Eat Mussolini?

So profound grew the disquiet of Pope Pius XI last week that in Vatican City he fervently exclaimed:

"God desires good, but He also permits evil, and our saddest thought is that it is our own sons who work evil against other good sons who are dear to us."

Chief of those "sons who worked evil" fortnight ago, by charging that Azione Cattolica (the Italian League for Catholic Action) was busy with a Catholic plot to seize the Italian State, and who forthwith padlocked some 15,000 Catholic clubs throughout Italy (TIME, June 8), was of course Benito Mussolini.

In his huge, high-ceilinged Renaissance offices in the Palazzo Venezia last week, Il Duce summoned and addressed the Directorate of Fascismo. The session was secret, but a summary of what Premier Mussolini said was issued. In substance he pictured Pope Pius as surrounded by a Vatican camarilla who concealed from His Holiness every fact favorable to Fascism and furthermore concealed from the Holy Father that Azione Cattolica was plotting against the State.

Il Duce said that proof of all he charged was in his possession -- "documentary proof." He declared that after the Italian Government suppressed all parties except the Fascist Party, members of the former Catholic Party took refuge in Azione Cattolica, soon made it political. As time passed, continued Premier Mussolini, numerous and nondescript elements hostile to Fascism have taken refuge from the Law by joining Azione, have evolved an organization which is subversive of the Italian State.

At the close of Il Duce's remarks his Fascist Directorate cheered lustily, adopted a resolution. Full text:

"The Directorate of the Fascist party, with regard to the recent controversy originated by the document evidence of open and occult hostility of some sections of Catholic Action, while reaffirming its profound and immutable respect toward the Catholic religion, its head, its ministers and churches, declares in a most explicit manner that the Fascist party has firmly decided not to tolerate those antiFascists so far spared, under any new or old banner whatsoever, under which they may seek shelter.

"The directory, therefore, orders the leaders of 9,000 Fascist groups in Italy to govern their action by such principles, and reminds them that those who fell in the triumphant [Fascist] revolution demand that the revolution be defended inflexibly against anybody, at whatever cost."

Next day Pope Pius XI exclaimed most fervently:

''If they drive us from our home we will pray in the churches! If they drive us from the churches we will pray in the catacombs, as our predecessors did 2,000 years ago."

No Catholic was driven from his home or church in Italy last week. To dramatize the passive struggle of the Church, Pius XI suspended all open air religious services and processions. Thus on Corpus Christi Day (which exuberant Italians have always celebrated in the street with the romp and frolic of a Mardi Gras fete) the only Catholic observances last week were services in church. To their subdued congregations, priests distributed printed copies of utterances by the Holy Father which censorship kept out of the Italian press.

In certain towns on Corpus Christi Day Fascists paraded with placards reading: "Our Parade Is In Honor Of Those Churchmen Who Do Not Meddle In Politics.

Neither State nor Church made public last week any documentary proof of anything. Blanket Fascist charges were met by blanket Papal denials.

Italians love intrigue, stealth. In Rome last week currents and cross currents of intrigue wove a maze. One day it was Pietro Cardinal Gasparri, great ex-Papal Secretary of State, who had emerged from retirement to reconcile Vatican and Quirinal. Next day it was Marquese Francesco Pacelli, brother of the new Papal Secretary of State, Eugenic Cardinal Pacelli. Next day it was two other Papal diplomats. . . .

But certain things were certain:

P: Informally Pcemier Mussolini offered to reopen Catholic women's clubs as a first and friendly gesture by the Italian Government. But informally Pius XI rejected this offer, stipulated that all Catholic clubs must be reopened.

P: Premature announcements to the contrary, the $500,000 U. S. Knights of Columbus playgrounds for children in Rome were not reopened last week. In vain Boston's Edward L. Hearn, key Knight of Columbus in Rome, repeated his attempts to persuade the U. S. Embassy to protest.*

P: As is well known. Pope Pius XI abhors any gymnastic display by women in public, even though they wear bloomers. Last week at a leading Rome athletic field 30,000 mixed Fascists watched and cheered while 1,500 Fascist males and 500 Fascist females performed gymnastics.

Two years ago there was a similar Fascist demonstration. One year ago the female athletes were omitted in deference to His Holiness. Last week, with Il Duce present and smiling grim approval, the females gymnasted.

In clerical circles throughout the World numerous non-Catholics expressed warm sympathy for the Holy See in its struggle with Il Duce. Said popular U. S. Congregationalist Dr. S. Parkes Cadman, addressing a conclave of pastors in Cleveland last week: "

The Roman Catholic Church has taken bigger men than Mussolini and eaten them for dessert!"

*In Rome a visiting U. S. Catholic may pray in the church of his U. S. cardinal (every cardinal, wherever situated, is a priest of some church in Rome); he may contact the Vatican for an audience through Monsignor Burke, Rector of the North American College; but if playgrounds be his hobby he must go to Knight Hearn. Onetime Supreme Knight, European Commissioner of the K. of C. during the War, he is today the friend of every Roman child who wants to play on grounds or swim in the Tiber. Off the K. of C.'s handsome Tiber platform little boys and girls daily plunge.

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