Amnesty For 127 Czech Catholic Priests

Chronicle (Levin), 31 October 1949, Page 5

Amnesty For 127 Czech Catholic Priests

PRAGUE, Oct. 29. President Gottwald today announced an amnesty for 127 Catholic priests. The Czech Official Newsagency reporting the announeement said they were priests "who made themselves liable to legal prosecution and punishment but -afterwards repented and asked the President for pardon. " The announeement said, the "overwhelming majority of priests" weleomed the new church laws which provided a foundation for good relations between State and Church an.l for the clergy 's social security. Only individual priests had given way to pressure exerted by the hierachy and let themselves be misled into committing acts for which they had been legal Jy prosecuted. These priests quickly realised the consequences and acted aeeordinglv. Thev "regretted what they had done, pledged loyalty to the republic, and asked the President for pardon." Church sources estimated recently hat between 300 and 400 Catholic. clergy had been arrested for opposing the new church laws. It is believed the amnesty might be the> coiisequence of last week's announeement by tlie Catholic bishops that priests were now permitted to take a qualified al-legianep oath to the Czech regime. Priests were also told to aceept State salaries commg into effect on November 1. A new law bringing all Czpehoslo /okia under a central State ranking sysem will be introduced sbortlv. Finance .vliiiister .laroslav Kabes said today. He added that 1122 banks had been Mosed as a resuit of the " rationalisation" of the savings bank system and he banning of more than one bank in my one place. This measure freed 600 ouildings for other uses and enabled 1500 bank employees to be directed to other work. Mr. Kabes said bank wedits could no longer be given for private enterprise but only for "socialist production".