MUST NOT OFFEND FASCISM.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18286, 8 June 1929, Page 17

MUST NOT OFFEND FASCISM.

Comment On Pope’s Letter

NEWSPAPER’S VIOLENT ATTACK. (United Press Association —By Electrlo • Telegraph—Copyright.) (Received June 7, 9.15 p.m.) LONDON, June 7. The Rome correspondent of "The Times” says that thus far “Tevere” and “Impero” are the only Fascist newspapers to comment upon the Pope’s letter, which only the Roman Catholic organs published fully, the others giving only inadequate and partial summaries. “Tevere” ignores most of the Pope's points, and describes the letter as merely a “solemn foreseen affirmation of the Church’s viewpoint.” The paper concedes that the letter is completely consistent with Roman Catholic dogma. “Impero,” on the other hand, violently attacks the Pope for daring to censure the Duce. “We never offended the Church, and the Church must not offend Fascism. Fascism is not to be criticised, save by the Fascists, and the Duce by no one.” It is evident from the Pope's letter that the future going will be full of difficulties for Italian Roman Catholics, who are also convinced that the Fascists are already • beginning to realise that the Inner conflict between their civil and religious loyalties are still far from being resolved. [“Together they stand and together they fail, even if the Vatican City State should fall with them,” declared the Pope In a letter to Cardinal Gasparrl, answering Signor Mussolini’s speeches. The letter especially refers to Signor Mussolini’s hint that the fate of the Lateran Treaty and Concordant may be the same. The Pope characterises Signor Mussolini declaration that if the Christian religion had not been transferred to Rome it would have flickered out like any other Palestine sect, the Pope adds: "Least of all would His Holiness have expected this heretical, or worse than heretical, expression regarding the very essence of Christianity and Catholicism. It was neither fitting nor generous to recall laws and regulations, which must be most painful, offensive, and damaging to the Holy See, the Pontiff, and Catholics throughout the world.” The letter declares that Signor Mussolini’s statement that the Church Is subject to the Italian State is tantamount to saying that the Supreme Pontiff is subject to Italy, and adds that Signor Mussolini’s frequent declarations that the State preserved all means of vigilance over the Church clearly suggests that the clergy are suspicious characters and that the Church has attempted usurpation and spoliation of the State, while the contrary is historically and notoriously true, both in Italy and abroad.)