The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-09-10
MerCier; Who He Is;
Where He Is from;
What He Has Done

NEW YORK, S"Il. 9--Bclgium's be-
loved spiritual prince. guardian OF the
welfare of 2.500.nOU Roman Catholics IN
the little kingdom whose first fierce res
istancc STAYED the German avalanche.
Cardinal DcSidcratuS McrCicr. was horn
on November %, 1851, in Braine q Al
loud. a village only few miles from
famous Waterloo. =,
Typical Of tho hcroism or King Al.
bcrt's countryncn. this physically fratl
but intellectually powerful Pr"thtc OF
The church stirred the whole ""rld 70
admiration Of his courage Whcn on lhc
FIRST war Christmas. in 1914. with Ger.
mans cvrrywhcrc in Belgium. hc issued
his famous Pastoral letter. denounrinE
the invader and urging his people |" re-
siSt in these words: w..
can neither number our dead nor COM
putc the measure Of our ruins. oc"un-
led provinces are not conquered prov
inCcs The authority Of the invader Is
no lawful authority. Thrretorci IN souI u
spcct. attachment ndF obedience"
Later, in protesting against tho nc.
porlation Of tho Bclcians for forced
labor. h" threatened Germany With "th"
rcprnl,ation OF the civilized wol d. the
Judgment of history and ia" "haSisc-
mcnt Of God"
Letter Destroyed
+ Fifteen thousand copies Uf tho Card
inulS letter were seized and destroyed.
IN" printer was arrest d and tir"d and
the brave priest was kept prisoner III
his palace by order Of General Won Bis
sing until Il rr,rac,ion Of tn" pastoral
haa been sighed The CardinaN not
only refused 10 rctract his statements
but hccnm" oI"n moro defiant.
IL was given hi% liberty. finally. and
cont inurd 10 use his voice and pen
against the mailed lst'' in rrr%tallizinG
world opinion against the Central Pow
crs. An during the war. however. h"
was subject I" petty prosecutions anu
his secretary and other AIDES were
thrown into Jail IIc went through the
obmhurdmCntS Of Antwerp and Mnlihrs
and hraycd the pcrils OF the common
soldier.
cardinal Mc7cicr was created and pro-
claimed member of tho Sacred tollcg"
professor in the University "t l.ouNain.
which was rcpca! odly pillaEcd and dos
cCraiod in Nh" war. The pr"I2t"S AIS
tIngui&hcd service for belgium through
out the war has been in frequent news
dispatches. Less is publicly n"wa of
his early record as churchman.
Ordained in 1874
Tho Cardinal studied at 81. Romb"urS :
College. MalncS. and the diocesan som
inGry in IN" same place. lt" WAS 81 -
dlincd Ia tho priesthood April 4. lhI !.
entered tn. seminary at MalIncs in 1877
as Il professor Of philosophy after TAX
ing n course IN theology nj the lniv"rs-
ity Of l.nuNaIn and iiv" years later was
called iu tn" university at professor Of
ThnmisIir or liberal philosophy. In
1896 i'"p" leo Mil appointed hlm II
domestic prc!al". with the title of Nom
Sirnnr.
lie comes Of Distinguishing r"liEic .
family other members of which hay .
won hon"rs in tho church. ono uncle
the ri Rev. Adrian Cr"qurt. bonn IN
ISIS, was n pioneer missionary among
,hc Indians for Thirty-cight years in
Tho Canadian Northwest. lic dicd IN
Belgium in 1902 and il is th" Cardinal $
wish to visit the scene Of his uncIcs y
luhOrS.
cardinal Mcrcicrs visit to tho United
States is largely the result Of imror-
tUnitics from all sections OF inc couh-
try. AS President Wilson IL absent from
Washington the Cardinal Will pay ms
first respects to Cardinal Gibbons in
baltimore and visit tn" White houSc
later in his tour According TO present
vlanS the noted Belgian Drclat"'s ltlncr-
arv will include. besides tho cities men
toned. Philadelphia. Pittsburgh. SCran-
Ton. Albany. Boston. Providence. Hart
ford. Springfield. Mass. Detroit. Cincin-
natl. 81. Louis and Chicago.