Beachhead

Protestants don't like to be considered mission-fodder for Roman Catholics—and vice versa. Last week in Italy, of all places, in Rome's Holy Year, of all times, some U.S. evangelists were hanging on to an embattled beachhead. They were members of the Churches of Christ (loosely affiliated fundamentalist churches with an estimated U.S. membership of 700,000), most of them from Texas.

Their leader, tall, shock-haired Cline Paden, 30, from Lubbock, Texas, had gone to Italy in 1947 and found the country "sorely in need of material and spiritual help." With his brother Harold and eleven helpers, Evangelist Paden concentrated on the town of Frascati, four miles from the Pope's summer residence at Castel Gandolfo.

The Americans opened an orphanage for boys, preached and passed out U.S. food packages. The Frascatians were unenthusiastic. The orphanage had room for 50 boys, but only 22 came. Last summer, Frascati Capuchin monks organized lectures against Protestantism. Then one day last September two jeeploads of Church of Christers, at Castel Gandolfo for a biweekly Bible class, were threatened by a crowd of Italians who, they said, advanced shouting: "We want the Protestants' bones!"

From Rome came "intimations" that they must close the orphanage and that their residence permits would not be renewed for 1950. Apparent reason: most of the 250 converts claimed by the missionaries were Communists.

Stoutly denying any concern with politics, Evangelist Paden appealed to U.S. Ambassador James Dunn for help. In Dallas, 800-odd Churches of Christ members assembled, and 378 signed a protesting telegram to Secretary of State Dean Acheson. Texas Congressman Ed Gossett went with a delegation to the State Department where, he said, he warned officials that "if the Italian government runs this orphanage out of Italy, it may have a serious effect on congressional action on European aid funds."

By week's end, Paden and his helpers had new temporary visas, due to expire on March 31.