The Pope and Human Rights
In a letter to the United Nations on the thirtieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Pope called the attention of the Assembly to the problem of religious freedom which, he said, is at the basis of all other freedoms. He spoke also of repressive and discriminatory action practised against vast numbers of citizens who have had to suffer all sorts of oppression, even death, simply in order to preserve their spiritual values.
No doubt the Pope had in view particularly the difficulties of Romanists under Communistic rule. It is easy for the Pope to cry out for religious liberty when it happens to be Romanists who are under pressure. We have little doubt that the Romanists themselves, if they were in power, would be as ready to persecute those who differ from them in belief, as surely as they were in former days. Religious freedom for the Pontiff really means freedom to practise the Romanist Faith, which he regards as the only true faith.
Pope’s Visit Abroad
The Pope expected to open the third General Conference of Latin American bishops in Mexico on January 27th. Later on, in May of this year, he is expected to visit his native Poland to attend celebrations marking the 900th anniversary of the death of St. Stanislaw. These journeys undertaken by the Pope have a bearing on the present strategy of the Romanist Church with regard to the spread of communism in the world. In Latin America the Romanist Church has lost many of its priests and followers to the revolutionary communistic movements found there. Any containment of the situation which a visit by the Pope might bring about would, no doubt, be welcomed by Romanists there. In Poland the R.C. Church is not so much on the defensive, but even there the Pope’s visit will strengthen the R.C. Church over against the atheistic state. Besides these ends, the visits to other countries will give the Romanist Church opportunity for increased self advertisement.
Crimes in Scotland
The figures for crime in Scotland for 1977 which have just been worked out show a very significant rise over the 1976 total. The crime rate was almost 14% higher than the previous year. Murders rose from 63 in 1976 to 67 in 1977.
This increasing state of lawlessness reflects the abandoning by many of religion in every kind and form. The irreligion of the nation is bearing the fruit that might be expected. What need there is then for a day of the Lord’s power that the nation might be brought back to God.
The Prince and Marriage to a Roman Catholic
Mr Enoch Powell raised a storm in December by warning of the danger to the British monarchy should the Prince of Wales marry a Roman Catholic. Mr Powell based his view of the danger on the fact that the Queen was head of the Church of England. We would like to think that there are stronger grounds than this why the Prince should not marry a Roman Catholic. The history of the nation has shown conclusively that the civil and religious freedom enjoyed by the nation is bound up with its Protestant constitution, which ought to be maintained at all costs. This would not be possible if a Roman Catholic were to exercise influence near to the throne as the Queen of the nation. Rome’s view on marriage would make it certain that the children of the Prince’s marriage to a Roman Catholic would belong to that faith. But over and above all this, the anti-christian nature of Romanism makes it imperative that no Roman Catholic is ever allowed to sit on the Throne again.
Guyana Mass Suicide
The world was horrified to learn, towards the end of last year, of the mass suicide of a sect which had established a commune in north west Guyana in South America. The members of the sect came mainly from California in the U.S.A. The instigator of the suicide appeared to be the leader of the commune. Behind him, however, it is not difficult to detect Satanic agency. Only the Jewish tragedy at Massada around 73A.D. when 900 men, women and children perished by their own hand rather than face certain death at the hands of the Romans, can be compared to what happened in Guyana, only in Guyana there was no pressure to force such desperate measures except the subjection of the people to the will of a fanatical leader. Surely Satan’s time is short when he is forcing men to such madness and folly.