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THE CHINA MAIL, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1949.
CZECH CATHOLIC BISHOPS'
SEVEN-POINT PEACE
CONDITIONS, DEMANDS PROTESTS MADE
AND
Prague, September 12. Czechoslovakia's Catholic Bishops' disclosed today that they had offered the Communist Government a seven-point "peace plan" which was drawn up at an illegal meeting last month at Trnava, in Slovakia, when the Bishops, went there to consecrate
two new Bishops.
The Bishops issued the text of their memorandum to the Government, dated August 14, through a Catholic spokesman. Besides their peace plan,
the Bishops made a series of conditions, demands and protests, and warned the Communists that it would be difficult for the Government, if it passed laws which the clergy could not accept.
It is considered here that Government acceptance of the terms would mean a
complete reversal of policy, which it is unlikely to make.
of all Churches, salaries and ap- uniniments of priests, the Bishops said, was "completely unilateral,"
The Bishops' armertenrlum to; "The lastallation of these pleni-, The Government's preparation the Government and that they potentiaries makes Impossible the of the new Bill to assume control were withing to wear loyalty to free performance of religious the State on The terms of
the worship. By this the State as existing arrangement. between unes the right to decide even Czechoslavickin af 1he Vatican,
in matters of religious rites an! provided the Government stopped attacking the Church, Ruaranteed worship, and in matters of morals religious freedom and recognised the Papal authority in Church of- fairs.
and faith,
"We cannot accept the propos. ed solution as an equivalent for the requisitioner Church
perty, Illegal Activity
"Already the work of these The Trnava meeting was held | plenipotentiaries shows clearly secretly because the Bishops h
the extent of their legal activit gathered without the requirit ap-
Jes. In some Dioceses they claim proval of the Guvernumdat. No the right exclusively to devide
all the business of the Church. reference to the muring has beent
ກກາ mere until today.
use official they Illegally Church seals for their personal lustructions.
In their memorandum, the
said that they set a an easy"
atmospheres they were
concerned Tomas th
Cathete "schismatic"
Atom 30-
Vement-Governminent-sponsord and bear they had en afte ef of responsibilty for the stain- endations between the Church and the State.
present
All the Bishops were except Mouse deseph Beran. the Archbishop of Prague, and elderly Bishop of Krudee, Dr. Morie, Picha, who was unable to travel to Slovakia.
the
Monsignor Beran had announc ed that he was "interned" in his Prague Palace,
A Warning
The Bishops' termo included a warning that it would be "very difficult for the Government if it passed towa which the Church could not accept. An- other dernand was that Government ahomie stop up. porting tho Catholic Action Movement.
In effect, it is emisidered here that the Bishops are asking "the Government to go back a deal on its announced polley.
After reviewing the history of Church State relations, The
Bishops declarrit: ไป proeiali again that we are willing at any time to repeat the math of loyalty towards Czechoslovakia as it set out in the modus viventi.
"We showed our desire for an agreement in our last public pro- clamation although even then
several encroachments on Church freedom and autonomy were tax- ing place.
The
Minister of Justice, Dr. Alexel July 15, confessed to a series of anti-Church actions such as in- stalling plenipotentiaries in con- sistories, Intervening in seminar- les, Church schools and Catholic charity organisations, and restrict- ing freedam of meetings."
..
"They also use the Insignia of the Church authority, or printed these insignia, matters carrying and they issue decisions without the knowledge of the Bishops."
The memorandum continued:
"These Government plenipoten- fiaries claim the right to decide Also about Church property mat- ters, and in some cases have re- stricted the Church's disposition of its own property.
They memorandum added: "We slemani, further, that interfer- ence, violating Church rights, with !!he education of priests, and Juntors of the Orders, must ccare. Press Freedom
"We protest against the cutting off of contact between 110 Bishops and he believers, and we protest against the silencing of our just defence, against untrue accusations and measures of per- secution.
We protest against the perse- cution of priests for reading pas toml letters, and for falthfully fulfilling their prically duties.
"We protest against the con" sinued publication of the $0- called Gazette of the Catholic clergy and we demand the re- newal of full freedom for the
Catholic press, which has been stopped.
)
pro-
"We insist on just compensa- tion for this Church properly and we declare that a mutual agree- ment is necessity on the prin-
of cipal question
Alling Church, offices.
"In this respect there are the clauses of the Canon Law binit- ing both on US Jend 11 Line- clergy."
Gross Insults
11 The Bishops wamed that would be Insulelent to secur consent
fum for apumintments the so-called Catholic Action,
"We wish to warn in advance that these propused mensures are
Int unacceptable
anch
We re- clergy in our conscience. serve the right to submit specified amendments and proposals if this appropriate negotiations are start-
ed.
17:
dur
PLAN
the human being has had, and still has, in sure protector in the Catholic Church,"
The Bishops" memorandum xnid: "Of course capitalism must not be mistaken for private ownership, which the Church hins always protected and will always protect as being the natural basis of human society.
"Private ownership
also protected by our Constitution of May, 1948.
Untrue Attacks
"We protest against the untrue attheks on the Holy Father, who in described as the enemy at our people and the State, although the testimony of the late Prest- dent, Dr. Eduard Benes, would prove all this to be slander and iles."
Making their seventh main point, the Bishops said: "We pro- test most vigorously and we con- denn as net permissible the in- ferference with the freedom ut the Church in those cases where our priests are accused of high treason and sentenced for exceut- Churen religious and their duties according to the rules and Catholic
ordinances Church
of
the
"In this country the Church recognised by the State and the majority of the population professes to belong to the Catholic Church.
"Clearing House' For Commonwealth Economic Ideas
Bigwin, Inn, Ontario, September 12.
The setting up of a permanent organisation to serve qu a clearing, house for Commonwealth econo- mic ideas was proposed here today. The proposal was made to the Commonwealth Rela- tions Conference by Mr. Maurice Webb, Chair- man of the British Parliamentary Labour Party. Mr. Webb's proposal met with| ******* strong opposition from certain Commonwealth representatives.
Mr. Webb said that the pro- posed organisation could also be a centre for the formulation of economic policy on a continuing basis,
In an interview later, he said he hoped that the organization Would lead to more concerted efforts to meet cammon economic problems,
When, a crisis now Brose Finance Ministers and olher oficials chased across the Atlantic for. hurried consultations, he said.
It would be better if planning could be done in advance with at least constant exchange of views through some permanent centre, he said.
Press officers reported after a closed meeting that Mr. Webb's some members of the Canadian sal was strongly opposed by delegation, one of whom stated datly that comanen economic the Commonwealth policy for was impractical for Canada,
Not Told Enough
Bouth Africa agreed with the
that Canadian view
no more machinery is needed, There was a general agreement "Membership of the Church
Common- of the voluntary
Church that people and the
expel any has every right to
who falls to keep its member
who teaching
and
disturbe Church discipline." This was a reference fu Elm Government's threat that high reason charges would be brought against any member of the clergy attempting to enforce the Vati- can decree on excommunication.
Unheard of
The memorandum continued: "The Church does not force its teachings on anyone, but at the same time it cannot silently watch while its priests are forced into
"We protest vigorously against the gross insult an untrue ac. cusations against tite Czecho- stovak Episcopate and the Holysacrilegious acts of serving sa- Father, especially as contained in the speech of Dr. Cepieka on July 15.
"We protest against the accusp- tion that the Bishops are in the service of reaction-hostile to our State and to our people.
"We do not follow any poll- tical aims and we confine our- helves to defending curscivos #gainst disturbing attacks' religious
which freedom, guaranteed to us by the stitution.
ол
10
Con-
"It is necessary to call to ac- count those who are responsible for such illegal measures against
craments to bad members of the Church.
anyone
"It certainly was unheard of in the Church world that should be accused of high trea- son for being obelient to the Church.
"All these, our complaints, show only in broad outlie, our pains. They are dictated by the love for our people and our ną- tive country, which we hold des pite all the sad experiences of re- cent times.
"We do not give up hope for a conciliatory solution of these Church political problems."
We call for a renewal of the [. Human Dignity. are willing to negotiate for a just freedom of meetings which 18
The memoranduin etntinued; guaranteed by the Constitution, "We protest against the accusa. and we especially protest against tions that we are in the service the fact that, under various x;
of capitalism, and that we stand cuses, priests are prevented from against the achievenants of the hoking meetings among them people and Social progress of our selves and froin making other ex- pressions of religious life.
The Bishops repeated: "We solution of our relations if this can be done while ensuring res pect for the freedom of the Church, and If the conditions and propositions we have set put are fulfled."
The memorandum
wan signed by all the Church Hierarchy ex- Monsignor Beran Music Picha's signature, it was stated, was secured after the Trnava meeting-Reuter.""
time.
"It was the great hope of Pope Threats Against Believers | Leo XIII that there should be cept Cepicka, in his speech of
social progress as expressed in his Encyclical de Rerun Nova- ruin, In which he condeinned Capitalism. So dit Pope Pius XI his Encyclical Quadrigesimo Anno,
"The Church still stands and will stand for every improve. ment of the standard of living of the population.
Catholic. Action
The Bishops referred to the creation of the Governincht sponsored Catholic Action, which, "under n veil of seeking n agreement between the Church and the State, was to bring dis- drtier into the ranks of the Czech and Slovak Catholics and, there- fore, was rightly proclaimed by us as a movement of schism."
The
memorandum
continneu:
"We protest against the closing of Church schools, the requisi- (loning of Church and monastic buildings, and against all steps whleb limit religious freedom.
The Bishops continued: "We demand
be that all measures abolished which In
any way disturb Catholic societies and Institutions, and especially that the national management of Cathollo charity brganisations
must ceasO,
In
"National management must also cease in the Cathedral Co operative
at Relhrimov and in the organisation called Unitas Olomouc.
protest
against the called Catholic Action, which has BOT quite illegally adopted the name, the true Catholic. Action. This name is specifically used through the entire Catholic Church for a way: certain, type of lay co-operation the under, the leadership of the
"Wo are of the opinion that a suitable moment has now come to stop this enmity against the Church."
The Bishops, first point
"With regret we state that Chairman of the Con It therefore,
and the Archbishop at slble that this Movement, which
Prague and the Primate ofis directed against our authority Czechoslovakin, Dr. Josef Berau,
Bishops,
could not be present at our meet-tamed."
ings.
that
We
should thus be
or
demand, there what this schismatic movement The memorandum demanded all measures onal freedom' cease.”
should not continue to be The second poldt wast "We genised and supported by the protest against the Installation State, and that believers should of Government plenipotentlar not be pressed to express agree les in the Bishops' consistorfax ment with the Catholic Actiori or, as in the base of Blovakia, under threats against their liveli
In the Bishops officer
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Castel Gandolfo, September 12.
Pope Pius XII today reculved in private audience Aleids Marina, Tular Archbishop of Ellopoli de Fenicia, Papal Nuncio freedom of to Lebanon-Associated Press.
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wealth countries are inadequately informed about the consultations at present going on.
One leading British delegate said that no decisions recent Finance Ministers' ference In Lundun were an- ounced. He felt that this was a serious mistake, Reuter.
of the
con-
International Treaty For Indonesia?
The Hague, Beptember 12.
The Indonesian delegates to the round-table conference on Indoneela here' believe that the problem af the
can Dutch-Indonesian Union
be solved by drawing up the compact as an international
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under tho Charter of the United Na- tions.
treaty for registration at
The two major problems as the conference entered its fourth week today are the baala for the proposed Untan and the working out of practical economic and finan cial agreement between the Dutch and the Indonesians. Reuter.
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Manila THE PEKIN: SYNDICATE LTD.
Manila. September 13, Monsignor Gabriel' Reyes. Catholle Archbishop of Cebu, has been named by the Vatican coadjuter Archbishop of Manila In view of the prolonged illness: of the Archbishop of Michael O'Doherty.
The apostolic delegation's an nouncement sail the appointment alse conferred upon Msgr. Reyor the right of succession to Msgr. | U'Doherty.-United Press.
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