The Irish standard., 1916-09-30

Nearly every edition of the
secular American press has con-
tanned supposed Roman news
notes of deeds and words of the
Holy Father unneutral in their
nature. Almost every cablegram
sent to the American Catholic
Press by its Roman correspond
ent has been occupied with official
denials of such secular reports.
The Pope has succeeded in main
tanning the strictest neutrality in
spite of trying circumstances and
ties. This is testified to by a
writer in the secular press. The
following is clipped from the col
umn conducted by La Marquise
De Fontenoy in the Chicago Trib-
une, dated Sept. 10:
President Wilson's attention
should be called to the fact that
Pope Benedict XIV has caused it
to be officially denied in the
Osservatore Romano, which is the
recognized organ of the vatican,
the story that he had telegraphed
his congratulations and good
wishes to the Emperor of Aus
tria on the occasion of the recent
celebration by that monarch on
his 86th birthday.
The present pontiff has, despite
his Italian birth and notwith-
standing that he has dearly loved
nephews fighting under the Ital-
ian flag on the northern front,
observed the most scrupulous
neutrality towards the various
belligerents since the beginning
of the war.
The pope is prompted thereto
by the knowledge that he is
acknowledged as their spiritual
chief by Roman Catholics not only
in Germany and Austria but also
in France, Belgium, Russian Po-
land, Great Britain and Portugal,
as we'll as his own native Italy.
Moreover, he realizes that his
mediation in tightening the hor-
rors of the conflict, in alternating
the lot of the sufferers, and in
endeavoring to bring the strug-
gle to an early close can only be
ef6cacious and successful if he
manifests the most entire impair
tiality.
The pontiff does not consider
birthday congratulations and good
wishes to the ruler of one or the
other belligerent powers as con-
sistent with the requirements of
impartiality and neutrality, and
that is why he has refrained from
dispatching any communication
of the kind to Emperor Francis
Joseph, differing in this respect
from President Wilson, who, in
spite of the refusal by Germany
of redress for the Lusitania hor-
ror, sent in January last, warm
message OF congratulation and
good will to the Kaiser on the
occasion of the latter's birthday.
The emperors of Austria claim
to be the most Catholic rulers of
! the old world. Indeed, they have
enjoyed for hundreds of years
the right from the papacy to style
themselves apostolic majesty"
and Emperor Francis Joseph has
been particularly fervent Ro-
man Catholic, who has always re-
fused to return at Rome the Wis
it's which lie received from the
late King Victor Emmanuel and
the late King Humbert for fear
Of giving offense to the Pope.
Moreover, he is a man whose life
has been blighted by tragedies,
sorrows, and trials without num-
Der, and who by reason of his
age may be said to stand on the
very threshold of eternity. I'm
der the circumstances Benedict
XV's public refusal to send those
good wishes to Vienna that have
always been customary in times
of peace on the occasion of the
monarch's birthday is significant
and deserves the attention of the
president and of the state depart
ment at Washington.
DIR r1urr INC AFADDIAHE