Omaha daily bee., 1922-01-22

ioPS LsHeaiAk sNNs INC sSrtA slsi
esssor Of ST. Peter as supreme hsat
OF the Reman Catholic church, be
gan his poniiheate on September o
1914. soon after Europe entered upOI
It's four years Of war. Upon many
occasions during the war he endeay'
ofed 10 bring the belligefent nations
/, 10 a peace agreement and. thus ie
MAINTAIN the title which had been
sdectionately bestowed upon him BY
q a high digniiafy Of his communion
As "a messenger God sent 10 bring
peace"
\ Great Sorrow.
\ The war between Italy and Aus.
tia, IN both Of which peoples OF the
Catholic religion predominate. was
particularly great sorrow 10 the
M pope, Those near 90 him said he
deprecated the German violation OF
Belgium. When the Lusitsnia was
sunk he telegraphed 20 the then Em-
peror William his adherence OF a
X; deed which had shocked the world.
The successor ci Plus X was said
TO have combined the craftsmanship
.'of Pope Leo XIII with the grace
ot his immediate predecessor. He
Z endeavored, II is said. 10 carry out the
/ ideals and policies OF those two great
churehmen. But the world war.
Z which breke the heart of Plus X,
I. Saddened the first four years OF his
y pontiteate and prevented the fulfill
ment OF some OF his aspirations.
One of the incidents OF his pontiii-
cal career was the visit which
President Wilson paid to him on
January 4, 1919, when the president
went to Rome prior TO the opening
Of the peace conference at Paris.
Social and treaty questions were
discussed, il is said, during the
private audience at the conclusion OF
which Pope Benedict presented to-
his guest a handsome mosaic repro
dueing Guido Reni's famous picture
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 Chicsa
never expected TO be thus honored
I. 10y the Sacred college and is said ~
have wept when apprised OF his cleo
. tion. He would have preferred. he
said, to remain a simple priest or, at
icost, cardinal and archbishop Of
Bologna.
On the day of his election he spoke
( of the burden Of responsibility |
thrust upon ''one frail brain," and
expressed his horror OF the worla
conflict then bring waged and his |
hope that it would quickly end. One
week after his coronation, when the |
/ Fisherman's ring was placed upon his |
finger, he issued an encyclical to the
episcopacy of the world in which
rulers were exhorted TO put aside
dissensions and to "enter into coun-
Gil of peace with all speed" The ap,
peal fell on stony ground, however
and later, on December II, 1914, the
Vatican authorities announced the
pope's plan for a Christmas truce
was falling because of the opposi-
ton of certain power" Reports
were that Russia and Turkey had re-
fused to acquiesce. Along thousand
r,iles of battle front, the following
1 Christmas day, thousands of cannon
tl,undered an answer to Benedict's
appeal TO "lay down your arms"
Issues Appeal.
Again on January IS, 1915, Pope
, Benedict took up the task of bring
ing peace to a War-torn world, de-
i creeing that on February priests
I, and laity of the Catholic church
4 throughout the world should unite in
services and prayers for the restora-
/, ton OF universal amity and good will.
K The next occasion Benedict exercised
his humane prerogative was on July
. %, 1915, the first anniversary of the
war, when he Used an appeal to all
rulers, declaring that blessed be he
/. who first extends the olive branch
( and tenders his hand to the enemy
lin offering his reasonable conditions
OF peace
if In March, 1916, the pope again re-
/! iterated his prayer for the dawn of
,.a new and better day. Each bel
\ ligerent should clearly state his de-
/, sires," he said, "but should be ready
ito make the necessary sacrifices Of
pride and particular interests" Pre-
i;viously Benedict had written to the
late Emperor Francis Joseph Of Au
stria asking him to Shorten the
war" and likewise sounded the then
semperor of Germany as to the terms
upon which he would lay down the
\ gage of battle.
s.. Approves Peace Note.
III In May, 1916, Monsignor Bonzano,
papal delegate to Washington, deliv-
, cred to President Wilson message
!. from the pope in which he intimated
..that America might volunteer to con-
i'ciliate the European belligerents.
The note came at time when the
United States and Germany were in
1.-THE midst of diplomatic crisis, and
Mr. Wilson, in his reply, did not
respond to the pontiff's suggestions
for bringing about peace. The next
communication from the Vatican to
the White House came on January
16, 1917, and contained the approval
by Benedict of the presidents peace
iiote. Three months later the United
: States itself had resorted to the ar
bitrament of arms and entered the
struggle on the side of the allies.
On August 8, 1917, still hopeful OF
saving the world from a veritable
cataclysnl, Pope Benedict issued in
his own handwriting his famous ap-
peal to the nations, exhorting the