's popular-

ity and influence.

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