The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1915-02-13
CARDINAL DEFENDS GERMAN
y. ~ ACTS IN BELGIUM
Justifies Smelling Of Rheims Cathedral
a, on Ground It Was Used by IL.
French Soldiers-Discusses 4.
.a.. ,, Mercier Affair. 81. ...l,.


.a on Ground It Was Used by
French soldiers-Discusses ID.
,a.. .p, Mercier Affair. ..ss.
Special Gable to New York World.
Munich, Jan. 30-The attitude of
the Roman Catholic Church in Ger
many toward recent events in Bel
GUM, in which Cardinal MERCER play
ed the chief role, was set forth to
special correspondent of the New York
World and the Post-Dispatch by Car
dinal Won Bettinger, Archbishop of
Munich, in an exclusive interview in
the Archepiscopal Palace here.
Cardinal Won SBettinger's utterances
constitute the first authoritative state
ment relative to the MERCER affair and
other important incidents of a sim
liar character which has emanated
from German sources since the French
and British press began to ring with
denunciation of the indignaties Of
fered Catholic churchmen by German
military authorities. The Bavarian
primate shares with the Kaisers gov
eminent the belief that the Popes
representatives are not immune from
Prussian discipline, and that even a
Prince of the Church of Rome must
bow before the dictates of German
militarism.
The Cardinal was a. fervent social
Democrat up to the time he donned
the red robe. "a
"The pastoral letter issued by Car
dinal Mercier," the Bavarian fPrimate
began, was unquestionably a very
strong document. know that the
Cardinal had stated it was written
solely with the intention of quieting
the Belgian populace in districts &C.
cupied by German troops and that
when he found that in the opinion of
the German authorities it was calcu-
lated to have the opposite effect, he
expressed great surprise. Without
undue pressure Of any kind being laid
upon him, he thereupon agreed it
should not be disseminated further"
Cardinal Won Bettinger said he was
without definite information on the
point. but that he did not believe Car
dinal MERCER had been subjected at
any time to imprisonment of any
form. He added, however, that it
would have been we'll within the
rights of the military power to have
restricted the prelate's liberties If he
had shown himself subversive to the
regulations laid down by that power.
"A prince of the church." the Car
dinal continued, Cannot expect to
hold himself above the laws of the
lands in which he is resident.
Whether these laws be civil or MILL
tary, he must obey them like any
other citizen. Only a few years ago
that question was definitely settled by
a decision from Rome itself, and hence
it is not true, as has been averred by
the enemies of Germany, that the Car
dinal is answerable only to the Pope
Doubts Priests Were Shot.
"The Jurisdiction of the Vatican ex-
tends only to matters of purely
churchly character. The church al
ways has insisted upon it's rights to
conduct its religious affairs as it sees
fit. Sometimes there is a very fine
line between religious and political
subjects, but in the case of Cardinal
Mercier's pastoral letter, the line was
drawn quite plainly"
With regard to statements contained
in the pastoral letter, that great
many Belgian priests had been shot
by German soldiers, Cardinal Won
Bettinger said he deemed it highly
doubtful that priests had been shot de.
liberately after sentence being passed
upon them.
There have been numerous stor-
les" he said, ito the effect that priests
stirred up the Belgian people to fire
upon our soldiers and themselves
took the lead in Franc.Tirreur out
RACES. I
II do not believe this is true, al
though there may have been isolated
instances of the kind. But there were
a great many cases where spies and
enemy agents masqueraded as priests,
and when these were shot of course
rumors followed about the shooting of
real priests.
Then, again, when noncombatants
fired upon our troops from houses all
the people In those houses naturally
received drastic penalties necessary
in warfare, and Of course priests and
laymen Jared alike. But l have seen
no proofs and hold It as incredible
either that the Belgian priesthood as
q body aided in the commission Of out.
RACES against German soldiers or that
any appreciable number of Belgian
priests were put to death by German
soldiers" prs
what is the feeling Of German
Catholics with regard to the charge
Of barbarism that has been made
against the Germans because of their
firing upon the Rheims Cathedral and