Date of Award
Summer 1949
Document Type
Thesis - Restricted
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Communication
Abstract
The late Holy Father, Pius XI, had a deep concern for the press and a keen interest in it that was revealed in many of the addresses made by him during his pontificate. The statements on the press by Pope Pius XI have been collected and published in French in a book entitled PIE XI et la Presse, Actes Pontificaux (1922-1936), Lettre de S. Em. Le Cardinal Baudrillart. This volume presents the words of the Holy Father in which he declares in what the press is weak and how it can strengthen its influence for good; in a word, it serves as a measuring stick for journalism. Like his predecessor, Pope Pius XII appears to take zealous interest in journalism. On several occasions he has spoken to newspapermen on their work. His statements have not been compiled and hence are not well known. The purpose of this thesis is to compile these statements of Pope Pius XII on the press and to analyze them. The Sources used may seem incomplete. With two or three exceptions the statements are translations. Most of these translations have been taken from Associated Press reports and N.C.W.C. news releases, and their sources are not given. However, comparison of the same statements as reported by various sources indicates the likelihood that there are no omissions. Some of these translations are only fragments of the addresses, but they apparently contain the major thought of the addresses. The material was gathered from the following papers: The New York Times; The London Catholic Herald; The N.C.W.C. News Service and Files; Post Reporter of St. Paul, Minnesota; The AN-T-IOLAR, the Standard of Dublin, Ireland; America of New York; The Tablet of London; Catholic Herald Citizen, archdiocesan organ of Milwaukee, Wisconsin; The Sunday Visitor of Huntington, Indiana; The Louisville Record, archdiocesan organ of Louisville, Kentucky; The Columbus Register of Columbus, Ohio; and pamphlets. These pronouncements cover the period from June 7, 1944 to June 13, 1947. No record was found by the writer of any published statement made by the Holy Father relative to the press during the first five years of his pontificate.
Recommended Citation
McGaughran, Frances Ann, "Papal Pronouncements of Pope Pius XII Relative to the Press" (1949). Master's Theses (1922-2009) Access restricted to Marquette Campus. 1742.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/theses/1742