Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-08-08
|0xnam Hits Catholics
As Trying 10 Destroy
|Church-State Barrier

The Catholic Church was &C
cused yesterday by Bishop G.
Bromley Oman, Methodist Bishop
Of the New York Area, Of trying
to wreck the principle of church
and state, weaken the public
school system, and get vast Fed
eral support of parochial schools.
Bishop Oman, co-president of
the World Council of Churches,
asserted in Transcribed broad
cast here that 1.-The Roman Cath
ohc hierarchy is responsible for
killing the bills that might have
brought Federal aid to our public
school system"
He charged that Francis Cardi-
nal Spellman of New York and
other Catholic prelates are carry
ing out a "coldly calculated plan
to deny Federal aid to public
schools unless the hierarchy can
get its hands into the public
treasury and secure millions for
the support of parochial educa-
ton"
The Methodist bishops com.
ments were in an interview with
WWDC Commentator Ed Hart or
a program discussion of Fedora
aid to, education. The broadcast
was by transcription from Laconia
N. H. Mr.. Hart read a letter from
Cardinal Spellman explaining that
pressure of many duties" pre-.
vented him from accepting an in.
vitation to discuss the subject ir
a similar radio interview.
Sees Federal Aid Bill Dead.
Cardinal Spellman's controversy
with Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt con-
corning the Barden bill providing
Federal OUTLAWS for increased facil.
tiles for public schools was des.
cribed by Bishop Oman as part
Of a plan by the Catholic hierar-
chy Ito master American life
He declared that the Barden bill
and similar legislation is dead
for this session of Congress.
I'VE could wish the Cardinal
were more candid and less crafty
the bishop said. 1T is not milk
and medicine, books and buses
What he wants is the support OF
parochial schools by taxes levied
on all the people. In a word. he
seeks public funds for secretatian
education.
The church not only wants
public funds for private purposes
but must know that to drain of
vast sums for public education is
so to weaken it as eventually to
destroy it. Our public educational
system is the bulwark OF democ-
racy. 1t is hard to understand
how the Roman Catholic Church
can espouse democracy when it
rejects democracy in it's own to-
talitarian and autocratic organi-
cation. The blunt fact is that the
Roman Catholic Church does not
believe in our public school sys-
tenn"
Drawing a parallel" between
catholicism and communism. Bish-
op Oman asserted that both are
"totalitarian" and seek control
of the minds Of men everywhere. "
Asks About Church Party.
Both practice excommunica-
ton" character assassination and
economic reprisals," he charged.
Neither Rome nor Moscow know
what tolerance means. Both de-
mand blind. untf1inking loyalty.
Neither Moscow nor Rome believe
in the separation of church and
state. Both Moscow and Rome
interfere in the affairs of other
states. Both Moscow and Rome
Iseek to shackle the minds of those
they control by telling them what
they can read. what movies they
can see, what newspapers they
must take"
Bishop Oman wound up his
attack by asking whether the
"separatism" he said was advo-
Gated by the Catholic Church
meant that the church is trying
to build "a Roman Catholic polit-
ical party in the United States. "
THE Catholic Church is fight
ing for its life in Europe" he
added. 1T has become so inter-
locked in political affairs Of the
state, so encountered with vast
land holdings, and so allied with
military and feudal reaction, that
the common people are turning
from it. 1t appears to have aban-
doned hope Of winning by the
weapons of the spirit, and seems
ready to summon the world to
holy war to salvage its power,
its property and its prestige.
We are resolved that clericalism
shall not take root here"
Cardinal Spellman could not