The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1958-10-24


urging them to remain true to
their Faith and warning them
of Red attempts to deceive or
brighten them into schism.
While the Church was suf-
fering in the East, its position
in the West was for a time al
most as serious. After the war
communists had been given
important posts in the pro-
visional governments of both
France and Italy. The party
in Italy became the largest in
the world outside of Russia.
BY the time of the 1916 cleo.
tons in the two nations, there
was a grave danger that the
Reds. after an intensive CAM
paign of lies and threats, had
become strong enough TO win.
Speaking on the eve of the
elections, Plus XII clarified
the issues. He said:
Tomorrow the citizens of
two great nations 60 in COM
pact array to the polling
booths. What is really at is
sue? II is to be decided wheth-
er these two sister nations of
Latin culture and deep deyO-
ton to Christian civilization
will continue to rest on the
firm rock OF Christianity. on
the acknowledgement of a
personal God, on belief in the
/. spiritual dignity and eternal
destiny of man or if. instead,
they will choose to entrust
their future to the unfeeling
omnipotence of a materialistic
state, without any ideals, be-
yond this world, without re-
ligion and without God"
Both French and Italian vot-
ers decided against the Reds
in 1916, but communism re-
NAMED strong in both coun-
tries. By the time of the 1913
elections in Italy the party
had recovered from its earlier
defeat and was again thought
capable of victory. For the
second time the issue was
made clear to all by His Holt
ness Every Catholic, he warn
ed the faithful, had a moral
obligation to vote and a du-
ty not TO cast his ballot for an
anti-C Christian party. In your
conscience" he declared d,
there can be no room for
blind credulity any more. You
know where the foe stands"
Again the voters decided
against communism, this time
decisively. The Christian Dem
ocratic Party won the cleo
tons by an absolute majority,
dealing the Reds a severe set
back from which they have
not yet recovered. BY the end
of l948 it was generally agreed
that communism was on the
decline in Italy and the rest
of Western Europe.
RECOMMENDATION
The climax of Plus KITS
fight against comm u n i m
came in 1949 when he issued
his decree accommodating
Catholics who were members
of the Communist Party or
collaborated with il.
Contrary TO the claims OF
many enemies Of the Church,
the decree, while strict, plac-
ed no undue hardships on the
faithful.
The decree was generally
regarded rs the most far
reaching of modern times.
While the Church had con-
demned communism since its
inception, Plus Kills decree
was looked on as more inclu-
sive and severe than any other
Papal pronouncement on the
subject.
Communists reacted violent
ly to the decree. In several
countries behind the iron cur
tain governments threatened
to prosecute as traitors" any
one who attempted TO enforce
IT. The rest of the world, how
ever, regarded il as a most
telling statement that no com
promise with communism was
possible and that no attempts
at compromise would be toll
Grated by the Church.
HUNGARY
In late October and Ndvem-
Der, 1856, during the abortive
Hungarian revolt, the Pontiff
issued three encyclical letters
within a short space of time
asking worldwide prayers for
peace in Hungary and con-
demning the Soviet Union for
the brutal force it was using
to suppress Hungary.
In his 1855 Christmas mes.
sage the Pops again condemn
I'd the Reds for their bloody
Suppression Of the Hungarian