INFLUENCE ON EAST

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30147, 3 June 1963, Page 11

INFLUENCE ON EAST

Pope Improved Relations

(N.Z.P.A.~Reuter—Copyright)

WARSAW, June 1

The Pope’s death is likely at least to slow down efforts by the Vatican to improve relations with the Communist Governments of Eastern Europe. Catholic churchmen in Warsaw believe.

It is known that Pope John exercised a considerable influence on the attitude of the Communist leaders towards Roman Catholics. That influence became marked when the Ecumenical Council began late last year and has since grown steadily. In Poland, for the first time in more than three years, the Communist Party leader, Mr Wladyslaw Gomulka, met the Primate Stefan Cardinal Wsyzynski In Hungary, a high Vatican official, Monsignor Agostino Casaroli, recently held talks on Church-State problems and it seemed likely, that Cardinal Mindszenty, who has lived in the United States legation since the 1956 uprising. would leave for Rome

In Czechoslovakia, the first tentative moves began to negotiate an improved status for Archbishop Beran, of Prague, who has been interned for 12 years. In Poland. Catholics placed great faith in the Pope’s ability to promote a final armistice in the ChurchState conflict which has fla-ed intermittently since 1946 Churchmen in Warsaw believe that the growing spirit of understanding between Catholicism and Communism night be halted temporarily bv ’he Pope’s death but would not be stopoed ir--evocsblv They believe Pope John's policies will be pur sued by his successor