Word: pius
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Joseph Stalin once asked a scornful question: "How many divisions has the Pope?" An answer was prepared last week. Pius XII decreed excommunication for Roman Catholics who "knowingly and freely . . . defend and spread Communism." Those Catholics who "enlist in or show favor to the Communist Party" and those who "publish, read or disseminate" Communist publications would be denied the sacraments...
Shortly before Pope Pius XII published the decree, Czech Communists had taken another step in their assault on Prague's Archbishop Beran and his hierarchy. In a memorandum signed by Party Secretary Rudolf Slansky, plans were made to build up a government-controlled national church. Another circular detailed punishments for priests who had read Beran's pastoral letters denouncing Communist persecution of the church. "Finally," said the circular, "we shall accuse [the Catholic hierarchy] directly of high treason...
...churches last Sunday Czech priests read a defiant resolution, proclaiming their loyalty to Archbishop Beran and Pius XII. "We are certain," the resolution declared, "that all conscientious and faithful Catholics agree with us and that they would so testify if they were given the opportunity of free speech...
...Rome last week, the Holy Year of 1950 was officially proclaimed. The tradition is 650 years old. Originally planned to take place every 100 years, the intervals were shortened first to 50, finally to 25 years-though popes may declare a special Holy Year at any time, as Pius XI did in 1933 to commemorate the 1900th anniversary of the Crucifixion...
...last week's papal bull, Pius XII warned his people not to plan the trip as a junket. "These pilgrimages," he wrote, "must not be made with the attitude of those who travel for pleasure, but with the spirit of piety which animated the faithful of past centuries, who, overcoming obstacles of all kinds, often afoot, came to Rome to wash away their sins with tears of sorrow and to implore of God peace and forgiveness...