The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-04-05
By GIOVANNI GERMANETTo Qtaly).


TWELVE months after the conclusion of the
1 so-called Laterano Agreement with Benito
Mussolini, Pope Plus XII, standing at the head
of the Roman Catholic Church, appeals to the
world to condemn the religious prosecutions
in the u. S. S. R., and thus takes up position
in the forefront of the anti-Soviet campaign.
1t could not be well otherwise. How could ne
keep back from taking hand in world CAM
paign sponsored by prominent financiers to-
gether with the Besedovskies, the social-dem-
ocrats, the most reactionary governments, the
New York bankers, Leon Trotsky, Protestan
bishops, muezzns, the rabbis and Macdonald.
While his worthy colleague, Benito Musso-
lini, is raising the alarm against the Bolshe-
vik danger, Plus XI is appealing to all true
believers to unite against the Soviet Govern
ment.
This is not the first time that Plus XII has
attacked the Soviet Republic.
Although the conditions have changed,
he is continuing today his activities in the
interests of an international clique of bank
ers-a work that he begun when he was
the Nuncio of the Vatican in Warsaw when
he gave his blessing to the war against the
Soviet Republic.
The pope's letter to Cardinal Pompili is an
VI
the Roman Catholic Church, who urged the
governments to strengthen the alliance against
the Republic of the Russian Workers and Peas
ants who organized committees of white guards
and seminaries for white guard officers under
the guise of monks, is now appealing to all
the catholics to rally together their forces to
fight the Bolshevik danger.
This crusade against the U.S.S.R is being
promoted by fanatics. 1t is the most striking
attempt during the last few years to get war
declared on the Soviet Republic.
The power of the catholic church is well
known. 1t is still one of the greatest religious
factors in the world, not only because of its
reactionary activities directed always against
the working class, or the work it conducts
through the catholic unions and elsewhere, but
because the Roman catholic church serves i'm
perialism.
The whole of the numerous army of mis-
sionaries and representatives of the Vatican,
now so active in all the colonial countries, are
nothing else but weapon in the hands of the
imperialists.
The consulates of the big imperialist
powers at the Vatican are nothing else but
the agencies of big finance capital inter-
ested in exploiting the wealth and resources
etc, for imperialism needs the services of
the clergy in the distant countries to keep
the slaves in the colonies obedient and do
cile, which can be attained far cheaper by
religious propaganda than by the of
arms.
AS a matter of fact, the pope is ready to
cooperate with every one, with Macdonald,
Mussolini, Tardieur, the U.S.A., Holland, Spain,
with the Mahomedans and even with the Budd-
hists.
The letter of Pope Plus XI is receiving
widespread publicity. The postal office
placed at the disposal of Plus XI by Mussolini,
cabled this letter, for example, to America.
This anti Soviet document has been published
in all the papers.
The printery of the Vatican has published
this document in so languages and dialects
This is the pope's war cry to the millions of
catholics appealing to them to make war on
Soviet Russia.
The pope, white guard" in black shirt
is not allowing things to hang fire. The pres
ent move of the Vatican is certainly significant
1t is fact that down to the present time the
pope was always very careful in his maneu-
vers. The Vatican was always noted for its
caution and circumspection. But today behind
the Great Bronze Door, activities are being
developed in truly fascist fashion" activities
that reflect not only the political life of Italy
but also the economic difficulties and the de-
preston that has overtaken the country.
With his present appeal to the catholics
throughout the world to unite against Soviet
Russia, Pope Plus XII is continuing the reac-
tionary traditions of the Roman catholic