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ACTION BY POPE
Cardinal's "Persecutors"
Excommunicated
1 ROME, Feb. 13 (A.A.P.). h,-.
/ > excoimnVuhicaled Curding
issued 0 letter calling on the world's
ftpmanCatholic clergy for pray ers to expiate what he called
"crimes of the enemies of God."
Thenew- order. Is. an exten
sion dl a previous .ojjder for. the
excommunication of- all Hun
garian Catholics,, Involved In
the , Cardinal's arrest and de
tention. The later - order Will
extend technically, to- the Hun
garian Prime Minister and
members of the Government.
The Pope's excommunication
notice described the .Cardinal's
sentence as iniquitous, and
stated the Vatican would order
similar action if such' "crimes"
were repeated. ' "
, Referring to alliances be
tween States, the Pope said:—
"Who does not fear and abhor
strikes, civil disorders and wars,
which in. the future, with , new
weapons, will cause immense
destruction ?
' "That:' such disaster may be
warded off, we welcome: with
approval steps taken to unite
States together in even closer
alliances. .
, "But.' this will, be a faltering
attempt, .founded on . quicksand,
unless there prevails every
where a strong sense- of. bro-.
therhood of men, which ren
ders mutual contracts "sacred
and secure, strengthens pacts
and welds communities , to
gether."
Unique Step
The Pope in his apostolic ex
hortation: to the world's Catho-
lio clergy for prayers to ex
piate/what. he called " "the
crime of the enemies of God,"
authorised the clergy to cele
brate two Masses for this pur
pose on Passion Sunday— an
unprecedented step in the his
tory of, the Catholic Chufch.
The Hungarian ' Foreign
Minister "(M.-Rajk) .today iic- :
cused Mr. Bcvin, President
Truman and the U.S; Secre
tary . of State' (Mr. Dcgn
Achcson) of brutal attempts
to ; interfere with the ! inter
nal affairs of Hungary,
"All three," he said, "have
misinterpreted '' arid forged
facts. International reaction
is , carrying on . an unpreceden
ted war of slander against
Hungary since the sentence in
the Mindszenty case:"
Recall Dciuamled
The Hungarian Government
yesterday demanded the recall
of Mr. Selden Chapin, Ameri
can Minister ' to Budapest. :
The State Department ; re
sponded by announcing that
Mr. Chapin would be ordered
back to Washington for "con
sultation,", and said the- United
States "reserved its position"
in respect to his status.
" Yesterday the U.S. State De
partment ordered the expul
sion of Mr. John Florian, first
secretary of the Hungarian
legation, in retaliation for the
earlier ejection from Hungary
of two secretaries of the Ame
rican -legation /in Budapest.
. Hungary -has. also asked- that
the United States Assistant
Military Attache in Budapest,
Lieut.-Colonel Kopcsac. be re
moved- "before the Hungarian
authorities request it."
A Note delivered at the
United States . Legation : ac
cuses Lieutl-Col, Kopcsac of
attempting to photograph arid
observe "eventual military ob
jectives',' on the-. Yugoslav bor
der arid of drawing a gun
when Hungarian officials inter
vened. , .
"Adniit : Charges"
Sofia Radio announced that
all 15 arrested leaders of the
Bulgarian Evangelical churches
admitted espionage- charges.
Several., burned . their - papers
before arrest. . ,
Bishop John Stamm, of
Evangelical United Brethren
Church, and president of the
Federal Council ; of Churches
of Christ in America, repre
senting 27 Protestant and
Eastern Orthodox denomina
tions, said in- New York last
night:— .
"Contacts which Protestants
in the United States have had
with Protestants in Bulgaria
ha ve been solely : religious and
humanitarian. No . politics
have been involved, and it Is
my understanding the Bul
garian ' Government- has been
fully informed about our relief
programme- and. has welcomed
it." . ;
(Pattern seen in Balkans
-attack on Churches; Page 2.)
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