a SS SE EEE Cold war on Catholics N future, all members of the Roman Catholic Church who “‘pro- * fess, defend or propagate the materialist and anti-Christian doc- trine of communism,” are to be automatically excommunicated. This decision has been announced in an official Vatican statement. By THE REV. STANLEY EVANS | The decree also states that Catholics who “condoned” com- Munism or who print, distribute or read literature propagating Communism are committing ille- Sal acts and can be excommuni- cated, The first part of this statement ee most important part—is a seneral excommunication.” Tt is loose in its phrasing and doubtful in its application. It is loose in its phrasing be- Cause professing, defending or Propagating “the materialist and _, &nti-Christian doctrine of com- Munism” can be held to. mean either professing, etc., those parts Cf the doctrine of communism which are materialist or anti- Christian, or it can be held to Mean professing, etc. Commun- ism in_any way because it is ma- terialist and anti-Christian. In other words, the decree does not clearly answer the question Of whether a Catholic, for exam- ple in Hungary, who gives sup- Port to the political program of the communist-led government bloe is to be held to be automatic- ally excommunicated. It is doubtful in its application because being “excommunicated” Means being refused: the sacra- ments, It cannot become effective unless an individual regards him- Self as excommunicate and ab- Toit GREETINGS LABOR DAY, 1949 MAPLE LEAF CAFE Where Working People Eat \ . 6) VICTORIA CRESCENT uu $A stains from the sacraments or un- less a priest refuses to admit him to the sacraments, This last is a formal act which would require a particular ruling that an individual hed incurred the general condemnation. What all this means is that this: decree igs not and cannot be an effective weapon. : It is, and is only intended be, a propaganda weapon — the latest contribution to the Vati- can’s cold war against Catho- lics who stubbornly insist on working for social progress and peace and are not alarmed when they find that means they are working side by side. with communists, : To understand this decree I think we have to go back to the summen of 1947, when three strik- ing articles appeared in the offi- cial Vatican paper. 4 In earlier issues the paper had opposed both the Crimean and Potsdam conferences. Now there was a drastic change of line which really considered the needs of the Catholic Churches in Eastern Europe. The articles argued the “possibility of peace between East ahd West and the value of that peace to the church. The result was an immediate visit of Myron Taylor, Mr. Tru- NANAIMO, B.C. ILL UU « i in this picture will never allow At a mass meeting in Rome recently, life, Communist leader Palmiro Togliatti denoun as the new weapon of international reaction. held on the first. anniversary of the attempt on his ced the Vatican’s excommunication of Catholics Italian Catholic workers such as the ones shown the Pope’s “cold war” against Catholics who believe in commun- ism, to halt their struggle for a better life. man’s persona} envoy to the Vati- can. ‘There followed a public inter- change of letters between Truman and the Pope in which they pledged their common loy- alty to the values of Western Christian civilization. Whatever the nature of the bar- gain that had been struck, the Vatican was brought back firmly to the policy of the cold war. The result is that Catholics in Eastern Europe have been placed in an intolerable position. In Lat- via, Lithuania, Poland, Czecho- slovakia, Hungary, Rumania, Al- bania and elsewhere they have had to choose between Vatican HNN LABOR DAY GREETINGS FROM FROM SCOTCH BAKERY 90°. Victoria Crescent Nanaimo, B.C. Phone 183 ¢ RUT i cc Perfection in Flowers from GULLIFORD’S your leading florist Commercial Street 4 LABOR DAY GREETINGS UTR Phone 724 Nanaimo, B.C. 4 — BAPCO PURE PAINTS HARDWARE 19 Commercial St. Phone 497 GREETINGS TO THE WORKING PEOPLE NASH’S’ policies on the one hand, and _ (W. NASH, tees social progress on the other. Dealer in Paints — Wall Paper — Sporting Goods — China re) ASIS C AFE In France the Union of Pro- = Nanaimo, B.C. i gressive Christians, ..which sup- GREETINGS TO LABOR 162 COMMERCIAL STREET NANAIMO, B.C. ported the, Paris Peace Congress, hag large Catholic support. In Italy, a Catholic commun- ist movement had to be ban- ned. The united movement of Progressive Christians of Italy, has now come into existence, is overwhelmingly Catholic in com- position. , Sc the Vatican is driven more and more on to the dangerous NANAIMO, B.C ‘ path of attacking its own sup- 8 SS ; rters. it wi Cn Cn eu cL fa Cc «POTTS Seoner OF ee ae te acre Mets se ETT < The struggle for peace and pro- LABOR DAY GREETINGS WHERE FRIENDLY PEOPLE MEET from ; gress within the Roman Catholic Church is only just beginning. : 3 at the CRESCENT HOTEL PATRICIA HOTEL | , To all our Friends and Patrons eux< 525 Haliburton Street Nanaimo, B.C. NANAIMO, B.C. uur ea ettiSiSiiLiletaisia Timm LT « [GREETINGS TO ALL OUR FRIENDS Canton Restaurant LABOR DAY, 1949 WE SPECIALIZE IN STEAKS & CHINESE DISHES Newcastle Hotel NANAIMO, B.C. 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