The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-11-11
Papal NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Of the
Pope-Wor!d-wide Progress Of Cath
olcity-The Church in China-An
Archduke's Marriage-RoyaI Spon-
sors.

The Italo-Turkish war is going to
have graver results than the mere
annexation of port upon the
Mediterranean, results which may in
timately concern the whole Catholic
world. 1t is the first occasion upon
which United Italy has been at war
with power with which the Holy See
has diplomatic relations, and the
event is fraught with the gravest
dangers for the Church and her
Vicar; for her enemies, with which
Rome now abounds, are determined
to make the most of an unusual op-
portunity. Already on more than one,
occasion the Vatican has declared it's
neutrality in the present conflict.
Catholic Bishops may bless the
troops going out to the war, Catholic
priests may offer prayers for the sue
cess and safe return of the soldiers,
but the Vatican, the seat of the Cath
Ollie Church, is above all patriotic ex-
pressions of opinion because she
represents an international, a Catholic
organization, society, or Church. 1t
himself an Italian; he might be of
any other nationality. Were the war
undertaken in the interests of Chris
tianity and of those alone, it would be
a very different thing. But such is
not the case. Italy is seizing a prom
Using opportunity to avenge certain
wrongs from which Italian settlers in
Tripoi have suffered, to improve her
strategic position and to secure a
new market for her trade. The Church
as a Church, has nothing to do with
this. The Holy Father who has cor
respondents in all parts of the world
as any other great power, well knows
that at this moment the Turks are
doing everything possible to conVince
the Arabs that "Holy War" has been
declared against them, for they know
that in such case the hordes of the
desert will fly to their assistance.
Consequently the natural and seemly
action of the Holy See in preserving
neutrality is, at the same time, tend
ing to avert greater catastrophe.
Recently the official organ OF the
Vatican, the "Osseryatore Romano"
published communication confirming
the strict neutrality of the Vatican
and declining responsibility for the
observations of various Italian papers
which would suggest that the war is a
religious one, blessed by the Pope.
Immediately before this the ''Messa-
gero," a Masonic organ, which un-
fortunately has great influence in
Rome, published a despatch from its
Tripoli correspondent in which he
expressed himself as deeply grieved
to report that Father Rosetti, the
Superior of the Tripolitan Missions,
had preached a most imprudent dis
course when officiating at the sing
ing of the TIE Deum on the land:
ing of the Italian authorities. He
confessed that he had not heard the
discourse himself, but added the in
spired and venomous remark that the
occurrence was not one which would
assist in conquering the defiance oi
the Arabs, who, he says, are c0n-
vinced by the presence of the Pope in
Rome that Italy must have under
taken religious war. He goes on
TT would be terrible il this idea is
not counteracted, it would be terrible
/ repeat, if the Turks succeed in theil
project"
Enemies Of the Pope.
Now it might be thought that the