The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-02-11
THE INTERNATIONAL SPIRIT: TRUE HUMANITY

tends the pope's attitude (shown
throughout the war) OF reticence In
regard to German atrocities and bru-
taiity, in words such as these: 1T
must he remembered that when the
pope speaks he does not express a
y rronal opinion, but he speaks as
the head Of the only International
religious body In the world. and he
speaks TO be obeyed." Then
/ in Coos name. II the nope epeaks to
i be obeved. Why, saw I, did ne not COM
mand German soldiers, German offi-
j GERS, under his authority or he lis able
! to speak ito be obeyed'!) not TO muir
der children, rape young girls. XII
women, attack hos,DtaIs. sink hosntal
ships, des.rav ca'hedraks studtedly
iapn IaInslpkSngry sn,sn esnrln1s' -Sna
'raSa'rr ,.oneaSn. NanX purfTssjs-fs asra
carefully poison wells. steal ma"h'n {
cry. Goods. every form Of personal
and private property. and commit
murder from the air upon harmless
civi'Iars7
The morssgnor continues: "He
must therefore, be much more care
. frl than the heads OF other RELIGIOUS
, who do not have the same authority
over their followers that he does"
Shades OF st. Peter speaking before
Annas ard Caiphas. who killed hts
Lord and would likely kill him! Tho
alleged successor OF st. Peter mus.
he careful, timid. vaci1lating. pai1idly'
neutral. because when ne speaks he 10
TO be obevad! A magnificent apology
indeed, Nonsignor continues: IF he
had threatened Germany he would
have been shsofvfng German Ca'ho-'
lies from, alleeiance to their sover-
eign." Well. thank God. that Is what
the president did do. Thai is what
our men fought TO do. That ale
chance was loyalty TO that which,
ruired, vitfated and cursed German
soldiers and officers. If the pope
could ahsolve them from that atle-
glance. then Re ought to have done
It, II he could not, then HE claims
are absurd and the office he holds ts
spurious.
ssThe holy see has not used this an
thority since the sixteenth century,
and II is the general opinion OF Cath
Ole theologians that II Is not inhererti
in his place as 'nastor' ts'co, and the
Catholics OF fhe English-speak'nss
world obtain exern ntion from IA nal
laws nv processing that the none has
no such nower- SO wrote Monsignor
FAY. ut would have been horrih'v
dishonest If the pope hal used The
Circumstance of this war 70 claim
this mower again" To 4 plain nina
the '.,,inion,at,- notes" in which the
Rt. Rev. apologete for the pa pal reti-
cence saws the pope did profess
agains the rape OF Belgium. tho
breaking OF treaties. the use OF the
submarine. the bombing OF unHrrned
towns and the deportation Of the Pei
r'an nopulaffon. ought to have been
sent cut az encvcl'caI condemnatons
az strorr and clear as were the notes
OF Woodrow wilson himself.
The culnnirat'on OF 'hts course or
cautions straddIing Of fhe fence comes
out in recent news The pcpe cor
era tulates the PRECEDENT upon whan
'heir foint efforts have accomplished.
This fe the most unkindest crtt or
all" This ia. In fact. the hefoht of
ahsnralty. December sc "the Digest"
publishes the defense ~ fine pope's
timia and vacillating hcsitanCy In
sreakiur out for Righteousness and
truth Then on January 2 corr 90
the pope'S claim to have been partly
esnnnsible for the defeat Of the gross
jniuuitv ard satanic unrighteousness
and unfodllness of Germany. As we
remark ed above. shades OF truth
speaking ST Peter. OF tho first mar
tyr 81 S+enhen: Of St Paul beaten
md chained anG maltreated In every
telling the truth, Pol ica1 chicanerv
and duplicity and w,re-pu'ling ard
trickerv hare taken the place of the
virtue Of sinple ana direct rehukinfs
e triuuitv IT would seem that the
DAVIS Of such close ~ahineted trim
ming were over. Open and sincere
speech land not weak and vacillating
seesavine lest Germany might win.
and the head OF The Roman svstefn
might suffer. ard lest the complex or
-anization might find itself to have
cs ,oused he cause OF the losing Htde> :.
open and sincere condemnation Of
brutal and be~tiaI and unsneaka hle
ungod1ineRs would seem to the pla IN
mind to have been the UNQUALIFIED
duty of every true bishop, every true
pastor" every true man, leader Or
not, and TIE higher his position the
more Incumbent upcf him TO have
srokcn in the name Of God aga!ns'i
tho roiless and Chrsstless acts OF
German kaiser generals. soldiers and,
yes the Rowling women. who EVEN
now would lie about conditions OF
starvation IN Germany. The plain
Christian cannot forget nor forgive
SO easily the apoState negligence OF
tho head OF the Roman Catholic or
ganization, which is commonly called
"the Catholic church" hut Is IN fact
anything but Catholic. and Is TN fact
| the most scrta~ian body OF processing
Christians IN Christendom
/ wyTHE LEIGH KINSoLVTEG,
| Acting Minister or ST. PauTs Church.
Chattanooga. Tenn.