Evening star., 1939-02-10

ports from Spain that examples Of
heroism by churchmen, lay as we'll
as clerical. had strengthened the
faith of those who clung to their
creed. A Vatican broadcast of AL
gust %, 1896, cited instances to sup
port this view, and the assertion
was made that multitudes in Spain
were praying for the triumph Of
'the good cause" an expression
which proved prophetic of the Vati-
can attitude throughout the con-
flict. When the insurgent govern
ment appointed diplomatic repre-
sentative to the Vatican, the Pope,
on August 81, 1887, received the
emissary in private audience.
At intervals, as his health per-
mitted, the Pope issued messages
and encyclicals that stirred church
circles throughout the world.
The latter half Of March, 1887,
was especially marked in this re-
gard. On March 18 he issued long
encyclical condemning Communistic
atheism as a false doctrine under
mining the foundations of society.
Three days later there was read
in German Catholic churches a mes
sage from the Pope accusing Ger
many of breaking its 1888 concordat
with the Vatican.
Startled German officialdom i'm
mediately forbade comment on the
message, although the Deutsche
Diplomatische correspondent, the
organ of the foreign Office, charged
that by it the Pope played into the
hands of Germany's enemies. Vat
ican prelates said the communica-
ton revealed Plus XII as fighting"
head Of the church.
Pope Was Warned
On Reich Relations.
Developments from the German
message followed in course. On
April IA Berlin warned that future
good relations between Reich and
church depended upon the attitude
of the Vatican. Premier Mussolini
was said to have INTERVIEWED to pre-
vent bad feeling" and to soften the
Nazi reply and the German Am
bassador was instructed to collect
information on the Pope's attitude
toward the church-state controversy
within Germany. The following
September, when Mussolini visited
Hitler, he took with him a men,
orandum prepared by Cardinal
Pacelli and approved by Pope Plus.
Coincidentally the pontiff warned
the German hierarchy against acts
which might widen the breach be-
tween church and state.
The College of Cardinals again
engaged the pontiff's thoughts.
Although raised to its full strength
in June, 1896, within 10 months six
deaths reduced its membership to
64. Plus announced in mid-Novem-
ber, 1887, that three italian prelates,
one Frenchman and one English
man would be raised to the college,
making it's membership 80 Italians
and 80 of other nationalities. He
mustered his waning strength for
consistories on December 13 and 16,
his effort fortified by determination
to leave everything in order"
The pontiff had brought the Col
lege of Cardinals to it's full strength
of 10 in June by elevating two aged
associates of his library days to
the princely rank of the church,
presiding in person at the long cere-
mony of the public consistory.
On September IA the Pope gave q
special audience to Spanish refugees,
and in set speech again excoriated
communism, inferentially rebukinS
statesmen who had tolerated its
growth in their countries.
At the end of September he re-
turned to Vatican City and was re-
ported "in robust spirits" He re-
ceived distinguished visitors, including
Will Hays, in personal audiences; in
stituted the Pontif1cial Academy Of
Scientists, naming six Americans
among the initial members of the
body, and continued to keep in close
touch with the Spanish situation.
World Affairs Caused
Concern During 1888.
International affairs like the
Spanish civil war, Exaggerated ma
tionalism," racial and separatist doc
trines and the derman-Czecho-