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Time magazine of 15 May carried an interesting portrait of the Roman Catholic Cardinal Spellman, together with other information which contributes sone telling insights into the relation of the churches to contemporary American society. Spellman is, of course 3 bishop 6f New York, a see which has becone "the richest in the world as a result of his canny shepherding. He is now "the second nost powerful man in the (catholic) church". This is nainly as a conseguence of "his unique ability to help out the church in useful ways that seldom get into print. After World War 2, he convinced Pius | of the need to internationalise the Vatican's Italy centred investnents". The fortune of the church held by the Vatican alone now amounts to some £800 million according to the Wall Street Journal. It has made sone very advantageous entries into the world of property speculation, especially in the U.S. Wall St., itself is now partly owned by the church. Time lists sone of the ways in which sone of The American churches can cash in on the tax immunity, which is granted to them. "Many state laws are so broad that Churches- and fraternal organizations- may buy such property (that is property not used for religious purposes) with lease back arrangements under which they rent it to the former owners: income from. the rents and leases is tax free. The R.C. Knights of Columbus do not pay incone taxes on their wental revenue, which comes from such sources as the land on which Yankee Stedium stands; a Detroit Steel warehouse and a Connecticut steel mill. In New Orleans, a Jesuit run Loyola University pays no federal income tax on its revenues from its radio and televis.ion stations, and thus is in a better position to compete for business than its leading rival". The dinensions of property speculation alone is.shown by the following! "Church groups own 14% of all taxable property in Pennsylvanie, 17% in Meryland, 18% in New Jersey. Spellman himself is a past master at 211 these financial dodges: apparently he is known as Cardinal Moneybags in the Vatican. Time's Portrait continues; "Sone Catholic laymen deplore the fact that his voice loud and clear in condemming 'The Deputy', dirty movies and the Communist threat, is rarely heard on such social issues as segregation and political corruption. Catholic book publishers seldon try to get Spellman's imprimatur on anything more controversial than the life of an Irish saint".
Spellman's weight has naturally been thrown behind U.S. imperialism all over the world from Peru to Vietnam (where he was of course closely associated with the Diem regine). The report ends on a touching note! "His greatest consolation, he says, has been his annual Christmastide visits to the troops overseas, 'which gave me a chance to do something pastoral. That has always been ny ideal -to be close to the people.
Thes picture of the churches conforming to and supporting the uglier features of American life is re-inforceed by a short iten in the sane issue of Time on the recent conference of the Methodists. This church, which prides itself on its zeal for principle, compronmised on the question of racial integration and "shelved a proposal to make refusing anyone admission to worship an ecclesiastical crime".
PEG RT AT eM FE ear.