The Irish standard., 1915-12-18
THE PLEA OF POPE BENEDICT

Amidst all the horrors of this ap-
palling war, that is devastating so
much of the world, it is we'll that there
is one voice that can recall, with pow
er the minds of men to the teaching
of the Gospel of Christ.
Benedict XIV may be as the voice of
one crying in the wilderness, and men
may think that, in the shock and din
OF arms, his words must be lost, yet
he is heard, and his appeal is going
home to many hearts that, in these
bad days, are yearning for some one
to show us good things. Surely God
has not made us for this horrible
butchery; surely Christ, our Lord, has
not come into the world in vain, and
left His peace, as a legacy to men, for
nothing.
In rare cases, war may be lawful,
but it is so terrible in itself, it in
wolves so much that is bad, morally
and materially, that it can only be
justified as last resort. But when
it is waged on a worldwide scale, such
as the present awful war, nothing but
the direct necessity and an absolutely
just cause can justify its inception, or
Its continuance, and unless Christian
ity is to be set aside as irrelevant to
the supreme crisis of the world, there
must be some moral power, some rep
resentative of right to which the COM
batants are bound to submit.
What are they fighting for? The
Pope asks them to pause for a mo.
ment in the devastating strife, and see
If there is no possibility of making
peace, until one side or the other is
crushed or exhausted. One would
think that the proposition is so fair,
so reasonable that it would be received
on all sides with gratitude; and yet,
as far as the public know, it has met
| with no response.
Even by some Catholic publicists 1t
has been answered in terms that, to
say the least, are not edifying. The
London Tablet" which poses as an
organ of Catholicism, brushed aside
contemptuously the suggestion that
Mr.. Redmond, as the representative OF
Catholic Ireland, should lend his in.
fluence with the British Cabinet in
support of the Pope's proposal. We
have sometimes heard of people who
are Englishmen first, and Catholics
after; but it is carrying that spirit
rather far to tell us, as the Tablet
has done, that Mr.. Redmond should
not think 1t worth his while to put the
Pope's appeal for peace before the
Prime Minister of England.
What is the explanation of this mis-.
cradle attitude? In their hearts, ]
dare say, the tablet" people think
themselves true and loyal Catholics,
and, as against any of the sects of
English Professionals, the description
would be correct enough. But when 1t
comes to a war in which England ia
engaged, it seems to be "My country
right or wrong" and pretty much the
same Difference for the Pope from
| Catholics as from others.
There is something of the same
spirit in Mr.. Redmond's refusal to in.
terfere. He will not touch the Pope,
or his letter; he does not even conde.
scend to mention them. He is Cath.
Ollie, and an Irishman; in his very
blood there must be something that
would warm to Rome, and the sue.
cessor of the Fisherman. Yet he can.
not find one word of courtesy or de.
ference for the Head of the Church,
but puts aside His solemn and father.
ly appeal, made in the name of Christ
our Lord. as IL 1t were a resolution
passed by some pettifogging political
clique. It is painful and somewhat
humiliating, but we all know that in
his inner mind Mr. Redmond thinks
;; and feels differently from the "Tab-
let" men. They are Englishmen; their
bloo1 IS nm: they are engaged in q
desre-"te war for the mastery Of the
wc-''' 's'-veen rn~l,nd and Germany