A Young President?

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29262, 21 July 1960, Page 3

A Young President?

Sir, —Mr Seward, like most Catholics, would like everyone to forget the aims at political power of the Catholics. But let me remind them of Franco and his Catholic Fascist followers (where free elections have been forbidden this last 20 years). History will refresh “free” thinking people’s minds of how this criminal came to power. No so-called evil of communism could possibly be worse than those evils perpetrated in the name of Christianity by the medieval Spanish Inquisition. If Pope John concerned himself more with the bodily needs of the people outside the walls of the Vatican their souls might be saved in the process.—Yours, etc., M. J. TURNER. July 19, 1960.

Sir, —I, for one, sincerely hope that should he become President of the United States, Senator Kennedy will follow in the footsteps of Senator McCarthy. I note that your correspondent, G. A. Seward, has stated that the latter had “more Catholic oppon ents than friends.” Is that so? What about the many Catholic priests who agreed to the methods used by the Senator, and of the many other Senators, Congressmen. ambassadors, and highranking officers of the United States Army, Navy, and Air Force who used the same methods to expose the anti-Christ element who sought the overthrow of the United States Government? I would like Mr Seward to inform your readers, whether he knows of some easy, delicate way of exposing Communists without at the same time exposing all of their traitorous, sordid acts.—Yours, etc., D. DAVEY. July 20, 1960.

Sir, —So it is a crime to be a Catholic and unfortunate is the country which has one in its highest position. I would like to know whether it was unfortunate for New Zealand when M. J. Savage was Prime Minister, for Australia, when Mr Lyons and Mr Chiffly were its Prime Ministers, for Canada when Mr St. Laurient was Prime Minister, for West Germany now witih Dr. Adenauer, for France with de Gaulle.' These countries, with one exception, are . non-Catholic. It would appear that “The Future" is mentally living in a past age of bigotry and ignorance. The only thing the Catholic Church hates is error and falsehood. For the Communist and her enemies she has nothing but pity and love.—Yours, etc., i Me. July 18, 1960.

Sir, —It is a fact that Pope John’s Church does take sides in politics. The Catholic Party of Belgium is the biggest political party in Belgium, with trade unions and all other political trimmings. When election time comes over there, all Catholics (even if they are workers who would surely find more gain by voting Socialist) are warned from the pulpits to vote for the Catholic Party, with the damnation of their soul in the balance. No doubt American Catholics will similarly be told by their church leaders to vote for Senator Kennedy. although Southern States Catholics will also have their “damnation” problem on the integration issue. Catholics and Communists both strive for world rule.—Yours, etc., TOO RIGHT. July 19. 1960.

Sir, —G. F. Seward and "Mildly Disinterested” cannot pull the wool over the eyes of people with their evasive statements. The Roman Catholic Church is notorious for interfering in politics. President Peron was routed and exiled because he asked the church not to interfere in state affairs. In Spain a war was waged against Dr. Negrin’s legitimate Government (a workers’ Government), and finally Franco, a dictator, was installed. Recently in Kerala, India, the Roman Catholics were instrumental in ousting a legal Communist Government from office. Mexico had socialism evicted from the government policy, and now Cuba is facing a Roman Catholic barrage of hate. The Australian Labour Party was split by Roman Catholicism. In Italy and Germany there are the “Christian Democratic” parties, both countries predominantly Roman Catholic. No church should wield political power. Mr Kennedy, now American Democrat leader, needs watching.—Yours, etc., THE FUTURE. July 20. 1960. [This correspondence may now cease.—Ed., “The Press.”]