June 18, 1955
JUNTA AGAINST PERON: London, 17 – Anarchy and civil war fever appear to be looming in Argentina even though President Juan Peron has managed to disperse the insurgents who attacked his palace from the air and on the ground in their attempt to stage a coup yesterday. (…) President Peron made another statement today criticizing the communists and attacks on churches, which he said were national monuments. Referring to the issue of separating state and church, he said that differences of opinion should be resolved at the ballot box and not by resorting to violence. Peron, who was excommunicated by the Vatican earlier this week, said: «We are not fighting religion. We have always maintained that. I have repeatedly stated that I am a Catholic and that thousands of us are Catholics. But I want religion to be imposed in Argentina by one’s conscience and not by force. I have said that there will be a referendum, but stupid people did not want to wait. I accuse them of not doing their duty as Argentineans.» VATICAN: This evening the Vatican radio station issued a harsh condemnation of Peron, hinting that his excommunication was in payment for the injuries he had inflicted on the Catholic Church.
