"REASON AND GOOD SENSE POINT TO RESISTANCE"

Belgian Cardinal's confidence in his country's restoration
From Our Former Belgian Correspondent, Belgium is fortunate. In her distress she has two pillars of strength. Her monarch and her primate.
Cardinal Van Roey, admirable successor to Cardinal Mercier, fearlessly follows in his footsteps, launches defiance against the Nazi rule and denounces collaboration.
Speaking at a recent Jocist Congress, the Cardinal said that it was unlawful for Roman Catholics to collaborate With an oppressive regime Indeed. they had an obligation to work with those who tried to resist such a regime
CATHOLIC FAITH INFLUENCES THE WHOLE OF LITE
It was sometimes objected, the Cardinal went on, that the Church was concerued only with souls—that the altar the confessional-box, and the pulpit were the limits of a priest's domain. and that the rest belonged to the State. That was not so. The Church claimed to have an interest in all that belonged to God. Cardinal van Roey then quoted the case of Cardinal Innitzer On the day after the Anschluss he had written: " In present circumstances it is nees.ssary to emphasise that the duty ol the Church is the cure of souls—through worship the sacraments, and preaching She mus, remain aloof from all else." But Cardinal Innitzet was recalled to Rome, where the Supreme Pontiff led him back to the right path The next month Cardinal Innitzet spoke very differently. " The Church," he then said, "must exercise he rights of proclaiming and de(ending the Catholit. faith in every depart ment of human life." `
NOT J1EREMIAH BUT JOAN
In his speech the Cardinal explained that he had been asked by a French questioner whether Belgium had not a Jeremiah to preach resignation and collaboration with the invader. The Cardinal replied that five centuries ago France, invaded by the English, had not produced a Jeremiah but a Joan of Art.
" This moment we have neither a loan of Arc nor a Jeremiah, but we know that they are not indispensable. The course of events and all kinds of indications show this to be true. Reason and good sense point the road of confidence and resistance. because we know that our country will be restored and will live again I tell you this so that your actions may always be inspired by this faith. Wherever necessary. wherever useful. be guided accordingly."
I can visualise those Quislings, Henri de Man, the one-time idol of the Socialist Party, ex-Minister of Financial Squander; Leon Degrelle, the Resist Leader disowned by his partisans save a few stragglers, [eon, the oratorical windmill; Staf Declercq, leader of the mg-tag and bob-tail of the remnant of the Flemish Nationalists he has misled and the Verdinasos, followers of the executed traitor, Jerk van Severen, band of vain Flemish idealists, all howling for Nazi collaboration.
T see these renegades battering in vain against Belgium's two pillars of strength, wisdom and resistance, Leopold HI, King of the Belgians, prisoner of war, and Cardinal van Roey. Primate of Belgium. Archbishop of Malines.
• ■•■■•
U.S.A. Hierarchy's Annual Meeting Ends To-day: The 1941 Annual Meeting of the United States Hierarchy, held at the Catholic University of America in Washington, ends to-day (Friday). It started on Wednesday.