Papal Neutrality

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 171, 16 April 1942, Page 6

Papal Neutrality

Sir, — in your report of my reply to tlie Rev. Dr. Gascoigne concerning Papal neutrality, published in "The Dominion’’ on April 8, certain of my remarks were omitted, and I shall be glad if you will make good the omission.

The paragraphs referred to read as follows: —

"Dr. Gascoigne’s attempt to set against my demand for moral- sincerity the character of the present Pope and the traditional courtesy of the dignitaries of the Church of Scotland is quite irrelevant to the issue. No array of Papal encyclicals will ever justify the neutrality of the Pope in this conflict. In any case, Dr. Gascoigne is speaking of a time when there appeared to be little likelihood of a revival of Papal temporal power in Europe, which, of course, was the real foundation of British distrust of the Papacy for centuries.

"The Pope in 191 S was a prisoner in the Vatican, but since 1929 he is once again Pope and King and assumes the right to make treaties with States as a sovereign Power. For instance, on June 7, 1940. an agreement was signed between General Franco and the Vatican for the extermination of Protestantism in Spain, where Protestant schools have been closed along with the churches. The distribution of the Bible is strictly forbidden and editions of the Bible Society have been confiscated.

“When you couple this with the Papal blessing of Mussolini’s warriors in Abyssinia we know just what Papal neutrality means. Is it not a queer coincidence that the Pope’s five peace points were issued in the same month that the infamous agreement was made with General Franco?

“Quite frankly I speak as an Englishman, and say ‘hands off’ to the Pope. When he becomes a moral champion of humanity in act as well as in Papal encyclicals we will take him seriously in this war. The people to make the peace will be the people who win it.” —I am, etc., W. LAWSON MARSH. Oamaru, April 10.