Evening star., 1948-09-26
Vatican Would Renew
Diplomatic Ties With
Russia, Paper Says
BY the Associoted Press

Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore
Romano said today the Catholic
church, despite everything" would
gladly renew diplomatic relations
with Russia.
| The paper, in its front page COL
umn of comment, said the church
was willing to do this 'as soon as
the possibility was given her Cthe
church," and asserted that rela-
tions that existed between the
church and Russia certainly were
not broken by the Holy See"
Osservatore made this declaration
in denying a charge by Communist
Ambrogio Dopini - once Italian
ambassador to- Poland-that the
church's orders today aim at "the
destruction of communism, the de-
struction of the U. S. S. R."
Red Doctrine Condemned.
The Vatican newspaper continued:
1.-The church has condemned the
Communist doctrine and continues
today to condemn it with the same
frankness and resoluteness of yes
terday. But, insofar as the U. S. S. r.
is concerned, it is not at all true
that the Holy See or the church has
ever advocated its destruction"
LOsservatore recalled that the
Vatican had sent mission to Rus
sia to laid thousands upon thous-
ands Of the famished."
East of the Iron Curtain, the
Catholic Church bears the brunt of
an assault, currently most bitter in
Hungary, mildest in Poland. But,
Vatican sources say, there is fear
it will be extended and intensified
in coming months.
Pope Plus XII and Communist
leaders in Italy have indicated such
development Both the church
and COMMUNICATING of the
long-range aspect of the conflict
are directing mighty efforts to-
ward youth.
German People Warned.
Only an hour before the pontin
this month addressed vast throng
of 100000 girls of Catholic Action,
adjuring them to constancy in their
faith, he warned the German people |
Of assaults against their religion.
Speaking to them by radio for
the first time since the end of the
war, he told them they may have
Ito fight to the last drop of blood"
for the independence of the church.
Thursday, in the directive meet
ing of Italys Communist party,
Luigi Longo, its reputed under
ground leader, gave another index
Of coming battle.
Togliatti Tries Cancellation.
At the head of the table-Pallid
from his convalesence since al
Sicilian student shot him down July
14-sat Communist Chief Palmiro
Togaliatti. His policy in solidly
Catholic Italy apparently has been
an attempted concilation. Togliatti
voted for the inclusion of the
1talian-Vatican Lateran pacts in the
republics constitution. But, Longo
said:
THE essential task of the party
today is to work among the masses,
all the popular masses, to tear
them from the reactionary influence
of the Christian democrats and the
church"
! The right to educate youth has
become the crux to the conflict. In
Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria
and Romania Catholic schools have
been nationalized.
There is fear, Vatican sources say,
that this development gradually will
be extended to other countries In
the Soviet sphere of influence.
Summary Of Situation.
Vatican sources give this as the
situation:
Hungary-Josef Cardinal Minds
zenty, primate of Hungary, last June
excommunicated members of the
government and Parliament who ma
tionalized the Catholic schools. The
action followed dismissal of 600 ele-
mentary school teachers who, ac-
cording to Vatican reports, had re-
fused to swear allegiance to the
government.
Earlier this year, Pope Plus, in
radio address to the Hungarian
people, deplored sinister develop
ments" in their country.
Recent reports say that "all pub
lie religious manifestations are i'm
peded, and scarcely tolerated" one
Vatican source said.
Meanwhile, the Bishop of Csanad
has suspended the priest, Stefano
Balogh, head of the Democratic OPP
position Party, for refusing to with
draw from political life as he had
been directed by the bishop.
Bulgarian Schools Nationalized.
Bulgaria-Here, where Catholics
are minority, the sitaution is little
different. Recent DEGREES have ma
tionalized Catholic schools.
Romania-After the recent de-
nunciation of the 1929 Concordat be-
tween the state and the Vatican,
prelates here predicted open hos
tility" toward the church would fol-
low.
Schools have been nationalized.
Vatican prelates said the denunci-
alton of the Concordat was sur
prise, inasmuch as relations with the
Communist government had been
good. There was no molestation OF
EVS7 81