MISSING PRELATE: EMBASSY TALKS

(at last)
ARCHBISHOP BERAN of Prague, who has never been seen or heard since 1951 when Czech Communists spirited him away to a secret destination, is alive and well according to a statement from the Czech Embassy in London.
The statement was made to a representative of the Appeal for Amnesty Organisation which has been pressing Czech authorities to deny or confirm reports that Archbishop Beran had died in Communist hands.
It is the first statement to be made by any Czech official on this question since 1955 when Czech Prime Minister Siroly said vaguely that Archbishop Beran was not in prison.
'WELL'
It says that Archbishop Beran is physically well; is being cared for by nuns [possibly an enclosed Order], and is studying and writing, and is permitted to celebrate Mass privately.
The Czech Embassy declined, however. to disclose the Archbishop's address, giving as one reason that the Archbishop did not want to be disturbed by foreign reporters.
The Appeal for Amnesty Organisation has now written to the Czech Ambassador in London calling on him to transmit a request to the Czech Government that the Archbishop be allowed to return to Prague at Christmas to celebrate Mass in his own cathedral.
This has apparently roused the Czech authorities, for on Tuesday, at a suprising press conference in Vienna, the Czechoslovak Health Minister (Fr. Josef Plojhar, who was excommunicated some years ago) referred to Archbishop Beran. He said the Archbishop could be re-instated in his cathedral as soon as he took the oath of loyalty to the Communist regime.
People from all over the world have been writing to the Czech Government and Czech Embassies asking for information about the missing archbishop, but no information was given.
In July, the CATHOLIC HERALD sent, on behalf of all its readers, a telegram congratulating Archbishop Reran on his 50th year of ordination. The telegram was sent to the Ministry of Culture in Prague, with the request that it be forwarded to Archbishop Beran wherever he was. A duplicate was sent to the Czech Ambassador in London with the same request. No acknowledgment, from any source, was made.
APPEAL
This Sunday (10th) is Human Rights Day, and the Appeal for Amnesty Organisation — comprising both Catholics and non-Catholics — has suggested to supporters that It be observed as a day of prayer.
Although the Catholic Hierarchy has not specified any observance for this particular day, Cardinal Godfrey on behalf of all the Bishops asks all the faithful in his Pastoral to remember throughout Advent all those who are suffering persecution.
New Encyclical Pope John's new Encyclical written in honour of the 1500th anniversary of the death of St. Leo the Great, is expected to be published to-morrow (Saturday), said a Vatican City report on Wednesday,