Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-17
LEO ON TIE srMIT1c QUESTION.
All Violence Against Persons Contrary to
the VIII Of God-AII Souls AIike.

| All Violence Against Persons Contrary to
| the VIII of God-AII Souls Alike.
| NEW YORK, Aug. l6-The Herald repro
duces the following from its European edi-
| ton:
"Aninterview with Pope Leo XIII. by the
| well-known Partisan lady journalist, Sew
erine,' is published this morning by our en-
terprising cotemporary, the Figaro. The OBJ
| ject of the interview was to obtain from the
Pope some expression of opinion with re-
| gard to the prominence into W hich the Semi
| tic question has recently been brought; or, to
adppt the diplomatic language of the Figaro
/ correspondents. to find out not what Leo I'LL
dlsapproved OF, but what he did not ap-
| prove 6f
after kind welcome from His Holiness,
Nine. Severine spoke of Jesus Christ par
! doning his executioner, and asked If it were
not Christians duty to follow His ex-
ample.
"The Pope replied that Christ had bled for
every man, without exception, but chiefly
for those not believing in Him, they having
the'greater need. He had left the Church
the mission of bringing them all back to the
truth, not by persecution, but by persuasion.
All violence against persons was contrary
to the will of God, and contrary to Gods
teachings. The words WAR and Religion
did not go together.
"There remains, Holy Father, the war OF
races said tie Interviewer.
"'What races? All are the issue Of Adam,
whom God created. What does it matter If
individuals have different color and dis
similar aspect according to their environ
ments, since their souls are all of the same
essence? If we send our missionaries to the
inf1dels, to the heretics and to the savages it
is because all human beings are-mark it
well-their cultures. There are some happy
enough to have faith, and there are those to
whom it is our duty to give it. That is all.
They are all equal before the Lord, since
their very existence is the work OF His will :
"The Pope then referred to the devotion
of the Catholic priests toward the Israelites
when the Ghetto existed at Rome, and
added and when the populace wished to
massacre Hebrews, they (the Hebrews) put
themselves under the protection OF the
Pope, and he spread his protecting influence
over them.'
"'But.' continued the head Of the Catholic
Church, IF the Church is an indulgent
mother, with arms ever open for those who
come to her or who return to her again, it
does not follow that those of the impious
who deny her should be her preferred ones.
She has no anger against them; they are her
grief. her sore; but sne keeps her predilec-
tion for the faithful who console her and
who are her fervent and pious sons. If the
Church has mission to defend the weak,
she has also q mission to defend herself
against all attempt at oppression. And now.
after many onslaughts, the reign of
money has come. They wish to conquer the
Church and rule the people with money.
But neither the Church nor the people will
allow Them
"'Then, Holy Father, the great Israelitesf'
put in the interviewer.
"The Pope said: I am for the lesser ones,
the humble. the Representations whom
our Lord loved
LEO XIII. would say nothing more on the
Semitic question.
Before this interesting interview came to
a close the Pope expressed in unmistakable
language his wish to avoid politics. MY
kingdom is not of this world his Master had
said.
"One last question. Did his Holiness ap-
prove of the conduct of Able Jacot. the
Alsacian-Lorainer. who preached to the
French of that State forgetfulness of their
mother country, telling them that in this he
was interpreting the Pope's command
ments?
81 deplore it. said Leo XIII. Il love
France. 1t is toward her that my eyes
always turn whenever my voice is heard in
these chambers where have wandered for
Is years without ever going OUT"