Evening star., 1948-10-02
Spain 10 State Reason
Today for Forbidding
Showing Of u. 5. Film
Sy the AsSocfoted Press

~ BY the Associated Press
MADRID, Oct. 2-The American
film, ."Gentleman's Agreement" was
banned in Spain because it con-
doned divorce, showed no differences
between Jews and Christians and
contained Theological errors a
Board of Censors source said yes
terday.
The president of the Board of
Censors scheduled news conference
today. at which a fuller explanation
of the reasons for the ban may be
forthcoming.
The informant said recommended
tions for correction of the "theo-
logical errors were made by the
Rev Juan Fernandez, the boards
church member, but that the repre-
sentatives of the producers refused
to make the deletions. He said the
decision to bar the film was unani-
nous.
The film censorship board is ap-
pointed by the Minister of Educa-
ton.
An account of the banning of the
film was published in the New York
Times Thursday. The Madrid dis
patch said that according to a
source close to the board, the ban
ming order stipulated that while it
was Christian duty to stimulate
love among individuals, societies,
nations and peoples this should not
extend to Jews"
Cardinals Statement.
The chancery Office of, the New
York Archdiocese of the Catholic
Church issued this statement from
Francis Cardinal Spellman:
II do not know what was actually
said in Spain, who said it, or why
it was said, but I do know it is un-
true to say that the Christian at
titude' to stimulate love among in
dividuals, societies, nations and
peoples does not extend to the
people of the Jewish race and faith.
Catholic doctrine follows the
Commandment of God: Thou shall
love the Lord thy God with thy
whole heart and thy whole soul
and thy neighbor as thyself.' And
when Christ was asked to explain
who was his neighbor, He gave ut
terance to the unforgettable parable
of the Good Samaritan, praising the
Samaritan for his loving care of
one who did not belong to his race
or religion, ending with the COM
mand: Go, do thou in like man
ner.'
Called Catholic Doctrine.
This is the Christian attitude
This I repeat is Catholic doctrine
In Rome, Jerusalem, Madrid and in
Kabul 1t was Catholic doctrine
1000 years ago. 1t is Catholic doc
trine today and will be Catholic
doctrine forever"
The antidefamation league of
B'nai Birth issued statement
Thursday in Atlantic City, N. J. 1t
said in part:
1.-THE reasons given by the Span
ish film censorship board for the
banning Of the film, 'Gentieman's S
Agreement is the most shocking
expression Of anti-Semitism since
the death of Hitler. Out of the
flames which consumed NaZiism,
Spain has snatched Hitler's anti
Semitic mantle and proudly fiaunts
1t before the world.
"At a time when it seeks admis-
sion to the United Nations, Spain,
through this official action, espouses
a philosophy .diametrically opposed
to the principles of that organiza-
tion and to the basic Judeo-Chris-
tian tenets of the fatherhood Of God
and the brotherhood of man.
'Doubly Shocking"
"It is doubly shocking that the
author of the statement should be a
Spanish priest who thus repudiates
the basic tenents of his religion and
speaks on contradiction of Pope
Plus XI. This clergymans state
ment of reasons for banning the
film in Spain mock the spirit of
many German Catholic martyrs
who died because the self same doc
trine which he breaches today was
the law of the land in Germany.
I'm an historic statement in 1898,
Pope Plus XII declared: 1T is i'm
possible for Christians to be anti
Semitic. Spiritually, we are all
Semites.'
Yet a Spanish priest today calls
Jews the enemies of the church" !"