ORDERED TO LEAVE

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 130, 3 June 1937, Page 8

ORDERED TO LEAVE

ETHIOPIAN-MISSIONS

* Almost, at .. the same time that •Premier-Benito Mussolini of Italy was declaring during his , Libyan visit that he was the "protector of Islam," it is learned here, the Vaticam backed by the Italian Government, was sending a Koman Catholic mission to Ethiopia; wrote a Jibuti correspondent of the "New York Times'" on March 26. The object of the mission is, naturally, to convert Ethiopians* Copti and Mohammedans alike; to Catholicism. After a meeting of twenty-Cardinals held at the Vatican and presided ;over by the Pope, despite his illness, the head of the mission was appointed/He is Archbishop Castellani of RKodes. He is to become Papal Nuncio at Addis Ababa, capital,, of Ethiopia. He will be accompanied by 4 large staff of Italian missionaries and members of the Ethiopian College at the, Vatican. '■'■.■•-. ;■'■'. ':; •'' ;■ :

This college was established in Rome after' the Coptic Church had been taken out of the jurisdiction of the Pope by Emperor Menelik. The Vatican brought a number of Ethiopian and Eritrean youths to Rome and trained them as missionaries. Until now their work has been in Eritrea, where the Italian .authorities suppressed the original Coptic Church and introduced Roman Catholicism.

After | Menelik's action the Vatican became consistently hostile to the Coptic Church. Now it evidently considers the time is ripe to abolish the independent church in Ethiopia for ever. '•■',: .. ■

Since the appointment of the Roman Catholic delegation all resident' missionaries have received, orders to leave Ethiopia. The Swedish and. ■ Swiss missions have already left and the influential Americans'missions \yill, leave shortly. . These missions spent more than fifty years in Ethiopia doing "excellent educational and medical work. They were not religious missions. News of the appointment of the 'new mission has been received in Ethiopia with bitter hostility; Resistance has already been organised; The rebel leaders hiding in the mountains have had the consistent support of the Coptic priests. The religious campaign will intensify that support. . >. , In the provinces of Kaffa, Sidamo, Wollega, and Bali large bands of Ethiopians are still operating against the Italian forces. The largest unit is led by Blatta Takeke, former Mayor of Addis Ababa, who is successfully holding his ground, but the activities generally are directed by the Bedjirond Tecle Hawariate, former Minister to Paris, from the safety of the Ethiopian Consulate in Jibuti. Only a short time ago the Emperor's former secretary, Tadessa Mashesha, and Ato ■ Marcos, former Ethiopian Minister at Angora, made their submissions to the Italians and were allowed to return to Addis Ababa. They disappeared and are now with the Ethiopian guerrillas.in the ..mountain*,