It is reported from Buenos Aires this week that Cardinal

Jaime Luis Copello will not be able to attend the' Consistory in Rome next month.
CZECHOSLOVAKIA Reports that zr new Archbishop of Prague has been " named ' and several other new members of the Czechoslovak Hierarchy had been " appointed " were termed " premature and unwarranted " speculations by Mgr. Otokar Svec, Canon of the Prague Cathedral, who at the same time pointed to the lack of regular diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the Czechoslovak Government as an obstacle to the nomination of Bishops to fill existing vacancies. The Holy See is repreI seated at Pragueby a chargt d'affaircs, Mgr, Ranee] Forni. The former Nuncio to Czechoslovakia. Archbishop Xavier Ritter, is now in Italy. The Prague government, however, has no official representative at the Vatican.
FRANCE
The death of Mgr. Ginisty, Bishop of Verdun, aged 82, was announced from Paris on Tuesday last. It was owing to the personat efforts of Mgr. Ginisty that men who fought and died in the battle of Verdun in the 1914-18 war were given a fitting burial ground.
On January 3 the French Government decided to grant de jure recognition to the Austrian Government, at the head of which is Dr. Renner and in which Dr. Fig!, leader of the Austrian Peoples' Party (Catholic) is Prime Minister. France is thus the first of the occupying powers to grant the new Austrian Cabinet, which up to now has only enjoyed de facto recognition, a satisfaction it will appreciate.
The French Government have refused art entry visa to M. Giral, the Head of the Spanish Republican Government.
GERMANY The war criminals, now on trial at Nuremberg, are not representative of the German people, said the Mgr. Conrad Von Pieysing, Bishop a Berlin and Cardinal-Elect cm Sunday, at it reception held to congratulate him on his elevation to the Sacred College.
"All of us,said Mgr. Von Prcysing, " Thank the Holy Father from the bottom of our hearts for again expressing the opinion, in the darkest hour in which horrible deeds have thrown their shadow over an entire people, that those whose crimes are now being made known in the world's public do not represent the true Germany or the whole of Germany, Dr. Koehler, the Deputy Premier of Wuerttemberg Baden, in the U.S. occupied zone of Germany, in a New Year address on the task facing the people of Wuerttemberg-Baden said, " Spiritual reconstruction is even more important, for here the wounds of Nazism are even deeper. I would ask all the churches to concentrate on their non-worldly tasks with modern means. You, who speak in the name of Christ, open wide the doors of your churches to all who want to come to God the Father
A Heidelberg paper recently placed its frons page at the disposal of the newly formed political parties in view of the forthcoming Local Government elections Dr. Franz C. Heidelberg, Christian Social Union representative, described Christianity and Socialism as the two cornerstones of a new order in Germany " The Christian Social Union wishes to be neither a continuation of the former Centre Party, nor of the Democratic Party.
Adam Stegerwa Id former Prime Minister of Prussia and one of the out
standing Catholic lay leaders of Germany, died at Wuerzburg at the age of 71. He was one of the pioneers of social justice and fulfilled his principal mission as head of the former German Catholic Trade Unions organisation.
On New Year's Eve, a Pastoral Message by Cardinal Eaulhaber was read in churches of the Archdiocese of Munich. In it the Cardinal stresses that the year 1945 had, among its great changes. brought back freedom of religion. Destroyed churches in Munich are gradually being repaired, and three emergency churches have already been consecrated. Several thousand needy persons were helped by the Catholic Caritas organisatioe and a large quantity of foodstuffs was presented by Bavarian peasants to the Munich population through the Catholicinspired aid scheme. Moreover, the " Caritas " collected 25,000 parcels for prisoners-of-war camps.
HOLLAND
The Catholic State Party in Holland has changed its name to the Catholic People's Party and has decided to admit nowt-Catholic members. This decision was taken at a meeting on December 23; the effective resolution embodied the following four points: (I) That membership of the Party should be open to non-Catholics; (2) That candidates for Parliament must support the Party programme and that points must be discussed with Party officials; (3) That before general elections are held, endeavours must be made to reach agreement with the other important parties on a priority programme; (4) That the Party's name he changed to the Catholic People's Party.
It is reported that Cardinal-Designate de "Jong will not travel to Rome on February 18. when the newly-appointed Cardinals will be conseciated by the Pope. Mgr. de Jong will receive the cardinal's hat in Utrecht, front the Papal Nuncio, Mgr. Giobbo, and will journey to the Vatican later.
A special congress of Catholic teachers from all over Holland called by the Catholic Student Movement at Hilversum, was held in that city on Wednesday and Thursday last.
HUNGARY Fr. Bela Vergha. member of the lIungarian National Supreme Council, has resigned from his post because, as a priest, he was not willing to sign death sentences against war criminals. The National Supreme Council consisting of three members exercises temporarily the rights of the Hungarian Supreme Court, and appeals from war criminals for pardon are pending with the Council, Fr. Val& is a vicepresident of the Smallholders' Party, the largest party in Hungary.
Archbishop Mind7enty, CardinalDesignate, in an interview this week, said that on his visit to Rome he found the Pope greatly pleased by the report that the Hungarian Government was seeking the restoration of diplomatic relations with the Holy See. " The Holy Father," said Mgr. Mindzenty, " was all the more pleased when I announced this in the name of the Hungarian Government.The Holy Father had given his affirmation to the restoration of diplomatic relations.
ITALY Cardinal Piazia, Patriarch of Venice. in a New Year address, referring to the relations between the Church and State, said that Catholics could not admit an atheist, agnostic and absolut
ist Government. " Italy," he said, " was essentially a Catholic country and the Government, if it meant to be the true expression of the nation, could not fail to make Catholicism the State religion."
MEXICO In a talk in Mexico City recently, Senor Juan Negrirs the Spanish Republican émigré leader, outlined his views on the Church in Spain Senor Negrin asserted that while " the Republic was laic, the Republic has never wished to get rid of religion." Many priests— he referred not only to the Basques— were to be found among the émigrés.
POLAND On December 26 the Polish Ambassador, Mr. K. Papee, was received in audience by the Holy Father, He conveyed to the Pope the New Year wishes of the legal Polish Government. The Pope assured the Ambassador .of his warm sympathy towards Poland and put some questions concerning the conditions in Poland and the fate of the Polish soldiers in hely.
At the request of the counsel defending II. Frank, the former Governor General of Poland, the Nuremberg Tribunal decided to summon Archbishop Sapieha as a witness. The Tribunal is already in possession of a memorandum by the Cardinal about H. Frank's policy and of full correspondence between Archbishop Sapieha and Frank.
The so-called Polish National Council, a substitute for Parliament, is debating the issue of the natitenalisation of industry. The Government's proposal envisages the nationalisation of industrial establishments employing more than 50 workers, The members of the Mikolajczyk group have moved nn amendment, that only factories with over 100 workers should be nationalised.
PORTUGAL It was announced in Lisbon on Tuesday that Coon De Toyer, who was Portuguese Ministet in Berlin from April, 1941, until the collapse of Germany, has been appointed Ambassador to the Holy See SPAIN Fr. Angel Herrera, S.J., is reported to have made a journey to Lausanne to see Don Juan. the Spanish Pretender, on behalf of Spanish royalists.