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NO. 2,865.
Benedictine Iletonk Saw Outbreak Civil War
the Viminale on MonRev. day returned Arza. Father Paul 0.S.B., from Rome. Dom Paul. who is a member of the Benedictine Community of New Nurcia. was sent abroad four years ago for higher studies. Until June, 1936. he had been at the International College of St. .\.nselin in Rome reading for the degree of Canon Law. In pursuance of his thesis for the completion of the course, he went, in July. 1936, to the Monastery of Three days alit' Montserrat. his arrival the Civil War broke out.
July Horrors in Barcelona
The Montserrat Community were for some time ignorant of what was going on in Barcelona. as the communications had been Anticipating trouble. howcut. ever, the monks spent one night The next morning-. in a cave. w hen the Reds arrived. they had special orders from the Government not to do any damage but to take possession of the Monastery. and to send the monks away. All the monks. except a few who were sick, Were taken to Along the route Barcelona. they were several times threatened with firearms, but arrived safeBeing a British subject. ly. Dom Paul went to see the British Consul. e'who provided him with e very facility to leave the country. He left for Marseilles on a British destroyer. on July 27. 1936 with sonic 400 other refugees. English. Swiss and American. who had been in Barcelona in busines .
REV. DONE PAUL, 0.S.B • contrasts the normality of life in Franco's territory with the anarchy in that held by Government forces. 74"4111.12MEDIE00114EIKNI=I4IXIMMICED
ed in a trench called Rabasda, Many were outside Barcelona. terribly mutilated, hanging and
burning with petrol being common forms of execution. Questioned regarding his stu„lies, Father Paul said that his !uggage had been left in Barce!ona at the house of a friend. When the Reds searched the house they examined the luggage and confiscated his notes. probably thinking they might be political documents \vhich would be compromising. Thus the research of two years was lost. In September. 1936. Dom Paul returned to Spain through Navarre. t o visit his family, who live in • that province. During a month there. he wa struck by the normality of life in Franco's lines in c ontrast with the anarchy among the Reds, and said that it was mainly the workers who supported Franco. Everywhere there was confident hope of victory. Fate of the Monks. As to the fate of the rest of the M ontserrat Community. Dom Paul said that some had escaped in lay dress to their families. But at least 30 had been discovered and assassinated. The 'Monastery, though in the hands of the Reds, had not been damaged. as it was regarded by Catalonians a great work of architecture. Pre:, mice Azana had staved there for a time. Dom Paul returned to New Norcia on Wednesday. where he will c omplete his thesis for the doctorate.
Red Fury.
'RICE
ii the three days in Barcelona prior to his departure. Father Caul witnessed sonic harrowing The revolution broke sights. Between an on a Saturday. that time and the following Monv all the churches of Barcelona Father Paul ‘,.ere burnt down. w itnessed these incendiary outHe also saw the bodies bursts. nuns which had been disinterred. propped up in the doorways t :f the ruined chinches. He was told that at the beginning of the -evolution between 200 and 300 lien. women and children were At first the daily put to death bodies were buried in the ceme. cry. but finally they were heap-
The famed Monastery at Montserrat which has been in Red hands since the first days of the Civil War.
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