STRICKLAND'S APOLOGY

Taranaki Daily News, 9 June 1932, Page 5

STRICKLAND'S APOLOGY

CONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE must COME TO feet OF POPE DECISION OF THE VATICAN MALTA CHURCH DISPUTE By Telegraph—Press Assn.— Copyright. Rec. 11.30 p.m. London, June 8. The acceptance of Lord Strickland’s apology is conditional to the extent that any future act contrary to the interests of the church will involve the full penalties of ex-communication, says the Rome correspondent of the Central News Agency. Furthermore, Lord Strickland must come to Rome to renew at the feet of the Pope his expression of contrition.

The dispute between the Church. of Rome and Lord Strickland, head of the Constitutional Party in Malta, was considered settled when Lord Strickland issued a statement expressing regret for words used by him in the English and Maltese Parliaments and on other occasions, which were painful to the Church, and the joint Bishops of Malta, accordingly withdrew their pastoral letter which declared it would be sinful to vote for the Constitutional candidate.

Lord Strickland asked for pardon humbly and without reservation. He declared emphatically that during the whole of his life he had been fully determined to be a faithful son of the Holy Church, in which fold he desired ever to remain.