Evening star., 1949-12-11
By RELIGIOUS News Service

The Cominform has tacitly
conceded that religious sentiment
is fourishing.. rather than wan
ing, In European countries under
Communist domination.
This admission came in round.
about way when Communism's
top policy-making body made
public last week series Of reso-
lutions adopted at recent meet
ing in some undisclosed place in
Europe.
One resolution told Communist
Party workers they must draw re-
ligious adherents into the strug-
gle against 1.-The war policy Of
the Anglo-American imperialist
bloc"
Special attention, the resolu-
ton said, must be devoted in the
Communist peace program" to
the masses of Catholic workers
and workingmen's organizations,
"in view of the fact that religious
conviction is not an obstacle to
the unity of the workers, espe-
cially if this unity is needed to
save peace"
AS interpreted in political cir
cles abroad. the Cominform's di-
rective indicates that the party
has realized the necessity Of max
ing tactical concessions to the up
surge of religious strength.
Also. it was generally agreed,
the Cominform has fond a strong.
II not vocal support of the church
in Czechoslovakia and other coun-
tries under Communist rule or in
fiuence. Furthermore, 1t was
thought. Communist leaders have
visible evidence that there is a
worldwide revival of religious
sentiment in the present confused
era.
One Communist source in
Prague. when reminded of the
party's theory that religion would
die a natural death sooner or
later, admitted that there is no
sign yet. even in the home of
Communism. that this theory is
working out"
Religious Sentiment Grows.
Also in Prague, Vincent Pokojny,
q member of the Slovak Freedom
Party, came up with the state
ment that when Lenin declared
religion is the opiate of the
people" he had in mind only
Czarist Russia, where religion was
used by "exploiters of the people"
The Communist strategy in
Eastern Europe has been aimed at
the Christian churches as bodies
of independent influence. The
workings of this policy are most
apparent at the moment in
Czechoslovakia where the Cath
olic hierarchy last week made
public protest against new
church control laws which. the
bishops charged. threaten to des-
troy the entire organization and
life of the church.
But church repression, as Com
munist leaders have come to learn,
does not necessarily mean that
religious sentiment itself has been
weakened. On the contrary, there
is evidence that it has grown.
Reports from Romania, for ex-
ample. indicate a marked upswing
in religious fervor among the
people. Churches and synagog,les
in Bucharest and other cities are
said to be jammed to the doors on
days of special observance. Prot
estant churches are among those
reporting overflow attendance at
services by people who are
searching for God"
The demand for religious
articles such as icons. crosses and
candles, has repeatedly reached an
all-time high. In the streets. great
numbers Of people make the sign
of the cross as they pass a church
"a custom the Communists have
labeled as superstition, but which
they have not been able to dis
courage.
The people of Hungary also
have given proof Of their religious
fidelity. When the government
decreed that religious education in
the schools should be optional
rather than compulsory. as in the
past, well over 90 per cent of par
ents formally requested that their
children be enrolled in religious
classes. The high percentage took
the government by surprise, ac-
cording to reports.
In Yugoslavia, where Marshal
Tito's deviation from Moscow has
thus far brought no change in