VATICAN CITY The latest survey has disclosed widespread destruction and damage to Church properties in 33 provinces of liberated Italy.
The inquiry revealed that 277 pieces of property were destroyed. These included 142 churches and 135 bishops' residences, rectories, seminaries, monasteries. convents and similar buildings.
It also was disclosed that 2,559 pieces of property have been damaged, including 1,605 churches.
On the basis of last year's prices, which meanwhile have increased steadily, it has been estimated conservatively that the destruction and damage wrought will total approximately 2,500.000,000 lire.
An investigation by the Pontifical Commission on Sacred Archeology has disclosed that no serious damage has befallen the Catacombs in Rome. Hundreds of homeless refugees found sanctuary in. the Catacombs during hostilities, without harming or removing the many precious works of art. It is noted that one entrance of a minor catacomb has been obliterated in an effort to secret Italian patriots from German S.S. troops, but an offer has been made to repair the damage.
C822 CHURCHES REPAIRED More than £200.000 has already been spent in repairing churches damaged as a result of the war. Repairs have been restricted to churches where the need was immediate, the Commission states, and as yet no action has been taken in the rebuilding of churches which have been entirely destroyed.
The Commission states that repairs have been made on a total of 822 churches.
FIESOLE Outrages, including the murder of five priests and monks, wholesale massacres, and the destruction and desecration of sacred buildings and objects in his See, are mentioned in a recent pastoral of Mgr. Giovanni Giorgis, Bishop of Mack.