- Third and last article on this subject by A. T. Tasker.—Sub-Editor.
In this, our concluding article, we are to probe the reason of the Vatican’s fierce opposition to Communism, and to this end it is necessary to examine the claim, construction, and objective of this great “mystery of iniquity.” The first can be given in a single sentence: “We hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty.” (Enlycical of Pope Leo XIII., dated June 20th, 1894.) The objective, in two words—World Domination!
Now the construction or organisation which is to bring about this Papal vision is called the Propaganda Fido, which is divided into departments to subdue the entire world. This huge structure is ruled by a Cardinal whose power is so great that he is known as “the Red Pope.” Its motto is “Catholics must dream and plan and act in terms of the entire globe.” It has seminaries for the creating of priests of almost every nationality. These seminaries had, in 1945, some 16,000 native students, and the missionary effort for that year is computed as follows:—22,000 priests, 9,000 lay brothers, 53,000 sisters, 93,000 native catechists, 33,000 native baptizers, 76,000 schools (5,000,000 pupils), 2,000 orphanages, etc. Added to this, Propaganda Fido has literally thousands of newspapers, magazines, etc., together with its own special News Agency—the “Fides Agency.” (These figures are taken from The Catholic Church against the Twentieth Century, by Avro Manhattan.)
But against this gigantic octopus there is another powerful and rival body, the Orthodox Church; its Patriarch a rival to the old man clothed in white satin and seated in the “Chair of St. Peter” (really, the chair of Apollo, Son of Zeus, the Sun god).
This enmity between the “Orthodox” and the “Catholic” had been in existence for centuries, but on account of it being confined to Russia and her neighbours, it was not considered such a great foe as Western Protestantism. At the beginning of the present century, however, the wise men of the Vatican foresaw a movement in Russia and plans were started for the eventual absorption of the Orthodox Church, which was that country’s National Church. When Czardom was destroyed this Orthodox National Church was dis-established, then the Vatican saw its opportunity. In 1922 a Conference was held at Geneva. At a dinner the Archbishop and the Bolshevik Minister of State toasted each other, the latter declaring that any religion now had ample scope. Relief work was started there by Rome. The first party of eleven priests took with them 1,000,000 parcels, each labelled, “To the children of Russia from the Pope in Rome.” The Vatican appointed Father Walsh as head of the Papal relief mission, who immediately joined forces with an American relief. From then the trouble started. Relief was most welcome, but the new Soviet Government drew the line at “propaganda.”
From that time till 1930 there were conferences, plans, talks, etc., that all ended in smoke. The Jesuit Order sent their assistant head Father Ledochovski, but with no result. From 1930, the Vatican has never ceased her condemnation of the Russian Government, and the great effort of the Papacy to-day is the conversion of Russia. In plain English, Russia could have any form of government she liked, so long as she embraced the Roman religion.
After Hitler had subdued the Balkan states, the Papacy realised that the destruction of her old rival, the “Orthodox,” was at hand, and a “converting” campaign was inaugurated, commencing in the newly-formed state of Croatia, with Ante Pavelich as governor, and Stepinac as archbishop. The “conversion” of the Serbs took the form of wholesale and unspeakable atrocities. Here is a short extract from a letter written by Mr. P. Grizogono, former minister in the Yugoslav Government, dated February 8th, 1942:—”These atrocities do not amount to simple killing alone. They aim at the extermination of every Serb, men, women and children, and with terribly wild tortures of the victims. These innocent Serbs were stuck on poles alive and fires built on their bare chests. Literally they were roasted alive, being burnt to death in their homes and their churches. In many cases, boiling water was poured on living victims before their mutilation, their flesh was salted and their eyes gouged out while they were still living, their ears and noses were lopped off and their tongues cut out. . . . The friars and the nuns carried in one hand a Cross and a prayer-book, and Ustachi knives in the other.”
General Mihailovich, on February 5th, 1943, made a frantic appeal to the Allies for help:—”Yugoslavia is drenched with Serb blood. . . . The number so far approaches 1,000,000 of Serbs killed. . . . Cannot an appeal be made to prevent the extermination and annihilation of the Serbian people?” (These short extracts are from the official records of the U.N.)
As we now know, the Allies obtained the victory, Pavelich was executed, and Stepinac is in prison.
But the war against the “Orthodox” continues. Last September, Orthodox Bishop Kostelnik, of Lvov, was murdered by an emissary of the Pope. No wonder that as soon as the Eastern European lands feel safe under Soviet protection, the first thing they do is to break with Rome. Roumania ended the Papal Concordat last July, and up to October the 14th, no less than 430 priests have “verted to the Orthodox Church.”
But does the reader ask whether Rome denies, or is ashamed of these outrages? Let an English Cardinal answer that question:—”The Church of Rome has never spared the knife when necessary to cut off rebels against her faith or authority, whether Eastern or Greeks, or Anglicans under the Tudor rebellion.” (Cardinal Vaughan in an address, September, 1894, and reported in The Tablet, September 15th, 1894.)
To-day we are witnessing the Vatican concentrating everything on the conversion of Russia. All her progress in the Western Hemisphere is marred by her losses to the “Orthodox.” She is anxious to plunge the world into a third war to obtain her ends. Communism (devilish as it is) is to Rome but a stalking-horse. The great “Fatima” swindle has the “conversion” of Russia for its object. When the “lady of incomparable beauty and freshness” (supposed to be the Virgin Mary) appeared to the three little children in Portugal, she told them: “If my requests are heard, Russia will be converted and there will be peace.” “Fatima” processions are taking place everywhere, Rome will never give up.
These are indeed perilous times. Days when it behoves every sober-minded man to consider well the causes of our present National troubles, and to seek earnestly for the remedy. The 2nd Psalm is still true—aye, eternally true, and it contains the only remedy.
To those that “seek a country . . . He hath prepared for them a city.” “But that which you have already hold fast till I come.”