Evening star., 1915-03-10
PRIESTS IN THE WAR.
Their Spiritual influence on French
Soldiers on the Battlefield.
From the London Chronicle.

from the LONDON Chronicle.
1t seems to me one of the tragic
ironies of this war that men whose
lives have been dedicated to the serv-
ice of Christ. and whose hands should
be clean of blood, find themselves COM
PEELED by the law of France tand in
many cases urged by their own m
stincts of nationality to serve as sol
dlerS IN the fighting ranks. Instead OF
denouncing from every pulpit the
shamefulness of this bloody butchery,
winch has made a mockery of our so
called civilization and involved all hu--
mahltN IN its crime, those priests ana
MONKS have put themselves under dis
clpiIne which sends them into the
ShambleS in which they must kill or
be killed. When the mobilization orders
were issued to the ablebodied manhood
OF the nation the call to the colors was
sent to young cures and abbes through
out the country and to young monks
belonging to religious orders banished
by its politicians. .Jesuits and Domini-
cans, f'ranciscans and carmelites. who
mad been exiled from France for con :
science sake. hurried back at the first
summons. dispensed from that canon
law which forhidS them to shed blood,
aud as Frenchren. loving their coun-
try though il expelled them, rallied to
the Tag in the hour of peril. They were
Christian priests. but they were also
patriots, and. though the philosopher
may deplore this spirit of nationality
which has built up frontiers of hatred,
he must face the facts and acknoWl-
edge il to be still the strongest senti-
ment of the human heart There are
10000 priests in the French army to-
day, and although many of them are
acting according, to their religious
vocation as chaplains. or stretcher
bearers of the Red Cross. the great
ma jority arc serving as simple soldiers
in the ranks or officers who have
gained promotion by merit
Although nothing to my mind may
explain away the paradox that those
whose sacred duty it is to preach the
sospc, of peace and charity should he
helping to heap up the fields of Chris
tendon with the corruption of dead
bodies. there is at least this to be said
The priest-soldier in France is a
spiritual influence among his COM
radeS.
a young nriest who says his prayers
tresS III the mud of his trenches
puts y check upon hlasphemy. and his
fellows S-anti-clericalS perhaps in the
Old days. or frank materialists-watch
him curionsly. and are thoughtful after
their watchfuness. II is easy to see
that he is eager to give up his life as
sacrifice to the God of his faith. His
courage has something supernatural
in it, and he is careless of death. Then.
again. he is the best comrade in the
company. Never a grumble comes from
his lips though he is as cold and wet
and hungry as the others. He does a
thousand little acts of service to his
fellow soldiers, and especially to those
who are most sullen, most brutal
or most miserable. He speaks some
times of the next life with a cheerful
certainty which makes death seem less
of an end of things. and he is up
borne with a strange fervor which
gives a kind of glory to the most
Wretched toll
Not q day passes without some priest
being cited in the order of the day.
Corp. Della hre Alphonse (priest of
the diocese of Puy), and Private Mic
lane Antoine (priest of the diocese of
clermont, belonging to the 292d Regl-
nent of Infantry. distinguished them
selves throughout the battle by an un-
collect the wounded in the line and
afrerward spending their nights in as
sisting the wounded and the dying
That is one official notice out of hun
dreds which ! have in the documents
before me.
M rAbbe Martin, says another.
having been wounded in the hand by
in the line of fire. prodgal in his help
to the wounded and in his consultations
to the dying.
The Able Bertrand. vicar of st. Ger
main de Coulamer. was mobi]iZed on
the outbreak of war, and for his GAL
lantry in the field promoted successive
ly to the ranks of sergeant, sergeant
major sub lieutenant and lieutenant.
He fell November at the battle of
Audrechy leading his men to the as
sault. A few days before his death he
wrote: 81 always look upon this war
as an expiation. and / am proud to be
victim.