The Movement for Freedom in Mozambique - Page 21.
Monseigneur Sebastiao Soares de Resende.  For a number of years
this churchman dared question the Government for its treatment
especially of the African cotton growers.  He wrote in his monthly
pastoral letters, published in a Church publication, criticising
* the manner in which the Government was carrying out some of its
African policies, but with little or no success.  His intention,
however, was to liberalize the policy rather than change it
radically*  V/hen finally some of his criticisms began to annoy
the Salazar regime, he was ordered by the Vatican to stop publishing them.  Sunsequently the Government curtailed some of the
privileges which he had previously enjoyed, including taking away
his responsibilities as the Director cf the only secondary school
in Beira.  Bishop Resende is one of the Portuguese liberals who
believe in the possibility of the creation of a new Brasil in
Africa, where Portuguese culture would flourish even after in-
/ dependence.  The impression one gets of his position, as gleaned
Sfrom some of his pastorals and a daily newspaper which he is
^purported to control, is that Bishop Resende can conceive cf an
independent Mozambique only within a community of Portuguese interests, cultural, religious and economic.  However, since he has
never felt compelled to formally state his position, we will refrain from speculating further.
The clearest statement ever made by a Portuguese Catholic
leader of any standing concerning the question of self-determination and independence was by Monseigneur Custodio Alvim Pereira,
Auxiliary Bishop of Lourenpo Marques.  If his position is to be
taken as representative of the Roman Catholic Church, then the
Church is unequivocally against independence.  In a recent
! circular which v/as read in all Catholic Churches and Seminaries
in Mozambique, Bishop Pereira outlined ten points intended to
convince the clergy that independence for the African people is
not only wrong, but against the will of God.  The Statement ran
as follows:
I.  "Independence is irrelevant to the welfare of man.
It can be good if the conditions are present, (the
cultural conditions do not yet exist in Mozambique,
sic. )
II.  "While these conditions are not being produced, to
take part in movements for independence is acting
against nature.
III.  "Even if these conditions existed, the Metropole has
the right to oppose independence of the freedoms and