Congo bishops call for unity

`TE DEUM' FOR
INDEPENDENCE
THE bells of all the churches of the new Congo Republic rang out at 11 a.m. on Thursday last week to greet the country's independence which at that moment was being proclaimed by King Baudouin of the Belgians in Leopoldville's Patois des Nations.
The ceremonies began with a solemn Te Deunt sung by Archbishop Scalais, C.I.C.M., of Leopoldville in the capital's church of Our Lady in the presence of the papal legate, Archbishop Sigismondi, King Baudouin, M. Joseph Kasavubu, President of the new republic, M. Patrice Lumumba, the Prime Minister, and M. Gaston Eyskens, the Prime Minister of Belgium.
THE POPE
The archbishop, who greeted M. Kasavubu at the church door, assured him that the Church in the Congo wished to unite its efforts with those of the civil power to assure the greatest possible wellbeing of the country's inhabitants.
In a French-language address broadcast by Vatican Radio, Pope John greeted the Congo's acquisition of independence. "It is a great satisfaction to see the acquisition of sovereignty progressively realised," he said. "The Church rejoices and trusts the will of the young states to take the place they deserve in the community of nations "It is a gracious custom of ours to exchange gifts as a sign of agreement. To those who have
brought you the Catholic faith or transmitted to you the benefits of civilisation you will endeavour to give in exchange your friendship and to manifest it with a loyal and fruitful collaboration."
In a joint pastoral letter the 41 bishops of the Congo greet the coming of independence and speak approvingly of the "well-justified pride" and joy that this arouses. They also remind Congolese Catholics of the respect that is necessary for mutual rights and well-being and the loyal co-operation needed between Church and State.
Catholics are also exhorted to obedience towards those responsible for public order, and the people of the Congo are called upon "to follow the command of Christian love of one's neighbour across all the differences of race and tribe" The tribal conflicts that continue to plague the new State are commented on by the bishops with the quotation from the Gospel; "Every kingdom divided against itself shall be brought to desolation, and house upon house shall fall."
The letter ends by asking that the joy felt at independence may extinguish these "last traces of disunity"