The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-01-11
THE POPE AND PEACE CONFERENCE

I'LL IUIL nVUL
REASONS WHY HOLY FATHER
SHOULD BE REPRESENTED
TRUE AND FALSE PREcEDENTs
-ANALoGY BETWEEN PAPAL
AND AMERICAN GOVERNMENTS.
Even since the Russian Bolsheviki
government tore open the packet of
Russian state papers marked per
sonal," and disclosed to the world the
existence of an agreement among GER
tain powers to exclude the Pope from
participation in a peace conference,
Catholic minds have been zealously
curious whether papal influence would
eventually come to be enlisted in get
ting the world back into balance. It's
attitude of benign neutrality adopted
toward both parties to the present war
| has certainly entitled the Vatican to
| the open confidence of the warning
powers, writes Rev. H. G.. Takkenberg.
| Long even before America espoused
the Allied cause, long before the west
ern world could muster up courage to
| put aside tradition and interest, to
come to the aid of suffering humanity,
the voice of the Vicar of Christ had
| been raised in earnest, almost bitter,
protest against German barbarities to
| Belgium. This fact alone should
suffice to absolve the Papal court from
any suspicion of bias toward the Cen
trail Powers.
| Indeed, one cannot well resist specu-
lating whether such suspicion was ever
seriously entertained by those who
aimed at the exclusion of the Pope
| from the peace convention. The al
most unacceptable impression is that, if
admitted to the council of the powers
| aiming to readjust the world on a
basis of justice, the Vatican would
unquestionably be ''force for right
eousness" in the great decisions to be
taken. AS in times past, it was the
Roman Pontiff who rallied Christen-
dom to the crusaders, who saved Eu-
rope from the menace of Turkish in
vasion, who acted as peacemaker be-
tween king and nations, SO today, it is
safe to presume, the Pope would prob
ably prove himself the uncompromis-
ing champion of right and justice, and
his influence would unstintingly sup.
port the human and sound principles
of international policy laid down by
President Wilson.
| Discrimination Against Pope.
The Allies, then, need not fear
and, in fact, never did fear-the Vati
can for any pro-German leanings
Why, then should they seek to deba1
the Pope from the peace conference!
If one recalls that the alleged dis
elimination against the Pope is said
to have been agreed upon at the in
stance of the Italian government, a
probable explanation Of this apparent
unfairness is at once suggested. Fol
while Italian craftsmanship must
surely concede the unimpeachable
character of papal neutrality during
the conflict just closing, as~welf as the
jealous and kindly aimed moves fol
peace emanating from the Vatican
still they must indeed be stirred by
more than a vague uneasiness lest
admitted to attend the internationa
i. peace court, the Pope should avail
himself of the opportunity thus af
forded to revive the annoying Roman
Question" by presenting his owl
claims and seeking redress for his owl
grievances.
That such grievances actually exis
: is clear to any one conversant will
the series of events in Italian histor.
, which eliminated in the spoliation O
papal territory in September, 1870.
ever there was a 'high-handed" ant
arbitrary seizure of land, ruthless
triumph of Might over Right, surel,
. that victory of the VENT Settembre'
qualities for entree into the catalog.
If the new peace, which we are a
present in a fair way to approach
aims at the 'undoing of the infinit,
, injustices and injuries of this war,
, and the rebuilding of the world on
foundation of equity, then it woul'
seem only logical and fitting that a
least all the salient acts of injustice
in modern international conduct b
. brought before the tribunal of tn
world and, if possible, undone Anon
5 those is to be classed the "grea
t wrong done to France in 1870" TIL
| righting of that wrong was one Q
s Americas objects in the war. Tha
, object is now on the point of bein
. realized, and we shall see the retur
to France of the provinces of Alsace
, Lorraine, which rightfully belong t
her both on legal and on historica
: grounds. Frances cause over the ''los
s provinces" is a just one; her claim t
them cannot logically be disputed; tn
: whole world must recognize the equit
of their remuneration to the mothe1
land. But if Alsace-Lorraine, by hi:
u torical and legal title, belongs
France, the Papal states, by a niue
" clearer title and by prescriptive RICH
# founded on a very much longer pc:
n session, pertain to the Pope of Rome
f. Insisting, therefore, on the restoratio
i of the stolen provinces south of tn
) Rhine, the assembled powers Nigh
: with equal right and with admirabl
consistency stand firm for the retur