The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1915-02-13
PASTORAL LETTER Of THE GERMAN H|[RSsIS;$;$ AZ s !:
orceu and Timely PASTORAL Catholic
the European War That Will Attention Entire
World Letter Commented in Diplomatic Circles

ttonate, strong-willed adhesion to the
most holy Heart of Jesus.
What is this principal duty? We an.
swer without hesitation: Penance and
expiation. The war is q judgment Of
all nations afflicted by it, and there
fore a loud call to penance and expia-
tion. Time Of war is time Of penance.
Woe to the nation which even this ter
rible chastiser can no longer bring to
penance; it is ripe for destruction, and
even victory would be for it defeat.
War opens the account book of ma
tions before all the world, and regis.
ters the result Of it's reckoning in
human blood. We do not want to oc-
cupy ourselves with the account books
of other nations, but with our own;
we do not want to examine the con-
sciences Of our enemies, but our own.
We are innocent of the outbreak Of
the war; it has been forced uron us;
that we can testify to before God and
the world. Still we do not want to
boast Of our innocence.
In us, too, has the war laid bare
heavy guilt. Our people themselves
have very clearly pronounced judg-
ment thereon; things could not go on
as they were. How often have we
Bishops, in the distress Of our hearts,
loudly bewailed the decay of religious
and moral life (of religion and moral
ity)! Now has the war restored re-
ligion to its rights, and again incul-
Gated on mankind the commandments
of God with fire and sword.
What shameful, degrading treat.
ment, depreciation. contempt, had re-
ligion been obliged to endure openly
no, have we allowed ourselves to en-
dure in our own. weakness and cow
ardice! This is our fault, our most
grievous fault.
In Gods war tribunal it has been
made apparent how certain vices gnaw
at the vitals Of nation, 90 that its
strength dries up III tie time OF need,
and it falls to pieces. But with the
deepest confusion, we must admit, we
have let it come to pass that even
these vices have also crept in amongst
our people to a considerable degree,
that also amongst us marriage has
been desecrated and deprived of it's
blessing of children. Our fault, our
grievous fault.
It has been shown in this war that
a nation can not be more terribly in
jured than when it's religious life
blood has been drained. But, alas!
endeavors to the same effect have not
remained quite strange to US either.
Among us also secret forces have been
working for a separation Of Church
and State, for the greatest possible
exclusion of Christian spirit and
Christian principles from the educa-
tion of youth from public and social
life; their ideal is maximum Of free.
dom, even for the most dangerous ten
dencies of the time, but the closest re.
striction and tutelage for the Church
and religious movements.
The war has cited the modern anti
Christian irreligious (mind) culture
before it's tribunal, and has exposed
it's worthlessness, its hollowness and
emptiness, it's guilt. But into our
country, too, had this culture already
considerably penetrated, an overcul-
ture un-Christian, un-German and un-
sound in it's whole being, with it's ex.
ternal varnish and it's internal rotten
ness, with its coarse pursuit of wealth
and pleasure, with it's no less arrogant
than ridiculous supermen, with it's dis
honorable imitation of foreign infected
literature and art, and even of the
most shameful extravagances in the
fashions Of women.
This is our peoples, and therefore
our own grievous and most grievous
fault. It demands penance and expia
tion. Our soldiers have heard at once
in the call to war a call to penance;
and therefore their first march was tc
the confessional. Their good example
has been initiated in all classes Of the
people; public opinion has changed
about; there breathes in German dis
tricts a different spirit to that of 6
few months ago. t.
But it would be fatal mistake tt
think that now all guilt has been blot
ted out, and the German people hav'
been born again together to a new ant
better life. Long guilt is not atonet
for by short repentance. True repent
ance blots out all the guilt, but no
all the punishment as we'll. And tn
guilt of an entire nation is only ex
plated by the earnest penance AM
radical conversion of the entire nation
| Therefore, do your Bishops invit
you all with one voice to common
and decisive act of expiation on tn
Sunday after the feast Of the Epipt
any. January 10. Our invitation I
addressed to- all, but quite particularl
to men and youths; for they mus
: here, A. ia the field q battle. stand Il