4th Year Arts

If the Bull is implemented—as it must be—it can have three results, all equally to be deplored.

It could be followed in theory, but disregarded in practice. Then if members of the church criticised Communism, they would know what they were talking about, and be intellectually honest at the expense of their souls.

Or it could be fully implemented: the whole church could refuse to read anything contrary to its views, and thus oppose what they had not ever studied—the purest irrationality.

And the third? That there would be them who can and them who can't—an elite safe from conviction by argument who could be trusted to read without endangering themselves plus the mass, told what to believe on the authority of the few—not a pleasant state to contemplate.

I can't see how it can be squared with the university ideal of intellectual honesty.

Members of Salient Staff

How is this going to affect the circulation of Salient? If Salient is as red as we have been told over the last few years, then our Catholic readers are going to miss out on the organ of student opinion.

3rd Year Arts

Assuming that the Papal claims are justified in the eyes of Catholics, no Catholic can belong to any organisation where any form of materialism is prominent. Excommunication is usually based on doctrinal grounds—and thus is justifiable within the system of the Church. The Church claims to comprehend all phases of human life; but excommunication is doctrinal rather than moral condemnation.

Science

A farce—rather ridiculous—far too political a move for a so-called religious body—the Pope claims to be infallible on religious doctrinal matters only.

3rd Year Arts

I will say nothing except in the presence of my lawyers . . . . in my opinion as a philosopher and a canon lawyer, it is perfectly justifiable.

Exec. Member

It doesn't make the slightest difference, they'll all go to Purgatory anyway.

Arts

If Communism is opposed to Catholicism it is impossible to subscribe to both ideologies. I do think it possible to believe in the desirability of a socialist state for reasons other than those prescribed by Communist apologists. Furthermore, one may ask to what extent politics and theology are coextensive. I think that [unclear: Communism] could be condemned on moral grounds, but surely there are moral offences just as great committed by Fascists which did not incur excommunication. One is justified in concluding that in the light of the Vatican's past reticence the present decree has been made on political grounds.

We then asked him his opinion of the Papal Bull; he declined to answer.

1st Year Arts

It makes no difference to me . . . I disagree with the policy—the Church has no right to interfere in personal political views. It has the say in Church matters. The political views of Catholics should be left alone.

Honours, Law

It's crook . . . it's clear they're going down the drain when they have to assert such powers. It's an attempt to revive the power of the Church to interfere in political matters which is an anachronism, historically obsolete.

2nd Year Arts

For the Pope to take such a step shows, I think, that the old tight control the Church has so successfully exercised over its members since the Reformation, is beginning not only to break down, as it has been for the last 30 years, but also to be completely swept away. This would appear to be substantiated by the divided loyalties in the Church in Czechoslovakia especially, as well as in other Central European states, where the Church is obviously and actively antagonistic to the government. For good or bad the Church has lost its former unity of purpose. In other words, the faithful are beginning to doubt—and doubt is fatal to an institution based on the principle of infallibility.

2nd Year Science

1st Year Arts

Oh dear! . . . I haven't heard about it before . . . I don't think it's right. (Paused to collect his thoughts.) A member of a Church has certain beliefs making him a member of that Church . . . if through other sources he has other beliefs, all right. But if these other beliefs amount to a complete negation of the Church's doctrines, then he is not a member of that Church. If the Pope believes that Communism is the absolute negation of the doctrines of the Catholic Church, then he is doing the right thing, merely giving body to an existing situation. Let the Pope talk to them—it is conviction without trial.

Exec. Member

I do hope the Archbishop of Canterbury doesn't start acting up.

3rd Year Law

At a time when there is much nonsense being said about democracy and other political myths, and the "iron curtain" is screamed at for being the negation of freedom of speech, this latest decree is unfortunate to say the least . . . in adopting what many people consider to be the tactics of Communism, the Pope has implicitly admitted that his cause has no more justification than the other