South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-04-26

medlate scope. pact or The naI1Ons! row Is
1t to be brought about? Broadly speaking the
nations coming within the pale of international
law are the so-called Christian nations. Japan
was not included until few years back
Cannot We utilize the tremendous spiritual
force involved in the Christian sentiment OF
these nations to put stop forever to the use
Of violence wasteful, wanton and wicked.
in the settlement of international disputes and
the prosecution of international rivalries? To
be sure we can if we want to- And the Pope
is the most fitting personase to take the lead
in virtue Of the peculiar position he holds in
the western world.
When l referred to the precedent of the
Council of Trent I was not taking too much
for granted The separation between Protest
antism and Catholicism had not become abso.
lutte by the middle Of the sixteenth century.
Professionalism up to then had been simply
what the name implies, protest against GER
tain things within the Catholic system. 1t was
not at first intended as a complete break-of
from that system
Right on into the next century reconcilia-
ton was sought and aimed at. 1t was a fierce
age. too. When safe conducts were offered to
the Protestant delegates in order that they
might attend the council they were certainly
justified in fearing breach of faith with i'm
prisOnment and death their portion if they
were unwary enough to place themselves in
the power of their ecclesiastical adversaries
Anyhow they did not go.
But my point is that they were invited, and
invited to the most important General Council
of the Church since primitive times why not
gain Ot IN
but to something even more comprehensive
convoked on a specific issue?
Could the Pope be got to do it as soon as the
war is over? No one could charge him with
pro-Germanism then and it would not matter
a button if they did. His personal opinions
would not be in question.
What the assembly would be expected to dc
would be to place on record its adherence OF
between Christian powers and to pledge
itself to bring all reasonable pressure to bear
upon civilized governments and peoples to
render a world conflict like the present impos.
sible for all time to come. We should have
had our lesson by then and Lc more than dis.
posed to listen to the appeal
There is not a church IN Christendom that
would not Join in It through its appointed rep
rasentatiyes. And the vast conference thus
convened would not end in smoke. AS the
outcome of it there might be a tribunal estab
lshed more authoritative and effective than
that of The Hague. to say no more. Perhaps
we should get even further than that in shall
we say. the direction of adjusting our religious
differences too and unifying civilization once
more on that basis
Why not? The like has been done before
not so thoroughly perhaps. but to a large ex.
tent. We owe the mitigation of the horrors
Of modern warfare to it. It was church coun-
els in the tenth century that forbade the
spoliation and maltreatment of non-combat
ants. And who has not heard OF the Truce OF
God throughout the Middle Ages, whereby hos
tilities were limited TO what was practically
about three months in the year?
There was 10 be no fighting from Wednes
day evening to Monday morning in any one
week. and there were special seasons such as
Lent when there was to be none at all. Think
OF that today. We have lost in some ways Il
We have gained in others b our boosted ma
terial advance IN the past few generations.
When l was in Rome in the early Spring o.,
1914 discussed the above subject with spe-
cial reference 10 the reduction OF armaments)
with a highly placed dignitary of the Papal
Court. and found him not unsympathetic but
more than doubtful OF success until big war
had taken place. He might 49, sorsseen