Religion: Logical & Holy

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His Beatitude Miron Cristea, snowy-bearded Patriarch of Rumania's 13,000,000 Orthodox Christians and present Premier of the Government of its 19,000,000 people, last August delivered himself of an interpretation of Christian doctrine. In an attack upon Rumanian Jews, front-paged in his nation's press, he declared: "The duty of a Christian is to love himself first and to see that his needs are satisfied. Only then can he help his neighbor. . . . Why should we not get rid of these parasites [Jews] who suck Rumanian Christian blood? It is logical and holy to react against them."

The American Committee on Rights of Religious Minorities, a 20-year-old body to which belong such people as Nicholas Murray Butler, Herbert Hoover, Senator Arthur Capper, did not forget His Beatitude's words when he became Premier last month (TIME, Feb. 28). To Patriarch Cristea the Committee's Chairman John Howland Lathrop wrote urging that, for the sake of the Christian church throughout the world, he moderate his stand. Last week, to the great surprise and pleasure of Jews in Rumania and abroad, the Patriarch did so.

He proclaimed a day of prayer for "peace, harmony and fraternity" among all Rumanian faiths. Handsomely he wrote Dr. Jacob Isaac Niemirower, Chief Rabbi of 1,000,000 Rumanian Jews, that "the Jewish religion is recognized to enable it to make better human beings and more faithful citizens of its followers." Chief Rabbi Niemirower, his yarmulke (skullcap) bobbing with excitement, ordered synagog gatherings throughout Rumania on the day of prayer, to pledge Jewry's loyalty and devotion.