Prague's War On Vatican—CZECH REDS STAGE TRIAL OF CATHOLIC CHURCH LEADERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 April 1950, Page 5

Prague's War On Vatican— CZECH REDS STAGE TRIAL OF CATHOLIC CHURCH LEADERS

PRAGUE, March 31 (Rec 11 a.m.).—The Vatican sought to destroy the people’s democratic republics and replace them by. a new central European federation under the Hapsburgs, the prosecutor said at the trial today of 10 high-ranking dignitaries of the,Catholic Church, who are charged with anti-State activities. The defendants are three abbots, who have the power of bishops, and seven other churchmen, including a professor of theology and a rector of a college. All ten monks are accused of high treason and all except one were charged with espionage.

Ceteka, the official Czech news agency, said the accused were charged with having worked for the espionage services of the Vatican, with having carried on subversive activities against the Czechoslovak Republic on behalf of the Vatican, a Power hostile to Czechoslovakia, and with having plotted a coup against the State. Ceteka said the State prosecutor told the court that each of the five different Roman Catholic orders represented among the accused had received specific tasks. The Premonstratensians represented by tnree of the accused were instructed to prepare an armed rising and to this end had concealed arms in their monasteries.

Prosecution’s Allegations The Jesuits, represented by three of the accused, were mainly concerned with espionage, the prosecutor said. The Redemptprists, represented by two of the accused, sought to influence the minds of youths and to return them to unthinking and willing tools of foreign reaction. The Franciscans, represented by one of the accused, sought to sabotage Socialism in the villages and to prepare armed risings. A Dominican was a link between these church orders and high church hierarchy. Ceteka said that American firearms and German automatic pistols and other weapons, hidden by the mdnks in the monasteries, were exhibited in the court today. Gold and jewels, which the monks at one monastery were alleged to have hidden away when the State took over all church property under the new church laws, were also displayed. The State prosecutor said that immediately after the war the Vatican ranged itself alongside American imperialism and missionaries from a newly-founded Eastern institution at the Vatican were sent into Soviet Russia as spies. The Vatican sought to destroy the people’s democratic republics and replace them by a new central European federation under the Hapsburgs. A “Whispering Campaign” Ceteka said that Father Augustin Machalka, abbot of the Premonstrate monastery at Nova Rise, Moravia, pleaded guilty to a charge of high

treason and espionage and confessed to having taken part in a whispering campaign against the State. The agency said that Father Machalka replied “Yes” in a low and humble voice when asked whether he had hidden a loaded pistol in a church confessional. The trial is proceeding. Demand On America

Czechoslovakia today demanded that the American authorities in 'West Germany should return eight of the Czechs involved in last Friday’s mass escape of three Czech aircraft to Germany. Two protest Notes, to this effect have been sent to the American Embassy in Prague. The Notes said that the eight Czechs, who included the crews of the three aircraft, would face trial for kidnapping and endangering the lives of other Czechs who had unwillingly flown to the American air base at Erding.