CHURCH PURGES IN GERMANY

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24911, 26 June 1946, Page 7

CHURCH PURGES IN GERMANY

NO ACTION TAKEN BY ROMAN CATHOLICS

MILITARY GOVERNMENT’S REQUIREMENTS <N4S. Press Association—Copyright)

LONDON, June 24. "A situation of some delicacy has arisen between the Military Government and the Roman Catholic Church as a result of the Church's delay in fulfilling de-Naziflcation requirements," said a senior British official, according to the Herford correspondent of “The Times."

The correspondent says it is hoped ■ that the Roman Catholic leaders will s prove accommodating and follow the i example of the Evangelical Church, ’ but Military Government officials are - not sanguine about the chances of f avoiding a clash of opinion. "The trouble has arisen from a rulf ing of. the Control Commission nearly - two months ago 'that the Church . authorities,should form de-Naziflca-i tion panels, consisting of five or eight ! members, two of whom would be lay- . men,” says tne correspondent. t "The Evangelical Conference early i in May recognised the need for such a purge, and the Free Church subr mitted the names of suitable members , for rhe panels, but the Roman Catholic : Church so far has not submitted any t names. » "Members of the Military Government sre' aware that the number of persons involved in the de-Naziflca- , Bon of the Roman Catholic Church : will be small in view of its resistance J record, but it is stated that the principle is one on which the Military , Government is not prepared to yield. ’ A priest at Minden was recently sen- ' tenced to three months’ imprisonment , for an outspoken attack against the British for requisitioning a school I building. "A report on the churches, based on a survey of the Rhineland and Westphalia provinces, which are predominantly Roman Catholic, has been published in the British zone. • The report says that articles highly critical of the British attitude and policy have been circulating widely in Roman Catholic circles. "Some priests are stated to be rejecting the principle of Germany'# moral duty to pay reparations, and both Roman Catholic and Protestant clergy are circulating accounts of the misery and inhumanity which is .supposed to prevail in eastern Germany. . "The report says that while it Is ■ only natural that the churches should i concern themselves with the care of i refugees anti-Communist propaganda - and attempts to set the Western s Powers against Russia are a different , matter. “The report concludes that the 1 Roman Catholic clergy are a nationali Ist rather than a democratic influence 1 on German life, while the Protestants 3 are taking a more tolerant and liberal 1 attitude." 3 5