The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-12-19
PROSPECTS FOR PEACE

ferences of opinion. How, then, can
it be legitimately urged that the Pope
! should issue an lex cathedra" decision
on questions which are in the main
political and within the dominion of
| the State? The Church teaches very
! clearly the principles Of right for the
enlightenment of individuals and ma
tions. She condemns tyranny, aggres-
sion and crime in every form, but how
could the Holy Father be expected
to undertake, on the outbreak of war,
to decide infallibly which side is to
be held responsible for having brought
it about? That is question on which
the final judgment must often be left
to history, for it frequently. happens
that documents essential to the forma-
ton of just decision do not until
after-times see the light.
Catholics on Both Sides.
For much stronger reasons even
than President Wilson, His Holiness
Benedict XIV considers the policy of
neutrality advisable during the war
that is now raging. Catholics are
fighting on both sides. If he were to
favor one side and oppose the other,
what would happen? We are firmly
convinced that the cause of the Allies
is just and that it should receive the
support of all fair-minded men. Let
us suppose that he denounced the ac-
ton of the Emperors of Austria and
Germany and eulogised that of the
Allies. What would be the result?
The millions of Catholics in Austria
and Germany would come to the con-
clusion that through the agency and
efforts Of the Allies he had been mis-
Informed. Strange as it may appear
to us, they are quite as convinced that
Austria and Germany are in the right
as we are that they are in the wrong.
God, who judges the peoples inten-
tions, knows that there is no profanity
in the acts of the priests who bless
their regiments, and both the clergy
and the soldiers would continue to
give proofs of their love of country.
In every part of the Austrian and
German Empires non-Catholics would
attribute the worst motives to the
Holy Father. Some would say that
he was Influenced by selfish designs,
and others would not shrink from stat
ing that he had been bribed by France
and Great Britain. In the event of
the Pope pronouncing against Austria
and Germany the effect would be to
check the progress of the Church
amongst both peoples. If, on the other
hand, he happened to side with those
nations, the Catholics throughout the
British Empire, would be placed in a
similar position and non-Catholics
would bitterly assail him. Seeing that
some Of the extreme Protestant pa
pers are endeavoring to make their
readers credit the ridiculous fable
that Pope Plus x, who was struck
with horror at the prospect of the war,
brought it about with the view of
restoring the Temporal Power what
wickedness would they not attribute
to His Holiness Benedict XIV? We
should be told that the object of the
war was not merely to destroy Prot
estantism, but to put every Protestant
to death. The Pope has adopted the
policy which zeal for the interests OF
religion dictated, and by means of
the Encyclical Letter he has just pub
lished is able to approach the belliger-
ents in spirit which they must ad-
nit to be impartial and to hasten the
subsistence of fierce passion which
must Drecede a lasting settlement.