PRESIDENT Chernenko of the Soviet Union has been praised by Mgr Bruce Kent, the GeneralSecretary of CND, for his "peace-orientated norms". Mgr Kent was writing in the Praguebased World Marxist Review, and went on to criticise "the very negative voting record" of the British Government.
Mgr Kent's article comes after Cardinal Hume's request last year that he should refrain from making controversial statements of a political nature.
The World Marxist Review calls itself the "journal of communist and workers' parties throughout the world." In the latest edition, the Russian editor publishes five articles from "party leaders, statesmen and civic personalities", of whom Mgr Bruce Kent is one.
The others are the Bulgarian Foreign Minister, the Czech socialist Party Chairman, and senior officials of the Danish and United Stales Communist parties.
This incursion into communist journalism abroad has been taken as an indication that Mgr Kent has not been in any way influenced by the strong protests made by many influential Catholics over his "Partners in Peace" speech to the British Communist Party last autumn.
Some Catholics object to Mgr Kent's involvement with CND. Many more are disturbed by what they see as his increasingly political defence of the far left. They have been sharply critical of his silting on a Communist Party platform.
Mgr Kent has always maintained that he has never played a part in politics in the party political sense. He regards his activities as part of his task as secretary of CND and his work for peace.
Cardinal Hume has made no comment on the article, and Mgr Kent himself was out of the country and not available for an explanation.