Evening star., 1951-11-19
Heads
Rap Apathy
1oPersecution
Iron Curtain Facts
Are Not Told, U. S.
Bishops Hint Here


the United States criticized the
indifference of So-called Christian
countries" to Catholic persecution
in iron curtain countries in a
statement issued yesterday.
The declaration also questioned
the apparent inability of the free
secular press to inform the pub
lie of the true facts of the perse-
Icution."
Admiration for the clergy and
Others who maintained their faith
despite this persecution was voiced
in the statement.
The resolution was approved at
the annual meeting of the 1872
Roman Catholic cardinals. arch
bishops and bishops of the United
States at Catholic University last
week and released yesterday. The
resolution was voted at q general
meeting of the bishops.
Attacks moral Corruption"
A statement attacking moral
corruption" in public life, issued
Saturday for the hierarchy, was
signed by the 13 members of the
Administrative Board of the Ma
tional Catholic Welfare Confer
ence.
Cardinals Mooney OF Detroit,
Stritch Of Chicago and Spellman
lof New York were among the
signers. who also included the
Most Rev. Patrick O'Boyle, Arch
bishop Of Washington. and the
Most Rev. Francis P. Keough,
Archbishop of Baltimore.
The text Of the resolution ap-
proved by the gathering:
THE bishops Of the United
States of America proclaim before
the world their boundless ad-
miration for those heroes of our
common faith. the bishops, priests,
religious and faithful behind the
Iron Curtain Of Europe and Asia,
who are giving their lives and
their blood for Christ and for the
ideals of human freedom. In the
long history Of persecution waged
by the absolutists against the fol-
lowers OF Christ. no chapter is
more glorious than the one they
are now writing. We mourn our
martyred dead in Russia and in
the IA nations which are now
captives to communism. We send
our fraternal sympathy and the
assurance Of our fervent prayers
to the countless thousands who
are now delivered to the torturers
in the dungeons Of Europe and
of Asia. And we testify at the
bar Of world opinion to the suf-
ferings Of those indomitable souls,
millions and millions Of them, who
in the midst Of this persecution
openly profess their loyalty to
God. to Christ. to the church and
to the common ideals of civilized
humanity.
Hints at Press Duty.
Our hearts are filled with sor-
row at the indifference of the
Christian governments to
this frightful persecution, and at
the apparent futility of the human
means they have thus far en-
ployed to stop it. We are no less
appalled, by the apparent inability
Iof the free secular press to in
form the public of the true facts of
the persecution. In this new
agony of the Church OF God. of
her modern martyrs and confess
sors, we are left to tread the wine
press alone.
mo, not alone. Our help is in
the name of the Lord who hath
made the heavens and the earth.
Inspired by the heroic virtue of
these suffering millions and moved
by the love of Christ and of our
1elloWmen, we turn to the God of
all mercy: We lift our eyes to the
Eternal Hills from which cometh
our help. In union with the
clergy and faithful of the United
States, we implore our Common
Father to give light and strength
and solace to his prosecuted chill
dren. to open the eyes of the
apathetlc nations, and to convert
the prosecutors themselves that
His Kingdom of Justice and of
love and of peace may come to all
the people.
Let us call the roll of the ma
tlons in which persecution of the
church now RACES:
Russia, the Ukraine, Yugo-
slavia. Hungary, Roumania, Bull
garla, Albania, Eastern Austria
Czechoslovakia, Poland, Latvia.
Esthonia, Lithuania. Eastern Ger
many, Mongolia, China and North
ern Korea.
And let us stand in a tribute
OF reverent admiration and prayer
for those churchmen whose names
are deathless symbols of all who
suffer persecution for the sake of
Christ: Cardinal Mindzenty. Arch
bishop Stepinac, Archbishop Be-
ran, Bishop Guile and Archbishop
GroeSZ."