Evening star., 1945-02-11
Russian Church Says
Vatican Attempts
To Shield Nazis
~ the Associated Press.

~ the Associated Press.
MOSCOW, Feb. 10.-The Russian
Orthodox Church charged today
that the Vatican sought to shield
Nad Germany from Allied punish
ment, making the accusation in Z
document signed by four patriarchs
and representatives of four others
'In view OF the present interna-
tional situation" said the docu-
ment, addressed to "the people OF
the world" and published in all
Soviet newspapers, Representatives
Of the Orthodox Church present at
the Sober Church congress) raise
their voices against those-the Vati-
can especially-who try to protect
Hitlerite Germany from response
biity for crimes committed by her
and ask forgiveness for Fascists who
spilled the blood of innocent VIC
TINS all over Europe"
1t continued that, in the opinion
Of the signers, those accused of try
ing to protect Germany wanted to
leave on the earth after the war
. Fascist, misanthropical anti
Christian doctrine, together with its
supporters"
Signers Listed.
The Christian religion must bless
the efforts of freedom loving and
peace-Ioving mankind directed to-
ward organization of such order on
earth by which the world will never
again experience Fascism and
bloody, terrible aggressions like Hit
ler's." it said.
The church leaders whose sigma
tures appeared on the document
were Christopher, patriarch of Al
exandria; Alexander, third patri-
arch of Antiochia; Kallistrat, patri-
arch of AL Georgia, and Alexei,
patriarch OF Moscow and all the
Russias.
Representatives of the patriarchs
Of Constantinople, Jerusalem, Ser
bia and Romania, who were unable
to attend the congress, also signed.
This was another of recent attacks
on Roman Catholic policy emanat-
ing from Moscow, including an
article in the army newspaper. Red
Star, which asserted Pope Plus XII
was preparing a peace message con-
trary to the United Nations pro-
gram for postwar reorganization of
Europe.
Vatican Paper Replies.
(Osservatore Romano, Vatican
City newspaper, described the
Red Star article as "a false and
calumnious attack" a dispatch
from Rome said yesterday. The
newspaper put the Red Star
article in the same class with a
Moscow radio report which said
the Vatican exercised notable
control over Argentina's economy
and collaborated with Nazi agents
In the South American country.
CThese revelations which pre-
tend to present themselves to
world opinion as sensational
news" Osservatore Romano said,
ARE simply to be classed among
the frequent, arbitrary and ca
luminous attacks to which, unfor-
tunately, a certain propaganda
has been abandoning itself for
some time. ="
("After numerous proofs Of
fered by the Holy See of repeated
and untiring effort and incessant
charity to lessen the horrors Of
war, it might have been hoped
that at least some method of
explicit religious hatred would
be abandoned. On the contrary,
the abused technique Of vilifying
and wounding is always alive.
Surely not on this basis will it be
possible to construct an efficient
and lasting order when there are
those who stubbornly sacrifice
truth to sectarian passions
Another attack on the Vatican
was made in Moscow Friday night
by Boris Stein, professor of history
at Moscow University, who told an
audience of students. teachers and
workers that it had constantly car
ried out "anti-Soviet" campaigns.
Prof Stein declared the Pope
approved the Nazi annexation of
Austria and had opposed Anglo
o1I;.~az