POPE WARNS ITALIAN PEOPLE OF COMMUNISM

Grey River Argus, 31 March 1948, Page 5

POPE WARNS ITALIAN PEOPLE OF COMMUNISM

LONDON, March 28. Pope Pius XII., giving his Easter blessing to a vast crowd in St. Peter’s Square, said “The great hour of Christian conscience has come. At this time of anxiety and danger fraught with perhaps irreparable world decisions, a shadow of singular gravity has fallen over us. “Rome is a phase which demands the highest vigilance, continuous action and unconditional readiness from Christians. There is no place for blind incredulity towards those who freely profess a respect for religion. but afterwards deny all that is most sacred.”

The Pope directed his hearers’ attention to Christ’s words: “He who is not with Me is against Me.” The Church, he said, had recently been the target of most unjust attacks. Social justice and peace could never be realised if people heeded agitators who denied Christ.

The Pope, who spoke in a strong voice, was interrupted repeatedly by the cheers of a crowd estimated at 400,000, and the roar of aeroplanes dropping leaflets.

One leaflet bore the slogan: ‘Can you imagine Rome without a Pope?” “Although the Pope did not mention Communists, listeners to his traditional Easter blessing recognised the challenge when he said: “The great, hour of Christian conscience has come,”’ says the Rome correspondent of the “Daily Mail.” “The Pope’s words were addressed chiefly to the Italian voter.

“The Pope continued: "There is no place for half-heartedness nor for the irresolution of those who believe thev can serve two masters’

“Thousands of pilgrims from Britain wearing Union Jacks in their lapels were in the huge assembly in St. Peter’s Square.” Cardinal Griffin, preaching in Westminster Cathedral, said that there was no word for “compromise” in the Russian language. Nations failed to come to terms with Russia’s Communist leaders because Communism was radically opposed to Christianity.

ROME. March 29.

One man was killed and three were wounded in a gun fight between Communists and non-Communists at Somaglia, 35 miles from Milan.