PERON: 3 SWIFT MOVES

THREE menacing Bills-to crush the Church financially, to destroy finally her Influence In the national schools, and to move towards constitutional separation of Church and State-have,been Introduced into the Argentine Parliament since it reconvened on May 1.
The April decree of President Peron suspending religious teaching in the schools of Argentina has now merged into permanent law. A Bill formally abolishing Catholic religious instruction in the State schools became law last week.
Thus the legislation-of which Peron has so often boasted-which provided for Catholic • teaching throughout the country's educational system has now been torn up by the roots.
Religious instruction in Catholic -as opposed to State-schools is still presumably subject only to the temporary supenei on.
A further Bill has been introduced into the Senate-and is expected to be passed by both Houses without difficulty-terminating the tax exemption hitherto granted in respect of all Church property. This is a deadly blow against the Catholic schools which give free education to thousands of poor children.
This second Bill imposes taxes on offerings received by priests for weddings, baptisms and funerals, and applies to non Catholic Churches also.
The third Bill calls for elections to a Constituent Assembly which would have to he set up if changes are to he made in the Constitution.
This is the first formal step towards disestablishment of the Church and the termination of all State financial aid. Most of these have called themselves and thought of themselves as Catholics, and have undoubtedly in large numbers of cases been genuinely ignorant of what the Church has to say on social affairs.
It is not unnatural that they should suspect and often resent the new, officially hleased. Catholic movement for the betterment of the masses, and the firm emphasis placed upon their rights.
If that movement succeeds it must inevitably lead not only to a different social pattern. but a different political one, too. The day of the Latin American-style dictators of both Right and Left will end.
Beneficent light
One of the most popular lectures at the Panama Congress-and one which was seen as having a direct application to Argentina and, to a lesser extent. to other Latin American States. too-was given by Dr. Arias-Bustamente. of Panama. His subject was " Catholic Doctrine nn Totalitarianism." It took the form of a lerirned, but none-the-less on
equivocal, condemnation of totalitarianism of all types.
He talked of the evils of " the contempt for the human person proclaimed by totalitarianism," and declared that " worship of the race and of national heroes are the two poles of the new heresy."
" The Church," he said. "cannot allow itself to be locked up... it must project its beneficent light on to the outside world and its problems,"
These. things have for a long time needed saying.
But we must expect that. as the " beneficent light" reaches growing numbers of people. both among the educated middle class and the peasants and workers, there may be new tensiona. And, in eome quarters, the charge may be made that the Church's leaders. in showing the people the social implications of their religion, are "meddling in politics."
This period will be a test of the political clear-sightedness of the rulers of those lands. for the old way of life cannot in any case long continue under the impact of outside influences.
Continued social injustice on a vast scale and contempt for democracy must almost inevitably pave the way to Communism. which would be in the interests of neither State nor Church. And it will he a lest of their Faith as well.