The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1915-02-13


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"a Lost Opportunity
WSN~~~~~~~~~~~~~
bPoRTUNITY IL is sad knork,
a. every man 3 door. and no man
heyer hal greater opportunity to
ZS world wide prestige and undying
H(-than the late earthquake IN Italy
10 Benedict Nv, titular ruler of
iiGs'' :.isd sh.ei.s ;;ssG's, ssilsa a?P &. ias
AA-sud. Tens of thousands Of helpless
n were deprived Of life in a fcw
I1cI Of time. Many thousands more
In -nnering from injury and dcsiiiu.
Fsile more horrible 10 contemplate
-aTIi Reios yet alive were enduring lin.
~ ,'dcath buried In the ruins of their
- ~ y All within a comparatively few
NI .eof Rome, and Bcaodicf ~ sioyod
vi q &c is said that he turned over
TSnsc OF the authorities a hospital
I@fci'ed the sufferers brought there
suns Il i. 'So' !. .sid Gs,''ss ioo ~ hat t' I.
If n I'D out Of Peters Pence anil
3 - y kt ;, ions, hut the vast capital Of
NJ ss ~ PSsq funds sas too sacred TO h.
y y brser q feed hs starting Of his own
e IwATl.
5per kdftine.s. p7css teemcd with reports Of
lpss. H1i,,, II nuns and even bishops Of his
!. !. |. . |. |. ! . ! . ! !. ! . . |. !. ! ! .
'gls Ito be among the dead and dying.
~ ArsseVs1e alleged dignity OF this claimed
Gk~htir successor Of the apostles was too
nd ffIHk<t 10 be lowered by personally speak
- fhIlIPa "a word Of consolation TO the victims
III 4 UtlIHhthe catastrophe.
~ MN4hlR1 R1ctor Emmanuel, king Of Italy. left
"A klFiNf quirinal and the cares Of Office 90
E#U Ilonally visit the scene Of disaster,
HWGkft IN the work Of recovery and en-.
VHBRA fage the workers, but Benedict re-
ct ped In the Vatican. Today Victor
cNnanucl n the most popular and we
~ ~ say idozcd man Of the Italian
pie at home and abroad, while Bene
lost as much the other gained
hking men Of all nationaties see
sees-ys-Lf note the vast difference between the
ri both Of the blood and ma.
W W. No man ever had greater chance
w obtaining world wide pre-eminenec al !
leap than this man, but he was not
Whcl 20 the occasion. True, he claims
this last be successor of the apostles repre-.
t3rd oFa atiye Of Christ and vicar Of God 4
-tnl1.-sfheTe s a vast difference between
13enedict and the Man 81 Galec The 4
- Nalilean went TO the distressed wherever ,
II found, over the hills and valleys Of Ju.
dea, through heat and cold, healing the /
~ sick, doing deeds never done before by
4h man, but His lfstylcd vicar ON earth
shuts himself in gilded seclusion mid
IN laekeys and batteries. No sounds of
Nailing or scenes Of distress for him.
No wonder the Italian people are lcav.
ing the Roman church en- masse.
II No wonder its churches at home are
disregarded while the mass Of Italians
coming to this country ignore the church
in which they were raised, in a few
years.
= No wonder that n leading Catholic
MI Journal said few months ago that the
|hNN problem of the Catholic church in Amer.
IN I lea was TO hold It's Italian membership.
m No wonder that today the most popu.
ID man in Italy is the king, while about
III most unpopular is the pope L
"a Yet Benedict of the Vatican is not so
All vuch TO blame is the system whose
Ill Feature he is. His immediate pred.
tessors sulked in wounded pride hiding
hemselves in the Vatican under the
III imsy subterfuge Of imprisonment and
dare not defy the forcc Of their ex. .
tnplc for fear Of violating their claim
infalhDility, even IL his subjects by '
nsyason Of war and disaster die around .
yum by hundreds of thousands En-. !
nisshed in the mysticism and traditions :
Nofeedievalism, he is a figure potent not
~ lgood, but only for evil. Assuming 7
Ipp b. The head Of great organization \
nna its ruling spirit, he is but the
houthpiece, the tool of Others more I
wv bTrafty than he. And this adherence 10 7
thqlc traditions, usagcs and policies of a
II 6ldiiddlc Age Catholicism will be the a
II downfall Of the present pope as il has
/ leen Of others equally as strong minded e
fhe wosld is tired OF intrigue and mis- i
lalled' diplomacy generally, especially {
Il tsen -aeti"cd by ecclesiastical leaders. :,
p PERCEPTION, triekery and meddling with y
gn;erra;ional affairs by n church might {
lo in the middle centuries, but not in the v
lTentic;h. Aas un!ess Beuclic. Nv y
5n shSEs on the shacSies Of the past Z
rs Osieial l!fe viii bo a pitisb!e failure y
We write these liuss with regret in. f
cad o. N anger. Rather would VIC sec {
&c great RcmaE Catholic church from 81
khe rope dewn 20 its humblcst layman :,
lngtty potent forco in the uplifting of q
InahkiDS, ihan an iaor. mass in the uay p
~ progress. There arc many priests 4
fnf layui2a who RIe zcalously doing
heir b~s: IN spiie OF their limitations.
put ths.r efforts are held in check q
hy the posers that be. With its policy h
~ s,av.sh submission TO suporiors. re :.
Form IN the Catholic church must come u
Prom the top, from the heads Of the "
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