European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 8, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday. January 8, 1992 the stars and stripes a Page 9catholic clergy tied to crimes suspect Robers say priory sheltered pro nazi official seventy six year old Paul Tovler former head of French pro nazi militia is escorted by hooded police to a july hearing in Lyon. Lyon France apr roman Catholic officials from monks to cardinals helped one of Frances most notorious suspected War criminals evade Justice for decades Church appointed investigators concluded tuesday. Paul Rouvier 76, charged with crimes against humanity headed the pro nazi militia in Lyon during world War ii. He was arrested in May 1989 at the St. Francis priory in Nice. The priory run by followers of the late roman Catholic fundamentalist Leader archbishop Marcel  had sheltered Rouvier for years. Rouvier professes deep roman Catholic Faith. His presence at the priory raised anew questions about Church links to France s collaborationist wartime Vichy government and attitudes toward the holocaust in which 6 million jews died. Some of those who aided Rouvier said they did so because they Felt sorry for him and Felt he was being unjustly persecuted by those obsessed with punishing people who were just trying to survive during the War. France remains divided Between supporters and opponents of the Vichy regime and Vichy supporters such As some conservative Church elements accuse others of a Witch Hunt. In june 1989, Cardinal Albert Decour tray of Lyon the primate of France appointed eight historians to shed Light on exactly what Aid Rouvier received from the Church. Rene Remond head of the commis Sion made its 400-Page report Public tuesday at a news conference saying that while the Church As an official body did not Aid Rouvier Many churchmen did. These included a priests monks leaders of monastic communities prelates even Bishops. Marked by sympathy Quot for Rouvier Remond said. They gave Rouvier Money and shelter and organized petitions in his behalf that succeeded in winning a Short lived presidential Pardon in 1971, Remond said. Public uproar led to new charges being filed and Rouvier went Back underground in 1973. The spokesman for Frances Catholic Bishops the Rev. Jean Michel Difalco said the report issued tuesday made Clear there was never any Church policy to protect Rouvier and that his various helpers acted in a personal capacity. A a faulty interpretation of Charity and forgiveness led these people to help someone who was far trom deserving a a he said. The commission accused Charles do quatre a Secretary to the pro Vichy Lyon Cardinal Pierre Marie Geller during the War and his successor. Cardinal Jean Vil lot a As the principal figure in the sheltering of Rouvier Between 1959 and 1971. A the literally adopted Rouvier and his family Quot Remond said. Quot he put himself at to Uviera a service becoming his protector his investigator his  a How is it possible that so Many churchmen clerics for the most part in the name of a certain idea of Charity ignored the demands of truth and Justice Quot he said. Duquaine May have had indirect Access to Pope Paul i when Villot became a Secretary of state at the Vatican in 9ft9, the report said. Duquaine Villot and Geller Are dead. Rouvier who worked with Lyon Gestapo chief Klaus Barbie was arrested but escaped from prison. He was twice convicted of War crimes and sentenced to death in absent a. Despite eluding French police for decades Rouvier was freed on bail last july after a court ruled he was not an escape risk. A court is due so Rule feb. 26 on whether Rouvier will go to trial. He suffers from prostate  radio show a hit from China to Harvard Helsinki Finland a Quick what is latin for the new Commonwealth of Independent states and Why Are finns even asking because radio Finland wants to know keeping what is generally considered to be a dying language alive on International airwaves. Every week. Radio Finland transmits a in until Latini a a five minute news bulletin to All Corners of the world. A a it a a gimmick but a Good gimmick. Its brought us a lot of Fame and Many interesting people listen to us a said Juhani Niinisto head of external services at the finnish broadcasting co. Radio Finland receives letters each week from students teachers priests nuns and other latin buffs from China to Harvard University. Pope John Paul ii praised the program and wished it Success after he heard a cassette of a in until latinis last year. The Vatican broadcasts latin programs but no news. The finnish broadcasting co. Was the first to begin regular radio news bulletins in latin said producer Hannu Taanila who started the programs in september 1989. Last year austrian National radio followed suit. Taanila had asked Reijo Pitkaranta a latin lecturer at the University of Helsinki to translate a speech for a joke. But Taanila said he was told a latin is very much alive contrary to what i had  Taanila proposed a latin news bulletin on the Domestic radio service but was turned Down because few finns study latin. A so i just inserted it into my weekly arts review program on a regular basis a said Taanila. A it was a cultural deed and i have not regretted  two months later Niinisto started broadcasting the program on the International service which uses Short medium and Long Waves. German protests Over statue ignored in Britain by veterans London apr British veterans say they will ignore German protests and give London a statue of sir Arthur a a bomber Harris who directed the destruction of Gem an cities in world War ii. A we done to need German permission for it a said Douglas Radcliffe a wartime bomber radio operator and Secretary of bomber command association which unites the veterans. Quot the nazis cared nothing for the German people and did not even evacuate their cities a Radcliffe said monday. Association members Are paying the $187,000 Cost of the nine foot Bronze statue to be unveiled in May outside St. Clement Danes the Royal air Force memorial Church. For Many germans and some britons who deplored the night time Blanket bombing Harris was the bogeyman on the Allied Side. Harris was denied the honors accorded to other service leaders after Victory. He expressed bitterness that bomber command was never awarded a Campaign medal although 55,573 of his air Crew were killed. German statisticians calculate that Allied bombing killed 593, x 0 German civilians and destroyed 3.37 million dwellings including 600,000 Homes in Berlin alone. Raf and . Air Force raids on Dresden in f february 1945 killed Between 30,000 and 60,000 civilians. The mayors of several German cities devastated by the bombing including Dresden and Pforzheim which was 83 percent destroyed wrote to German foreign minister Hans Dietrich Genscher saying Harris should not have a memorial. Genscher passed on the mayors concern to British authorities said a foreign ministry spokesman adding Quot we can to Stop this because it is a private initiative. But certainly everything should be done to make sure the feelings of those left behind a relatives of the victims a Are not further  Quot we done to think it the statue would be in Good taste a said Ulrich Hoever spokesman for Dresden mayor Herbert Wagner. Britain a foreign office stressed that no government funds were contributed for the statue. Quot those German mayors who Are protesting Are in effect denigrating the Raf which helped to tree the see related column on Page 13 from nazi tyranny a said air marshal sir Harry Burton a wartime bomber Pilot and chairman of the statue fund raising committee. Quot the statue is a tribute to bomber command air Crew who were killed As Well As to Harris he said. Faith Winter the sculptor for the project said she Felt Harris Quot was a much maligned Man although the bombing was horrendous unspeakable. A Quot his children have had Long talks with me and i talked to bomber command airmen who Revere him. They say he suffered greatly at the decisions he was forced to make but at the end he thought it had been the right thing to do Quot the artist said in an interview. When Harris took Over bomber command in 1942, Aerial bombardment of cities was already an established military tactic. But Harris refined the science of saturation bombing. Even while the War was still under Way some questioned his Zeal for hitting civilian targets. Quot we were fighting a War for survival a Douglas Radcliffe Secretary of the association said in an interview. Quot Hitler was quite willing to rain a is and v-2s on us. A germans today should be very grateful that bomber command got rid of the nazi Yoke Tor them he added