New Britain herald., 1924-02-01
PRIEST WRITES ON
 ITALIAN LEADERS
Father Sullivan Author of Article
 on Papini and MusSolini

| -
 l In the current issue Of the Con.
 necticut Magazine" issued today. ii Mussolini by Rev. J. Leo Sullivan
 curate at St. Joseph's church. The
 artiile follows:
 1 Two of the outstanding characters i in the world of Politics and Letters l today are Mussolini and Papini. Symbolical indeed are these super
 mon of the position Italy is taking
 in the front ranks of the Great Ma tions. Italy today shares with the United States, England and France,
 the proud position of one of the lead
 affairs.
 No longer os she a second rate power; since the war, under the guild ance of Mussolini she has slowly but
 surely forged to the front.
 There is no statcmanship in Eng
 land or France today: no political
 Colossus since Lloyd George and
 Clemenceau stepped from the stage
 of political affairs.
 Mussolini, alone like Napoleon or
 Roosevelt, struts across the arena
 destinies of Itaiy's ship-of-state, we
 instinctively feel that a great captain
 is at the helm.
 The reason I chose these two
 world renowned characters, as a subject for this article. is because I
 believe that they are the personiflca- tion of a great movement of the Ital- Han people back to that church which has furnished the ideals and kept alive the inspiration for Italy's high ranks in the domain of the arts and sciences and literature.
 It is quite true, that for some years past, modern Italy, has been more or less indifferent to the great and an- ciert church in her midst. Tn many cases we find an open hostility as this and that anti Christian bloc grasp the reins of government. Since the unification of Italy in the seventies, church and state have been on anything but friendly terms. In fact many patriotic Italians felt that loyalty to their country meant oppo- sitfoH UT tptdi toWafu tit church. Describing the reason why Papini wrote his Life of Christ. tStoria di Cristo) says. Tt was to lead his people back to the living God, back to the church." "Italy today Is largely either socialistic or mater or frankly frivolous"
 August Bellanca, member of the national executive board of the Amal- ,amatod Clothing Workers of Ameri- 1 "a, and director of the Union bank in | New lo. .. after an extended trip to | italy had thus to say of Mossolini:
 He was, some years ago, violently | His writings. then l were strong tirades against the l He was even deported from switzerland, after making public | demonstration of trampling upon the l -rucifix."
 Papini in his younger days was in- | feed no defender of the Faith, in fact | he is described by the same authority | cited above, Henry James Torman, Is "a hater rather than a lover of his | ttheist, nihilist." After years of tur- ,ulence, and atheism, Papini here urns to the simple faith of Christ"
 Papini says of his own recent spir- tual experience, T was induced to ake up the Gospels. once more, after laving re-read Tolstoy and Dostoy- vsky and under the influence of the far. In 1917-1913 I studied the his- ory Of all the races on the earth nd became convinced that the sole olution of the evil of the world is he transformation of the human ouls, and that this cannot be brought Bout, except by means of religion; nd that the most perfect and suit ble is that taught by Jesus Christ. n 1910 I began to write my book, nd in writing it, became more per laded than ever of the truth of the l. ospels, and of the divinity Of Christ. , I 1920 Christ led me to the church."
 This great book, the Life of Christ : Storia di Cristo,) admitted by re- . ewers to be the masterpieces til capo ' .voro) of the century was as Papini ' lys for those who are outside the iurch of Christ.
 Mussolini's conversion was just as ldden, just as dramatic as Papini's. i. he thunderbolt of Divine Grace z ruck him just as it did Papini and :. Paul and tranformed all three in-
 ardent apostles of the faith. Listen to the interview of the dic- tor with Robert Wallez. professor {.
 the Commercial and Consular :, igh school Of Mons, official investi- {, tor of the Belgian government :, l the religious moral. political and :, onomic situation of new Italy. 4. "Exceliency. Belgium is not a little .f tion. She is great nation, by her 7, clinical power. by her civic energy, 4,
 her sense of honor. the ID By the quality and activity Of ., r Catholicism" interrupted Musso- Y. il. y, x Mir. Wallez then proceeded to state so at Belgium needed a strong policy. - { could conduct such a policy only ns