Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-06-05
EUROPE SEEKS SPIRITUAL AID
IN FIGHTING BOLSHEVLSM
Force Must Be Supplemented by Ideal Fight Radicam
Leaders BeleUe and Turn to Vatican

it stands to reason that the advent to
power of a great Catholic political or
ganization, whose leader. Don Sturzo,
is one of the most remarkable priests
the church has ever produced, is cal
culated to re- enforce the pope's position
to an extraordinary degree.
The day no longer seems far distant
when the pope will cease to remain
wholly within the halls and gardens of
the Vatican. The present menacing
situation in Italy imperatively cal lis for
the termination of the historical feud
between the holy father and the royal
house of Savoy. This liberation Of the
pope from physical bonds which are
certainly no longer in accordance with
the principles of an age that is trying
to create league of nations does not
involve the recrudcscence Of papal
temporal power.
Alliance In Italy Forecast
Pope Benedict and his advisers are
not endeavoring to exploit their favor
able diplomatic position in order to re-
constitute the sovereign papal state
which was engufcd in the rcbirth of the
Italian nation. But if Italy is to be
saved from Red chaos by the action of
the new Catholic party, which alone has
a social and spiritual program capable
OF satisfying and calming the impas-
stoned masses, a reconciliation in the
nature of definite alliance between the
pope and the king of Italy seems in
evitable.
The great Catholic revival. which is
the most characteristic feature of the
Italian situation today. cannot but
eventually lead to the Natcan's liber-
alton. In the Italian universities,
among the students of Padua. Pisa
Florence and Rome. it is taking the
form of a revival of primitive, early
Christianity the new political leaders.
like the Duke di CaPSero, are learned
adopts of Catholic philosophy.
Through these young men, who are
| thrilling with the vital social and polit-
ical problems of the times. the Vati-
the Church, fitting it to play decisive
part in the reconstruction of the world.
New Conditions in Germany
In Central Europe, the Vatican s
loss in power through the dissolution
of the Hapsburg empire, its chief sphere
of influence before the war, has been
fully compensated by the triumph of
the Catholic party in Bavaria and the
developments of events in Germany,
where the Catholics, as in Italy, are
the only non sociaiStic party with a
strong proletarian following, and con :
sequently able to shape the govern =
ments internal policy far more effec-
lively than in the kaiSpr's time.
Professionalism in Germany was al
ways intimately connected with Pan
Germanism, and, so to say, under the
kaiser's personal direction and its in
fuence has diminished considerably
since the fall of the HohcnzoIlprns and
the decline of PrusSian militarism, II
is a remarkable fact that Professionalism
is without representative in the pres
ent German Government, which is com
posed of atheistic Socialists, democratic
free thinkers and Catholics.
But the war has wrought vet other
changes which strangely favor the cx-
tension OF the Naticans power. By
reuniting long separated peoples of the
same race. but Of different religions
it has brought the reunion of the Greek
Orthodox Church with the Roman Cath
olic Church within the range of pos
sibility. Since the constitution of the
kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovencs
Serbia has ceased to be Greek Ortho
dox state.
Closer Union in Balkans
The Catholics in the new kingdom
outnumber their Orthodox rOuntrymen
and while there is as yet no ques
ton of fusion between the two churcbe,
it Is a significant circumstance that tn,
dates of the religious festivals of tn,
Orthodox Church have been altered Il
coincide with the Roman calendar. Thi
measure Is universally regarded as fore
shadowing closer union in the fu,
ture.
To bring the Greek Orthodox Church
once more under the pope's suprcmac,
Is a century old ambition Of the Vati'
can diplomats. 1t was never neare
realization than now, with Cardina
Gasparri, one of the wisest of moderI
statesmen. directing Pope Benedict
,, foreign policy. The Orthodox ChurcI
has been uprooted by the destruction o
ezarism and the disintegrk)ion of Rus
sia. lit Is without honls in the vas
! land (which was once the center of n