Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-16
RELIGIOUS CHARGE
DENIED BY SOVIET
Press Describes Foreign
persecution" Reports as
Movement Against Union.

| BY the Associated Press.
MOSCOW, U. s. S. r., February is. |
The Soviet press united today in at
lacking foreign reports that religion |
was being prosecuted" in Russia, and
In attempting to silence them by the |
publication Of replies to Q QUESTIONABLE
put to the authorities Of the Orthodox
Church.
After Ixvestia and Pravda, oficial
organs of the government and of the
Communist party, had described the
reports as part of q concerted interna-
tional movement against the Soviet
Union, Russian newspapermen put the
following questions during an interview
to Metropolitan SergiuS, chief patriarch
of the Russian Orthodox Church, and
to members Of the synod:
%. Is 1t true that religion is perse-
cuted in the U. s. 8. r., and II so, in
what form?"
Never Subjected to Persecution.
"A. Religion In the U. s. S r. has
never been subjected to persecution be-
fore or now"
20. Is it true that an atheist society
is closing the churches, and how do be-
levers look upon it."
"A. Yes, some churches have been
really closed. But this was done not on
the initiative of the authorities, but at
the request Of the people, in some cases
on the decision Of the churchgoers
themselves"
20. Is it true that clergymen and
churchgoers have been subjected to re-
preSSions for their religious beliefs, ar
rested. exiIed. etc.?"
"a Repressions BY the Soviet gov
eminent against believers and clergy
men have been applied not for their
religious beliefs, but for anti-govern-
1t must be said that the church's mis-
fortune is that in the past it identified
itself too closely with the monarchiSt
system, as is we'll known. Therefore,
church circles failed to appreciate In
due time the entire significance of the
great social revolution and continued
TO behave as an open enemy OF the
Soviet power under Kolchak, Denikine,
etc. The best minds In the church,
such as Patriarch Tikhon. realized this
and strove to rectify the situation. Rec
ommending to all their followers to re-
frain from opposing the will of the
nation and to be loyal to the Soviet
government. Unfortunately some of us
are still unable to understand that the
past will not return, and continue to
act AS political opponents Of the Soviet
power"
= e Is religious propaganda allowed
Religious Ceremonies Not Forbidden.
"a. Ministers of the church are not
forbidden to perform religious cere-
monies. ir to deliver sermons. But
unfortunately we do not show sufIicient
zeal for this ourselves. Persons reach
ing the proper age are allowed to be
taught religion"
%. Are reports, of brutalities toward
individual church ministers by agents
OF the Soviet power, published in the
foreign press, trus?"
common with the true facts. They are
all inventions and ISLANDERS unworthy
OF serious people. Individual priests
nave been prosecuted, not for religious
services, but for various anti-Royern-
ment acts, and this takes place, of
course, not in the form of prosecutions
cedure"
In answering the first question, the
metropolitan and the members of the
synod added that according to the
! decree of separation of church from
state. the religious profession is abSo-
Iutely free and unprecedented by any
STATE organ. Moreover, the decree Of
the central executive committee and of
the council Of peoples commissaries Of
the r: s. F. S. r. European Russia)
IN 1929 about religious Conversations
completely precludes the least POSSIBLE
| ity OF religious persecution"
AS to the Atheists Society, they said
That the atheists in the U. S. S. r. |
are an organized private society, and
their demand for the closing OF the |
churches is not considered obligatory
by government bodies"
Attacks Pope Plus.
Metropolitan Sergius attacked Pope
Plus for his recent denunciation In an |
encyclical Of an "anti-religious cam
paign" in Russia.
THE Pope considers himself the |
vicar OF Christ. But Christ suffered |
for the oppressed and downtrodden, |
whereas the Pope in his declaration |
proved himself to be in the same camp |
With the English landowners and the |
Franco italian money bags" the |
members Of the synod present declared |
He would have condemned such a re-
treat from the real path Of Christian
ity. 1t Is stranger still to hear from |
the Catholic Church accusations that |
the Soviet government Is prosecuting |
on-Catholics, because the whole his
tory of the Catholic Church Is a con-
tinuouS chain of prosecutions Of non
ing at the stake.
at seems to us that the Pope in this |
| case follows the old traditions Of the |
Catholic Church, thus provoking his
flock against our country and kindling |
the fire of war against the people OF |
the Soviet Union.
Consider Statement Unwarranted.
I'VE consider the Pope's statement |
superfiuous and unwarranted. Ortho-
dox believers are in no need of such
protection. We can defend our own
orthodox church ourselves.
1.-THE Pope has had dreams for a long
time of Catholicizing our church, which. |
being always arm in its attitude toward |
Catholicizing as a false teaching could |
never connect itself In any manner with |
Rome.
within a few days we shall issue a |
special appeal to believers, in which we
shall discuss these new attempts of the |
Pope to spread Catholicism among or
thodox Christians in such an indefen-
M Members OF tS Holy Synod also re- |