CHURCH ASPECT OF WAR

Southland Times, Issue 23208, 25 May 1937, Page 7

CHURCH ASPECT OF WAR

Catholic Criticism Of Anglicans

RECENT VISIT TO SPAIN DEPRECATED

(United Press Assn.-Telegraph Copyright) LONDON, May 23. “All not willingly blind see a battle raging between Christian civilization and the worst form of paganism that has ever darkened the earth,” declared the Catholic Archbishop of Westminster (Dr Arthur Hinsley), in a pastoral letter read in the Westminster archdiocese on Trinity Sunday. He was obviously referring to the visits by the Anglican Church leaders to Madrid.

“While we wish success to any effort to recall the nation to religion, the recent invitation to join the British churches’ back-to-God campaign chills the heart when some of its prominent promoters feed ancient prejudices against a martyred Church on the falsehoods of Christ’s declared enemies, and even condone unbelief,” said the letter. “Why help to drag the Trojan horse ,of Communism into Britain, which desires not a gospel of hate, but of goodwill and peace?” The Dean of Canterbury (Dr Hewlett Johnson) says: “If Archbishop Hinsley is referring to me, I am not hostile to the Spanish Church, and I joined Basque worshippers who were filling the Catholic churches during my recent visit. It is significant that the Basques, whose Government officials are all practising Catholics, are fighting in support of the Spanish Government. Our offer to investigate conditions in General Franco’s territory was refused. “We, at the peril of our lives, saw the bombing of Durango when a church and a convent were destroyed, and. 120 slain, including a nun who was a sister of my chauffeur, Although General Franco’s broadcast attributed the destruction and the slaughter of a priest and nuns to Reds, I saw photographs of four captured German airmen who were among those who carried out the • bombing.” MISHAP TO DESTROYER CAUSED BY MINE GIBRALTAR, May 23. It is officially announced that the mishap to the destroyer Hunter was exclusively caused by a mine.