Evening star., 1938-12-25
Text of Pope's Address

pecially in a Catholic country such
as Italy, as facts have demonstrated
Encouragement from Top.
Observing the zeal in the lower
ranks it appears too clear that while
Catholic action is distinctly con-
templated in our pact of concilia-
ton. from above must come wide
or rather occult-gestures of per-
mission and encouragement in order
that those veXations not cease in
various places from one end to the
other of the peninsula. And not
only in small places of little i'm
portance. Yesterday they were re-
ported to us from Venice, Turin and
Bergame. Today from Milan and
in the very person of the cardinal
archbishop, guilty of speech and
teaching which is exactly in his
pastoral duties and of which we can
only approve.
But we are the one always to re-
call to all that that is not really or
fully human which is not Christian
and that is inhuman which, is
Observation-Disclosures it regards
the common dignity of the human
race or whether it regards and
touches the dignity, liberty and in
tegrity of the individual to which.
excepting proper cooperation and
CO. coordination, society is destined, as
we'll as the individual man, to which
is dedicated the very work OF God
creator and savior, to whom every
man must say Deus neus est tu"
and also "dilixit me ct tradit seme-
tipsum pro me"
Not only the bitter sadness in
the heart of the old father for the
mistreatment of his ell-beloved
Catholic action, but also real and
serious preoccupations to the head
of Catholicism and the custodian of
morality and truth have inevitably
been caused and would be inflicted
to our concordat, and especially that
which touches holy matrimony,
which for every Catholic is to say
everything. We do not need to add
a word to this simple declaration to
say that the wound went straight and
most painfully to our heart. We
knew it was said that the concordat
was not wounded in the slightest but
remained sound. The thought of
starting a discussion of that kind is
far from us. We thought, instead,
to be obliged to make an observation
of elementary evidence and the OBJ
servation is this-that if for every
bilateral pact and for its observance
or observance the Interpretation
is not to be usurped by one party
alone this must be all the more true
Of an Interpretation so dissolving
and freeing of every engagement.
Reminder of Leo XIII.
And we also want to make another
observation and that is a reminder
of the great and glorious Leo XIII.
Having in mind the recent apotheosis
in this very Rome bearing cross
lnimical to the cross of Christ, this
wounding of the concordat and other
sayings aforementioned, we at least
hoped our white hair would be re-
spected. Instead they rudely went
ahead (here was inserted a reference
to the pontifical of Leo KID. And
we recall this to honor the really
honorable memory of that great
pontiff and to understand the spirit
OF that magnanimous forgiveness
and to initiate, as we Fundamentally
do, the very noble example, praying
to God that he deign to enlighten
minds and move hearts in the direc-
ton OF truth and justice which are
the sole true and solid bases of the
welfare Of the individual and also of
peoples, while is written in the Divine
Book: "Miseros facit populus pee
catum"
We have offered our now old life
for the peace and the prosperity of
peoples. We offer it anew that in
ternal peace may remain undis-
turbed-the peace of soul and con-
science and the fourishing proper
ity of this Italy which is the dearest
to us OF all peoples just as Jesus
fatherland was so dear to him that
he gave himself to the passion and
death for mankind. This is our
Christmas wish and hope and with
this may you all be blessed anew
along with all that and all those
which each of you carry in your
mind and heart.