Evening star., 1942-12-12
Protestants Stress
Religious Freedom
lin Latin America
Federal Council Replies
To Statement Issued
By Catholic Bishops
By the Associated Press.

BY Cot'1olie Bishops
By the Associated Press.
CLEVELAND, Dec. 12.-Delesates
of the Federal Council of Churches
of Christ in America, replying to
a statement Of Catholic bishops that
citizens Of Mexico, Central and
South America are bound to us
by the closest bonds OF religion. !"
adopted a resolution Yesterday de-
ploring the pretension Of the
Roman Catholic hierarchy to cir
cu1nscriI,e the religious freec ON
of the Potes.ant Christians in the
proclamation of their faith, while
by implication reserving for them
selves the right to the universal
proclamation of their own"
The councils statement continued:
The churches represented in this
council will continue .. to avail
themselves of the constitutional
freedom which the republics of
HSpanlc America grant to the rep
resentatlves of every faith. Their
controlling aim in the discharge of
their ministry will be, as it has
always been, to have a part, how
ever humble, in interpreting the
significance of our Lord Jesus Christ
for life and thought in those great
and growing nations"
Exception Taken to Assertion.
The statement took exception to
the Catholic bishops assertion that
efforts to offer Latin Americans a
substitute for their Catholic religion
prove to be disturbing factor in
our international relations"
The council asserted:
so far from Protestant institu-
tions and the representative of
Protestant Christianity being a peril
to good relations between the Amer
lcas, they are today. with some cas-
lily explained exceptions, and have
been for decades, regarded with
great favor by governments and
peoples in the countries where they
are located"
The Catholic statement. issued at
Washington and signed by members
OF the National Catholic Welfare
Conference Administrative Board in
the name of the bishops Of the
United States, declared, in part:
Citizens of these countries Mex
lco, Central and South America are
bound to us by the closest bonds of
religion. They are not merely our
nelghbors; they are our brothers
protesting the same faith. Everv
effort made to rob them Of their
Catholic religion or to ridicule it or
TO of1er them substitute for it is
oeeply resented by the people of
these countries and by American
Cathollcs. These efforts prove to be
a disturbing factor In our interna-
tional relations. The traditions, the
spirit, the background, the culture
Of these countries are Catholic"
Combined Influence Urged.
the Federal council asserted with
1ull and f1rst-hand knowledge of
the facts, that, so far from Profess
tant institutions and the representa-
tives OF Protestant Christianity
being peril to good relations be-
tween the Americas, they are today,
with some easily explained excep-
tons, and have been for decades,
regarded with great favor by gov
ernments and peoples in the coun-
tries where they are located"
The statement added while oh
llged by circumstances not OF our
seeking to make this statement in
order to clarity the American Profess
tsnt position upon a crucial issue,
II Is nevertheless the judgment and
oeSlre OF this council that Protestant
ana Roman Catholic Christians
Should combine their influence, In
these days OF supreme crisis, to
work for religious freedom and the
other great freedoms. both now and
IN the postwar world"
The resolution on "our HERITAGE
OF religious freedom" was adopted
after one delegate, John Foster
Dulles, a New York LAWYER and
Presbyterian. expressed concern that
we are starting a fight with the
Roman Catholic Church" and the
resolution might be disastrous to
the efforts to provide united Chris
tian front"
Other speakers declared 1t was
necessary to put the Protestant view
on record, and the voice vote was so
decisive that no one called for a
count of hands.
Hemisphere Solidarity Discussed.
The Rev, Luther Allan Weiele OF
New Haven, Conn, retiring presi-
dent of the council and one of sew
eral speaking for the statement, de-
clared:
we ought not let the assumption
go unquestioned that the solidarity
OF this hemisphere depends on leav-
ing Hlspanic America to the Roman
church. The assumption has been
made and they are pressing the view
on our Government that we cannot
nave hemisphere solidarity unless
Protestants are kept in North
America"
A resolution urging Federal and
State legislation to reduce the con-
sumption OF liquor was adopted at
the closing session.
The council also recommended
"that there be Federal legislation
enabling the President, the Secre-
taries OF War and of the NAVY to
use the Federal law-enforcement
agencies to deal with the problem of
drunkenness and to control the dis
tribution Of beverage alcohol when