The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-01-08

WORKS.
The following is a complete transla-
ton, from the official Latin text, of
the Holy Fathers important Peace AL
locution at the Secret Consistory on
December 6, a summary of which we
published some time ago:
Venerable Brethren, the reasons
which prevented Us from calling to-
gether the Sacred College before now
are undoubtedly known to you, and if
today at last We are able to see you
in this noble hall in large numbers it
is not because the difficulties have be-
come less, but because We feared that
the procedure of this Roman Curia
might suffer from further delay
For, not few are the gaps which have
occurred one after another last year
and this in the Sacred College, and if
at any time the loss of counsellors so
skilled and of assistants so faithful
would have caused grief to the Sover-
eign Pontiff, much greater cause have
We for sorrow, seeing that We took
up the government of the Church of
God at this most troubled period.
But in truth, Notwithstanding the
vast extent of the ruins to be deplored
in this space of sixteen months; not
withstanding the growth in mems
minds of the desire for gentle peace,
and the appeals for peace of so many
families in sorrow; Notwithstanding
Our adoption of all means that might
help in any way to hasten peace and
to compose quarrels, this destructive
war still RACES by land and sea, whilst
the unfortunate Armenian people are
brought to utter ruin. And the very
letter which on the anniversary of the
commencement of the war We adj
dressed to the belligerent peoples and
their leaders, although it had such a
most respectful reception, did not pro
duce the benefcent effects that were
desired.
A Just and Lasting Peace Desired.
But since We are the Vicar on eartf
of Him Who is the peace-making King
and the Prince of Peace, We cannoI
help being moved more and more b!
the misfortunes of so many of Oul
. sons, and raising Our hands continu
ously and suppliantly to the God O
mercy, beseeching Him with all Oul
heart to deign, by His power, to put al
end now to the sanguinary conflict
And whilst We endeavored, as far a!
We could, to lessen it's painful con
sequences by those opportune meas
ures which are known to you, We fel
again impelled by Our Apostolic dut!
to insist on the only means that coul,
at once bring about the extinction o
the confiagration. For, to prepare 70
such a peace as all peoples so eagerl
desire, that is just and lasting peac
and not peace apparently of advar
tage merely to one of the parties,
way which would certainly lead to
happy result is that which has bee
already tried and found satisfactor
under similar conditions as regard
events and time and which We pointe
out in the letter to which We have n
ferred: that is, the claims of eac
side and the arguments in support {
them should, at length, be set fort
openly, clearly, willingly, and with
sincere conviction of duty in an inte
change of ideas, direct or indirect, an
should be carefully examined, so thu
what is incompatible with justice an
excessive may be put aside and til
rest admitted, compensations on jul:
scale being also arranged if the cas-
demands them. 1t is self-evident tina
as in every controversy between me
which it is desired to put an end
by a mutual agreement, it is necessal
that the disputants on one side ar
the other should give way or mai