A PROTEST

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22358, 23 March 1938, Page 8

A PROTEST

TO THE EDITOB OF THE PRESS. Sir—Under this heading a correspondent signing himself “Truth endeavours to excite hatred against the Roman Catholic Church by affirming that she is in favour of Japan in the present conflict with China. He bases this on some remarks made by Bishop Ross in a recent interview. It should bft obvious to fill thfit the Bishop was very far from making any claim to speak for the official attitude of the Catholic Church, and that in fact no such official attitude exists. The- Catholic Church does not take sides in a struggle between two powers both of which are mainly pagan, though both contain a certain proportion of Catholics, Her only official attitude can be one of regret that such a conflict should have arisen and a desire to use any influence she possesses in favour of peace. At the most, Bishop Ross was using his right, as a citizen, to express his own personal view. But I do not think he was even doing so much; I took him to be merely explaining, as one residing in Japan and having many friends there, what was the actual outlook of the Japanese, without himself endorsing that outlook or accepting anv responsibility for it.—Yours, etc., FRANK B. SEWARD.

Lincoln, March 17, 1938. [“Catholic Truth,” who opened this correspondence, may reply. Otherwise it is closed. —Ed., “The Press.”]