The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-10-23
TELLS OF POPE'S
EFFORT FOR PEACE,
Coyle Replies to
Questions at Night Serv-
ice at St. Paul's

At the night services in st Paurs
Father Coyle answered some of the ques-
lions received during the week, and after
the questions, continued his conference
on 1.-THE Foes of Our Salvation" The
following question was among the nunl-t
Der received:
why does not your pope make an CT
fort to end the war? 1t seems to me,
that occupying the position he does. he
could do something, yet he has done
nothing"
Father Coyle answered as follows: II
wonder If the author of the question is a
reader of the works of certain attitude
inizng and eccentric countryman OF mine,
who dogmatizes about whatever is or is
not known or movable, Mr.. George Ber-
nard Shaw. Shortly after the outbreak
of the great world war that worthy,
who has written so often with fine scorn
of the churchs attempts to fetter free
dom, wrote: The pope's clear duty last
August was to excommunicate all COM
batants with bell, book and candle and
tell them with a voice laundering through
out Christendom that they would all most
certainly be damned for the sin of Cain,
unless they laid down their arms and
submitted their dispute to the judgment
of God through His church.
THE absurdity of the above Is self
evident. What attention would schismatic
Russia, Protestant Germany and Eng
land, and priest-baiting France pay to the
holy fathers decree? Would not the gov
eminent of these lands charge their Cath
Ollie subjects with disloyalty and treason
If these subjects obeyed the pope? II,
too in Belgium and Austria, where Cath
olics are in authority, the voice of the
pontiff were obeyed, would not the world
charge them with inactivity in the midst
of impending disaster?
LAS the holy father, himself, pointed
out, the days when pontiffs could stay
wars have passed with the ages of faith.
Mr.. Chesterton, somewhere says, that once
there was a United States of Europe, and
once an international and effective court
of arbitration, a Christian commonwealth,
a Respublica Christiana, a Roman pontif1
of worldwide sway, who could inter-
fere, and often effectively did interfere,
to put an end to internecine strife. That
time has passed. The forces of selfish
ness arrayed against the popes under the
guse of nationalism was too strong,
and a hostile posterity has been taught
to call the praiseworthy endeavors OF
the popes 'papal usurpations.' papal ag-
gressions, and papal invasions of the
civil domain The very pontiffs who, with
greatest singleness and integrity of pur-
pose, fought the battles of humanity, OF
morality, and of civilization, have been
pilloried in our popular histories as
greedy and arrogant priests All OF this
shows that the servant is no better than
the master and that the fifth great work
of the church is exemplified in the person
of her pontiffs-persecution.
"As to the second part of the query, Has
the present pope done anything to lessen
the horror of war;? He has done what
he could. Not once, but many times has
he called on the leaders of the warning
nations to listen to reason, to submit to
arbitration but the world is blood mad.
He has called then to his subjects the
world over, to storm heaven by prayers
for peace. Each day in mass, 5o0,O0f
priests are bound to insert this prayers
40 God, from whom all holy desires,
right counsels and just works do come,
give to Thy servants that peace which tho
world cannot give, that both our hearts
being devoted to obey Thy command
ments, and the fear of our enemies be-
ing removed, the times, by Thy protec-
ton, may be peaceful.
Moreover, mainly through the pope's
Intervention, many exchanges of prison.
ers have been made Many sick prison.
ers from both hostile forces have been
placed in sanitarums in neutral Switzer-
land, and the visits of ecclesiastical au-
thorties to the prison camps have light
ened the lot of many poor soldiers. To
say that Benedict XIV has done nothing
to lessen the horrors of war is a base
less and envious statement. He has done
what in him lies, and, needless to say. is
ready at the first opportunity to do
more.