26 FEBRUARY 1954, Page 5

p riests on the Rack The letter addressed to the Cardinal-Archbishop

of Paris intheworker priests of his diocese carries this crisis fi ute Gallican Church a stage further. The dismissal of three Dominican provincials and the banishing from Paris of four leading publicists in the same order (always noted for its progressive attitude towards social problems) had already rturbed the French Government sufficiently for Professor Le seras„, ' the Quai d'Orsay's adviser on religious matters, to be these measures Rome to point out to the Holy See the perturbation these measures are causing among French Catholics. Now soehre it to be every chance that the worker priests will not ha In't to the decision of the hierarchy by March 1st as they „,ve been required to do. Reading the worker priests' letter t'll Protest it is impossible not to feel the tragedy of men who, their own words, have been sacrificed to the inhuman needs of plan of defence which immobilises the Church even more -.ore th for an before, throws her back upon herself and prepares Ian her the future which she wished to avoid." This is the but it of pain (the only valid language according to Pascal), it is not the first time Rome has broken the hearts of its most devoted servants. Cardinal Gerlier of Lyons km said ha I the Church has not abandoned the French working-class, abat that is not the point. The French working-class has in Pd.oned the Church, and the only mare t have some success dest7inging - about a reconciliation are to see their work