CZECH CONTROL OF CHURCHES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 46, 5 December 1949, Page 3

CZECH CONTROL OF CHURCHES

ROMAN CATHOLIC APPEAL

LONDON, Dec. 3

Reuter’s Prague correspondent says that Czechoslovakia’s Roman Catholic bishops to-day released the text of a letter, dated November 17. calling on the Government to abandon its new church,laws and to stop trying to enforce “unfulfillable” conditions of Government decrees which give the State power over church appointments, property and education. The letter was issued under the authority of the entire Roman Catholic hierarchy. It is understood that the appeal has met with no response, although the Government does not appear to be attempting to enforce the full provisions of the new church- laws.

BISHOPS ISSUE WARNING BLAME FOR HOLY WAR (Rec. 9.45 a.m.) LONDON, Dec., 4. The Czech Government alone would be to blame if a holy war broke out as a result of attempts to enforce the new church control laws, Roman Catholic bishops .of Czechoslovakia warned the G overhment in their latest letter of protest, the 2000-word text of which has just been made public, says the Associated Press Prague ‘correspondent. The bishops declared that in the event' of a holy war, “there are 1 enough people, in this country who are willing to sacrifice everything for the rights of God and religious freedom.” (The dominant Catholic Church has 9.000.000 members .in a population of about 13,000,000).