THE CHURCH IN ITALY—By Cline R. Paden

THE CHURCH IN ITALY---By Cline R. Paden THE CHURCH IN ITALY
Cline R. Paden In the fall of 1950, Brethren Wyndal Hudson, Joe Chisholm and I were in the Square before St. Peter’s Cathedral in Vatican City. From the four corners of the earth this huge assembly had come together to hear the Pope pronounce the latest dogma of Roman Catholicism—The Assumption of Mary into Heaven. If Catholicism be true, we heard that day an inspired man speak, and declare that Mary had ascended into heaven in a bodily form. This was the first infallible (?) declaration that had been made since 1870. It was estimated that there were more than a million people present on that occasion. A million people, regardless of the reason for their coming together, can make an impression upon one’s mind. I am sure that as long as memory serves me I shall not forget the impressions that came to my mind as I looked into the face of this sometimes praying, sometimes cursing, but always pushing mob of people. I remember remarking to Brother Chisholm that I would give a great number of the years of my life for the privilege of addressing so large an assembly. We felt that even without the added gift of infallibility that we could speak with more truth than this man who was being carried about on the shoulders of those who worshipped him on a portable throne, and who claimed to be the representative or the vicar of the lowly Gal- lileean. We knew, of course, this was but wishful thinking and that such an opportunity would not be granted unto us.

I felt that until I stand before him in the day of judgment to be judged of my deeds, that likely I would never be a part of so great an assembly. But I think I was wrong. At least from my vantage point this morning, it seems that there are more here than were present upon that occasion, and if anyone doubts my word, you come and stand where I am standing. Especially if you have been accustomed to speaking to very small assemblies for some time.

While a million people can make an impression upon one’s mind, I think that this audience of a few hundred thousand fewer people, makes an impression upon my mind that is more profound than was made upon that November day. If a million people gathered together for the purpose of deepening the darkness of ignorance and superstition can be impressive, then certainly a few thousand of God’s people meeting for the purpose of studying ways and means of carrying the gospel into those areas where darkness yet prevails, not only can be more impressive and inspirational but certainly has that which the other assembly lacked—the blessings of God Almighty. I am sure that Abilene Christian College is not aware of the great amount of good that is accomplished here each year. I personally know of some who are absent this morning who were present upon other occasions and whose absence this morning is traceable directly to the fact that they were here on other occasions and received their inspiration to go into distant lands with the gospel of Christ. It is my prayer that before this meeting or this series of lectures has come to an end that others may resolve to go into places yet strange to them to carry the gospel of Christ.

It is an inspiration to be a part of a great brotherhood that is more than maintaining itself in the world—that is growing perhaps as we have grown in few periods of our history. There are churches of Christ today in places where, ten years ago, it was impossible to find churches. Five years ago there were no churches of Christ in Italy. Today it is possible for one to visit that nation and to spend six months visiting with a different congregation every Lord’s day and never visit the same congregation twice. I say this proudly, but I say it not because of the effectiveness of the workers who are there. I want to stress this point—I want it to be the keynote of this address—that we have succeeded in Italy only because of the fact that God has made it possible.

Before leaving Italy it was necessary for me to go by the office of the Commissario, the police chief of the district in which we live, to inform him of our intentions of leaving that nation. This was necessary, for it is not possible for one to stay in a place in Italy more than three days without reporting to the police. They are constantly observing your movements, and it is necessary to advise them if you contemplate a change of residence. The Commissario and I fell into conversation, because, just a few days before, he had called me into his office and had given me five days to remove the sign that has since been chiseled from our wall. I told him, as I had told him upon other occasions, that I would not remove the sign—that we felt justified in refusing to do so, having obtained from the Italian government the necessary authorization to affix it. The Commissario argued for some time. He tried to persuade me to remove the sign. He admitted that he was under pressure from the local Catholic priest. He said that ‘There is a mounting wave of protest coming into my office, and even now, because of similar pressure by Catholics upon higher-ups in the government, I am getting orders from the ministry of the interior. It would be better for you,” he said, “to remove the sign.” We told him we would not remove it, and if it were removed, it would be because they took the initiative. The Commissario then began to Insult me. He is an artist at that sort of thing. As he talks, he screams, he rants and he raves. But he can express himself very well. You don’t misunderstand what he is trying to say. Passing from a rational or intelligent conversation into this kind of raving, he began telling me, “You are a nobody,” and this is one of the greatest insults that can be given to an Italian. To be a “nobody” in Italy is really just that—you are a nobody. He said, “You are dust under my feet. If you were really ‘anybody’ you wouldn’t have the difficulty that you are now experiencing in Italy. If you had influence with your government or with our government, you wouldn’t be having this trouble.” Perhaps it was surprising to the Commissario to learn that we had never had the intention of being a “somebody.” But we said this:

“The fact that we are nobodies here brings us to the greatest unexplained phenomena of my experience and perhaps in your experience, Commissario. Here we are a bunch of nobodies and yet in spite of this fact, the Italian government, with the blessing and backing of the Vatican, which from the beginning of this work, has used every method that they command—and they possess every avenue through which to bring pressure and to establish obstacles, yet this overwhelming combination of powers has not been enough to successfully stop this little group of nobodies. You and other commis- sarios have closed our church buildings, you have arrested our preachers, you have followed us to our secret places of worship, you have indicated your intention of taking the sign from our door, and yet, in spite of all of these things, this little group of nobodies continues. More than that, we are growing, Commissario. In view of all that you have done, how do you account for the fact that we have been able to stand up against such odds? What possible explanation except this: that above us—greater than you, greater than your government, greater than the Pope, greater than this little group of nobodies, there is a Somebody who has so directed the affairs of this nation that, though you would be opposed to us and hinder our work, everything that you have done had the opposite effect.” How many times have they, like Balaam of old, opened their mouths to curse us only to bless us instead? How many times have they opened their mouths to say, “Get out of Italy and stay out,” and yet these words came out after awhile: “Three months extension . . . Six months extension?” How many times have they said, “Your church is closed,” only to say later, “Your church may now rebegin its operation ?” It is thrilling to work with this Somebody, and we want you to know that the success of the work in Italy is not due to the fact that Carl Heckers, the John Butts, the Gerald and Harold Pa- dens, the Carl Mitchells, the Howard Bybees, the Wyndal Hudsons, the Dayle Pitmans, the David Lavenders, the L. V. Phiefers, the Melvin Pownalls and the Bernard Howells have worked on the field, but because he has been so close to us and has helped .us so greatly. I would hate to be there were it not for this Somebody and for the help that he has rendered. It wouldn’t have been possible, and I want you to understand that no one in Italy believes that it is because of anything that they personally have done. We couldn’t have done it.

How thrilling to walk down a blind alley with the Lord! With opposition on every side stronger than we were able to withstand, with pressure from behind and pressure from all sides and an unsurmountable obstacle before us, and yet with faith that God’s answer would be the final answer, we have walked ahead, thinking that our path was right and our cause just. We have thrilled time and time again to see the opposition melt before us as a candle before a flame, and the way open up to us, and the very obstacle itself turned to his glory. Because of his help, today from Como high in the Italian Alps, down through the Italian peninsula, more than a thousand miles winding mountain roads, down to the tip of the Italian boot, then across the Straits of Messina to the island of Sicily, there are churches of Christ meeting for work and worship. The last congregation that I visited in Italy was the church in Milano. This congregation is about three and a half years old. That's not very long for a congregation to be in existence and to be as numerous as they are. This congregation numbers about 115 members and we are thrilled at the thought that the Italian people can be so responsive to the gospel call. It is but an indication of the power of the gospel that has been preached and is a compliment to the receptiveness of the Italian people. The church in Milano has been served very adequately by Brethren Harold Paden, Carl Mitchell, Howard Bybee and Melvin Pownall. All have worked wonderfully well in the past, though all of these men are not there at present. Brother Harold Paden is assisted at the present time only by Brethren Biuseppe Torrieri and Fausto Salvoni. As I have suggested, the last congregation I preached for in Italy was the church in Milano. Among those present at the evening services was a priest who was not afraid to come to services dressed in the full robes of his office. It takes some courage to do this—especially to a service of the church of Christ. Perhaps before he left the building that night, his name was on file with the police. We have information that would indicate that they are just that thorough. A man who works in the Archives at the Questura in Milano is friendly toward us, and has given us the information that they have on record there the names and addresses, the political affilation, the place of employment of not only all the members of the Milano church, but all those who frequently attend their services. Together with this is included the brief note that the church of Christ is a political front and that it exists to hide its subversive activities and political intrigues behind an otherwise harmless organization. But even with this being general information to all those who attend, they continue to grow. They are building a strong congregation in Milano. They are doing more than building for Milano; they are building for all of Italy. They have in the church building in Milano the training school for preachers where only Bible is taught to seven young men who are ready to go out and we are ready to recommend them to the brotherhood for support. The thing that is encouraging about the work in Milano is this: that though this congregation has been there only this short period of time they have almost reached the point that they are self-supporting. The last Lord’s Day I was there, they said, “We could support our own work now; we could pay our preacher and finance our own program,” but they said, “It is best that we do not assume this responsibility for perhaps another year that we may be able to establish the cause in another part of the city.” We believe that it would be best for them to wait so that they can grow not only more numerically but also financially so as to be able to carry on a program such as that. It is encouraging to know that they will not be depending upon the American churches forever for support. This is the only church, however, in all of Italy that has reached this point. There is only one other church that is older than this, and that is the church in Frascati, and it is not ready yet to take on this responsibility. Brother and Sister Hecker are doing a wonderful work there with the home which now serves 33 boys.

We have been accused of exciting the Catholic people and thus to have brought numerous problems upon ourselves. Actually, our problems are not limited to Catholics. We have a lot of difficulty from the Com-munists. We have a lot more from Protestant organi-zations. We have made converts from all of them. A number of Communists have been converted. We've converted a number of Catholics, including about nine or ten of their priests and we have converted a number of Protestants, along with several of their preachers. We have at present time about five ex-Baptist preachers; one ex-Methodist preacher and one exSeventh Day Adventist preacher. Brethren Bybee and Paone have a splendid work going over in Padova, and have converted even one from Judaism. This shows that our activities are not limited to Catholics. We’re just preaching the gospel, and of course, it appeals to all who are subjects of it. Actually by percentage of population, we’ve converted more Protestants than we have Catholics. With the coming of the Wyndal Hudsons, Bernard Howells, L. V. Pfiefers, John Butts and Gerald Pa- dens last summer, we were able to answer some old appeals in some new places of work. In recent months new works have been started in Palermo in Sicily where John Butts and Bernard Howell are initiating efforts with some good contacts. Brother Melvin Pownall has recently moved to Turin and is meeting with much success there. Brother Ugo Monaco, an Italian, started the work there, but had to leave it when he was drafted into the army. Down in Florence Brethren Mitchell and Pfiefer have one of the most promising works begun in Italy. One of Italy’s greatest authors has recently been baptized there. Florence is the cultural center of Italy and the contacts and converts with whom these brethren are working correspond favorably with what would be expected from those who live there. In Leghorn Brethren Hudson and Pittman—laboring under extreme difficulty—have a promising work under way. Apart from the work among the Italian people—which work has gained world-wide attention during the past two weeks—Brother Hudson is teaching Bible to 140 students each week in the school for the children of the U. S. army personnel stationed in the city. Several families on the base are members of the church and we know their presence will mean much to that good work. This question has been asked time and time again: “When and if the American preachers are driven from Italy, what effect is this going to have on the Italian work?” I know perhaps that you are wondering about this very thing. And I think the answer to this question would be more important to you than to hear or to re-hear something that you have already heard in the past concerning the difficulties that we have had. I would like to minimize those difficulties and to try to steer away from any attempts to be sensational in reporting things that have happened. I think that you are more interested in hearing about the accomplishments, and that we intend to give this morning. “What will happen when and if you are driven out of the country?” This is a logical question because the time may come, and it could be soon, when we will not be there any longer. The Italian government has no pattern to follow. You can’t, therefore, anticipate what the future holds for us. Actually, we can plan our work only about six months at a time, because usually that’s the extent of our visa or permit to remain in Italy. But in view of the fact that we have been threatened from the beginning by expulsion from Italy, we have made our plans against that day. Let me give you something of the work that has been done exclusively by Italian personnel. I think that this will help to answer our question. In the province of Cosenza, Brother Salvatone Puliga, laboring under the direction of the church in Jackson, Mississippi, has made a good showing for his labor in that area. There are some sixty members of the church in this work that Brother Puliga has done almost alone. There were only occasional visits from passing American preachers to assist him. In the city of Messina two Italians are laboring, Antonio Buta and Francesco Scarfi, supported by churches in Baytown and San Antonio respectively, and are doing what we believe to be a marvelous work. Brother Scarfi was formerly an Adventist preacher who had broken away from Adventism before we contacted him, but was instrumental in leading this group to a fuller knowledge of the truth. In the province of Salerno we have a young man who was formerly the assistant to the vice-president of the World Baptist Alliance in Rome. He was converted some eight or nine months ago and is now laboring in the province of Salerno. The little group that he has together there has shown some enthusiasm and some initiative that we appreciate. They already have a building program. They have about $500.00 in their building program, all on their own, and we believe this to be very encouraging. In the city of Catania there is a small group of about 15 members meeting. One of the brightest lights in this work is an ex-Jesuit priest. This man is not supported by the church, has never received any assistance financially from us in any way, works for his own living, but he was converted and is helping to convert others. We believe that these works and others that are beginning all over Italy will help us to appreciate the work that is being done at present by Italian personnel. We have every right and reason to believe that it would continue even if we were no longer there.

Let me give you something of the quality of the preachers in Italy. I wish we could have time to talk some about each of them, but of course, time forbids. Brother Lido Petrinia is one of the preachers who has figured rather prominently in Leghorn recently. I don’t want to hold him up as a rare example and suggest that there are no others like him there, nor do I wish to say that all of our preachers are as enthusiastic as this man. But he is one of them. Brother Petrini was first arrested in 1952 when he was preaching for the church in Allesandria. I think Brother Carl Mitchell mentioned this last year in his report here at Abilene Christian College, and told about his being arrested and sentenced to fifteen days in jail, fined five thousand lire, and immediately in-ducted into the Italian Army even though he was not actually subject to draft. They thought, I suppose, that when they had drafted him and had torn him away from his flock that both the flock would die and his interest in them would die. But it was not to be that way. Brother Petrini, of course, was limited in his activity. Formerly he had been working at one place, the police, at another. He was not then immediately under the control of those who directed his life, as in the army. But in spite of this close control he began his Bible study, and finally made his first convert. He baptized another soldier, and still another, and still others. Finally they were having a great number of soldiers studying the Bible together. The Lieutenant Colonel, who attended the classes, had reached the point that he had asked to be baptized for the remission of his sins. But before they could baptize this man they were called before the colonel who commanded the base and severely reprimanded for carrying on this “subversive activity.” They were immediately dispersed in various camps all over Italy. As they were loaded on a truck to leave this place and go to their separating center, and as they pulled out of the army base they sang for the last time together, “The Church’s One Foundation.” Brother Petrini was released from the service on January the fourth, this year. He moved into Florence and began working there with Brother Carl Mitchell and L. V. Pfiefer, and had to be called over to Leghorn to assist in the preaching there. This was the time when the police came in, arrested him and gave him a one-way passage out of Leghorn. In fact, I think he is not allowed to return to the city of Leghorn for five years. If he does, of course, he will be re-arrested. But this will give you something of the type man that we have preaching for us in Italy. This man, incidentally, is an ex priest.

Brother Fausto Salvoni is another ex priest. I think that most of you have heard of Brother Salvoni. Ho is an ex- professor of a Catholic University in the city of Milano, and a very brilliant mind he has. We have used him almost exclusively in preaching in our lecture programs or in our gospel meetings. He held a meeting in the city of Rome recently. More than three hundred people were present during that meet-- mg and some were turned away. The Commissario, who unceremoniously removed the lettering of our sign from our building was there, and he ordered the doors closed when so many had entered our building. He was afraid the building would collapse. There was just that kind of enthusiasm to hear Brother Salvoni. There were a number of priests present. They attempted, at least for awhile, to combat the things that he was saying. The vice-director of Ios- servatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper, was present every evening except one, and attempted to speak on each occasion. Brothei Fausto, however, is able, as he did on this evening and others, to put these people to silence. His great knowledge of the Bible, his most kind way of presenting the truth, is very commendable and even the Catholic people who were present and whose religious name was being called continually, were not offended at the way Brother Salvom presents the truth.

Brother Dario Maffei is another of our gospel preachers He was sent last summer over to the city of Civitavecchia, forty-five miles out of Rome to begin a new work. We had baptized only one young man in that city. There was a Baptist church in Civitavecchia, numbering some three hundred members, and they had elders. It’s the only Baptist church that I know of anywhere that had elders. I say “had” because at the present time under Brother Maffei’s most capable teaching program, those five elders are now members of the church of Christ.

Brother Sandro Corazza, laboring for the church in Rome, is one of our most capable preachers. I say that, not limiting myself to the Italian field. I don’t believe that there is a preacher more capable anywhere, or who has a better knowledge of the scriptures, than Brother Corazza. Because of him and others like him, I do not fear for the future of the church of Christ in Italy if we are driven out. I trust that this confidence that I have expressed may become contagious; that you will have confidence in the work done there by the hands of such capable men. Five years ago these were not men of courage. They would have run, perhaps, even from their own shadows. But today, armed with the gospel of Christ, and armed with the humility that should attend each gospel preacher, they are ready for what the future may hold for them. I do not fear for that future with such men to represent the cause of Christ there.

We began working in the city of Rome about a year and a half ago. Starting almost from scratch, we have been able to get together a congregation of between forty and fifty members. Part of our meetings were held in secret because of the police ban against us. But we have noticed this: that some of the most faithful members of the church in Rome today are those who came to us during the time that we were having to dodge police in order to have our religious services. You can’t kill the church in Italy or anywhere else with persecution.

We are not ignorant of the source of the difficulty that has come to us in Italy. In every office we have entered, in our attempts to straighten out our difficulties, we have been told again and again, “we are sorry that we have to do this, but we are under pressure from the Roman Catholic Church.” The Catholic party, the Christian Democratic party, which is incidentally a misnomer on two points—it is neither Christian nor Democratic—is in power and has the blessings and backing of the Roman Catholic Church. When the hierarchy excoxnmunicaies those who do not vote for the Christian Democratic party, and when this party gets into power and puts into effect its program of suppressing religious freedom, it doesn’t take a great amount of logic to reason back to the source of this difficulty. They don’t make any bones about it. They’ll tell you, “You’re just too near the Vatican.”

Recently, as you read in your newspapers, a letter or several letters have been circulated throughout most of Italy, signed by an unprecedented number of bishops and cardinals and cardinal-bishops, urging the people to avoid contact with the “pernicious errors of Protestantism,” because, this warning says, this is “dangerous to our position.” They are aware of the dangers that are being presented by the gospel of Christ in that area. Cardinal Schuster in Milano has singled out the church of Christ in several of his attacks. These attacks have been published in L’osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper. Mr. Mario Shelba, the present Prime-Minister of Italy, as well as Italy’s Minister of the Interior, has made several remarks in the past in Associated Press dispatches, stating that the church of Christ is a Communist organization and as such does not merit any favor from the Italian government. And he has seen to it that we didn’t get any favors.

We haven’t had our difficulty in Italy because of the fact that we are not recognized by the Italian government. Let’s not be deceived by any of their propaganda. We do not have to have recognition in Italy—though 'it would assist us greatly if we had it. The constitution guarantees religious freedom for all alike. I say this because of this fact: in the city of Rome the largest non-Catholic organization is the Assemblies of God, a Holiness organization. They have more than a thousand members in Rome, and they are not recognized by the Italian government. Their preachers are not recognized as ministers of worship, and yet, they have a sign on their building. Nor is it because of the fact that we are Communists that we had our sign removed from the building, because a hundred fifty yards from our building there is a Communist cell block with a large hammer and sickle plainly printed on the outside of the building, and the letters underneath, “Headquarters of the Communist Party.”

We are aware of the fact, then, that Roman Cathol-icism, which believes in religious freedom for themselves behind the Iron Curtain, but does not believe in religious freedom for others in the countries that they dominate, is behind all of this, and we are not afraid of making this charge publicly. We have no reason to believe that Catholicism is any different here from Catholicism in Italy or in any other part of the world. It is the same system everywhere—the same man controls the Homan Catholic Church in Italy who controls it here. If they can chisel names off American-owned property in Rome, they can chisel the name off churches of Christ in America, and would now if they thought they could get away with it. They will do so as soon as they are strong enough. Let America be deceived no longer.

I am not through, but I must close. I haven’t even mentioned the fact that we have been to Washington this past week and have found many open doors, and much willingness to help. We talked with twenty members of the House of Representatives and with Two of Texas’ senators, and with various members of the State Department, and found a great amount of interest and willingness to help on every level. Mr. Lyndon Johnson contacted General George Beddell Smith who is second under Secretary of State John Foster Dulles. He had a meeting with the Italian Ambassador. We believe our sign will be returned to us in time, and we are going to try to make it a neon sign the next time!

I stood recently upon Gianicolo, a hill overlooking the city of Rome. I looked down upon this city from almost the same position from which Garibaldi looked in 1870. It was near where I was standing that Garibaldi stood with his cannons trained upon the Vatican and ordered them to surrender. They did, and thus the war between the Vatican and Garibaldi came to an end. Italy was united. The Papal states were destroyed, the temnoral power of the Pope was eliminated and Italy became a nation. But Garabaldi said this, “When the Vatican is destroyed, and it will be destroyed, it will not be my cannons. It will be the word of God.” This man was not a prophet; he was a soldier. But he spoke the words of a prophet, and he spoke them well. You and I know only the Bible, the word of God, can destroy Catholicism. It is the the only thin# ihat they fear. They can embrace a nation that, defeats it. They can emerge conqueror, but they have had a mighty conflict with the word of God and have not conquered *t. It remains the word of God. It is the only thing that they fear. You have sent it to Italy. You have sent us there with this-—you placed it in our hands and have given us means to preach it there, and we want to continue.

There is nothing that we can say, in conclusion, that will be more important than: Let’s continue, yea, let’s redouble our efforts in Italy, because the church is there and we believe that it will remain. The pos sibility that we may some day be driven from Italy makes it imperative that support for the five young men trained in our schools be put in the field immediately with full support so they can get as much practical experience under our suDervision as possible. The future of the church in Italy depends upon the Italian preachers, whether we are allowed to remain there or not. The importance, then, of finding this support for them, and for giving them something to work with, cannot be over-emphcsized. If you are interested, you can contact me through the West Erwin Church of Christ in Tyler, Texas, which church has assumed the oversight of our work in Italy.

I thank you very much and in the name of all those in Italy, I thank you. As Paul said in Hebrews the thirteenth chapter, verse twenty-four, “They of Italy salute you!”