Show I I MU MUSSOLINI GT CT JOINS CHURCH AND STATE Italian Premier Takes Another nother Step for forR R Reconciliation concilia tion By HENRY WOOD United Press Pre Staff Correspondent ROME By mail man to U. U P. P P. P.-Dy By r restoring re- re storing to the civil calendar the two religious 1 holidays of the Immaculate Conception and of or Corpus Domini has given ghen the greatest Indication in indication indication In- In that has been forthcoming be between be- be to date of or a spirit of or conciliation and the quirinal tw hv tween l' l cn 1 the Vatican He has s taken the most pronounced step to date towards a a possible reconciliation between the church and state These at least are the frank declarations declarations declarations dec dec- of ot Vatican cir circles les In Rome and following the the final final adjustment between France and the tile Vatican of the differences that originated Inthe in inthe inthe the separation of or the church and state 1 spirit of conciliation conciliation conciliation concilia concilia- tion and respect for the church is regarded as giving the highest hopes that Italy and the Holy See may soon find a common basis of or recon recon- As ii a result of r the restoration In Inthe Inthe inthe the Italian civil calendar of ot these two religious holidays as the Italian civil calendar contains more na national national na- na holidays of ot a religious character char char- acter actor than those of or a patriotic na na- na- na ture In fact the purely patriotic holidays holi holi- days number only three three namely namely April 22 22 which is the anniversary I of or the founding of ot Rome September 22 which marks the taking of ot Rome from the popes popes by the by-the the new government government government govern govern- ment of or Italy and November 4 which marks the anniversary of or the great victory of or Vittorio Veneto Inthe Inthe in inthe the war by which Italy completed her unification atlon As against these three patriotic holidays the religious feast days now officially incorporated in the Italian civil calendar calendar- In addition n to all nfl the Sunda Sundays s 's and New Years are the Corpus Domini the feast da day of ot Peter and Paul the Assumption Assumption Assumption As As- All AlJ Saints the Immaculate Immaculate Immaculate late Conception and Christmas The Vatican is especially appreciative appreciative appreciative I of Mussolini's 1 action in re reestablishing reestablishing reestablishing re- re I establishing as an official Italian holiday that of the Immaculate Conception Conception Conception Con Con- because of the fact that the abolition of this day from the Italian calendar was brought about largely by the Free FreeMasons Masons because it commemorated commemorated com corn I a Catholic dogma which the Masonic l order in Italy has re refused refused refused re- re fused to recognize The appreciation of the Vatican and the Catholic world generally In Italy of ot this new attitude by the Mussolini 1 government is summed up in the following comment of ot the Os- Os the official organ organ organ or or- gan of the Vatican As In the case of ot the reestablishment of Instruction in y elementary schools and the return of ot the crucifix in the schoolrooms I Ithe the present decree reestablishing the feats days of ot Corpus Domini and the Immaculate Conception as official civil holidays is merely an echo of the religious respect and sentiment of or the country which has found realization in political and admInistrative administrative administrative adminis admInis- wisdom 1 government has demonstrated demonstrated demonstrated dem dem- wt with this reform that it understands and knows how to value the Importance which feast days have in religious and private as well as national life a great deal better than did the governments of of or 1913 which abolished so many of ot the religious holidays from the tile civil calendar |