The Denver Jewish news., 1922-08-16
The Soviets and the
Vatican

| increase of prestige on the part of the
| Holy See which it would have been
| impossible to foresee. At the time of
the outbreak of the Great War, Great
Britain was the champion of Protes-
: tnnism Russia of tho Orthodox
Church France had severed her rela-
| tiOns with the Vatican and Italy was
in open hostility. Belgium alone among
the Entente countries was sreadfastly
the daughter of the church. In the
opposite camp was the semi-Catholic
Germany and the Apostolic Austria
The sympathies of the official Cath
ole church were. therefore. naturally
with the Central Powers. and found
their concrete expression in the peace
efforts of Pope Benedict Nv. If the
war had stopped at the victory OF the
Allies and the disruption of Austria.
il would have amounted to defeat OF
thd Vatican. 1t is significant in this
regard to note that the Treaty of Lon
don concluded between the Allied POW
ers and Italy, expressly excluded the
Holy See from any part in the peace
vaccinations
In addition TO the victory of the
Entente. however, the war brought
about also the collapse of Russia, ana
If is this event, the complete signifi-
canoe of which we are for the present
still incapable of estimating. that has
radically changed the whole position
| of the Vatican. The diplomats of the
| Vatican have displayed EXTRAORDINARY
skill in sizing ND the situation. and i'm
| mediotely they saw what the result
of the war was going to be they altered
| tIteir attitude completely and succeed
ed in establishing friendly relations
| with the Entente countries.
The collapse of Russia means to the
cd foe the weakening of the Orthodox
| Church the liberation of Poland. free
dom of activity for the Russian border
states. and n dwindling of the import
Il once of the Greek Orthodox Church
/ in the Orient. which is left with the
comparatively powerlcss Greece as its
sole representative That is rich re
compense for the particiou of Austria
excellently how to exploit the situn
,ion The rebirth of religious feel
ing consequent on the war aided il
considerably.
+, al th.
most potent political factors in tn,
world 1t has made peace will
France. it is on the road to n similar
| state of affairs with Italy. the pro
ain ut the Vatican looks like becomin:
n permnnent institution. Poland is /;
fortress of the first rank for the
Vatican, and the relations with the
Russian border states are constantly
improving while the attitude of tn,
Austrian succession states is by NJ
means ms bad as was TO be expected
The Catholic parties are powerful. t,
some extent politically decisive il
Spain, Germany. Belgium. Poland
Austria and Italy. They are import
ant factors in bohemia. Jugo-Slavia
and France. The Diplomatic court OF
the Vatican is one of the wealthiest
, and its Nuncios and I,eCates have
formed n close network throughout tn,
world The Russian connection in
the East has gone and working on
the basis of n common enmity TO the
Jews the Holy Sec has been enabled t,
establish n close alliance with certain
Moslem circles And now at last the
great Russion Empire. ALWAYS closed
to the Catholic Church has been left
practically defenceless against it.
|