Evening star., 1939-02-10

His first act as Pope was to bestow
the apostolic blessing on the multi
tude waiting outside St. Peters for
news Of his election. This was the
first time the ceremony had been per-
formed in the open since 1870. His
predecessors back to that year had
blessed the world from inside the
great cathedral as protest of usurp-
alton Of power by the Italian govern
ment.
Emphasized He Wanted
A Regime of Peace.
The new Pope, by this act, empha-
sized that he hoped to make his re-
gime an era Of peace. He repeated
the act six days later, after his cor
onation, when he appeared again on
the outside loggia. wearing the tiara
and extending his blessing ito the
city and the world"
In smaller things, too. this charac-
teristic of Plus XI was emphasized. 1t
was unusual for the head Of the
church to appear as an author of
secular works, and he consequently
caused some astonishment by pub
fishing a volume on his earlier ex-
periences as a mountain climber.
He invited base ball playing and
introduced radio within the precincts
Of the Vatican. He authorized the
taking OF motion pictures Of himself
and attendants in various ceremonies,
and he installed loud-speakers in st.
Peters, so that all might hear his
voice when the vast edif1ce was packed
with 10000 auditors on great occa-
sions.
He came into power when postwar
burdens still weighed heavily upon the
shoulders Of European states. He
relationship between the church and
these troubled governments. and lost
no opportunity to make his influence
felt in its proper field.
He instituted an effective system Of
relief for the then famished Russians,
endeavoring not only to alleviate the
suffering, but to bring the church Of
Rome into closer relationship with the
Eastern church.
Pope Plus also gave lavishly toward
the relief Of impoverished Austria and
Germany and extended his .benefac-
tions in this regard to Ireland, Greece
and Asia Minor.
It was said that he gave more than
e. nm nm fo OH NV
purse in the first 10 months Of his
reign.
His aims toward conciliation Of peo-
pies made enemies by the propaganda
Of war times, were vigilantly pursued.
When the Genoa conference met in
the Spring Of 1922 he expressed the
position of the Holy See in letter
to the bishop of that city, sending
the missive through Cardinal Cas-
parri.
That conference consisted Of repre-
sentatives of 20 European govern
ments, but the inclusion of Russia
made dominant issue out of re-
newal of relations between the Soviet
Union and other European countries.
Eventually the conference broke down
because Belgium. backed by France,
insisted upon restitution Of all foreign
owned property in Russia which had
been conf1scated or destroyed In Rus
sia.
Was Confronted by
Difficulties With France.
Another question Of great import
which confronted Plus concerned the
relations between France and the
Holy See. The gap caused by the re-
public's expulsion of religious orders
In 1905 had been bridged only in 1921,
when papal nuncio had been re-
turned to Paris. But the structure
OF amity was shaky, and it was con-
stantly imperiled by the activities Of
French royalists. all ardent Catholics
Pope Plus braced the official bridge
into rigidity by putting on the index
"LAction Francaise," the official or
gan Of the royalists. He explained
that every Catholic was free to pre-
fer a monarchy to a republic, but
that the political action advocated by
the royalist leaders was pernicious.
The action virtually barred faithful
Catholics from the French royalist
party. It paved the way for restora-
ton Of full cordial relations between
the Vatican and France, . result