The Pope is conforming to one of the most ancient
traditions of the Roman Catholic Church when he orders a world-wide campaign against immoral sex and crime films. It was in this spirit that the early Fathers pro- nounced against players, jugglers and jesters and opposed the excesses of the Roman spectacula, which provided sensations for the Masses just as the pictures do today. I should be all in favour of this organized propaganda if I could be sure that it would be conducted, not with the narrow-minded prejudice which at one time denounced all the arts of the theatre, but in an enlightened modern spirit. But how can we feel any confidence that films will be thus discreetly judged by the Catholic organiza- tions when we learn from Rome that all the works of Benedetto Croce and all the works of Professor Giovanni Gentile have been put upon the Index ? Here are two of the world's most distinguished modern philosophers (in the case of Croce, a brilliant, if not the most brilliant, living writer of Italian prose) whose works are to be expunged from the culture of obedient Roman Catholics. Next to D'Annunzio, no Italian writer of this century has been more read by discriminating readers throughout the world than Croce. I should have thought he would have been invaluable to his opponents if only because he challenges contradiction. But now his works are on the Index. Such action can only weaken the Church's cam- paign against offensive films.
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