Politics--That's Me!

Politics--That's Me!

Pope Pius XI faced last week the approaching feast days of St. John, St. Peter and St. Paul. Was it possible to keep Italians from celebrating these great days with public processions? Would there be more religious mutinies against the Pontiff's order of no more parades during his conflict with Il Duce (TIME, June 22). Already three towns had defied the order, parading on St. Anthony's feast day fortnight ago. What to do?

In his wisdom last week the Supreme Pontiff gave bishops throughout Italy "discretion"' to relax his ban in their dioceses. Instantly Antonio Cardinal Ascalesi, Archbishop of Naples, approved processions in honor of St. Anthony. Neapolitans, fit to burst for the past two weeks with suppressed eagerness to parade, were filled with joy.

Secrets within Secrets. To "Judge from their press communiques last week neither Vatican nor Quirinal was at all certain where their quarrel stood. It was all but ended, according to the State; it most certainly was not, according to the Church.

Pope Pius had abandoned his demands for "apology," said the State. Yes, retorted the Church, but His Holiness still demanded "reassuring words." He has had our expression of "regret"' countered the State. But that was not "reassuring," objected the Church. Comic was a discovery at the Italian Foreign Office that mixed with the morning's mail was an unstamped diplomatic note of the first importance from Eugenio Cardinal Pacelli, Papal Secretary of State. How did it get there? Not through the mail. It was not brought by the Papal Ambassador, for he had not called. Foreign Minister Dino Grandi, no Sherlock Holmes, shrugged: "An unseen messenger seems to have brought it--most unusual!"

But two facts were hard and clear: i ) Religious processions had been resumed by the Church; 2) the State had permitted reopening of some Catholic clubs.

"La Politique, Cest Moi!" That Signor Benito Mussolini was in no humble mood last week was clear from an interview which he rattled off in French to Correspondent Jacques de Marsillac of the Paris Journal.

"My formula," said Il Duce, "is clear: Everything within the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state!"'

Presumably referring to Pope Pius, the Premier continued "I will not admit that anybody, absolutely not anybody, shall touch in any way that which belongs to the state. . . . The child, as soon as he is old enough to learn, belongs to the state alone. No sharing is possible. Maybe this will be judged Spartan doctrine carried to an extreme. One can not deny, however, that it is clear. We are in process of reconstructing Italy--a great Italy! It is a colossal task such as I do not believe has often been tried. The antique city [of Rome]has nothing in common with the nation of more than 43,000,000 inhabitants."

Vividly Benito Mussolini described how his own Cabinet and Party works. "In the regime's private meetings we discuss ardently," he said, "but at a certain moment I say: 'The case has been heard!' and the discussion ceases. I then decide and everybody obeys. An oath of obedience is sworn on entering the Fascist party."

"I wish that there be religion throughout the country," concluded Il Duce, "and that the children may be taught their catechism. I will send them to communion in a body on Sunday, in their Balilla uniforms or otherwise. For that I let the priests work. That's religion. The rest is politics at la politique--c'est moi!"

"Odious, Odious, Odious/-- Catholic education of youth is the very apple of Pope Pius' eye. Soon after Il Duce's utterance II Papa denounced the state's "persecution." He said: "It is said not to be against the Pope, but it is against his hprt and against the very apple of our eye!

"All bishops (in Italy) declare," continued His Holiness, "that life is being made a burden to them and that they are constantly subjected to the most odious espionage, odious secret accusations and constant odious threats. It is true that while hope in men fails us, our spirit is refreshed by sure confidence in divine help and divine consolation."

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