POPE PROTESTS

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 41, 18 February 1931, Page 9

POPE PROTESTS

EVIL AFFLICTS ITALY

PROTESTANT PROSELYTISM

MENACE TO HOLY CITY

United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyriflit. ("Times" Cable.) LONDON, 17th February. "The great evil afflicting Italy throughout the country, especially iv Rome, is Protestant prroselytism, promoted with a provocative persistence and permitted to continue with great harm to human souls," said the Pope, addressing preachers assembled tit Vatican City during Lent. According to the Rome correspondent of "The Times," the Pope added that proselytism menaced the most precious thing in tho nation's life, namely, the unity of thought and souls which always was most efficacious in religion. Nevertheless, the authorities allowed it to continue to an extent surprising to the Protestants themselves, who boasted of it, even talking of a. Protestant pilgrimage to Italy for tho establishment of a Protestant synod. The Pope especially criticised the authorities for permitting Protestants to acquire land in tho Holy City. Also he declared that Rome was suffering from immoral books, periodicals, and films, and variety performances in profanation of tho Sabbath. Young people attending these performances resembled "innoeeuts taken to a slaughter-yard." He added to his protests, declaring that these evils flagrantly contradicted, the Italian Concordats acceptance of "Rome's sacved character." His hearers hero burst into applause, and the Pope exclaimed: "This is no occasion for applause, but tears."