The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1922-01-23
BENEDICT WAS
FIRM FOR PEACE
Used His Office Time and
Again to Secure End Of
Warfare
LUSITANIA AFFAIR
SHOCK TO HIM
Late Pope Photographed to-
Kaiser His Abhorenc
of Act

o59th successor of st. Peter as SUI
preme head Of the Roman Cathol
church, began his pontificate on Sept
8, 1919. soon after Europe entered upoi
its four years OF war. Upon many oc
casions during the war he cndcavoret
| To bring the belligercnt nations TO 4
peace agreement and thus TO maintain
the title which had been affectionately
i be siwed upon him by o high dgni
tary Of his communion as " 4 messen
ger God sent to bring peace
The war letwcen fialy and Austria
lin both Of which peoples of the Cath
ollie religion predominated, was par
ticulariy great sorrow to The pope
Those near to him said he deprecated
the German violation OF Belgium
When the Lusitania was sunk he tclc-
grapned I'd the then Emperor William
his adherence OF deed which had
shocked the world.
The successor OF Plus y was said to
have combined the craftsmanship Of
Pope Leo XIII with the grace Of his
Immediate predecessor. lie endeayored,
it is said, to carry out the ideals and
policies of those two great churchmen.
But the World war, which broke the
heart Of Plus y, saddened the first
four years of his pontificate and pre-
vented the fulfillment Of some Of his
aspirations.
One of the incidents Of his pontifical
career was the visit which President
Wilson paid to him on Jan. 4. 1919,
when the president went to Rome
prior to the opening Of the peace con.
ference al Paris. Social and treaty
questions were discussed it is said,
during the private audience at the con-
cIusion OF which Pope Benedict pre-
sented ta his guest handsome mosaic
reproducing Guido Ren's famous Pic
ture Of Saint Peter. valued at $4,000.
Small Man Physically.
One OF the smallest men physically
ever elected to the chair Of St. Peter,
the former Cardinal Della Chiesa never
expected to be thus honored by the
sacred college and Is said to have wept
when apprised of his election. He
would have preferred. he said. to re-
main simple priest or, at least, cardi-
nal AND archbishop OF Bologna.
On the day of his election he spoke
of the burden Of responsibility thrust
upon cone frail brain" and expressed
his horror Of the world conflict then
being waged and his hope that It
would quickly end. One week after his
coronation, when the Fisherman's ring
was place1 upon his finger, he issued
an encyclicaI to the episcopacy Of the
world III which rulers were exhorted to
put aside discussions and to ENTER,
into council of peace with all speed.
The appeal fell on stony ground. how
ever, and later, on Dec. IL. 1914, the
Vatican authorities announced the
pope's plan for Christmas truce was
failing because OF the opposition of a
certain power" Reports were that
Russia and Turkey had refused TO ac-
quiesce. Along thousand miles OF
battlefront, the following Christmas
day, Thousands of cannon Numbered an
answer to Benedict's appeal to lay
down yonr arms"
Again on. Jan. Is. 1915. Pope Bene-
dict took up the task OF bringing peace
10 war torn world. decreeing that ON
Feb. :. priests and laity Of the Cath
ollie church throughout the world
should unite in services and prayers
FOR the restoration of universal amity
and good viii. The next occasion Ben
edict exercised his humane prerogative
was on July 2s. 1918. the first ami
versary of the war, when he issued an
appeal to all rulers. declaring that
s'blessed Ire he who first extends the
olive branch and tenders his hand TO
the enemy in offering his reasonable
conditions Of peace"
In Marea. 1916. the pope again re-
iterated his prayer for the dawn 'of a
new and better day Each bellig-
erent should clearly state his desire"
he said. but should be ready TO make
the necessary sacrifices of pride and
Particular interest Previously Benedict
had written to the late Emperor Fran
els of Austria, asking him TO shorten
the war; and likewise sounded the
then emperor Of Germany as to terms
upon which he would lay down the
gage of battle.
f. Asked United States to Conciliate.
In Nav, 1916. Monsignor Bonzano.
papal delegate 10 Washington, deliv-
cred to President Wilson, message
from the pope in which he minated |
that America might volunteer 10 con
riliate the European belligercnts. The |
note cane at time when the United |
States and Germany were in the midst |
81 a diplomatic crisis and Mr.. Wilson. |
in his reply. did not respond to the |
pontifi's suggestions for bringing about |
peace. The next communication from |
he Vatican 10 the White House came |
IN Jan. 10. 1917. and contained the APP I!
prevail by Benedict Of the presidents
peace rctr. Three months later the /
intel States herself had resorted 10
he arbitramcnt 81 arms and entered |
he struggle on the side Of the allies
on Ans. :. 1917. siill hopeful Of sas-
ing the world from q veritable czta-
.lysm. Pop Benedict issued in his own
hsndwrifing his famous appeal to the
nations. sxhorting he feIIigcrrntrulers
10 eni the war Tor the sake Of human
one passage read. AZ the dam
gee e. b. repaired and A. 70 the var
.xren.f. we 49, ~ other means - sols-
M the osfes;icn than ~ submitting 81
. general TGinciplc' eonplcte and ~
.iprocai con6onsiiol. which would ~
In.tifel a.freorer hv the inmeuse hen
- =. L.. $3.50 g. T..ar~,sr.rr.. j