Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1922-01-21
Pope Benedict


Christmas day, thousands of cam
non thundered an answer to
Benedict's appeal to clay down
your arms
Appeal to Rulers
Again on January IS, 1915,
Pope Benedict took up the task of
bringing peace to war-torn
world, decreeing that on February
z, priests and laity of the Cath
olic church throughout the world
should unite in services and pray
ers for the restoration OF uni
versal amity and good will. The
next occasion Benedict exercised
his humane prerogative was on
July 2S, 1915, the first anniver-
sary of the war, when he issued
an appeal to all rulers, declaring
that blessed be he who first ex-
tends the olive branch and tenders
his hand to the enemy in offering
his reasonable conditions of
peace"
In March, 1916, the pope again
reiterated his prayer for the dawn
OF a new and better day. each
belligerent should clearly state
his desires, - he said, "but should
be ready to make the necessary
sacrifices of pride and particular
interests. Previously Benedict
had written to the late Emperor
Francis Joseph of Austria asking
him to "shorten the war; and
likewise sounded the then Emper-
or of Germany as to the terms up
on which he would lay down the
gage of battle.
Sought American Aid
| In May, 1916, Monsignor Bon
zano, papal delegate tot Wash
ington, delivered to President
Wilson message from the pope
in which he intimated that Amer
lea might volunteer to conoiliate
the European belligerents. The
note came at a time when the
United States and Germany were
in the midst of diplomatic crisis
and Mr.. Wilson, in his reply, did
not respond to the pointiff's sug-
gestions for bringing about peace.
The next communication from the
Vatican to the White House came
on January 16, 1917, and con-
tanned the approval by Benedict
of. the presidents note. Three
months later the United States
herself had resorted to the arbi-
trament of arms and entered the
struggle on the side of the allies.
On August 8, 1917, still hope
full of saving the world from a
veritable cataclysm, Pope Bene-
dict issued in his own handwrit-
ing his famous appeal to the ma
tions, exhorting the belligerent
rulers to end the war for the sake
of humanity.
Urged Disarmament
One passage read. Gas to the
damages to be repaired and as to
the war expenses, we see no other
means of solving the question
than by submitting as a general
principle complete and reciprocal
condonation, which would be
justified, moreover by the inn
mense benefit to be derived from
disarmament, SO much so that no
one will understand the continu-
alton of a similar carnage, solely
for reasons of an economic order. =
The pope, however. recommended
the evacuation Of Belgium by the
Germans, self-determinataion and
freedom of small nations. Earlier,
in that year (1917) he had warned
the German and Austrian rulers
that ruthless submarine
policy would ALLEVIATE the SYM
pathy Of all neutraIs. When
Berlin put out one of her innum-
erable peace ''feelers,' Benedict,
in reply, insisted Germany must
stop her deportation Of Belgium
civilians and repatriate all exiles.
In September, 1918, the Vatican
finally announced 1t would take
steps toward bringing about peace
only when invited to do SO by
both groups Of belligerents.
Panied by the shelling of Paris
by the German long range guns
in the Spring of 1918, Pope Bene-
dict sent a protest to Emperor
Charles of Austria and to the Ber-
lin government against what he
characterized as "a wanton
massacre" ("
Supported Versailles Treaty
The pope's qualification over
the capture of Jerusalem by the
allies under the British General
Allenby caused bitter comment
in the German press. According
to the Rome Messagero on Decem-
Der IS, 1917, few days after
the fall of the Holy City, he
warned Christian states against
aiding the Turks in recapturing
it.
Pope Benedict S attitude toward
the Peace Conference of 1919 was
said to have been one of fatherly
solicitude. Early the previous
December, in a letter to President