Evening star., 1939-02-10

Member of the Associated Press
Pope Plus XII

Pope Plus XI is dead, and the
whole world mourns his passing. Few
characters of modern times have
equaled him in his devotion to God
and to humanity. He was a sanity
person as well as a distinguished
scholar, a skilled diplomatist and
statesman, a forceful leader in all
things religious, a powerful and effec-
tive ruler of the Christian church.
Not only in the Roman Communion,
but also among the reformed con-
gregations, even among alleged nom
believers, he was admired, respected
and loved.
His Creator had endowed the Holy
Father with natural gifts of the
highest order. He was born to a
heritage of physical and mental
health, provided at birth with a
keen, apt and energetic mind and a
tireless constitution. In his youth he
was an ardent Alpinist, climbing
Monte Rosa and the Matterhorn and
earning celebrity as the first to reach
the summit of Mont Blanc from the
Italian side. A willing student, he
always entertained a vast affection
for books and especially for original
research. His formal education he
received in Milan, not far from his
native Desio, and at the Gregorian
University in Rome, where success
sively he achieved his doctorates in
philosophy, theology and canon law.
But his academic career did not
terminate when his teaching career
began. Instead as priest bishop,
Archbishop of Milan and as cardinal,
Achille Ratti pursued knowledge with
unf1agging zeal, distributed it to
others with passion rare in any
age but invariably symptomatic of
the ideal apostle of learning. 1t was
no accident that he became famous
as a scientific librarian, director
simultaneously of the Ambrosiana
and Vatican photographic establish
ments, both of which he reorganized
in harmony with the best standard
technique.
Pope Plus, however, was a practical
churchman in the most definite
meaning of the phrase. Never at any
period was he content merely to in
struct. His field was universal from
first to last. With sympathies limited
to no single race, nation or class, he
labored in the vineyard of his Lord
unhampered by prejudices and un-
discouraged by conditions seemingly
changing constantly for the worse.
The World War and it's aftermath
challenged his soul, and he met their
demands with fortitude strengthened
by the conviction that Christs
cause cannot be lost in this earth.
AS nuncio in Poland and as eccle-
siastical commissioner in Upper
Silesia, he demonstrated his capacity
to deal with chaos The treaty with
Italy securing the independence of
the Vatican City proved that he was
competent to treat successfully with
even the militant fascist state and
its provocative dictator Certainly,
the whole span of his pontifcate was
an era of trouble for the church and
Its people in Russia, Germany,
Austria, Spain and Mexico, yet he
maintained his faith to the end and
out of his suffering developed re-
neWed resources for the fulfllment
of his obligation as Pontiff Supreme.
So recently as last September he
advocated recourse to the unarmed
but invincible power of prayer" to
avert "the imminent danger" of an
other world catastrophe. Illness and
the threat of increased violence failed
to silence him. He spoke with the
voice of Peter and the mandate of
Peters Master.
What future chroniclers may say
of him does not matter very much
to living generations who have
known as Pope Plus and benefited by
his guidance. Millions are grateful
to him for his example of loyalty,
liberality of judgment, charity and
mercy. He was great spiritual
mentor Of the human family in days
dark as night. The multitudes who
mourn his death rejoice that he is
assured of everlasting Immortality.