July 14, 1961 - Pope John XXIII appealed in an encyclical today for aid to underdeveloped areas without the creation of a "new form of colonialism" or the spread of materialistic "poison." The Pontiff also warned against the element of fear in today's changing world. Apparently alluding to conflicts between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, he said that leaders of nations were unable to understand one another because they were being inspired by radically opposed philosophies. "Each fears that the other harbors plans of conquest," he said. The Pope declared that nations must respect a moral order founded on God. He denounced as futile all attempts at creating a godless civilization.
