Evening star., 1941-11-18
Text of Statement on Crisis of Christianity
Issued at Annual Meeting of Catholic Bishops

Issued at Annu'
The tollo,oing is the tert OF tho
statement on the crisis OF Chris
tianity' issued by the Admins
tratipe Board OF the National
Catholic Welfare Conference tol-
loiUing the annual meeting OF the
Catholic bishops OF the United
States:
Christianity faces today its most
serious crisis since the church came
out Of the catacombs.
We, the members of the Admins
trative Board Of the National Cath
olic Welfare Conference, deputed in
the annual meeting OF the bishops
of the United States to express. their
mind on the crisis of christianity.
declare, as shepherds Of souls, that
our concern is the supreme interest
of religion. Our thoughts, therefore,
turn to the two greatest evils OF to-
day which would destroy all spiritual
values. We find two subversiye
forces, both in control OF powerful
governments, both bent on world
dominance. They are Naziism and
Communism.
However plausible their constitu-
tions and their propaganda, the
alarming reality is that neither sys-
tenn understands nor permits free
dom in its true Christian sense
Both systems usurp arbitrary power
over the lives and destinies of men:
their dictators assume power
which belongs to God alone.
Our late holy father significantly
issued his epochal encyclicals on
Nazlism and atheistic Communism
within five days Of each other.
Systems and Their Victims.
His holiness condemned the aber-
rations OF Naziism, its denial OF God
in the true Christian sense, its
dedication of the state, its usurpa-
ton Of the powers of God, Of reli-
gion and of parents, its falsification
OF Christian Technology, its be-
trayal Of the eternal principles OF
objective morality. and its rejection
OF the rights and dignity of every
human being. Pope Plus XII with
prophetic vision. declared that Its
tNaziism) Vaccinations, from the
beginning had no other aims than
q war OF determination" He branded
the Nazi oppressors of the church
In Germany as the nullifiers and
destroyers of the Christian west"
The late holy father while con-
demning the Nazi system, expressed
his love for the German people in
these words: Before our eyes stands
the countless throng Of faithful sons
and daughters for whom the suffer-
ing OF the church in Germany, and
their own suffering. has in no way
diminished their devotion to the
cause of god. Nor diminished
their cheerful readiness to remain
true to what they have believed and
have received from their forefathers
as q sacred inheritance. From 4
heart that Is deeply moved. We send
them our paternal greeting"
The Holy See has condemned
atheistic Communism. Pope Plus
TX, Leo XIII, Plus XII pronounced
their solemn condemnations of the
system. Exercising the od-given
commission, the Roman pontifIs
could take no other course than to
condemn the errors, the tactics, the
satanic designs of Communism. At
no time can there be any possibility
OF compromising with an theology
that proclaims and acts upon the
denial of personal and omnipotent
God, rejects contemptuously the
Divine Savior Of the world, ali
Christian principles and Christian
culture; ruthlessly persecutes re-
ligion and brutally murders its min
listers. The leaders of atheistic
Communism have done this nefari-
Gus work. Under them only anti
God and Christian propaganda
can have liberty of action.
Pope Plus XII, who pronounced
the most explicit condemnation Of
atheistic Communism, expressed in
the same encyclical his paternal and
compassionate benevolence for the
people Of Russian these words:
I'm making these observations 1t
is no part of our intention to con-
denim en- masse the peoples Of the
Soviet Union. For them, We cherish
the warmest paternal affection. We
are we'll aware that not q few Of
them groan beneath the yoke i'm
posed on them by men who, in very
large part, are strangers to the real
interests of their country. We
recognize that many were deceived
by fallacious hopes. We blame only
the system, with it's authors and
abetters who considered Russia the
best field for experimenting with =
plan elaborated decades ago, and
who from there continue to spread
it from one end of the world to the
other"
Aims for Just Peace,
We, the bishops, who here express,
at this critical hour, our judgment
in these matters Of gravest import,
while enjoying, as we do, 4 WELL
ordered liberty in a free country,
declare our devotion to his holiness,
Pope Plus XII, and our loyalty to
his leadership as the vicar of Christ
and the common father of all ma
tions and peoples. We unite with
our Holy Father In praying for
the attainment Of . peace that will
be accepted by all right-thinking
governments and individuals rs
permeated by justice and charity.
We earnestly ask our priests and
people to continue their prayers
that the violence Of the war tempest
may soon b spent, and that . Just