The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-10-17

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himself.
Scouts Danger from "Pizza"
| replied that /, too, was well &C
BILE or "pizza" could storm it; that,
in addition, the Pope had a strong
party of adherents in society circles
and among the people, which would |
at once be ready to defend him. The |
Nuncio agreed with me, but the chap |
lain continued unabashed to expatiate |
upon the terrors of the piazza" and |
paint the risks run by the Pope in
the blacklist Of colors.
l then remarked that any one wish |
| ing to capture the Vatican must first !
get battery of heavy mortars and |
howitzers, as well as pioneers and |
storm troops, and institute a regular
siege; that all this was scarcely pos |
| sible for the piazza; that, therefore, |
/ it was highly improbable that the lat
ter would undertake anything. More |
over, / mentioned having heard that
measures had already been taken in
the Vatican to guard against such an
emergency. At this the priest was
silent.
The Nuncio then remarked that it
was difficult for the Pope to do any
thing really practical toward peace
without giving offense and arousing
opposition in lay Italy. which would
place him in danger; that it must be
borne in mind that he was, unfortun-
ately, not free; that had the Pope a
country, or at least district of his
own where he could govern auton-
omously and do as he pleased, the sit
uation would be quite different; that,
49, 80 l.
ent upon lay Rome and not able to
act according to his own free will.
/ remarked that the aim of bringing
peace to the world was so holy and
great that it was impossible for the
Pope to be frightened away, by purely
worldly considerations, from accom-
plishing such a task, which seemed
created especially for him; that, shout
he succeed in it, the grateful void
would assuredly bring influence to
bear upon the Italian Government in
support of his wishes and of his indie
pendence.
This made an impression on the
Nuncio, he remarked that l was right,
after all; that the Pope must do some
thing in the matter.
Then | called the attention of the
Nuncio to the following point: He
must have noticed, l said, how the
Socialists of all countries were zeal
ously working in favor of peace efforts
I told him that we had always allowed
the German Socialists to travel to for
eign parts in order to discuss the ques-
ton of making peace at conferences,
because l believed them to be acquaint-
ed with the desires and views of the
lower classes; that we placed no obsta-
al in he
to work honestly and without yelled
purpose in the interests of peace;
that the same desires for peace also
existed among the Entente nations
and among their Socialists, but that
the latter were prevented by refusal
of passports from attending confer
ences in neutral lands; that the desire
for peace was gaining strength in the
world, nations were acquiring it more
and more, and if nobody in any Gov
eminent should be found willing to
work for peace, unfortunately had
failed in my attempt - the peoples
would finally take the matter into
their own hands. l added that this
would occur without serious shocks
and revolutions, as history proved,
through which the Roman Catholic
church and the Pope would not come
: unscathed.
Wins Promise of Action
What must a Catholic soldier think,
/ asked. when he reads always of ef-
forts by Socialists only, never of an
effort by the Pope, to free him from
the horrors Of war? If the Pope did
nothing continued, there was danger
of peace being forced upon the world
by the Socialists, which would mean
Z he nd 0f he nf fhc
| the Roman church, even among Cath
, olics.
; This argument struck home to the
; Nuncio. He stated that he would at
[ once report it to the Vatican and give
it his support; that the Pope would
| have to act.
! Greatly worried, the chaplain again
| interposed, remarking that the Pope
{ would endanger himself by such a
: course; that the piazza" would at
tack him.
! To this replied that l was Prot
: estant,and, hence, hereto in the
: chaplain's eyes, notwithstanding which
: was obliged to point ont that the
/ Pope was designed the 'Viceroy of
: Christ upon earth" by the Catholic
church and world; that had, in study
, ing the Holy Scriptures, occupied N.Y.
, self earnestly and carefully with the
. person of the Saviour and sought to
! that the Lord had never feared the
) immerse myself profoundly therein;
: piazza although no fortress-like
building, with guards and weapons,
> was at His disposal; that the Lord
+ had always walked into the midst of
the piazza" spoken to it, and finally
. gone to his death on the cross for the
, sake of this hostile piazza"
! Was l now to believe, l asked, that
: His "Viceroy upon earth" was afraid
: of the possibility of becoming a mar
: tyr, like his Lord, in order to bring
/. peace to the bleeding world, all on
, account Of the ragged Roman piazza" ?
y. l, the Protestant, thought far too high
!. ly of Roman priest, particularly of
9 the Pope, to believe such a thing.
+ Nothing could be more glorious for
: him, ! went on, than to devote him.
: self unreservedly, body and soul, to
/ the great case of peace, even despite
! the remote danger Of thus becoming
martyr.
\ With shining eyes, the Nuncio grasp
q ed my hand and said, deeply moved
. ''Vous avez parfaitemeRt raison! Cest