LETTER TO THE EDITOR OF THE LONG ISLAND CATHOLIC, REV. DANIEL S. HAMILTON

N° 3600/77

Vatican City, August 23, 1977

Rev. Daniel S. Hamilton

Editor, The Long Island Catholic P.O. Box 335, 53 North Park Ave.

Rockville, Centre, N.Y. 11571 U.S.A.

Reverend Father,

Thank you for your kind letter of August 11 and your editorial on the upcoming Belgrade Conference.

As Communism denies the immortality of the human soul and the existence of any form of life beyond the grave, it necessarily ends in de-Christianization. The other side is that genuine religious faith destroys the very essence of Kremlin ideology. Hence, it is of capital importance that the utmost support be given those Churches fighting for the right to exist and to maintain themselves within the Soviet Bloc, for these, before all other institutions, have for their purpose the education of believing citizens, providing them with the all-powerful arm of truth which cannot be conquered by contemptible rule. Because the Church teaches her members to fight for their honour and their right to freedom of conscience, which is guaranted to all citizens of the Soviet Union by the Constitution, legalized discrimination against believing citizens is the order of the day.

The human rights issue I have brought up on numerous occasions. Together with my bishops I have appealed to Pope Paul VI to write a Pastoral Letter in support of persecuted Christians. I have also written to President Jimmy Carter, from whom I received a reply (enclosed).

As in the past, so in the future I intend to do whatever is in my ability to defend those who suffer from violation of basic human rights. This is everyone's sacred duty. It is, therefore, my fervent hope that the Belgrade Conference will both denounce and help reduce the physical and spiritual tyranny to which the "Church of Silence" has been subjected.

May God bless you! With every good wish, I remain

Faithfully yours in Christ,

† JOSEPH, CARD. SLIPYJ

Patriarch