a.,
OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF PERTH,
ESTABLISHED 1874. 'PHONE B6960 450 Hay Street,
Registered at the G.P.O., Perth, for transmission by post as a newspaper. NO. 2,247.
PERTH, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER
4, 1946.
PRICE THREEPENCE
Perth, Box A35, G.P.O., Perth.
SEVENTY-THIRD YEAR
Catholics in Austria's Political Scene How Nazi Oppression Strengthened the Faith dropped the word "democratic members collective bargaining and attitude of the Austrian Comjust at a time when, after the de- the vast field of labour legisla- munisas if a Communist Germany feat of Fascism, the slogan "de- tion, to which the socialist -inspir- emerged. With regard to socialisation of mocracy" became a recommenda- ed trade unions contributed much, tion. After the unfortunate trou- although it should never be for- industries, the present attitude of ble between the Dollfuss Govern- gotten that the majority of these the Austrian Socialists is much the more radical than in the past. while By HANS PITTIONI, in 'Amer- chance of establishing an outspok- ment and the Austrian Socialists laws were enacted not are they en Catholic party after liberation. in 1934, an authoritarian regime Christian Social majority party Nevertheless ica." It was the con- unconditional supporters of a genAllied leaflets and radio propagan- was established and all political was in power. The radical fidence in the well-known leaders, eral nationalisation programme as da had always referred to "Catho- parties abolished. new party name, are their fellows to the left, the More than ninety per cent. of lics," "Socialists" and "Commun- elements of the Social Democrats but not the This is explained the political went underground and founded which kept the socialist vote on Communists. the Austrians are Catholics. This ists" to identify the party of the "Austrian Revo- an even level. by the greater political responsidoes not mean that all of them groups during the struggle. When This group There is. however, one notewor- bility of the Socialists in the Ausare practising Catholics, nor does the Russians entered Vienna and lutionary Socialists the Aus- thy exception: while socialist lab- trian government. it mean that the present majority political Committees were form - took an active part in our remained loyal, it was the One thing is certain: The anti party, the Austrian People's Party, ed, the new authorities demand Socialist - Marxian intelligentsia religious policy of the left-wing is a "Catholic' party in the strict ed that Catholics --not politicians which changed over to the Com- parties in Austria has lost its agAs in most of the defunct Christian Social sense of the word. munists. This was particularly gressiveness to a certain degree. represented be European countries Party-should of the old obvious in Vienna during the first The Socialists favour the continuwhere Catholicism constitutes an along with Communists and So months of liberation. when the ation of the Nazi -introduced obliintegral part of the nation's his- cialists. Communists were the favourites gatory civil marriage, the eliminatory and tradition, Catholicism is The Catholics, however, prefer of the Russian occupants. tion of compulsory teaching of rematopportunity. red to forego this ecclesiasaical an merely not Communists and Socialists are ligion in public schools and the ter, but a national characteristic. Neither did they establish an offithe denominational Each party closing of very much at odds. This tendency is reflected in cial liaison with the only non accuses the other of high treason schools, but they are careful not many spheres, even in non-Catho- Marxists majority party, called the The So- to attack the Church. Whether against the proletariat. No member of lie groups and institutions; and it People's Party. cialists contend that only Com- this represents a real change of is in this sense that "Catholic" the clergy holds a public officemunist separatism assured the heart or is just political strategy, inseparable and this in a country where, in and "Austrian" are People's Party of its victory in the whether this new attitude is sinThat this prevailing Ca- the not -too-distant past of the terms. Communists, on cere and reflects the esteem won last elections. tholic tendency does not always monarchy, many members of the the other hand, blame the Social- by the loyal behaviour of Cathoimply an active religious life must hierarchy were ex officio seated in ists for their past 'Anschluss" pol- lics in SS pri ons and concentrabe clearly understood because, the Upper House, like the Lord icy, although no one can say what tion camps, only the future will while a large portion of the Aus- Bishops of the Church of England would happen to the "nationalist" tell. where Lords, and of the House in practise and profess people trian their Catholic religion, not all prelates like the late Msgr. Seipel who are baptised and brought up or the present Cardinal Archhisas Catholics are active members hop of Vienna, Dr. Innitzer, servThe majority of ed at times in the highest cabinet of the Church. the Austrian Socialists remain offices of the republic. The reason for this change in "Catholics" in name, and did so "The situation in Yugoslavia re- tern to the point where he was no even during the campaign of anti- the political thinking of Catholic flects the vicious harvest which longer a free agent. religious propaganda conducted by Austrians lies in the growing reacomes from the appeasement poliConsensus of opinion is that, their party, after the First World lisation that revival of religious cies. ."-Quoted from the United having committed as many crimes War: only a small minority re- life can make outstanding proStates Congress report on Tito. as he had, he must now play the CARDINAL INNITZER sponded and left the Church. Of gress when completely divorced game for all that it is worth bethe most militant opponents of the from party strife. The Church -served in the highest cabinet Tito cause it was impossible to turn In Yugoslavia, Marshal offices. Church only a few ever went so has paid heavily in the past for supreme to-day, says the back. reigns far as to sever ties with Catholic- the mistakes of so-called "devout report. We found him, as well It can be counted upon that And the trian resistance movement against Catholic politicians.' ism. as the other officials of Yugosla- Tito wil continue to put his lot This attitude is not logical: to present political deals between all the Nazi regime. but even with the Russians, since, The crisis came after the libera- via, to be able, personable, overlook it, however, may lead to parties, like the truce on ques The activists pleaded for highly opinionated and determin- though he might desire to liberalThis is what tions of marriage law, do not in tion. false conclusions. are ruling ed individuals. They socialism; ise policies and adopt the metthey the Nazis found when, after the vite Catholic participation in poli- revolutionary the hods of the Western democracies, blamed the compromising attitude Yugoslavia as completely as annexation in 1938, they started tics. Russia. he has gone too far with Communrule of Kremlin men the an avalanche of propaganda and The disadvantage of such an ab- of many of their old comrades for Tito has the voluntary support of order pressure to bring about mass stension-namely, that the ab- having lived through the authori- perhaps 15 to 19 per cent, of the ism for too long a time in to apostasy. They withdrew finan- sence of a Catholic party mar tarian and Nazi regimes without people of the cities and from five to be able with personal safety attitude." his cial support from the Church and offer an opportunity to other par great difficulty, and for having per cent. down to zero per cent. of himself to alter in situation the the whole, introduced ,instead, a special tax, ties to solicit the vote of Catho- turned the old party into an al- the people in the villages and on On Yugoslavia reflects the vicious harbourgeois faction. The would lies, as was attempted by the most hoping that the people 700,the farms. With an army of rather leave the Church than pay Communists at the recent general more moderate groups, on the 000 or 800,000 men, and strong de- vest which comes from the apUnitthis not inconsiderable levy. Not elections-does not count too other hand, feared that the radi- tachrrnents of troops carrying sub- peasement policies which the ed States has been following with The Austrian Catholics, cals would abandon the party and only' did most of the Austrians heavily. through marching machine-guns pay their Church tax as a wel- with their newly expanded "Actio join the Communists if no new the streets of 'Belgrade and posted regard to Russia ever since the days of Yalta, and perhaps before. ct,...e demonstration against Nazi Catholics," their large denomina- party set-up could be found. The before all public as What is true of Yugoslavia is buildings domination, but people who had tional organisations, their "Cari- result was a typical Austrian solu- guards, he is able to maintain orequally true of Poland, Czechosloonly nominally belonged to the tas" as the most important of the tion: the Austrian Socialist Party. der and maintain his postion. vakia, Hungary, Rumania and.BulIt is astonishing that the SocialChurch now paid the tax and re- official domestic -relief organisagaria, to say nothing of the brave slimed active religious participa- tions, etc., constitute so essential ist Party leaders showed such Agent. a Free Longer No little Baltic nations and other tion in the life of the Church. an element of public life that they misunderstanding of Austrian menAn interesting sidelight on the countries in this region of the Never in recent years was there cannot be disregarded by any poli- tality as to emphasise the new If they name; the broad masses are at position of Marshal Tito was given world. so high a level of active Catholic deal faction or party. citizen of Yugoslavia is to-day a Communlife as during the Nazi domination. succeed in intensifying the religi. present neither radical nor revolu- by a prominent private This increased with the years. Peo- ous revival and in overcoming anti- tionary. The more the Commun- Yugoslavia who holds no position istic State. Tito has imposed upon We asked the flag of Yugoslavia the insigne ple who first had yielded to Nazi religious sentiments-which are ists press for radicalism, the less in the Government. pressure and propaganda return- now mostly under cover-Austria can the Socialists keep pace, be- him, "Is Tito a stooge of Russia, of the hammer and the sickle and are ed to the Church even at the risk will remain the Catholic country cause the majority of their adher- or is he willingly co-operating with his comparatively vast armies His reply was, "A uniformed much Isle the Rusof persecution, particularly in 1942 she has been known to be for ents want, above all, order and the Russians?' a wearing economic security. The party of little of both," and he explained sians, with each soldier and 194.3. The Nazis poured their centuries. conwrath on them, while at the same Another question of present-day Renner, Koerner, Seitz. etc., would as follows: "It must be remem- cap decorated by a red star in taining the hammer and sickle. time the Church applied tricter Austria concerns the left-wing par not have lost a single vote, had bered that Tito had studied In our opinion the U.S. GovernThe "Austrian Socialist the candidates run under the old Russia, had fought in the Russian measures than before to make ties. a Com- ment acted too hastily and with sure that the return was motivat- Part" is successor to the Social banner of the Social Democratic Army, and had long been Democratic Labour Party of pre- Labour Party. The smashing de- munist Party worker and leader, too little information in officially ed by genuine intentions. It was not feat of the Communists is a clear and that now he had become part recognising the regime of Marshal Considering all this, Catholic Dollfuss Austria. groups would have had a good without reason that the party proof of this. Austrian labour re- of the great International Comin Tito.
Religious Life Divorced From Party Strife
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Vicious Harvest of Appeasement .
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