The sun., 1917-11-29
POPE EXPOSES
PEACE EFFORT
Responsibility for Propaganda
Well Known, Says Vati-
can Statement.
WARNS L. =. CATHOLICS
POntiff Preparing No New Ap-
peal and FavOrs Only
Lasting Amity.
WARNS L. :. CATHOLICS

ROME. Tuesday. Nov c7.-The rapal
Secretary Of state. Cardinal Gasparri
answering the numerous criticisms re-
gardins the Vatican's peace attitude. is
sued TO the press to-day the following
statement:
The Holy Father Is not preparing
any new appeal looking toward peace
His earnest desire. many times mani.
Tested. for a just. Christian and durable
peace is unchanged and cannot change
Who can crave anything else and call
himself a Christian?
ITO say that his Holiness favors or
has favored or will favor an unjust, un-
Christian and undurable peace IL not
only false but also absurd. Any propa-
ganda for such a peace alleged to be
conducted at the Vaticans inspiration,
especially in certain nations, Is the
product of pure maliciousness.
"A chain of prayer has always been
raprobated by the Holy See. and Bishops
and priests in the United States OF
America and elsewhere are warned
against them. particularly those having
any such propaganda behind them.
"speciea Of superstition.'
Also American Catholics and others
are cautioned that such prayers are a
species OF superstition.
THE Catholic Church has always re-
garded true patriotism as a Christian
duty and a Christian virtue. and still
so teaches. The fact that the Italian
Parliament has had warm eulogy for
the clergy should be sufficient to refute
the calumnies which irresponsible PER-
sons have circulated and are circulating
In the foreign world. Malicious insinu-
ations propagated in America and the
tendency to attribute In great part to the
Italian clergy responsibility for the re-
cent situation must be denounced. In
Italy no fair minded person is attribut-
: ing the situation to the clergy.
When the disruptive propaganda be-
! gan TO affect the morale OF the Italian
army the clergy in general and also
the army chaplains, following the in
structions and the example of the chap
lain in chief, la bored to counteract it
and elevate the morale of the troops.
More than once the army Chaplans in
formed the chaplain in chief. who in
| formed the supreme civil authorities OF
the disruptive movement that was creep
! ing in-and all that long before the pub
+ licatton of the papal note.
RespOnsibiIit, Placed.
THE true causes OF the recent Italian
rererses are perfectly well understood In
| Italy. and the shoulders on which rests
! the responsibility for the reverses are
well known. responsibility which GER
tainly does not touch Catholics. the
clergy. and least Of all the august per-
son of the sovereign pontiff
I'm one case the Holy See ordered the
suppression Of a newspaper containing
: mprudent observations
Finally. is it necessary to repeal
/ that the pontifical appeal. which some
have snorsntly criticised. was addressed
| TO the chiefs Of the governments 70:
/ consideration in the official chancels
/ leries? The governmental authorities
first gave ii to the press and the public
| The Holy See published and commented
/ ou it in the OsserCdtore Romano, tn,
Naticari's official organ, only when tn,
false interpretations of others. whethe
3 innocent or wilful, necessitated such ac
ton"