CROCE AND GENTILE

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 36, 11 August 1934, Page 7

CROCE AND GENTILE

BANNED BY VATICAN

Intellectual circles in Rome are astonished at action taken by the Supreme Congregation of the Holy Office (popularly known as the Inquisition), says the "Daily Telegraph." It has banned all the works, philosophical, educational, and historical, of Italy's two greatest .living thinkers—Senator Benedetto Croce, the philosopher, and Senator Giovanni Gentile. Neither of them has published a book recently.

Senator Gentile abandoned .Liberalism for Fascism,.and revolutionised the national system of education when Signor Mussolini appointed him Minister of Education shortly after the march on Home. (

Senator Crocc has incurred tho hostility of extreme Fascists through his refusal to leave his Liberal ideas for Fascism. Some time ago his house was invaded by Black Shirts and some of his books wero destroyed. Ho was Minister oi' Education in Giolitti's Cabinet from 1920 to 1921.

The sentences of tho Holy Office are published in the "Osservatoro Romano," and ban the "opera omnia" (all works) of each man. The only- explanation put forward is that the Holy Office's action follows the protest made in Germany when Ilerr Rosenberg's latest book was banned a few months ago.

It is surmised that the Holy Oflico has come to the conclusion that tho two Italian philosophers, whoso' doctrines, differ from orthodox Catholic tenets, should also servo as an example.

The Supremo Congregation of the Holy Office was established in 1542, and tho Pope is always its prefect.

The scene between an Italian, and a Belgian writer which occurred at the International Congress of the P.E.N. Club at Edinburgh recently arose out of allegations with regard to the treatment of Senator Crocc.