The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1958-10-17

the wars close, his struggle
against communism was in
tensified with the coming of
peace.
In 1948 communism set out
to capture Catholic Italy. The
Italian election of that year
was one of the crucial events
of Plus KITS reign. With an
estimated 900 members,
the Italian Communist Party
was widely considered to be
the largest outside of Russia
itself. It's leaders were GER
tain that they could take over
the country and many neutral
observers thought so, too.
The Reds, however, suffer.
ed . rssovndins defeat. The
Holy Father had calmly re-
minded the covntry's cstho-
lies of their duty to vote and
to vote for parties that were
not i-christisn. The faith.
full went to the polls and dealt
communist expectations . Sc
we're blow by eIeefins . strong.
ly snfi-Red parliament.
But while the communist
advance In the west appeared
to have been stopped, Reds
struck heavy blows at the
Church as they took over
country after country in east
ern Europe. Churches and
schools were closed, the Ca
tholic press banned. and the
faithful bounded until their
lives were in danger.
These prosecutions reached
peak with the imprisonment
on trumped-up charges of
Cardinal Stepinac In Yugo-
slavia, Cardinal Mindszenty in
Hungary, Cardinal Wyszynski
In Poland and Archbishop
Beran in Czechoslovakia.
RECOMMENDATION
In July, 1s49, Plus XII is
sued a decree e~xcommunicat-
ing all Catholics who "know-
ingiy and of their free will"
join or remain in the Com
munist party or in any
way read or promote COM
inunist propaganda. The dc.
cree was considered rs one
of the most far reaching Of
modern times. For although
the Church had condemned
communism for q century,
preaching against its errors
and evils, the Pope's decree
was the first act aimed at the
individual.
In January, 1852, The Pen,
tiff sent The first Of his spes'
solie letters TO The priests and
people OF China, which had
fallen TO the communists In
I949. II was similar 70 letters
The Pope had sent earlier "a
Catholics in other Rsd-domln'
stsd lands. Expressing hi
grief 1T their persecution, TIN
Holy Father warned chinat
Catholics not to be misisd b,
The Reds and asked them n
otter thsir svfferinps 70 God
Another letter Yves sent earl,
In 1855 In which The Pope 70
posted his sxhorfsfions 10 III,
Chinese.
In addition to his troubles
with communism, Plus XXI
also faced 4 period Of unres
in the Holy Land during thu
postwar years. In the wa,
which broke out between tn,
Arabs and the new state o
Israel in 1048, many Christian
shrines and churches wer,
damaged and destroyed ant
free Christian access to tn
Holy Places was endangered
In 1913 the Pope issued tn,
encyclical I'm Multiplicibus'
calling for the International
zation of Jerusalem and vici
nifty, and protection Of Christ
ian rights there. In 1947 tn
United Nations had made
similar recommendation, bu
nothing had been done to i'm
plement it. In 1949 Pope Piu
issued another encyclical IRE
demptoris Nostri," calm.
anew for Jerusalem's inter
naturalization. Again no del
mite steps were taken. Jel
usalem Is still divided b
tween Arab and Jew and tn
right of free Christian acces
to the Holy Places Is still ur
certain.
POSTWAR RELIEF
During the Arab-Israeli wa
hundreds of thousands o
Arabs fled their homes i