Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-09-21


NTONSEIGNEUR ALFRED BAUDRIL-
1N1 LART, orator and author, Vicar Gen.
eral of Paris. honorary canon of Notre
Dame. rector of the Catholic Institute and
second highest dignitary of the Roman Cath
olic Church in the French capital, received
me today in his study in the ancient build
ing Of the Rue Vaugirard, which for up
ward of $50 years has been Roman Cath
olic institution of learning.
IT am very proud" he said "of the part
played by the Roman Catholic clergy Of
France in this terrible war. Nearly $4,000
priests have been modified since the early
August days of 1914. More than $4,000
are now serving the country and the army
in one of three capacities, and about 1000
have given their lives for France,
I'm all, our clergy have been cited in more
than 1000 orders of the day. and many have
received the CrOix de Guerre, the military
medal, and the Legion Of Honor with more
than 800 receiving the entire three 1 have
a fund of personal records, each story
In itself, that, when time permits, shall
be combined into book showing the heroic,
the simple, the beautiful, the Christian
deeds of these ordained men. either under
fire or in circumstances of exceptional char
acter.
Some 65 Years of Age
Educated for the practice OF pacific
profession. many very humble and un-
known save to their bishops and in their
own communities, they have each and all
risen TO a height of sublmity and Christian
heroism risen in countless ways during
the last two and half years. These serv-
ants of Christ, and servants, too, Of France,
are divided into three mobilized classes
chaplains attached to battalions and regi-
ments priests serving as noncombatants in
hospitais or some essential administrative
capacity, yet under military Jurisdiction,
and the fighting priests In uniform. They
are of all ages, from twenty-one TO sixty
Ave
"The chaplains, or aumoniers, have been
constantly under fire, aiding In bringing In
wounded men from field of blood to a
poste de secours, consoling morally, mate
rally and spiritually the soldiers OF France,
and performing their religious duties under
circumstances without precedent, in many
cases celebrating mass in the open or un-
deraround Their influence upon the men
about them has been high and ennobling
from every point of view. The lighting
priest is in the ranks, simple poilu,
nonconmissioned officer, or graded. Some
companies have as many as four. They
exercise a genuine moral influence also,
and as soldiers are the equal Of any in
other walks OF life.
Believe Cause Is Just
"Both as a Frenchman and a Catholic
nrIest l am one with them and with
France that the war continue until victory
comes to the cause of right and justice
to the Allied nations that fight without
sacrilege. 1 say this realizing the essen
tial mission of a priest is pacifcal, to love
peace, to guard IT, TO aid in re-establishipg
il when 1t has been ruthlessly violated.
War in such case is just, Just for both
priest and layman.
'SThe maximum injuAtice against the
citizen is to take his life when he has
QNVN NhnHA Do
even greater injustice In ravishing State,
In menacing its life, because State, un-
like its citizen, has not the consolation OF
a life TO come. Hence when State Is so
attacked the war 1t wages in defense OF
its life is Just and deserves the full sup
port. moral, spiritual and physical, Of the
priest whose mission is pacihcal. Never
since the worlds beginning has so great
a volume of justice been with belligerent
as is now the case with France. support
It as just cause as every priest every
soldier, every citizen OF France supports
H. So we can sincerely pray God for the
success Of France in this war You can
not sanctify a sin with prayer and you
can sanctify Just war. Gods own words,
sanctihcate bellum. tell us so.
France Always Christian
'Afany In foreign lands had judged
France before the war As a nation having
ceased TO be Christian and Catholic. These
many also had accepted Germany as the
reverse, az least in the first sense
''France has always been a Christian and
Catholic nation. make this statement
hat and since II would involve too much
detail Of statistics TO demonstrate II. 20
show concinslvely that during the twelve
wears preceding 1914, despite the separation
~ 1905, she remained so. / ask you to
permit me 70 lay statistics aside and let
me erldence rest purely upon the events
Of the lafI thlrlF-alE aqnineI They naff
Witnessed thousands u prieplk str.7