bend every effort for a peace that will be Just, charitable  
and lasting. Most notable of all Catholic pronouncements  
was that contained in the letter of the Catholic Hierarchy  
to the President of the United States pledging the whole-  
hearted cooperation of Catholics in the national war effort.
 
                                                            
 
 
 This letter, individually authorized by the Bishops of the  
United States, solemnly engaged "the lives, the treasure  
and the sacred honor" of American..Catholics in the defense  
of their freedom against aggression. The response of the  
President was historic: "We shall win this war, wrote  
Roosevelt, "and in victory we shall seek not vengeance  
but the establishment of an international order in which  
the spirit of Christ shall rule the hearts of man and of nations."                     .  
The same unity based on high purpose pervades all  
the people of the United States. Contrary to Axis propa-  
ganda claims, the vast majority of our people are responsive to Christian   
inspiration, even though many may not: be prac-  
tical church-goers. The Axis charge that there are sixty  
million Atheists in the United States is sheer nonsense--  
a perversion of statistics on church membership and at  
tendance by which the persecutors of religion are trying  
to use the church for their own sinister purposes.  
It would be equally misleading for outsiders to be  
influenced by Axis propaganda about political differences  
in the-United States. We are a democracy and even in  
war-time we insist upon our political freedom. Members  
of .the Democratic and Republican political parties are  
even not, contending for many public offices, and no one,  
                          whatever