4—THE CATHOLIC TIMES
Friday. Sept 9. 1955
THE
CATHOLIC TIMES
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This Paper Printed by Union Labor
Message from Argentina
The prelate of Argentina who explained the rea
son behind the Church’s refusal to permit the Peron
government to repair the churchee damaged in the
political upheaval there some weeks ago put I'
very plainly when he said that the hurch could
not permit profane hands to touch the (hurch s
wounds.
His explanation only served tn emphasize that
a predominantly Catholic country has been infil
trated and is now being controlled hy a minority
of communist inspired leaders. The manner in which
the Catholic churches of Argentina were treated
reveals the kind of thinking bark of the perpet
rators. It could have heen nothing but ommumsts
behind the diabolical work.
It is now definitely established that the Peron
ists who attacked and set fire to the churches used
flame-throwers and napalm to increase the confla
gration. Government trucks transported gasoline
and other volatile® to help along in the burning.
Although Peron tried to blame the Communists,
it is quite evident that he and his regime were hand
in glove with them in the work. For it was govern
ment arson squads that did the work.
The police said they had no instructions' and
could not protect the churches The firemen said
they had no water pressure and stood by for two
hours to watch the fire Then to add to the damage
lhey flooded the structures with water. In several
of the churches every tabernacle was hammered in.
The wreckers broke the reliquary in the altar stone
and scattered the relics Statues were broken and
marble altar rails were broken so that no piece
longer than twelve inches remained Anything burn
able was piled in the renter of the church and
burned
It is silly for Peron to blame ihi® destruction an
Commumsts, for he is surely their leader. For
Americans the message from Argentina is: "It can
happen in the United States, too!" It is only neces
sary to direct attention to the communist infiltra
tion which still goes on in the Eisenhower Re
publican administration to emphasize this message.
Probably many American voters thought it would
end with a change of administration, but the battle
goes nn to remove and expose them.
Movie Deterioration
Officials of the National l/gion of Decency
stated lat week that the moral tone of movies is
deteriorating That surely, could have heen pre
dieted when liberal minds combined with evil forces
to prohibit any honest censoring of movies Here
in Ohm too. it is all too evident that there is no
movie censorship IVespite the promise made with a
heroic stand of honesty by the Theater Owners As
•ociation to keep the movies clean alter the failure
of legislators to pass a much needed law of cen
worship, more and more indecent films appear on
the screens
I egion of Decency officials also staled that
many athnlics are getting lax on movies The box
office success of some condemned films must he
due in part to patronage hy some Catholics Mrs
James Ixmram chairman of the Motion Picture De
partment of the International Federation of Catho
lic Alumnae, rightly called attention to a letter
from the papal secretariate which stated "There
is little doubt that the faithful have the obligation
of informing themselves on the judgments made by
the competent (film judgingi offices concerning the
moral value of films, and of acting accordingly."
Everyone must understand that as long as box
office success attends the deterioration of the moral
tone nf the movies, there must also follow a defin
lie deterioration nf the moral tone of the people,
Mr Mosher (the one man u hn blocked Ohio censor
hip) tn the contrary notwithstanding
I iiceasing Compassion
When Christ mol the pitiful funeral cortege emei
Ring from the little town of Naim, as recorded in Sun
day'* Gospel, His heart went out in compassion tor
the widowed mother whose only son had died, just
a« His heart goes out in compassion for all who
must hear trials and sorrows mothers in particular,
"Do not w®ep" were the words in which Hr voiced
His divine compassion, and they form a message of
hope for all who are in sorrow.
For Christ •ame into the world Io redeem men
from am. which iw dr'ath of the soul, and bring them
ha k tn the life Of 1 ace, »verlasting, following Him,
obeying Him k Him, all ireasons for fear and
grief ar® taken i the samei power hy which He
restored to hf® hr son of hi* widow of Naim is
constantly excrcM.*»ed ny mm inrougn the Sacrament
nf Penance in rout oring lite to souls that have heen
killed hy sin A and again He utters that same
peremptory aurnmoris which awed the crowd that
day in Naim’ 1 »u ng man, I say to thee, arise!”
It is a summon thiit convey® the deepest compas
sinn. calling on roAn tn use his 1free will In turn from
wrong tn right. frorti spiritual death tn life
And the Church, when feeling mother's grief
when any of her sons and daughters fall into sin,
bringing death upon themM-lves, constantly utters
this lime summons, "I say to thee, arise'" In enm
paasinn like that of her Divine Founder, she calls
on the erring ones to arise from the evil ways into
which they have fallen, to shun the occasions of
•in. She is truly compassionate indeed, when she
Rternly warns the Winner of the dangers he faces,
aa she does in the words of St. Paul in Sunday's
Epistle: "Re not deceived God is not mocked For
what a man sows, that he will also reap For he who
anw* in tl.e flesh, in the flesh also he will reap
corruption Rut he who sows in the spirit, from the
spirit he will reap life everlasting
Why Do We Beli ave
Like Americans?
We often, and rightly, complain of the "bad
preaa* the United States gets abroad, not merely
a^ the hands of the ’ommui*ts. We Americans
ar® frequently represented as money grubbers
(unlike the Europeans who reluctantly accept our
loans and outfight gifts) as a decadent nation nl
moral and mental illiterates iwhereas every other
nation i« crammed full nf ports, musicians, art
i«U, taints and thinkers nf noble thoughts). as
a power-mad people seeking the control nf Hi*
earth (while peaceful neighbors abroad are try
ing desperately’ not to set their colonies free)
"Why do they way such things?" w’e ask peev
ishly. There are, of course, many reasons, mor®
than we can go into there. Nationalism is nothing
new. The prostrate country that watches the U. S.
lift it to its feet is not likely to be grateful. In
fact the worse the plight it got itself into (fnr
whatever reason) the less likely it is to assume
the blame.
Nor are we perfect, by any means. The United
Slates is no Utopia. We have much to answer
for before the bar of history. As far a cur
rent history goes we. our selves must bear a good
bit of the responsibility of what others now
think of us. Here we refer not so much to our
obvious failings as to our own part in presenting
the picture others see.
Take our novels. Quite a few of these have
become best sellers abroad, thanslated intn
all of the leading languages. The Grapes of Wrath,
[or one. is looked on as a photographic sketch of
America. It seems that foreigners want tn learn
as much about us as they can, to their credit, be
it said.
Rut what have they found? An endless talc of
casual adulteries, promiscuity, degeneration, finan
cial chicanery, ignorance, race prejudice, drunken
ness. and sheer infantile irresponsibility.
He has true glory who despises it.
—Livy (59 B.C. A.D. 17), "History of Romo," Bk. x.
Just Among Ourselves
Passing Comment Considered or Inconsiderate
An advertisement for a book of quotations lists
some interesting examples of familiar sayings that
fail to agree with their originals. Carl Van Doren
says, with truth, that "the most familiar quotations
are the most likely to be misquoted." And yet it i»
remarkable that it should be so.
What is true of quotations is true of words the
most common words arc those most commonly mis
pronounced. Consider, now as we approach the great
intellectual endeavor of the colleges known as the
football season.—the ever recurrent OFfence and
DE’fence. An educated man will speak of REsearch
and of DEtour. A motor salesman (probably a Ph D.)
will speak of ASSESSorits, eliminating the k-value
of his first c.
We have mentioned in this spot on at least one
occasion the calamitous misquotation of Herbert
Hoover's comment on our effort to enforce national
prohibition. Hoover said that this effort was "an
interesting experiment." He added that it was "noble
in motive.” Ever since. Hoover has been regarded
as the author nf the phrase, "the noble experiment."
And, of course. Hoover didn't say any such thing.
Emerson once, said that "a foolish consistency is
the hobgoblin of little minds." Please notice that
the operative word in that statement is the adjective
foolish. Yet nine out of ten who quote Emerson’s
saying, leave out the most important word of all,
and say that consistency is the hobgoblin of little
minds, whereas, in truth consistency is 1he very
first requirement of great minds. The foolish con
sistency of which Emerson speaks is mere fussiness,
such as the consistency of the man who won’t wear
a Homburg with a dress suit, or who carefully re
frains from any irregularity in incidental routine*.
Some people, not of the faith, find objection to
siH’h prayers as the Rosary in w’hich the Hail Mary
is said again and again, they cry out against "vain
repetition," (which Scripture condemns) not realiz
ing that this repetition is not al all vain repetition.
The critics here actually ignore the word they pro
nounce. and assume that any repetition is vain rep
etition, which is far from the case.
How' frequently do we hear the remark.—when
people comment on what appears to bp unneeded
elaboration,—"This is gilding the lily." Here is a
misquotation with a vengeance It is a twisted ver
sion of part nf a line from Shakespeare (King John,
Act iv, Scene 2) who says:
'Io gild refined gold, tn paint the Illy,
To throw a perfume on the violet.
To smooth the ice, or add another hue
Untn the rainbow', or with taper-light
To seek th? beauteous eye of heaven to garnish,
Is wasteful and ridiculous excess
Another Shakespearean misquotation is "Alas,
poor Yorick! I knew' him well, Horatio." There is no
well in the original, which runs:
Alas poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio a
fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent
fancy (Hamlet, Act. v, Sc. 1)
Abraham Lincoln is often quoted as saying,
"Never change horses when crossing a stream."
This is indeed approximately the sense of what he
said, which was, "It is not best tn swap horses while
crossing the river." There is no "foolish consistency"
in minute accuracy 4f quotation a man has said
what he has said it is not only inaccurate hut un
just to put words into his saying which he himself
did not put there.
Very frequently one hears that ‘"pride goes hr.
fore a fall." What Scripture says (Proverbs, xvi, 18)
is, "Pride gopth heforp destruction: and the spirit
is lifted up before a fall A nnn Catholic version
reads, "Pride gorth before destruction, and a
haughty spirit before a fall.”
Sometimes misquotation occurs by omission of
essential words, not hy putting in new or extra
words Rulwer Lytton (in Richlieu, Act it, Sc. 2)
says, "Reneath the rule of men entirely great, the
pen is mightier than the sword.” How often do we
hear 'he phrase "the pen is mightier than the sword”
without the essential qualification, "beneath the
rule of men entirely great.” This is misquotation by
omission It recalls the silly argument proposed by
some dun wit who said that Scripture tells us there
is no God, and cited Psalm 13. The first verse of
the Psalm is this, "The fool hath said in his heart,
there is no God."
The list in the advertising folder mentioned
above includes these frequent misquotes: Twas
the night before Christmas and all through the
house ." for "Twas the night before Christmas.
when all through the house .’’ "Music hath
charms to soothe the savage beast which is a mis
quote from Congreve’s "Music hath charms to -soothe
the savage breast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted
oak (The Mourning Bude, Act i. Sc. I) The phrase.
"A poor thing, but my own," is a misquote from
A« You Like It (Act v,, Sc. 4), "An ill-favoured
thing, sir, but mine own”
Another favorite misquotation is "Money is the
root of all evil." What St Paul says (I Timothy, vi,
10) is "The desire of money is the root of all evils."
The nnn-Catholic version is "the love of money"
yet the word "desire" is,a far more accurate render,
ing of the original, and precisely agrees with St.
Thomas Aquinas's splendid reasoning on the point.
Next time you hear a person say, "1'11 tell you
exactly what he said these were his very
words." you had better not rely on the quotation un
less it i® hacked hy a tape recording of the original
statement Very few people mean to lie when they
quote, but few quoter* hit the exact truth.
WASHINGTON LETTER
WASHINGTON A strong
sentiment is building up for an
international investigation of
war crimes committed by com
munists against American pris
oners in Korea, both during the
fighting and after the armistice.
The interest is not centered
here alone, but is manifested
throughout the country. Veterans
organizations in various sections
are taking an interest in the mat
ter.
A Congressman, Representa
tive Thomas J. Dodd of Connect
icut, sik jests the same action in
a letter to Secretary of State
Dulles, hut he would not con
fine the investigation to the pos
sibility of UN action alone. He
says it could be carried out by
that body, or by "a specially
constituted international tribunal
or commission.” He says the U.
S. could submit "numerous doc
umented instances of atrocities
and torture.”
Interest in this proposal is
heightened by the fact that this
Government only in recent days
ma le public a new code of con­
MONSIGNOR HIGGINS
Several weeks ago the daily
press reported that the U. S. De
partment o Defense, contrary
to standard procedure, had pro
vided military
I ransportati o n
in Asia, at a
nominal charge
for a large
group of civil
ians represent
ing the so-call
ed Moral Re
a a me e n
movement. The
chances are
that many of
those who read
this story
(which mildly threatened for a
few days to blossom into a minor
public scandal) had never heard
of MRA before
MRA is fairly well known in
Europe, where it has its inter
national headquarters hut it has
never really caught on in the
United States in spite of the fact
that it was started here in 1909
by an American citizen, Dr.
Frank Ruvhman, at that time a
Lutheran minister. For several
years its best efforts in this
country were concentrated in the
field of organized labor. During
the middle '40s the "movement'*
ax it is famjliarly referred tn
by its devotees persistently
tried to infiltrate the labor move
ment. Rut, MRA press releases
to the contrary notwithstanding,
this was a more or less complete
waste of time.
A Bit of a Nuisance
To our personal knowledge,
the majority of labor leaders
who were urged repeatedly and
insistently to affiliate with the
movement let it he known, as
soon as common courtesy would
permit, that they simply were
not interested and would prefer
tn be let alone. MRA gradually
got the point and eventually bow
ed out of the picture. During the
past five or six years its agents
have not been in evidence at any
of the major labor conventions,
whereas in the middle '40s they
rarely missed one.
Indeed, one of the things that
hurt them most in labor circles
was the fart that they mad® a
hit nf a miixanre nut nf thernx®|
res at union convention* by lit-
Some Fun Eh, Kid?
War Crime Investigation Urged
duct for U.S. servicemen in time
of war.
"Sure’y, it is not too much to
ask," Representative Dodd said
to Secretary Dulles, “tlvat, as we
require our own soldiers and
sailors and marines to carry the
full responsibility of patriotic
conduct even under the most
difficult of circumstances, we
demonstrate to them that those
who subject our citizens to un
speakable brutalities and tor
tures will not escape condemna
tion and punishment."
It is noted here, too, that, with
in a matter of days, American
Air Force personnel who have
bee.i released from illegal con
finement have told the American
public of the horrors of their
imprisonment under Chinese
communists.
In calling for this action on
the part of our Government, the
prime movers in this campaign
assert that the U.S. prisoners of
war taken in Korea were denied
proper medical attention, sub
jected to over-exertion, starved,
tortured physically and mentally,
MRA vs Labor, Catholics
erally haunting delegates who
didn't want to be bothered. The
writer knows of one Catholic la
bor leader who locked himself
in his hotel room during a na
tional CIO convention and cut
off the phone service for several
hours to avoid being proselytized.
Another proponent labor official,
a Protestant in this case, played
hide-and-seek with them at a sub
sequent convention and eventual
ly threw them off his trail, only
to find in his Pullman berth,
that night, a collection of MRA
pamphlets and phonograph rec
ords which he had emphatically
declined to accept earlier in the
day.
Intentions Sutpoct
In addition to their personal
distaste for MRA’s overly zeal
ous missionary strategy which
sometimes had its humorous ov
ertones many union officials,
perhaps the majority, are sus
picious of MRA’s intentions in
the field of organized labor. This
suspicion was publicly express
ed a few years ago in a resolu
tion, introduced at a national
AFL convention by a prominent
non Catholic delegate, calling
upon the Federation to investi
gate the movement.
Nothing ever came of this
resolution, hut shortly there
after the International Confed
eration of Free Trade Unions is
sued a controversial report which
said, in effect, that MRA is anti
labor. This may or may not be
true, but, in passing, it is only
fair to add that one of MRA’s se
verest critics. Bishop I-eon Jos
eph Suenens, Auxiliary of Ma
lines, Belgium, has come to the
opposite conclusion and has giv
en the movement a fairly clean
bill of health in the field of so
cial and economic policy.
Not Merely Civic
This continuing controversy
with respect to MRA’s socio-eco
nomic policy is admitteedly im
portant, Rut even more import
ant for present purposes is the
question as to whether or not
MRA is theologically sound. Or,
to put it another way, whether or
not Catholics may in good con
science associate themselves
with the movement There are
the questions tn which Rixhnp
Suenens addreseed htmaelf in his
and murdered under atrocious
circumstaances, and that men in
military uniforms were seized
and tried as spies, a most ser
iou violation of the rules of
warfare. In addition, prisoners
have been illegally detained after
the cessation of hostilities.
Representative Dodd told the
Slate Department that action by
this Government resulting in an
international investigation would
bring to bear upon the commun
ists the “trerrtendous power and
strength of public condemna
tion would inform and edu
cate millions of people in the
world who are still in a position
to make a choice between com
munism and freedom, and would
demonstrate in an unmistakable
manner that the U.S. and its
free world associates "will not
ignore or let pass unnoticed a
planned course of barbarism and
inhuman conduct.”
Congressman Dodd was Chief
Trial Counsel for the U.S. at the
international trial of nazi leaders
in Nuremberg, Germany, in 1945
and 1946.
recent book the most scholar
ly, most objective and most char
itable treatise on MRA which we
have thus far encountered.
The Bishop answers both ques
tions in (he negative. MRA, he
says, is not merely a civic organ
ization as its leaders keep in
sisting. Rather it is a new relig
ion a new form of Protestant
ism. Therefore, the Bishop con
cludes. Catholics may not become
associated with it. “For all Ca
tholics," he says, "the matter is
settled no participation what
ever in the movement as it is at
present is compatible with the
logic of the faith or with com
plete fidelity to the Church."
Error of Their Way»
As recently as last winter, in
the presence of this writer and
a priest companion who is writ
ing a doctoral dissertation on the
movement, a group of MRA mili
tants—including several Catho
lics from Western Europe re
spectfully but rather blandly
dismissed Bishop Suenens’ book
as thex purely personal opinion
of an individual theologian.
Meanwhile, as the NCWC News
Service reported on August 22,
the Sacred Congregation of the
Holy Office the Vatican body
entrusted with safeguarding Ca
tholic faith and morals—has is
sued a formal decree on MRA
which substantially confirms
Bishop Suenens’ conclusions and
which, it is hoped, will convince
the Catholics in the movement
of the error of their ways. This
decree of the Holy Office in
cludes the following directives:
"1. It is not fitting for either
diocesan or religious priests,
and much less for nuns, to par
ticipate in the meetings of Mor
el Rearmament.
"2. If exceptional circumstan
ces should make such participa
tion opportune, the permission
of the Sacred Congregation of
the Holy Office must be request
ed beforehand. This ]ermission
will be granted only to learned
nd experienced priests.
"3. Finally it is not fitting
that the faithful should accept
posts of responsibility in Moral
Rearmament, end especially not
fitting that they join the so-cell
ed 'policy teem'”
Inquiry Corner
Q. My wife is a convert and
her mother has been waging a
campaign for birth-control. We
have four children, all of them
tinder school age and she claims
that. I am endangering my wife's
health. What answer can I
make that she would under
stand? She says that her church
makes no objection to birth
control.
A. In the first place you must
keep clear in your mind and
keep your wdfe straight on the
fact that whatever God com
mands must be right. As Pope
Pius XI stated in the encyclical
on Marriage (Casti Connubii,
1930): “Every attempt on the
part of the married couple dur
ing the marriage act or during
the development of its natural
consequences to deprive it of its
natural power and to hinder the
procreation of new life is im
moral. No justifiable reason or
necessity can change an action
immoral by nature into an action
that is moral and lawful.” This
moral teaching rests first of all
on the divine authority of the
Catholic Church. There is much
literature available giving the
medical and the social argu
ments against this unnatural
practice, and it w'ould seem that
you could secure some of these
pamphlets, booklets or books
tespecially those by physicians
and medical authorities) and
loan them to your mother-in
law. Having children is not a
disease and the modern unscien
tific panic about women with
several children being in great
danger is shown up by many ac
tive mothers of large families.
If a mother’s health really is in
danger the couple should con
sult the priest in confession for
advice.
Q. When will the Second
Coming of Christ take place?
A. As with the end of the
world we should leave the nam
ing of dates and speculation
about the Second Coming to
those who have nothing else to
do. We are given an awe-inspir
ing picture of the last days in
the Gospels and in the Apo
calypse, but not with the idea
that we should be anxious about
the date. (See St. Matthew 24:
23-51, especially verse 36. “But
of that day and hour no one
knows, not even the angels of
heaven, but the Father only.”)
We gain through study of these
passages if we let them encour-
RICHARI) PATTEE
NICOSIA, Cyprus—In view of
the worldwide attention being
paid to this little Mediterranean
island it might be proper to de
vote preferent
ial attention to
the purely po
litical in send
ing this report
directly from
Fath er II ealey--------------—
Nicosia. As in
so many simil
ar cases, what
is reported
abroad and
what is actual
ly happening
bear little re
semblance o
each other.
The local press has reproduced
a series of lurid announcements
from Ixmdon in which Cyprus is
depicted as a "terror island" in
■which life and limb are, to say
the least, most precariously pre
served. Nothing could be less
true.
Grost Exaggeration
Some sticks of dynamite have
been tossed and three lives lost
since January last, when the
first incident of "terror" took
place. A clandestine organization
called EOKA has indulged in an
endless amount of threats and in
covering walls with its paint. But
to present Cyprus as a land in
which the ordinary citizen lives
in fear of his existence is a
gross exaggeration. Politics bub
bles merrily, to be sure, and the
eternal question of the annexa
tion of the island to Greece is
the great issue of the day. Un
fortunately space is lijnited in
whi 1 to discuss this complex is
sue.
Some months ago in this col
umn I raised the matter of the
urgency of the Cypriot case and
suggested that in the world-wide
scene, in which so many situa
tions of real peril exist, perhaps
the immediate solution of the
question here was a bit Jess sub
ject to precipitation than one
might think. I was honored by
letter* from several citizens of
Greek origin •reusing me of be
ing a stooge of Britain, a friend
of tyranny, and any number of
other choice epithets.
Since I have been in Cyprus I
have not changed my opinion. I
am not arguing one way or an
other for or against enosis—
that is, the union with Greece. I
merely argue that as things
stand I see no evidence of the al
leged tyranny and violence of the
British authorities.
Detail the Comrades Ignore
My third day in Nicosia, I at
tended a meeting sponsored by
the Communist Party of Cyprus
at the Alhambra, in the center
of the city. The place was pack
er x-ith hearers of Greek flags
end the speeches, as nearly as I
enuld gather, were lurid denun
eiations of Britain and tha Brit
age us to persevere until the in*
justices and sufferings of this
world shall be removed by th®
triumphal coming of Christ. They
should move us to be ready for
God’s judgment at all tim^s.
Q. My husband is not a Cath*
olic and his continents are pret*
ty pointed when it comes to my
sister's family. They have all
been devoted Catholics, but ev
ery misfortune seems to strike
them and now iny sister is ex
pecting another child and she
is not well, they are hard
pressed financially, etc.
A. To the extent that peojfl®
are devoted Catholics they find
it possible to bear with misfor
tune and keep peace of soul.
People who question God's jus
tice in regard to His friends are
like the friends of Job who urg
ed him to despair and die. while
Job was blessed because he
trusted God even in great af
fliction: “the Ixud gave, and the
Ixird hath taken away: as it hath
pleased the Ixird so it is done:
blessed be the name of the
Lord.” (Job 1:21) Christ madp nn
promises of health and prosperi
ty for His devoted followers and
He gave great crosses to the
Apostles, to all the saints and
especially to His Blessed Moth
er. While good Christians are
often healthy and prosperous,
and there can he an unshakable
foundation of happiness in the
devoted Catholic we should re
member that following Christ in
volves carrying the cross. Only
God knows what is really good
for us and apparent tragedy and
failure often lead to greatness
and nobility of soul.
If man was made in the
image and likeness of God from
the beginning how could he fall
and be sent away from God?
A. Adam was made in the im
age and likeness of God, but it
was likeness and not identity.
We are also in that same high
position due to our spiritual na
ture and our supernatural desti
ny, but that does not mean that
we are perfect as God is per
fect. The souls that reach heav
en will reach the perfection pos
sible to man and the image and
likeness of God will be relative
ly complete and it will be eter
nal for them.
Send questions to Father Ed
ward F. Healey, Inquiry Corner,
The Catholic Times, Box 636, Co
lumbus (16) Ohio.
Report from Cyprus
ish. There was not a single gend
arme anywhere about. No lim
itation was placed on what was
said. I submit that if the local
regime is tyrannical, it is a queer
sort of repression that toler
ates a communist sponsored
meeting at which Greek flag*
are displayed, the sole purpose
of ahich is to flay verbally the
power that rules the island.
Incidentally, the local commun
ists are among the most ardent
defenders of enosis. Onee Cyprus
becomes Greek—if it does—th®
Communist Party will become
illegal and no longer enjoy the
privileges of articulateness which
the British have allowed it. This
is a detail which the comrade*,
quite obviously, Ignore.
A Thin Hold
But enough of politics and
now to religion.
The island is divided among
its 517,000-odd people into about
80 per cent Greek speaking al
most all them Orthodox, and
20 per cent Turkish, all Mos
lem. Catholicism has a very thin
hold on things here. There are
perhaps 5 000 Catholics in all,
divided between the four thou
sand Maronites and the thot
sand Latin rite Catholics.
Here in Nicosia there ic a large
Franciscan parish and amnnf
the community a most attractive
and knowledgeable American,
Father Kevin Mooney, O M.
Many of the Catholics are RAF
men and their families, USA
personnel in radio or otherwise,
and other assorted foreign resi
dents. There are several entire
ly Maronite villages tucked
away here and there: Kormakiti,
Asomatas and some others.
In Komakiti an American re
ligious of Swiss origin. Mother
Paula runs the local school. In
I^rnaca on the south eoast is
Villa Regina Paris with one
priest and a chapel in town. At
fabulous Famagusta, where the
ruins of some 365 churches are
to be seen, there is a Maronite
church used also by Latins and
one Spanish Franciscan. In IJm
assol, there is one Italian Fran
ciscan: at Kyrenia. a chapel for
so.ne 50 people served by one of
the priests from Nicosia. There
are a few isolated Armenian rite
Catholics scattered about.
The legion of Mary operates
regularly, largely composed of
foreign residents. Instruction fnr
jion-Catholics, Father Mooney
tells me. draws perhaps a hun
dred in English and some thirty
or forty in Greek. Prejudice
against the Church is stqpng
among the Orthodox and conver
sions so few as to be rarities.
In a .word, this is another
Greek Moslem country with the
Church maintaining a tenuous
foolhold at the host. In Nicosia,
Terra Santa College under athn
hr auspices draws a goodly num
ber of nnn-Catholic*