The New York herald., 1922-01-22
POPE IN THE WAR WAS FIRM
FOR PEACE AND PROVED FOE
TO SOCIALISM AND ANARCHY
Pleaded for Humanity During Conflict Appealed to
President Wilson, Denounced German Savagery and
Called Bombardment of Paris Wanton Massacre.

arms. have recourse 20 these. animated
by good faith and Intentions"
And In another part ne reminds the
nations engaged In war that 1t is only
through love OF them that he speaks.
and through no selfish motive of his
own. His grief at the horrible madness
rises I'm these words:
who would take them to be broth
ers. the sons OF one Father who is In
Heaven"
Fitted for Pscificntfon.
No Pope had ever been so situated
as Benedict XIV. in time of war This
was because the very character of war
fare had changed. II was no longer
mere military undertaking. II was
q national enterprise. AZ such each
OF the two groups of belligerents. con-
scious OF the dreadfulness of all war.
sought TO Justify itself and TO cover
the other with odium.
The one religious denomination pos
sessed OF an organization common to all
lands and responsive to one head was
the Roman Catholic Church. There
fore. from the very beginning OF the
war. each group sought to elicit from
the Pope. ss commander of an engine
Of tremendous world influence, and as
the greatest single moral force. com
ment favorable TO itself and its acts and
purposes.
In that extraordinary effort to sway
world opinion by winning praise from
the Pope, the Vatican became the center
OF the most remarkable espionage sys-
tenn the war produced. and the rendez-
vous Of agents. British. German. French,
Austrian. Jtalian---all nations engaged
actively trying TO get Papal approval.
IL their labors were not fruitful. the
agents were replaced. Sir Henri How
ard. a relative OF the Duke OF Norfolk.
gave way to n Limerick robleman. the
Count de Sails. in one such instance.
Pleaded for Humanity.
In this trying position as spiritual
leader OF millions seeking each others
lives. Benedict sought rcsolutciy TO
avoid any appearance OF partisanship.
and confined his words ard his work to
humsnitarianisn and appeals for peace.
OF which the appeal to President VIII
son. In August, 1917. was most famous.
He was. as has been stated by one in
innate with the Vatican and the course
Of Benedict's mind. "pro-all." but in
turn the press OF one or another of the
belliEercnt countries denounced him as
pro- German, pro-Belsian. pro-Austrian.
pro-TtaIian.
Roman Catholic writer's that have set
forth the principles followed by Benedict
IN these soaring years maintain that he
condemned everything that ought tc
have been condemned, but the condem-
nation was general AL belligerents
mitigating or suppressing g.. Tho Pope
was criticized formally because he did
not pess Judgment on German or Rus
sian atrocities.
The explanation IL that nc could no;
Justly sit IN Judgment 80 long NJ the
war preciudcd his holding n judicial
inquiry In which both sides might be
represented He pleaded for Belgium
and for Poland. Through his direct In
tervention many prisoners escaped cap
itsl punishment. His efforts 20 mitigate
the savagcry OF war were unceasing. All
the while he called earnestly for peace.
Majestic Figure in war
James Cardinal Gibbons. who passed
on not a great while before the sue
cessor OF st. Peter, and whose clear and
balanced mind seldom got facts awry'
however sympathies or convictions might
be involved, wrote most Interestingly
and valuably of this phase OF the career
Of Benedict XIV. In 1918. saying:
My heart goes out 10 all the suffer
efs OF the war. ! mourn over the
countless dead. But one lone and ma
jestic figure calls for all my sympathy
and love. More. perhaps. than any other
single Individual. our Holy Father. Pops
Benedict XIV, has suffered in this trag'
edy. Others have but their own indi
vidual sorrows. He bears the sorrows
Continued on Rage Two.