Vatican-Kremlin Relations

The Moscow radio last week blared that the Soviet Union had established official contact with the Vatican. The Red propaganda machine was obviously out to 1) win favor among the restive, overwhelmingly Roman Catholic satellites, and 2) help along Western Europe's popular-front movements.

All the propagandists had to go on was a 15-minute "courtesy call" that the Russian charge d'affaires in Rome. Dmitry Pogidaev, had begged of the papal nuncio to Italy. Monsignor Giuseppe Fietta. During the meeting Pogidaev thrust upon Fietta two familiar "peace" propaganda documents, and Fietta read his caller a stiff lecture on the sad state of religious freedom in Russia. Then Pope Pius XII himself slapped down the reconciliation rumors. Before any agreement with "the enemy" could be considered, he reiterated, the church must have full freedom--not merely freedom of worship but freedom "to care for her faithful and freely to preach the message of Jesus Christ."

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