"JESUIT PLOTTERS"

Reds and Religion in U.S.S.R.
From Our Russian Correspondent
In its last issue the Catholic Herald mentioned the alleged organisation of secret Jesuit groups in the U.S.S.R. Now it seems, according to A. Yurin, in lsvestia, November 22 and 23, that such groups were formed not by agents of the Pope but by those of foreign secret services, obviously the Gestapo and the Japanese: " Lately foreign intelligence services have evolved new methods for enlisting agents among the Orthodox churchmen. Promising then, the support of the Pope of Rome, they organised them into groups of secret Jesuits and Dominicans trained for acts of espionage and terrorism."
The citizens of the U.S.S.R. are to believe that the wicked heads of the Gestapo are indeed concerned with the expansion of the Jesuit and Dominican orders and the conversion of the Orthodox to Catholicism. Obviously nothing is required from these new members of the two orders but readiness to commit arson, murder, to spy, administer strychnine to Communist workers and plot against the Soviet Government!
The indictment of the Orthodox, as well as Baptists, Adventists, and Evangelicals is more weighty even; a number of places where they arc alleged to have committed their crimes arc mentioned, but curiously enough, there is an unusual reticence as to giving names, only initials being mentioned. Bishop D, in Moscow organised spies for the Gestapo: Bishop B. of the "Living Church," on behalf of " the intelligence service of one of the Fascist powers " organised an antieSoviet organisation in the Urals to collect data upon the Red Army. One of its agents, S., went to work in a munition factory in order to blow it up. Similar activity was developed in Siberia by Bishop T. working for " a foreign power," etc., etc,
The writer has much to say about the attempt to smuggle into the Supreme Soviet candidates of churchmen : it seems that they started their campaign a year before the elections, which would show great per
spicacity as no one, with the exception of Stalin, knew as early as December, 1936, when the elections would take place or whether any elections would take place at all. Even Tolstoyans are accused of counter-revolutionary propaganda of urging people not to serve in the Red Army and sending abroad false reports harmful to the Soviets.
This obviously inspired article is a symptom of the deep tragedy of all believers in the U.S.S.R. Stalin has decreed the obliteration of religion to coincide with his impending proclamation as sole ruler of Russia or maybe " leader of the world proletariat."
It is said that the cancelled January census had, among other unpleasant surprises, revealed the disquieting fact that half of the adult population had defied the authorities and registered as " believers."
Whether this was a genuine profession of faith or only a protest against Soviet tyranny, we do not know, but the present persecution, carefully prepared by the Soviet press since the beginning of the year, has broken all records, and its violence is such as has not been witnessed since the early days of militant atheism in Russia.