Word: berane
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Dates: during 1940-1949
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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...
...excommunication order forced Czech Communists to hurl accusations of treason faster than they intended. Minister of Justice Alexej Cepicka blared that Beran had maintained "treacherous connections with foreign enemies" and plotted "treacherous anti-state riots." "Let no one doubt," the minister went on, "that today anyone who . . . tries in any way to carry out the Vatican's orders commits treason against the vital principles of his own state and people." Cepicka lists himself officially as a Catholic. He is a son-in-law of Communist Boss Klement Gottwald...
...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...
Archbishop Beran, the calm center of the storm, remained a semi-prisoner in his Prague palace. All the resources of the Communist propaganda machine were employed in attacking him. The trade-union newspaper Prace accused him of working for "Wall Street-dominated Vatican City." "Leading such a gang," the paper said, "the Archbishop is heading into his own destruction...
Next day, Communist action groups and police swept the country. They seized all church administrative offices, installing officials of the government-sponsored Catholic Action, which Archbishop Beran has denounced as "schismatic." Priests who resisted were immediately arrested. The Communist Caesar recognized no things which were...