Evening star., 1949-07-29
Italian Reds Admit
Accommodation Is
Spiritual Atom Bomb
" the Associoted Press

magazine asserts the excommuni-
cation of Communists has struck
Italian families like a spiritual
atomic bomb"
The magazine. "Vie Nuove" New
Way, published an article by a
Catholic woman director OF the
pro-Communist Progressive Chris
tan Movement claiming no Com
munist had chosen to desert his
. political faith because OF the de-
cree, "but it is not easy for any
of us" to accept the alternative.
The author. Ada Alessandrini,
said there was a struggle in the
minds of many italian Catholics
caught between Catholicism and
Communism.
"SiIence" Among Christians.
She pictured families as divided
Catholics versus Communists
and spoke of "the terrible silence
which today has certainly fallen
on Christian families which are
separated (by the decree.)"
The article estimated at least
100000 Italian Catholics are
directly affected.
Vie Nuove's article was note
worthy for the complete serious
ness with which it discussed the
effect of the church's action. Pre-
vious Communist comment has
tended to minimize the results to
be expected from spiritual sre-
sistance to materialism.
May Mark Tactical Change.
Appearance of the article. Fam
lily Hatred" may signify change
in italian Communist tactics in
fighting the month-old decree.
Instead of denying that the de-
cree would affect Communism,
Signora Alessandrini said that it
had plunged millions of Cath
olic- Communist families into "a
violent internal crisis"
She said it posed an unjust and
cruel" dilemma-either treason to
the democratic (Communist)
front, or disobedience to the Holy
Office.
Vie Nuove is edited by a party
vice secretary and former under
ground leader, Luigi Longo.
Poland Is Next Target.
Meanwhile, Vatican informant
said the Cominform recently de-
cided the Catholic Church in
Poland will be the next main tar
get of Communist attacks.
The informant said the Comm
form made this decision about six
weeks ago during meeting in
Silesia.
He said that in place of the
Roman Catholic church a "Peo-
pies Church" would be set up in
Poland. The new church. he ad-
ded, will be directed by synod
elected by the Polish Communist
regime.
The informant said Catholic
Church property will be seized,
priests subjected to heavy taxes
and a rigid system of controlling
Catholic schools established.
Moscow Press Calls Decree
'MedievoI,''e Sign Of Failure
MOSCOW, July 20 R.-The
Moscow press today branded as
"medieval' the recent Vatican de-
cree accommodating Catholics
who are Communists.
The Soviet news agency Tass
said 1.-The appearance of such
medieval decree, now the subject
of discussion in broad Catholic !
circles, is evidence of the concern
caused to the head of the Catholic
church by the departure Of mil
lions of Catholics from the reac-
tionary policy Of the Vatican"
THE Vatican obviously relies on
threats and repressive measures"
the dispatch said, ito try to prop
up it's diminishing influence in
the mass OF believers.
Reactions to the Vatican's de-
cisions coming from CZechoslo-
vakia, Poland and other countries
are evidence that efforts of the
Vatican to undermine the creative
efforts of the peoples democra-
cies have met with failure.
THE overwhelming majority of
working Catholics has not re-
sponded to the instigation Of the
Vatican" the dispatch said.
There are relatively few Cath
olics in Russia. Most of them are
In Lithuania and sections of the
Western Ukraine,