“trappist Vows of Silence” for Coughlin Urged by “the Nation”

The Nation; liberal weekly, urges editorially in its current issue, that “radio priest” Charles E. Coughlin be “encouraged to take the Trappist vows of silence” in the interests of both America and the Church Referring to a recent broadcast in which Coughlin disavowed responsibility for the Christian Front, openly anti Jewish organization composed of Coughlin adherents, and in which he reiterated denials of anti-Semitism and insinuated that The Nation was a Communist periodical, the editorial declared:

“Father Counghlin has now clearly reached a stage where truth has no objective meaning for him but is simply what he chooses to believe. One of these beliefs is that he and his Front have a monopoly of Christianity and that all who oppose them are communist, anti-Christian heretics. This is dangerous doctrine in America. Where the majority of Christians do not choose to accept either political or religious instructions from a demagogic priest. They would be still less inclined to accept them were they to see a recent appeal for funds in Social Justice (Coughlin organ) in which the persecutions of Coughlin were compared with the sufferings of Jesus, a piece of blasphemy ominously reminiscent of the more messianic utterances of Hitler. Our advice to Coughlin a superiors is not likely to be taken, but we suggest that it would be for the good of both America and the church if he were encouraged to take the Trappist vows of silence forthwith.”