Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-05
POPE HOLDS DUCE'S
SPEECH HERET|CAL
Explains Position Relative to
Lateran AcCords in Let
ter to Cardinal.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
VATICAN CITY, June 5.-The Os-
servatore Romano, publishes this eve
ming an open letter from the Pope to
Cardinal Gasparri relative to the
Lateran accords, in which his holiness
deplores worse than heretical express
sions as to the very essence Of Christian
ity and Catholicism" in speeches of
Premier Mussolini to the Italian Cham
Der and Senate.
Pontiff Explains Position.
The letter contains a complete ex-
position Of the Pontiff'S position with
regard to the Duce'S speeches advocat-
in the Chamber May 13 and in the
Senate May rs.
I'VE least of all expected heretical
and worse than heretical expressions as
TO the very essence of Christianity and
Catholicism" his holiness declared in
the letter to Cardinal Gasparri
There has been an attempt to REM
edy this, but it does not seem to us to
have met with full success" the Pope
commented on the prenier's speeches.
Distinguishing between historical
d4AO NONOl nAdl d4lI "Oulu DC III
the manner of the worst and most con-
demnable modernism" continued the
Pontif in reference to the speech in
the Senate on May Is.
THE divine mandate TO all peoples
antedates the calling of ST. Paul; be-
fore that, there was the mandate Of ST.
Peter to the Gentiles."
Defends Church Doctrines.
The Pontiff continued by defending
the doctrine of the universally of the
church and refuting Premier MussoliniS
implied thesis that it was Rome which
saved Christianity and not Christianity
the Roman Empire.
BY implication, the Pope declared
that the Duce was badly inspired to
cite Mgr. Duchesne's book, The History
of the Ancient Church." which has been
on the Index since 1912.
Premier Mussolini should not have
apologized for citing the French au-
thor, on the grounds that Italian Cath
olic writers had not been fecund dur
ing the past so years. the Pope con-
tinued, but without specifically naming
Mussolini. x.t wllH
ITO say thus in justification that
italian Catholicism is not fecund dur
ing certain period and that intellec-
tual production in that field must be
found elsewhere is tantamount to
launching too summary a judgment to
be true and just whether for the honor
of Catholicism in Italy or the honor
of Italy in Catholicism" the papal let
ter explains.
His holiness lets it be known that he
cannot understand how such language
on the part OF the premier could be
seen as 'opportune and generous in the
hour of pacification.'
I'VE note and appreciate the several
places where sovereignty and independ-
ence, with consequent rights, are fairly
explicitly recognized to the church and
to the Holy See; but even more numer-
GUS are the places where those things
seem to be put into doubt again and
not justly interpreted"
Speaks for All Catholics.
In the Lateran Concordat, the Pope
points out that there are in presence
of each other, if not two states, certain
ly two sovereignties fully such, fully
perfected each one in its own kind,
which is necessarily determined by its
respective ends.
Hence it was hardly necessary to
Continued on Page 2, Column A.