Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-05-26
Greens Top PreIaie
Protests 10 GottwaId
On Religious Curbs
ey me Assceiossd Press


PRAGUE, Czechoslovakia. May
! 26.-Archbishop Josef Beran OF
Prague has written a letter to
Communist President Element
EGottwaId protesting the latest
government restrictions on re-
ligion, 1t was learned today. Ap-
parently the president ignored it
Although the existence Of thi,
letter has just been discovered. II
was the precursor Of pastoral
letters to Roman Catholic clergy
bitterly denouncing recent acts OF
the Communist government.
The letter was sent TO Gottwald
early this month. Backed by his
bishops. top-ranking Czech pre-
late said the church was willing
to issue q proclamation Of loyalty
to the government-but only II
church rights were to be respected
The archbishop complained the
Ministry of Interior failed to make
q proper investigation Of his
charges that discussions on .
church-state accord were broken
up last March when recording
devices were found hidden In the
bishops consultation room.
Warns Of Fake Priests.
Apparently the letter to Gott-
valid was not answered. After 1t
came the pastoral letters to the
clergy, charging a campaign to set
up a. "Czecheslovak Catholic
Church" which would ignore the
supremacy of the Vatican. The
archbishop has warned his clergy
to be careful of fake priests and
nuns who might try to provke in
cidents reaeting against the
church.
(The Catholic Church has
been at war with other Com
munist governments in East
ern Europe-Poland. Hungary
and Yugoslavia-and the pat
tern of the government pro-
cedure against it has been
somewhat similar. A church.
state accord failed In Hungary
before Josef Cardinal Minds
zenty was placed on trial and
sent to prison for life on charges
Of plotting against the govern
ment.)
In his letter to the president
the archbishop had explained that
the church was not In a position
to issue o loyalty proclamation de-
manded of every denomination on
the anniversary Of the Communist
seizure of power last February rs.
The reason was. he told Gottwald
that the Archbishop Of Olomouc
was in Rome on an official mis-
sion. He reminded the president
that the church had rung bells in
Prague when Gottwald became
president in June, and that a Te
Deum was sung at st. Vitus
Church in Gottwald's honor.
Press Articles Protested.
Archbishop Beran protested
Communist press articles ridicul-
ing the Vatican: an alleged omcial
attempt to re-educate" state en-
ployes away from religion, and
alleged district action committee
moves to prevent meetings OF
| Catholic Youth for religious
schooling.
As another unshakeable proof
that the government started the
antichurch fight" the archbishop
cited specific instructions from thu
government on how to combat the
church.
I'VE protest against these I'M
constitutional measures" he wrote
I'VE hope you to. Mr.. President
will recognize the justice Of our
complaints. which are based on
facts which do not support the
unification of the nation. but. on
the contrary, interfere with and
destroy the peace and contentment
Of the people you wished to unity"
None Of the letters Of the Cath
olic hierarchy or any Of its view
point appeared in the Czecho-
slovak press or radio, which pre-
sent only government statements