Evening star., 1941-09-29
Catholics Have Duty
OF Opposing US. Rush
To War, Retreat Is Told
Present Foreign Policy
Of 'Provocution' lmmoruI,
Editor Declares

Charging that the present policy
of "provocation" by the national ad-
ministration lis immoral" the Rev.
DR.. Edward Lodge Curran. editor
and president of the International
Catholic Truth Society, yesterday
declared the Catholic Church had
the moral duty of opposing the
war-mad momentum in Washington
and of keeping the United States
out of war;.
DR.. Curran, who is pastor of st.
Joseph's Church at Brooklyn. was
the principal speaker at a breakfast
of the Washington LayWomen's Re-
treat League at the Mayflower Ho-
tel, following their annual commun-
ion mass at st. Matthews Cathe-
dral.
The pon-Catholic population OF
this country" declared DR.. Curran,
lis looking to the Catholic Church
for the defense of our Nation against
the Communistic menace in our
midst and also for the protection of
our Nation against participation in
foreign warfare.
THE Catholic Church and all of
its constituent groups must take the
leadership in keeping us out of war
because war is a moral problem as
well as military and economic one.
Foreign Policy Called Immoral.
The present policy Of provoca-
ton pursued by the national admin
istration in saying and doing things
with the hope that foreign powers
will attack us is immoral 1t is just
as immoral for one government to
provoke another government to vio-
lence. as it is for one individual to
provoke another individual to vio-
lence.
1T is only within the last month
that a Catholic head of great
peace organization in this country
denounced the half-baked intel
lectuals produced by non-sectarian
universities in this country who are
attempting to lead us into war. On
that occasion the same prominent
non-Catholic thanked God for the
fact that Catholic University had
not produced half-baked intel
lectuals here in the Uniteed States"
Criticizing unfortunate apologize
Catholics" who even blame the
Catholic Church for things that
happen in Soviet Russia, and at
tempt to be loyal to our dear COM
rade, pal Stalin,'" DR.. Curran de-
clared that a recent speech on the
part of "a prominent Catholic jurist
| made at the convention dinner of
the Knights of Columbus at Atlantic
City was typical of the "apologetic
Catholicism that should be con-
demned."
No "SO-Called Liberal Type"
I'VE need a militant type of
Catholic in this country, and not an
apologetic type" declared the priest.
We need militant type of Cath
olic, and not an inferiority type /.
not a So-called liberal type"
Catholics with inferiority COM
plexes,' he said, Operate on the
thesis that Catholicism is a minority
religion in this country. Religious
statistics prove that Catholicism is
the majority in this country. The
Catholic Church has a membership
of over 100000 in this country.
The next nearest group is probably
the Methodists with not more than
100000 or 100000"
Presiding at the breakfast was the
Rev. John Spence, spiritual direc-
tor of the Washington Laywomen's s
Retreat League, who introduced
many distinguished representatives
of the clergy. At the breakfast ia
BILE for officers of the league were a:
Mrs. Joseph A. Egan, president:
Mrs. F. w. Landvoight, vice presi-
dent and chairman in charge of ar
rangements, and others.
Good Out of Evil.
Father Spence emphasized the
value of spiritual retreats as "far
more effective in this Nation than
bombs"
Declaring that war is an evil
thing, always is" the priest said
sometimes God uses evil to bring
about good. believe that the pres
ent conflict Is Gods way of bring
ing the world to His feet"
At the communion mass in st
Matthews Cathedral, the Rev. John
H. Schultz, of Holy Redeemer Col
lege, Catholic University, delivered
the sermon.