1960s Timeline

Apr. 16, 1962 - Three segregationists have been excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church for attempting to “provoke” opposition to integration of church schools. The sentence of excommunication was published today on the orders of the Most Rev. Joseph Francis Rummel, Archbishop of New Orleans for 27 years. It marked his first use of this most serious of church penalties. Those affected are Leander H. Perez Sr., president of the Plaquemines Parish Council; Jackson G. Rica

Sept. 16, 1961 - A large-scale round-up of Roman Catholic priests has taken place in Havana in the last two days. There are no precise figures, but roughly 100 priests have been arrested. The Government will deport some, if not all, of these. In another development, the execution of six persons in various parts of Cuba for participation in armed seditious activity was announced. Ninety-one received prison terms ranging from one to thirty years. The new executions bring to 16

Sept. 12, 1961 - The Cuban Government launched a fresh attack against the Roman Catholic Church today. It accused priests and nuns of plotting to overthrow the regime of Fidel Castro and charged that the clergy was acting as an agent for U.S. intelligence. The attack was made in a communiqué by the Interior Ministry. The move was foreshadowed by denunciations of the clergy by newspapers, radio stations, and groups of Castro supporters in the wake of Sunday's anti-Communist de

Sept. 10, 1961 - Pope John XXIII called on the leaders of the East and West today to negotiate their differences and remove the threat of war that hangs over the world. The Pope urged the leaders to "face squarely the tremendous responsibilities they bear before the tribunal of history and, what is more, before the judgment of God." Pope John ended his appeal by asking all believers to pray for peace, saying, "Let us pray with one another and for one another and for all the s

Aug. 15, 1961 - President Kennedy attended the noon mass today at St. Matthew's Cathedral in Washington. Today is the Feast of the Assumption in the Roman Catholic Church. It is a holy day of obligation, meaning that Catholics are obliged to attend mass. Mr. Kennedy went to St. Matthews without any prior announcement that he would be present, but a crowd was on hand when he arrived. He acknowledged restrained cheers with a smile and a wave of his hand. #JFK #democrat #democra

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. "E