CATHOLICS IN THE BALKANS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1948, 3 January 1914, Page 9

CATHOLICS IN THE BALKANS.

Much interest naturally circles rcranS the question of tho future lot- of Catholicism in the Balkan' States. Ilv mnit.v people, says the London "Tablet,'' tho victories of the Allies liavc been hailed as victories of the Cross over tins Crescent, and by 'sjich high hopes arc entertained for tho future of religion, tint a Catholic missionary who knows those countries has.!sent a long letter to'tho *'Bien Public" of Ghent in which,-far from .sharing in the hopes above' referred to, he expresses himself with, adespondency almost, amounting to pessialism, Putting the question whether' Catholicism.-.will..be the., gainer b,v ' the' miexpectcSLsueficsses of..tho Allies, ho declares that' "the/ Catlralk- cause has nothing to gain but on tho contrary much to lose by the victories of the BaSkan States over Turkey." Tho mere name of • Tnrboy'is sufficient, to. W.ito horror, but only, lie sii.vs,. amongst t.ho-e who do not know ike Turkey of . to-day. ''feito only socks to live ami develop m ''peace, she offers liberty ofworship to all 'her. people, she permitsand respects; .religions., demonstrations and. processions_mtjeh_ mo.ro' .than mest, •of til© Eurepeaii' 'nations.' V lint it is especially the Catholic priest who. is. tlio object of respect and veneration anion!? the Turks,. Quite, recently , a Turkish paper'declared .'in snistaiicn that Turks are rijqpdi' of liaym&-sincwV»' friends among thV'CatJiolicf eier.gy, Vlio' : are credited _ with 'being the only ministers of religion in the country who confine 'heir ■progra.inmo 'hwd Conduct . to spiritual tilings Whether' it be bocansp of capitulations or duo to. goodil-iii, the fart is that the Catholic' Church in Turkey enjoys full and absolute liberty—to preach,': t.o teach, to go in public' processiwi., to establish religious associations, I have never heard of a. Catholic m-icsfc who has received, as sueli, affronts from tlio Turks, It is not in Tin-key that 0110 will see priests or Catholic people harassed and harried as they have boon in Franco and Portugal. All the mis-siouar-ies agree 011 this. They all render homage to tho Turks for"their tolerance . . . and most of them muck prefer the Ttirks to tW ■ sehiswati'n races." Tiiis is, a- wlipk-heartod word for the Turks , which "will como as a surprise to most people.