The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1960-10-28
Program immoral.
Continued frorn PAGE y

AAA&
strength behind efforts to de-
feat Catholic-supported pro-
posals for establishment of
a released-time religious ed
ucation program for public
school pupils.
Earlier, this year. after the
defeat in the legislature of a
release time proposal, the
Bishops lent their support to
formation of a Catholic-orient-
ed party, the Christian Action
Party.
The CAP announ ced it
would fight for tian
principles in the islands gov.
eminent.
1t sought the requ
number of members to be-
come an island-wide party in
the November 8 e ctions
here, but the government
valuation, procedure to the
Puerto Rican Supreme Court.
validated only less than the
number of signatures needed
to make the party effective.
The party appealed the val
idation procedure to the
Puerto Rican Supreme Court,
but its efforts failed.
CAP leaders appealed to
Gov. Munoz to call an extra
ordinary session of the COM
monwealth's legislature to
amend electoral laws to en-
able it to function as an is
land.wide political unit.
Copies of this appeal, which
alleged unfair treatment of
the CAP, were sent to the
United Nations and the Civil
Rights minis ion, CAP
spokesman said.
IN THEIR PASTORAL, the
Bishops, said they were con-
scious Of their duty and the
seriousness of their action.
Gov. Munoz, whose Popular
Democratic Party has no ties
with the Democratic party on
the mainland, lashed out at
the Bishops action.
He CHARACTERIZED the
pastoral as representing Sin
credible, medieval interior.
ence in a political campaign
under the American flag as
we'll as under the Puerto Ri
can constitution"
This document" he charg-
ed, assumes or pretends
there is only one established
church in Puerto Rico and
that that church is theirs 0he
Bishops')."
THE PASTORAL GOT other
reactions, including an edi.
torisl appeal by the indepen-
dent newspaper, San Juan
Star, that Pope John XIII
transfer the Bishops because
of their "grevious transgres-
sion against the people of
Puerto Rico, against the coun-
try and against the Catholic
Church"
1--WE say the Popular Party
official program, in the sec
ton expressing moral and
religious philosophy, obliges
us to condemn such a phil
osophy and warn Catholics
they cannot vote for any
party which admits 1t In its
programs" they wrote.
ut is NOT OUR intention"
they said, Ito impose Catho-
lie morality on government
or citizens; but it is certain.
ly our obligation to prohibit
Catholics from giving their
vote to a party which accepts
morality of the liberty re-
gime' denying Christian NOR
atty"
The Bishops also charged
that they see in the Popular
Democratic Party's program
an anti-democratic m pit
to limit the clergy solely to
religious functions and deny
them their rights las citi-
zens."
The party's program does
not even rec the
clergy's right to pro c S t
against political acts harmful
to moral and religious doc
trine, they said.
The Bishops also point TO
what they call an enormous
contradiction" in the Popu.
lar Party's claim that re
ligion is a profound part OF
the great civilization to which
it aspires'' and the party's
other position limiting re-
ligious instruction 10 five per
cent of our children of school
age, those who attend paro-
chial schools"
Thu pfehanx IahaIad &c az