The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-04-26

liable to break out into a fresh evil
dictatorship at any time.
Societies are the patients, &C
cording to Father Sheen, and
they've got to be spiritualized to
cure EN-, he holds.
Economists, politicians and mill
tarists aren't the specialists who
can do it permanently, he says.
Germany has 'em, but it also has
the dictatorship rash. Italy doesn't
seem TO be very strong on mill
tarists, but it has economists and
politicians aplenty, and it has the
dictatorship symptom, too. Demo-
cratic military and economic mas
sage may get that symptom under
control for awhile, but IL can't be
depended on not to manifest itself
again, If Germany, Italy and Japan
remain infected under the skin.
Well, what kind Of specialists
are needed? Father Sheen recon-
mends saints"
The fact is that the fundamental
theology professor didn't employ
the medical allegory that have.
I've rather interpreted his re-
marks. He delivered a series OF
Lenten sermons and religion was
the antidote he prescribed for the
dictatorial malady.
ReIiglon-on the Side
For generations, he reminds us,
the worlds been trying to create a
new and better order with econom-
&c, educational. political and social
dope, without stirring any religion
in. That's been classified as some
thing separate - as a good thing,
but only ION the side" so to speak.
Now, I'm not very orthodoxy
religious myself. Probably I'd be
listed as an agnostic. Where l
came from or where I'm going ]
don't profess to know.
All the same, it seemed to me,
listening to Father Sheen's re-
marks, that his argument made a
lot Of sense. He didn't advocate
any union Of church and state. He
referred to religion in a purely
general way, as an essential in
gredient in the worlds new order"
mixture, If it's to be a mixture
with any chance to take"
1T won't" he said, 'be a politi-
cal, economic, military or social
leader who'll save the world. It'll
only be saved by saints.
Let's not believe that well have
q better world, once we drive out
the evil dictators. All the evil
isn't in these men. It's in society;
In every person"
Take Germany, for instance:
The democracies don't hate the
Germans. It's Hitler that they
want to exterminate. But It's
hard to get away from the consid-
Grafton that the Germans Except
a few Of them whom Adolf has
been persecuting) stand for him.
As Father Sheen says, 1t doesn't
seem as II they'd do so II there
weren't something wrong in their
whole organization. Is 1t lack Of
true religion in their midst? APP
parently that's the professors con-
clusion.
And in Italy
Ditto Italy. Why do the Italians
put up with Mussolini? Is there
something basically the matter
with their psychology, too? May
be they're getting sick Of Benito at
present. but it isn't because he's
what Father Sheen calls an "evil
dictator" 1t is that he's a clumsy
one.
Father Sheen's thesis Is that
what's lacking in both countries is
true religion; that If Hitler and
Mussolini are licked by the democ-
racies, their respective countries
presently will accept a couple OF
others Of the same sort-unless
they get big injection of real re-
hgion pumped into EN-.
decentralization isn't what he
specifies; it's RELIGION.
And, Of course. II might be de-
sirable for the democracies also.
Father Sheen doesn't urge gov
ernmentalization Of IT, He wants
It in peoples hearts.
He makes a first-class new order
talk.