Evening star., 1919-09-24
Described Belgian Attitude.

| The cathedral itself was struck and
even today one of the naves is with
drawn from divine service.
| with the retirement of the Belgian
| army, the field of intensive military
operations moved away from these re-
gions and Cardinal Mercier Immediately
hurried back to the capital of his dio-
| cese. The first of the famous Pastoral
i Letters to his priests, that of Christ
mas, 1914, entitled Patriotism and En-
| durance," was issued from the archie
piscopal palace in Malines with instruc.
tons that it should be read from the
pulpits of his churches. In this letter
| he described and defined the just moral
attitude of the Belgian people toward
| their oppreSsor:
The authority of that power is nc
| lawful authority. Therefore, in soul
and conscience you owe it neither re-
spect nor attachment, nor yet obedience.
| The sole lawful authority in Belgium
is that of our king, of our government.
or the elected representatives of tie
nation.
1--WE are temporarily overcome, but we
| are not conquered
These proud declarations infuria ted
the Germans. They dared not arrest
the cardinal, but thy forbade him for
time the use of his motor car and
ne became practically a prisoner in his
residence. At the same time they for :
bade the priests to make the letter known
to their parishioners and they proceeded
to seize the pamphlets in the presby-
teresa proceeding as useless as it
was ridiculous: many of the priests had
nade manuscript copies of the letter.
and some had even learned it by heart.
| A secretary of the cardinal, who had
the whole document committed to mem
ory, was able to escape to Holland with
the message in his head, so to speak.
and in that way made it known abroad
Solace to sorely Tried Parishes.
|. During the entire war Cardinal Mer-
cier's proudly disdainful bearing toward
the invader never varied. Restored to a
i limited liberty, he travelled untiringly
throughout his diocese, bearing solace to
the most sorely tried parishes, every
where sustaining by his inspired words
and his example the fortitude and pa
triotism of all Belgians, Catholic and
T on-Catholic alike. pouring out to all the
same heartfelt sympa thy. He embodied
in his own person the motto which he
had chosen for his first pastoral letter.
Patriotism and Endurance
The fearless quality of the public ex-
preSsions of the cardinal may be best
typified by random selections from his
recorded addresses and writings. In
1916, addressing the multitiI1es in Brus-
sells Cathedral, he challenged the wrath
of Belgium's physical conquerors. my
children, never bend your necks to the
conqueror!"' he cried. and later. in the
midst of the deportation outrages, he
wrote to the German governor general,
Won Bissing. as follows: This is no
longer war: it is an attack on human
ity." Again, in letter addressed to the
church leaders of the central empires,
he said: For we. through direct expe-
rience, know and declare that the Ger
man army gave itself up in Belgium, in
hundred different places, to plunder-
irg incendiarism, imprisonments, mas
sacres and saTileges, contrary to all
justice and to every sentiment of hu-
anity." Finally, near the close of the
conflict. he cried defiance to the Ger
man rulers of Belgium. saying: Right
violated is still right. injustice support
I'd by force is still injustice