OFFICIAL ORGAN OF TEl AR OHDIOCZ5Z OF PZEI,TH, Registered at the G.P.O., Perth, for transmission by post as a newspaper.
PERTH, WEDNESDAY. FEBRUARY 5, 1947.
NO. 2,269.
.Spain's Choice
MST ABLISHZD 1874.
'PHONIC B0950 450 Hay Street,
Perth. Box A35, G.P.O., Perth.
PRICE THREEPENCE.
SEVENTY-FOURTH YEAR.
Anti-4Clericals Demand
From Franco or Sovietism Pope's Departure Rome
French Reds Aim to Enthrone Kremlin Allies' Fatal Dalliance With Last Hope of Europe
Remarkable Catholic Reaction Latest move in Rome's
anti-
clerical campaign is a demand that the Holy Father should leave Rome. Replying to this, the Vatican Radio declares that were he to do so, the whole glory of the city would be dimmed. "Ever since the coming of Christ," said the Vatican speakEt ROSS J. S. HOFFMAN, in "The Catholic Weekly, Sydney. er, "the Pope and Christian civilisation have been Rome's great l'rofessor Ross J. Hoffman, the author of this article, is head of beaocn light." the Department of History, For dham University Graduate The anti -clerical spokesmen School. He recently returned from a visit to Spain, where he support their demand by a camconferred with many persons in u nisersity and the government paign of calumny against the circles. In addition to being a frequent contributor to popular Pope. One of the assertions is and scientific publications, Professor Hoffman is the author of that part of the money given "The Organic State," the Great Republic," "Durable Peace," during the war to the homeless and other works. Born in Pennsylvania, in 1902, Professor and foodless was State money. Hoffman is a past president of the. Catholic Historical AssociaCompletely false figures have tion. been published in an attempt to substantiate this statement. VatiOn November 8, 1942, a letter the following (December 27, can Radio points out that of from the President of the United 1943) to the Spanish Foreign £422,000 given by the Pope to States, explaining the purpose Minister: war victims, only about £21,000 of the American military inva" . . the fact that Russia is was given by the State. sion of North Africa, was hand- obtaining from the United States It may be recalled that for a and Great Britain very imported to Generalissimo Franco. long period the Holy Father's assistance in the successful same high political strategy; relief work was subsidised from "Spain," wrote Mr. Roosevelt, ant Catholic Demonstrations. "has nothing to fear from the waging of its defensive war, and! from Madrid to Trieste, Athens, his private funds plus the conThe recent' demonstration of United Nations," and he signed that Russia will require their Ankara, and Teheran the details tributions received from Catho- loyalty himself "your sincere friend." continuing assistance in the gi- of the Russian operation can be lics in many countries, notably Square by 250,000 in St. Peter's has not been without its recon- plainly discerned. According to the American Am- gantic postwar task of America. Later came an arranAnd France exhibits a similar gement by which the Italian effect on the anti -clericals. Much bassador, Cartlon J. H. Hayes, struction and rehabilitating its After 1815 State, the Red Cross, and the newsprint has been used in efwho presented the letter, Gen- own extensively devastated coun- historical parallel. e,al Franco "expressed apprecia- try, this fact is a kind of insur- she found herself, as she finds Vatican agreed to share certain forts to explain it away or to condemn it outright. ance against Russia's "L'A van breaking herself to -day, reduced in Eu- responsibilities jointly. tion of the Allied guarantees, ti' criticised the Pope for apand said that he accepted them." with the Allies or pursuing pol- rope, shut out of Germany and icies repugnant to them or to Italy, and, therefore tempted to Lateran Treaty Attacked. pearing at the meeting, declarAt that time the Franco Gov- the principles of the Atlantic invade Spain; Another demand by the anti - ing, with a peculiar absence of which, at length, ernment, which, in part, owed its Charter." she did (in 1823) with the moral clericals is for the revision of logic. that such an action reducexistence to aid given by GerIf the Ambassador's words support of Russia and the Holy the Lateran Treaty (whose re- ed the meeting to the level of many during the Spanish civil Vatican The event aroused tention has been safeguarded so a political gathering. war, was actually assisting the were not a promise destined to Alliance. British to warlike anger, and far by the sub -committee fram- Radio replies: "People forget latter's military effort against be broken, they can at least be the ing the Italian Constitution). that the Vicar of Christ, throughthe threat of extending the acsaid to represent an unfulfilled the Soviet Union. The Spanish the Treaty's modifica- out the centuries, has appeared Among its many tion's scope to Spanish America Urging official position was ambiguous prophecy. only evoked the Monroe Doc- tion, Signor Lelio Basso, writing to crowds and no one has attriand difficult. German influence violations of the principles of the not newspaper, buted any political significance Socialist trine in the United States, but it: the was powerful in the country, es- Atlantic Charter has been the inspired that the to His appearances. It is the British support of Span- "Avanti," declares pecially since Hitler's army had Soviet Union's persistent cam- ish was agreement contracted by a old cry of 'wolf.' The attackers American independence arrived at the Pyrenees in 1940. paign to provoke a revolution- movements. Fascist State which could not in- now say they are attacked. All ary political change in Spain. terpret accurately the senti- these anti -religious demonstraavoided being Russia desires not only venFranco had It was an immense world ments of the Italian people. drawn into Germany's war again- geance, but the exploitation for crisis tions give further proof of the in which George Canning, "The Treaty," continues Basso, duty to deferd the ancestral st Great Britain, and for this revolutionary purposes of the British Foreign Secretary, spoke "contains clauses not in har- faith of the Italians and policy he had strong public sup- large store of ideological fanat- of "calling in the new the to mony with the Italian Constitu- Christian port, but Hitler's war against icism which the Spanish Com- redress the balance of world civilisation of Italy, old." tion." Naturally, Basso's chief outside party politics." the U.S.S.R. was viewed in Spain munists possess. More impost- A Russian -baked Frenchthe interas a very different matter, many ant still, the Kremlin desires a vention in Spain (which is the structures are directed against Catholics are continuing to patriotic Spaniards sincerely re- "Russian Government" in Spain, specific danger in the present so- the position of religious educa- manifest publicly in Rome their garding it as a crusade against which can threaten to close the called Spanish question) in our tion and against the fact that loyalty to the Supreme Pontiff. atheistic Bolshevism which, they Western Mediterranean against times would. no doubt, produce the Catholic religion is the reli- Last week Catholic Youth orbelieved, was responsible for the British and American naval a crisis of even greater dimen- gion of the State. On Article ganisations gathered in St. 26, which provides for the teach- Peter's Square, catastrophe that had overtaken power. sions. where they maring of Catholic doctrine in State their country in 1986. So far, these goals have not All this is probably realised by schools, Basso says: "We believe shelled in procession and walked to the Viminale. There they Spain was, therefore, virtually been attained, but headway to- the American State Department, that this agreement prevents a: war with Russia, and yet, wards them has been made. The and yet the American people true accord between the demo- were addressed by the secretaryA. ven as she had abstained from French Communists, who derive have allowed themselves repeat- cratic Italian Republic and the general of Catholic Action. positive acts of injury against their ideas of foreign policy edly to be manoeuvred in a man- Church, and should be revised resolution asking the Government to put a stop to the utterrest Britain when it was in her from Moscow, are close to hav- ner contrary to their own inter- without delay. The Church power to do them in 1940-1942, ing the Fourth Republic in their est and security. instead of should understand that when it ances of the anti -clerical press su she now abstained from em- grasp; and they would like developing the friendly relations acts in this way it plays into the was later handed in to the Prime barrassing the war efforts of the nothing better than to send an with Spain which served the hands of those who seek to em- Minister's office. Crucial Struggle. Western Powers against the army through the Pyrenees to United States so well during the bitter the relations between Italy Axis. In a broadcast to the Italian Little by little, as the assist a rising against Franco. war, they became publicly hos- and the Vatican." people, Vatican Radio said that fortunes of war and the dictates Small, irregular forces, in fact, tile to the Spanish Government the the travail The offensive against of prudence changed, she loosen- have already made repeated in- after the retirement of Ambasof mankind was was carried on on another "rooted in the growing tide of Church ed her ties with Germany and cursions for this purpose. sador Hayes and the death of front by Signor Roger Maccari, pride and anti made new ones with the Western -Christianity." The President AmbassaRoosevelt. To the historian nothing in all "Polio," speaker added: Powers, until by the end of 1944 this is very surprising, for Rus- dor Armour was recalled home editor of thea weekly, attack on made general her diplomatic attitude could be sian policy to -day resembles that in 1945, and no successor was who clergy. "It is the hour of struggle for For this he has The' the characterised by the U.S. Ambas- of Czar Alexander I. after the named for that position. to two years' im- Christ and the Church. No one sador as one of benevolent neu- downfall of Napoleonic France. recent U.N.O. decision withdrew been sentenced must lag behind unless he wishes "for insulting the retrality. America's prisonment Ambassadors. He sought to establish his dip- all ligion of the State." Maccari, in to be branded a traitor to his grdat mawartime diplomatic The time has come for During the years of that tran- lomatic ascendancy at both Paris his defence, claimed that he had faith. sition the United States demand- sad Madrid, to link the restored chinery for promoting its econo- no intention of offending the re- every Catholic to free men from ed much of Spain, including a Bourbon courts in alliance, and mic interests and maintaining ligious feelings of others, but the cult of materialism and lead modification of her unfriendly at- to attach them politically to Rus- political prestige in Spain was wished only to censure those of them back to God. It is up to President Truman titude toward the Soviet Union. sia. So might he be able to bar dismantled. the clergy who meddled in poli- each one of us to show the inWith reluctance and misgivings, the British Navy from the Med- gratuitously insulted the head of tics. This, of course, is the ar- credulous and the sceptical that Spanish State, and the Unitthe Spain made concessions even to iterranean, and isolate the Otgument that Hitler used, as Christianity can solve all mathis demand, but not until after toman Empire. To -day we see ed States followed the Soviet Stalin is using to -day, to cover terial and spiritual anguish." (Continued on Page 12.) Ambassador Hayes had written a different ideology, but the persecution of the Church. (Continued on Page 12.) .
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