Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-12-27

rTHE Cardinal merely acknowledged Won Bissings let
= ter intending to answer later in detail month
afterward he told the Governor General that he had
drawn up document of Justification He offered to
send it to him. with request to communicate the same
to the bishops of Germany and Austria Hungary,
Archbishops House, Maines,
April 26, 1916.
To His Exceency Baron Kissing, Governor Cen
eral, Brussels.
Sir-When on the goth of last March acknowl-
edged your letter of March 49, | told you that jour
neys necessitated by my pastoral duties prevented
me from replying at once.
Since then have prepared an answer
In this document deal with each of the grev-
ances which your Excelency has drawn up and sud
denly and publicly launched at me and at my pas
storal office.
The sending of the joint letter of the Belgian
hierarchy to the German episcopate is the first
grievance; it is, however, merely mentioned.
According to your second complaint, ] am sup
posed to have misused the passport which obtained
through your Exceencys kindness for my journey to
Rome
~ The third grievance, the chief one, is that in
my pastoral of March | have INDUCED in remarks
.of purely political character.
! In proof of this third complaint, your accusation
of March Is bases itself on three different facts.
Il have tried, you say, in talking about the
issue of the war, to raise hopes which i'll
grounded and out of keeping with real facts to
6oster up these hopes, Il have quoted vague state
ments emanating from irresponsible persons; lastly
said that 1.-THE decision hope for might be brought
about by the spreading of epidemic Diseases
Against each of these accusations l set down the
facts as they really
Then as the allegation talks very often about
politics without defining this abstract word, have
Thought that to clear the air of equivocaons to
forestall them, it would be necessary to define the
dispositions of law and constitutional law
about the liberty of preaching.
Lastly, your EXcellency has shown that you espc-
took tO aISOn |
an encroachment the religious liberty of tho
people dwelling in occupied territory. | have made
1t my duty to declare that am ready TO lay bare
IN detail my grievances under this head. Only / ask
as a proviso that guarantees of immunity from pun
eishment be granted me for the persons whose
and testimony I may have to quote.
My reply to the address each of these points
Is therefore drawn up. It is at your Excellency's
disposal. ! sincerely desrous of sending it to
you.
But I cannot make up my mind to send it to
you spontaneously. IN fact, ask myself what use
ful purpose would be served were TO do
Would it be to convince your EXcellency?
Why, you have warned me that all my explana-
'tions would be shelyed; you have made up your
mind that all discussion should be useless.
Would it be to enlighteu the Belgian people?
In the gt place ! could not do without
posing my nter to the risk of years imprson-
ment.
s Moreove have confidence in my countrymen,
Just they I've confidence in their archbishop and
bishops.
Your Excelency thinks the Belgians creduous;
-how mistaken you are Our little Belgian people is
wonderful for its GOODNESS and commOn-sense.
Accustomed to think for themselves, they place
no reliance opinions which people try to impose
ION them without discussion. For twenty months they
have not been spared either alarming grief Of
separations, anxiety for the morrow, intimdating
procedures yet is not your EXcellency struck by the
unshakabe confidence which they hold in the future?
Would it be to justify myself that ought to
send my answer TO your EXcellency?
But my conscience does not reproach me for any
thing in which l have gone beyond the boundary
marked out for by my episcopal prerOgative.
Moreover in the carrying out of my pastoral Office,
4 depend the jurisdiction of the Holy See, and my
last pastoral tells clearly enough what reception
sthe sovereign pontif pleased to grant me-
Nevertheless should like sir, to be able to
send you my pamphlet, because there is fraction Of
athe public to whose esteem and affection I am at
iached and with which you alone put me in touch
mean my brethren, the faithful the clergy and the
Catholic bishops of Germany and Austria Hungary.
If one may judge by the language of the press,
Catholic and non-Catholic of these two countries our
brethren must know and judge very i'll of us. They
know not what In every case, where We have
been put OH trial since the began, they have
only heard witnesses for the prosecution You have
published broadcast among them your own accusa>