The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1960-08-19
Continued From Page u

against growing Reu influence
in Cuban life.
The letter. read in all Gu
ban churches (Aug. ~, stated:
In the last months the
government of Cuba has
established firm rel
with communist countries,
especially the Soviet Union.
WE HAVE NOTHING to
say concerning the strictly
commercial or economic rela-
tions, but we are profoundly
disturbed by the fact that
government neWspaperm e n,
labor leaders and even some
high Cover n m e officials
have repeatedly and enthusi-
astically eulogized the system
of life in these countries.
This point preoccupies us
profoundly because Catholi-
cism and communism stem
from two concepts of man and
the world that are totally OPP
posed to each other and can
never be reconciled."
TWO DAYS AFTER publ.
cation of the letter the third
violent clash in less than a
month occurred outside the
Havana cathedral bet ween
Catholics and communist sup
porters.
Eye.Witnesses said that dur
Ing a Mass being offered in
the cathedral a crowd of com
muniSt sympathizers, some
armed with iron bars, gather
ed outside the church. AS
worshippers left the cathedral
the ~procommunists began
heckling and attacking them.
The demonstrators shouted
slogans such as "Cuba, yes!
Yankees, mol" Down with
the Pope!" and Down with
the priests"
THE INCIDENT was halt.
ed short of a riot when Fa.
Their Eligio Sardinas, a chap.
lain with the Castro forces
during their guerrilla warfare
against ousted dictator Full.
gencio Batista, interviewed and
appealed from the cathedral
steps for peace. Police then
arrived and escorted the Cath
olics to safety.
Two priests - Father Fer.
nando Arrange and Agnelio
Blanco were reported TO
have been arrested but re-
leased later.
Following the clash Arch.
bishop Diaz hurried to the
presidential palace to see
President Osyaldo Dorticos.
But, according to reports,
President Dorticos would not
see the Archbishop, and the
p%relate instead spoke with
Luis Buch, Secretary to the
Presidency.
Archbishop Diaz was report.
ed to have told Mr.. Buch that
unless the government could
guarantee freedom of religion
and safety for worshippers,
all Catholic churches in Cuba
would be shut and the Cuban
Church would be declared a
Church of Silence" as in
com m i st-dominated ma
tions.
ARCHIE BISHOP DlAZ was
quoted as having said: IF
there are no guarantees, all
churches will be closed to-
morrow morning and the
Church will be declared IN
silence so that the whole
world will know what is hap
pening in Cuba
The next day aug. 100
President Dorticos told a la
Dor rally that the Castro re-
CINE will continue respect
ing all religious cults" de-
spite "provocations.'
MI. Dorticos made no Spe-
cific reference to the Bishops
pastoral or to Archbishop
Diaz's ultimatum. But in what
appeared TO be a reference to
the pastorals charges, he
said:
'Those imputations will fall
into a void and they will be
applauded only by those who
have interests that demand
applause.
"They are useless maneu-
vers and will destroy them
selves. All this will have TO
be defeated -. Our energies
must be reserved for greater
battles"
In this denunciation, Pre-.
mier Castro said there is no
doubt that the American en-.
bassy has turned loose its last
poems"
THERE Is NO DOUBT
that filthy imperialism has as.
ISOLATED itself with Franco
and his faseism to mobilize
all the influence they can
through every priest they can
count on in our nation" he
said.
Gall priests are not fas-
cists. There are revolutionary
priests, but there is no doubt
Franco can count on a good
number of fascist priests"
about 400 of Cuba's priests
are Spaniards.)
Mr.. Castro said churchmen