DEFENDERS OF THE FAITH

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21975, 26 December 1936, Page 11

DEFENDERS OF THE FAITH

♦ “SOME DOMINATED BY FALSE IDEAS” POPE BROADCASTS FROM HIS BED r APPEAL FOR WORLD PEACE (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.) (Received December 25, 8.30 p.m.) VATICAN CITY, December 24. The Pope, broadcasting from his bedside, deplored the many great evils which had fallen like a scourge on humanity and civil society, which were against the will of God. The Church had to contend with malevolence and many misguided enemies. His Holiness then referred to the civil war in Spain, where evil forces wished to make a supreme experiment with all the destructive forces scattered in the world which they could command. He added: “Not a few of those pretending to defend our order against the subversiveness of atheism and communism allow themselves to be dominated by false and fatal ideas in the choice of remedies. Whosoever seeks to lessan faith in Christ and portray Christ’s Church as the enemy of national prosperity does not build the country’s future but destroys the most effective and decisive defence against the evils he claims to fight and is actually working with, not against, those he boasts of attacking.” The Pope then paid tribute to the suffering of loyal and devoted servants and asked for the maintenance cf peace where it reigns and its reestablishment where it is merely a memory. The Pope sat up in bed for the broadcast. A physician anxiously watched him throughout and before he was half way through it was feared that he would be unable to finish. His Holiness pronounced certain words with the greatest difficulty, his voice breaking into sobs as he finished. He was completely exhausted at the close and fell into a deep sleep.