The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-01-02


ence; although millions of Catholics
are fighting in their armies. Hence,
the King of England on behalf of
his allied brethren has seen fit to
send spokesman of the Empire to
Rome. Surely the British King would
not have taken this trouble if he did
not regard 1t as a good stroke of prac-
tical politics-the highest kind of
tribute to the Power that forms and
guides the consciences of millions of
our race.
The EncyeIical and the War.
In connection with the appointment
of Roman representative, public at
tention is now directed to the recent
Encyclical Letter of His Holiness,
Pope Benedict XIV, who failed to Sc
cure Christmas truce for the armies
in the field, because Russia happens
to celebrate Christmas at later date
The Encyclical deals with the various
causes of the present general I'M
rest" it points out how the social
fabric of the civilized world has been
shaken to its nethermost foundations
because the rulers of the earth close
their ears to Christ's prayer for unity.
In their arrogance and ignorance the
rulers have consulted false oracles
which have battered with them in a
double sense; and the people of the
earth have hearkened to false proph-
cts who have led them into darkness.
AS true Pastor of the Faithful, the
Sovereign POntiff recalls the prayer
and promise of the Divine Guide.
No wonder the Holy Father on sur
veying the world around him exclaims
lit is the saddest and most mourn
full spectacle of which there is any
record-everywhere the dread phan-
ton. of war-the whole civilized world
drunk with the blood of rapine and
murder" The words of the Psalmist
are literally fulfilled-nation has risen
up against nation and kingdom against
kingdom because they have departed
from justice. All wars are blunders
and most of them are crimes, but this
one is the masterpiece of Satanic
malevolence. AS the Pope remarks:
surely there are other ways and
means whereby violated rights may be
rectiied."
Perhaps the most telling paragraph
in the whole Encyclical is the one
laying bare the human greed which,
ny n1I ri
texts, remains the compelling cause
and chief reason of the present strife:
THE desire for money is the root of
all evil. The evil from which society
now suffers, springs out of this root.
Once the plastic minds of children
have been moulded by goddess schools,
and the ideas of the inexperienced
masses have been formed by bad
daily or periodical press, and when
by means of all the other influences
which direct public opinion, there has
been instilled into the minds of men
that most pernicious error that man
must not hope for state of eternal
happiness; but that it is here, here
below, that he is to be happy in the
enjoyment of wealth and honour and
pleasure: what wonder that those men
whose very nature was made for hap
piness should with all the energy
which impels them to seek. the very
good, break down whatever delays
or impedes their obtaining it. And
as these goods are not equally divided
amongst men, and as it is the duty
of authority in the State to prevent
the freedom enjoyed by the individual
from going beyond its due limits and
invading what belongs to another, 1t
comes to pass that public authority is
hated, and the envy of the unfortunate
is enflamed against the more fortu'
nate. Thus the struggle of one class
of citizen against another bursts forth
the one trying by every means to OBJ
tain and to take what they want to
have, the other endeavouring to hold
and to increase what they possess.
Christ Our Lord. foreseeing the
present state of things, definitely
stated in His sublime Sermon on the
Mount, what are the real 'beatitudes
of man in the world; and thereby He
may be said to have laid down the
foundations of Christian Philosophy
Even in the eyes of the adyersaries
of the Faith they are full of incom
parable wisdom, and form a most com
plete religious and moral system; and
certainly all would admit that before
Christ, Who is the Very Truth, nc
such teaching in those matters had
ever been uttered with such weight
and dignity or with such a depth Of
love. Now, the whole secret of this
divine philosophy is, that what are
called the goods of this mortal life
have indeed the appearance of good
but not the reality; and therefore that
it is not in enjoyment of them that
man can be happy. In the divine plan
co for ORC riohaO ord sr1Nwz, and