DIRECTIVE TO CLERGY
DENIAL OF ABSOLUTION TO COMMUNISTS ITALIAN ARCHBISHOP’S ORDER Rec. 11.30 p.m. LONDON, Feb. 24. A letter from the Archbishop of Milan to his clergy instructing them to deny absolution to Communists in certain specified circumstances, is expected to have wide repercussions, says The Times correspondent in Rome. It has already brought a reply from Signor Longo, the Communist Party s vice-secretary and commander of Communist partisans during the war, who describes the letter as “an unheard intervention by a high prelate ” to influence the coming elections. The Archbishop’s letter says that members of Communist and other movements contrary to the Catholic faith must be refused absolution “ when they formally adhere to the errors contained in their doctrine and give their co-operation, even only materially, and especially by means of their vote and after being admonished, refuse to desist.” Signor Longo accuses the Archbishop of lying in stating that Communism is contrary to the Catholic religion. "An overwhelming majority of Communists' are just as fervent Catholics as members of any other party,” he said.
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Bibliographic details
Otago Daily Times, Issue 26704, 25 February 1948, Page 6
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176DIRECTIVE TO CLERGY Otago Daily Times, Issue 26704, 25 February 1948, Page 6
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