In Reply

It was with the deepest surprise that I read Mr. R. G. Hall's extraordinary document which attempts to gloss over well-documented facts, thereby producing a most one-sided account.

Re the claim that "the Church of Rome has a grisly record of promoting wars and bloodshed": The writer omits to mention that at the last annual meeting of France's cardinals and archbishops a statement was issued calling for an end to the conflict in Algeria. The statement warned those in authority "to avoid excesses contrary to natural law and the laws of God". May 18 was set aside as Peace Sunday. A similar appeal for peace in Algeria was published in a pastoral letter by Archbishop Leon-Etienne Duval of Algiers. Recently, too, the Vatican weekly, L'Osservatore della Domenica, deplored the French bombing of the Tunisian town of Sakiet-Sidi-Youssef earlier this year. In Cuba, the Catholic hierarchy recently appealed to the Cuban dictator, Batista, to establish a "government of national unity" to end the two-year civil war. The statement expressed the view that "we exhort all those who today fight in enemy camps to cease the use of violence and seek as soon as possible effective solutions to bring back to our country the material and moral peace that are so lacking". When the proposal was turned down the Catholic Church then formed a four-man commission for National Harmony to act as a mediator between Cuba's government and opposition forces. Here, then, are two recent examples that refute Mr. Hall's claim.

Re German and Italian Fascism: The writer, Mr. Hall, conveniently neglects to mention the condemnation of Nazism by eight Bavarian bishops in 1931, Cardinal Faulhaber's sermons in Munich cathedral in 1933, the papal condemnation of Nazism and Fascism in 1937 in the encyclicals "Mit brennender Sorge" and "Non Abiamo Bisogno", and the imprisonment in Germany of 5700 priests between 1933 and 1939. I would refer the writer to the article "Crucifix v. Swastika" which appeared in "Salient" on 12/9/57, and to Michael Power's book "Religion in the Reich."

Re the allegation that the Vatican promoted the Spanish Civil War: I remind Mr. Hall that the first uprising in Spain was instigated by the Communist-Socialist Alliance. This was the armed uprising in the Asturias beginning on October 4, 1934. The "Communist International", in the issue of November 5, 1934, itself states that "the workers of the Asturias fought for Soviet power under the leadership of the Communists". In dealing with the United Front, or Fronte Populaire, one must remember the words of G. Dimitrov, Secretary-General of the Communist International, in his speech at the VII World Congress of that organisation: "Only the Communist Party is at bottom the initiator, the organiser, and the driving force of the United Front". Let me refer our readers also to the actions which characterised Spain "who was at last making the first steps towards democracy." On July 23, 1936, prisoners in the courtyard of the gaol at La Campana were shot down and petrol was poured on both the dead and alive, and set fire to. (Attested by A. L. Martin, F. J. Martin, and A. F. Leal of La Campana.) At Almendralejo, some 38 prisoners, including children, were nailed to the wall of the prison yard, then saturated with petrol and burnt alive. (Attested by Feliz Corlia, Rua duz Soviano, 44, Lisbon.) At Lora del Rio, cartloads of residents were taken to the cemetery and made to dig a huge grave; they were then shot in the legs so that they fell in agony into the grave. Some were buried alive. (Attested by Don Eugenio Martin, a magistrate, C. C. Granados and J. M. Linon.) I would refer those interested to the various editions in the 1930's of the London "Times".

Re State Aid: To get a knowledge of Catholic educational justice I would refer the reader to Maclean's magazine, 28/5/57. I have a copy which I am prepared to lend. The article compares the measure of State Assistance given to Catholic private schools with that given to Protestant private schools in Catholic Quebec. This is what Dr. James Paton, secretary of the provincial association of Protestant teachers in Quebec, has to say: "We're well treated here. We get our full share of tax money; the Catholics go out of their way to be fair and even generous to us. We're only embarrassed because the Roman Catholic schools in other provinces don't get the same break". The Quebec case is an example of educational democracy and provides an answer to those who regard the situation in modern Spain as the usual Catholic policy.

Re the Index: What few critics of the Index realise is that it creates no problem to a serious student in any particular subject. I understand that permission to read forbidden books can be fairly readily obtained from one's parish priest or confessor. In any case students automatically qualify for a special dispensation to read any books connected with their course. The truth is that the Index exists not to stifle thought but rather to guide thoughtless people in their reading.

To make a more positive approach, I would just like to mention some of the recent Catholic contributions to the world's literature as a vindication of the Church's "high educational claims". The first half of this century was almost dominated by Belloc and Chesterton; to quote Dr. Reid from Auckland University: "Now that the shouting of controversy has died down, Belloc is being recognised as one of the greatest prose writers of this century and Chesterton as one of its finest and most original minds". In contemporary England the Catholic Church is represented by the formidable trio of Graham Greene, Evelyn Waugh, and Bruce Marshall, not to mention J. B. Morton, Compton McKenzie, Christopher Sykes, Antonia White, and Archbishop Mathew. In contemporary France one finds an equally imposing list of Catholic writers—Mauriac, Bloy, Bernanos, D'Aurevilly, Luc Estang, Daniel-Rops, van der Meersch, Julien Green and Jean Cayrol. Each one is a living witness to the inspiration and creative urge that Catholicism provides.

I would also like to mention that the claim that 90% of the population of Brazil have, or have had, venereal disease is self-evidently absurd.

I would suggest that in future Mr. Hall sends letters of this sort to the New Zealand Rationalist or to the publication of the Loyal Orange Lodge.

Editor.