The Vatican reported last week that during the past five years, 12,000 Roman Catholic priests have been killed or imprisoned or exiled by Communist regimes. Some specifics:
¶ In the Soviet Ukraine, 3,600 priests were killed (and 1,000 churches closed or razed).
¶ In Poland, 1,000 priests were deported, chiefly to Siberia.
¶ Tito's Yugoslavia put to death, arrested or deported 2,000 priests.
¶ In Bulgaria (where most of the clergy is Greek Orthodox), 120 Roman Catholic priests were arrested.
¶ In Esthonia, Latvia and Lithuania, 1,000 priests were killed or jailed.
Said the Vatican: "At a time when emissaries of Communism throughout the world...
