Dear Father:
There is a lot of talk today
about the social value of Fascism.
But Fascism is only a stopgap
between capitalism and Bolshevism.
Fascist dictatorship is a halfway house
between the rugged
individualism of capitalism
and the rugged collectivism of Bolshevism.
There is no essential difference
between Fascist dictatorship
and Bolshevik dictatorship.
The trouble with the world today
is too much dictatorship
and too little leadership.
Leadership cannot he found
among politicians, business men
and college professors.
The appointed leaders of mankind
are the Catholic Bishops.
Catholic Bishops have ceased to lead
because Catholic laymen and women
do not consider the Bishops
as their leaders
in political and economic matters.
Catholic laymen and women
look up to the Bishops
in spiritual matters
and look up to politicians and
business men
in political and economic matters.
Catholic laymen and women
commit the great modern error
of separating the spiritual
from the material.
This great modem error,
known under the name of secularism,
is called a “modern plague”
by Pope Pius XI.
You, who are a born agitator
and a theologian,
hould bring a thorough understanding
between Bishops, clergy, and lay people.
From that understanding
would spring a form of Catholic Action
that would be dynamic in character.
We are threatened with
dynamic Bolshevik action
because we are sorely lacking
in dynamic Catholic Action.
PETER MAURIN