The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1922-01-28
Sketch Of Pope Benedict XIV

Father strenuously worked along
these lines.
Catholic writer's in reviews and in
newspapers have published timely ar
ticles describing the work which Ben
ed1ct XIV achieved, and the tendency
of his pontificate as shown in his eff
fort to bring back peace to the ma
tiofls. Early in his pontificate he
stroye to induce the belligerents TO
suspend their battles for one day
the day on which the Prince of Peace
was born into this world in the midst
OF angelic chants of peace to men
but his appeal fell on deaf ears.
Efforts for Peace.
This striving for peace was the dis
tinguishing note of his action all this
time. AS the prominent Roman re-
view, the "Ciyilta Cattolica,' says of
him: mo other power, however neu-
tral, can compete with him. The Pope
alone gathers up within himself the
titles which are dispersed among the
others. AS universal master he pro-
mulgates truth throughout the world,
but that truth which is connected
with the moral and religious order,
as all the principles of justice and
charity, without interfering in that
which is of a merely political and ma.
terial order. AS a judge he calls
to his tribunal the highest and most
complex cases which touch one order
or the other, Of faith or morals, of
religion and of customs; but he does
not pronounce or condemn except when
full knowledge of the cause has been
given to him, and with it the certain
knowledge of the necessity or utility
of his supreme intervention, in which
the severity and the justice of the
judge comes into alliance with the
charity and the mercy of the Father"
His constaney of mind animated
Benedict XIV, and he issued urgent
appeals in his discourseS and his en-
cyclical letters for peace among the
nations. His voice and influence were
all the means he possessed To indi-
cate the list alone of these exhorta-
tions in favor of peace would be to re-
write the history of his pontificate.
The pontiical publication, "The Acts
of the Apostolic See,'' from 1914 to
1922, furnish ample proof Of this.
Socialists and Radicals.
And after all this, and in spite of it
all, the Socialist and radical news
papers of Paris and London were
reused TO vituperatioR against the
Pope in consequence of his difference
of views from theirs. : They were in
furious rage, according to their
kind, because the Pope did not follow
their way in moral direction and their
peculiar policy.
All the world is aware of the efforts
of his Holiness in contriving for the
transfer of prisoners, unfit to serve,
to a place where they had better
chances for their restoration to
health than they had in the prison
hospitals where they languished; and
all the world has praised his charita-
BILE initiative. The mere fact that the
anita Catholic groups uttered their cry
against the Pontiff is quite i'll keep
ing with their. ordinary line of ac-
ton; but the mass Of men, even in
France, was but little affected by such
attacks, for subsequent events proved
the Pope to be true champion of
humanity, of the humanity according
to the principles and teachings of
Jesus Christ. While still keeping in
view the speedy realization of peace,
he brought the weight of his august
authority to bear in bringing comfort
and alleviations to the countless suf-
ferers of the warning nations. The
immense good he accomplished in this
regard, while now a matter of his
tory, called forth the appreciation and
gratitude Of the Christian world.