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

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XII was one long struggle
against the ever-spread-
ing menace of atheistic
communism.
In control only of Russia at
the time of the Holy Fathers
election in 1889, today the
Reds are in power in II coun-
tries and rule over some 800,-
O00, 900 subjects, one-third of
the worlds people, of whom
more than so, 600, 900 are Cath
olics.
Yet His Holiness struggle
cannot be considered a fail
ure. He did more than any
other world leader to stop
communism's rise to power in
the West: his efforts to help
the peoples of the Redeem
quered East maintain their
hope and courage were ex-
tremely successful. During his
years as Pope he stood out as
the incontestable champion of
all the forces, none catholic as
well as Catholic, who were
fighting TO protect Christian
civilization against the cease
less onslaughts OF the Goddess
Reds.
His warning TO the Catholics
OF Italy before the 1913 cleo
ton that they had a duty TO
vote and to vote for parties
that were not anti-C Christian
led to a crushing Red defeat
and decisiyely marked the
turning of the tide against
communism in Western Eu-
rope.
His 1949 decree e%xcommuni-
eating all Catholics who be-
long TO the Communist Party
or aid it in any way was one
OF the heaviest blows struck
against the forces of the
Kremlin in the Soviet drive to-
wards world domination.
His letters TO Catholics in
nations under Red rule gave
them renewed strength and
determination in their resist
ance TO communist persecu-
ton.
WAR YEARS
The war years at the begin.
ming of his reign. which saw
Plus XII repeatedly condemn
the totalitarianism Of the
Right, also witnessed his con-
slant opposition to that of the
Left.
How strongly the Church
abhors totalitarianism in all
its forms was shown by His
Holiness when he wrote in
his first Encyclical Summi
Ponttffcdtus:
This notion Worsh j pful
Brethren, which assigns UNI
limited powers TO the state, is
not only an error that brings
fatal consequences to the in
ternal life of a society and to
It's chances for healthy prog
ress, 1t is equally disastrous
to the relations of peoples
with one another 1t must
be manifest to everybody that
the claim of absolute, ire
sponsible power for the gov
ernlng body in the state is
inimical to the ingrained law
VI ohl HuthIC
Wars end found nazism and
fascism defeated but left com
munism far more powerful
than ever before.
PERSECUTION
The Russian-installed gov
ernments in Eastern Europe
an nations, many of which
were overwhelmingly Catho-
lie, lost no time in launching
q vicious campaign of perse-
cution against the Church.
The Holy Father was Will.
fled, the Church called rsae-
tionsrY and accused Of med.
ding in politics. These sccvss.
lions served IS prsfsxts for
the closing Of Catholic schools,
fhs suppression Of the Cstho.
lie press. the co~nfiseation Of
Church properly. the dissolv.
zion OF virtually all Catholic
organizations and the arrest
and imprisonment Of priests
and bishops.
Typical examples of the
Reds persecution were the tri-
ais and convictions on trump
ed.up charges of Cardinal
Stepinsc in Yugoslavia and
Cardinal Mindszenty In Hun
gary.
In Ruthenia, which Czecho.
slovakia had coded to the Sow
ct Union, all Greek Rite bish.
ops, after efforts to force them
into schism had failed, were
arrested and jailed. Arch.
bishop Beran of Prague was
made . virtual prisoner after
- communist regime stole
power in Czechoslovakia and
tried to force the Church into
subseryienee 10 the state. The
bishops and priests of Ru
ua ~-L n.m