Evening star., 1941-10-02
Churches in Russia
Supported by 10000
Religious Societies
Nations Fight Against
Nuzis Is Endorsed by
Prominent CIerics
BY ROBERT WILLIAM MURRAY,


Correspondent of The Star and MANA.
NEW YORK, Oct. 2.-President
Roosevelts comments on freedom
of religion in the Soviet Union fol-
low hard on many statements by
prominent churchmen indorsing So
Wet efforts to fight off the Nazi in
vaderS.
The Catholic primate Of England
| joined with the heads of the Anglt-
can and Jewish congregations re-
Gently In leading nation wide day
of prayer for the success of the Rus
sian Army.
Sergei, primate of the all-Russian
Orthodox Church; Rassulev, leader
| of Soviet Moslems; the Wilma Rab-
binical Council, and various others
| In the U. S. S. r. have been urging
on Catholics, Protestants, Jews and
| Moslems the world over the need
for destroying Hitlerism, "the COM
mon enemy of religion" Response
has been widespread.
Old QuarTels Forgotten.
Old ouarrels are being forgotten
Chain Weizman, president of the
Jewish Agency in Palestine, is re-
ported to have Endorsed the appeal
| of Soviet Jews; Russians, Red and
White, attend services invoking di-
vine aid in churches everywhere
from the Greek Orthodox Church
In Jerusalem to st. Paul's in Lon
| don.
| Gen. Anders, in charge of tht
Polish army being formed east o.
the Urals with Soviet cooperation
reports that his soldiers "are Cath
olics, but next In number are Jews
then orthodox, then Protestants. Al
have their own clergymen, since
there are many army chaplains ir
our group" In Moscow, a Polish
Catholic Church and Polish Syna'
gogue are being opened.
The Soviet constitutions (ther'
is one for each republic and one fol
The whole Soviet Union as well, SINH
lar to the United States) all guar
antee to Soviet citizens freedom o
religion as we'll as freedom to prop
agandize against religion. Churches
mosques and synagogues are func
tioning; clergyn1en and their chill
dren have full political and civi
rights; the devout offer up thei
prayers knowing that any one whit
tries to interfere by mocking o
jeering is subject to the punish
ment set by the criminal code.
Literal Interpretation.
The separation of church ant
state decreed in 1918 under Lenin'
signature is interpreted literally
There are no religious oaths or re
ligious ceremonies in government
institutions. Only civil marriage /
recognized by the Soviet state; i
the bride and bridegroom wish ,
church marriage they can have on
that's their own affair. The or
thodox church has been completed,
shorn of it's former privileges, which
were often granted it at the expens'
of Baptists, Jews, Roman Catholics
etc. Under the czars. when the or
thodox church was part of the stat
apparatus, a fifth of its incom
came from the imperial budget. tn
Soviets did away with this economi
link.
The support Of the thousands o
houses of worship in the Sovie
Union comes from the 10000 "reli
gious societies" registered there
These societies, each made up O
20 adults lover 18 years of age) o
more-if less, they form religion
groups"-elect an executive boart
of three members but all are joint,
responsible for the building ant
equipment given them for their fre
use by the state. According to tn
contract. they must maintain ant
repair the premises and pay tn
taxes and insurance.
| Children under 18 can be taugh
religious subjects only in their owl
|; homes; children of any age ma
. attend religious services. The activ
tiles of the religious societies mus
be within the limits defined a
"joint satisfaction of their religion
needs; they are not supposed +
indulge in political or recreationa
work. The Soviets in all their writ