The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-25
POPE MAKES APPEAL
FOR WORLDS PEACE
POntiff's Plea for Universal
brotherhood Read in All
Catholic Churches.
DEPLORES CLASS HATRED

.
thought. The strongest and wea!thiest
nations are in conflict What wonder,
then. that furnished as they are with the
latest weapons devised by military sci
ence, their struggle is causing enormous
slaughter? There Is no end to the ruin,
no end to the deaths; each day sees the
! earth flowing with fresh blood and COW
cred with dead and wounded. Who would
think that the nations, thus armed against
each other. are all descended from one
ancestor. share the same nature, belong
to the same human family? Who could
realize that they are brethren. children
of the same Father in heaven?
Distress for All Mankind.
"And while the mighty hosts are con-
tending in the fury OF combat cities, fam
| lies, individuals are being oppressed by
those evils and miseries which follow at
the heels Of war day by day the num-
hers increase of widows and orphans.
the paths OF commerce are blocked. the
fields are left untitled. the arts are at n
standstill. the rich are made poor the
poor still more destitute; all are made to
mourn
Shocked by 80 great evils. we have
held II to- he our duty at the very he
ginning Of our supreme pontifcate and
.
to take up and repeat the last words that
, fell from the lips OF our predecessor
pontin OF llIstrious and so holy memory
and therefore We earnestly beseeCh princes
and rulers that, moved by the sight of so
many tears, so much blood already shed.
they delay not TO bring back to their peo-
pies the life giving blessings OF peace.
When the divine Redeemer first appeared
upon earth the glad tidiugs was sung by
angels voice, so now may God in his
mercy grant that, at the beginning OF our
labo- as Christ's vicar the same voice be
: heard proclaimnE Peace on earth to men
of good will
I'VE beg of those who hold in their
hands the destinies Of peoples 10 give heed
to that voice. II their rights have been
violated they can certainly find other ways
and other means Of obtaining a remedy
to these. laying aside the weapons Of war,
let them have recourse in sincerity of con-
science and good will. with no view to
/ our own self-interest do We speak thus
but In charity toward them and toward all
nations. Let them not suffer our voice OF
father and friend to pass away unheeded.
But IL is not only the murderous strug-
3 gle now going on that is running the
nations and filling us with anxious alarm.
/ There is another dreadful evil which goes
deep down in modern society. an evil that
/ inspires fear In the minds OF thoughtful
men. because while it has already caused
d iIlh ~ threatening sun To cause immense
mischief to nations. II must also be recog-
nized as the true source OF the present
doplorable conflict. Truly as soon a the
rules and dictates OF Christian wisdom
which are the assured basis Of stability
and peace, came to he disregarded In the
! ordering OF public life the very structure
OF the state began To be shaken to its
fall and there has also ensued so great
a change Q: though: and conduct that
unless God comes 10 the rescue, the dis
solution Of human society itself would
seem to he At hand.
''The more prominent disorders are
these. The lack OF mutual love among
men. disregard for authority. unjust quar-
rolls between the various classes, material
prosperity. become the absorbing object
Of human endeavor. as though there were
nothing higher and better to he gained
These We regard as the four chief causes
why the world is so terribly shaken. We
must labor earnestly. therefore, by putting
in practice Christian principles. TO re-
move such disorder from our midst II in
deed We have at heart the common peace
and welfare
yet the truth Is that men never acted
toward each other In less brotherly fash
ion than now. Race hatreds are becom-
Ing almost a frenzy nation is divided
from nation more by enmity and jeal-
ousy than by geographical position in
the same city. within the same walls, the
different ranks are on fire with mutual
envy all take as their supreme law their
own self-interSst.
To Restore Peace His Aim.
You see. venerable brethren. how
| necessary IL is that no. effort should be
spared to bring back among men the
power Of the charity of Christ. This
shall be our constant endeavor, the
chosen task OF our pontihcate; to this
we eNhort you to attend. Let us not
grow weary OF teaching and practising
the Injunction of the apostle ST John.
! That We love one another Doubtless
! there are numerous benevolent instltu-
| tons now doing useful and valuable work,
but they do not prove to be OF real bene-
/ nj unless they help in promoting a true
love Of God and our neghbor; without
this they are nothing worth. for He that
loveth not abideth in death
Class War Is Unjust.
when, therefore. the poor assail the
rich, as though these had appropriated
To themselves what belongs to others. they
are acting not only against Justice and
charity hut even against reason, par
ticulariy because they themselves might
/ better their own position by force of
| honorable labor
ut would be superfuous to point out
the consequences, disastrous alike 10 ind-
vidualS and to the community, that flow
from this class hatred We all know and
depore those frequent strikes by which
the whole OF public life, even In it's most
necessary activities is suddenly checked
and then the rlotous outbreaks, In which
recourse Is frequently had to arms, and
| this followed by bloodshed
I'VE will not now repeat the argu-
ments that show the untenableness Of
socialism and similar errors This has
I been done with supreme wisdom by our
/ predecessor Leo MIL in his memorial BILE
cncyclicals, but we appeal to you vener-
able brethren, to use your endeavors that
! that authoritative teaching he not for
gotten; that by means OF Catholic Assoc
! Citations and congresses. OF sermons and
the Catholic press, 1t be adequately ex-
| planned ana enforced as circumstances
| may require But, above all, and we do
not hesitate to repeat 1t. let us make il
our care, using every argument supplied
| by the Gospel. by reason and by public
| or private good, to stimulate all men to
mutual brotherly love in accordance with
| the divine law OF charity"