Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-03-20

CnurCn MSgr. Speilmdn dlQ not Spe-
officially mention the four freedoms,
but he referred to war and peace
aims defined by President Roosevelt
and Prime Minister Churchill. The
implication was there.
The one freedom of special interest
in connection with the archbishop S
statement is religious freedom. Al
though political leaders have fire.
quently emphasized the Importance
Of religious liberty as war aim,
some church leaders have been reti-
cent in expressing themselves pub
licly on this issue. One reason may
be fear of the consequences of pub
lie statements at this time, for I'M
der the surface the issue is the most
contentious one in religious circles
today.
Public attention was briefly at
tracted to the problem last Deem
Der when the biennial convention of
the Federal Council Of Churches,
representing substantial part OF
American Professionalism, issued
statement on religious liberty in re-
ply to a previous announcement Of
the Roman Catholic Hierarchy of
the United States. The Catholic
bishops had charged that efforts
made to rob" Latin Americans of
their Catholic faith were disturb
ing factor In our international rela-
tons" Protestants saw in this state
ment an attack upon religious free
dom. The Federal Council Of
Churches upheld the right Of Profess
tants to preach their tenets in Latin
American countries and elsewhere.
Postwar Planning.
With increasing attention now
being given in Government circles
to postwar planning, Protestants
are becoming increasingly sensitive
to the issue of religious freedom.
One current indication is the sharp
criticism of the Governments pro-
posed security program voiced this
week by DR.. Henry M. Wriston,
president of Brown University, who
scored the failure Of the National
Resources Planning Boards new
Bill of Rights" to say anything
about religious freedom.
Tn a day when the church and
state are more bitterly at war than
at any time in modern history, 1t Is
significant that the new Bill of
Rights says nothing about freedom
of religion" he said.
1t is feared in some church quar-
tiers that when the war draws to
an end and the bars against free
public expression are completely
lifted, the issue may develop into
a major conflict unless some UNDER
standing is reached by religious
leaders.
Most religious groups profess allie
glance to the principle Of religious
freedom, but some appear to differ
in their Interpretation of what the
principle involves.
To Protestants religious liberty
means not only freedom of worship,
but the right Of any religious group
to propagate its faith anywhere and
make converts. Many Roman Cath
Ole leaders do not accept this inter-
probation. While unfolding free
dom OF worship, they dispute the
right of Protestants to spread their
doctrines in countries where the
population is overwhelmingly Ro-
man Catholic. This is the Catholic
position with regard to Latin
America.
Father ShieIs' Protest.
The Rev. w. Eugene Shiels, S. j.,
an editor of the influential Catholic
journal, America, recently put the
matter this way:
Religious liberty is one thing,
broad religious activity quite an
other. Every state must preserve
the true religion; so, too, every state
must respect the right of religious
liberty. But not every state must
allow the broadcast religious activity.
Take the country where almost
every one processes the same re-
ligion. In such a territory the gov
eminent must protect the public