Evening star., 1940-03-01
Plus XII, Pope a Year, Sees
Two of Church's Fears Realized
War in Europe and Communism on March
Engross Monustic Life of Pontiff :.

gian Ambassador to the Holy See
he was still watching every oppor-
tunity to seek to conclude a peace
honorable for every one"
He called on the fighting ma
tions to observe international rules
OF warfare, to spare civilian popula-
tions, to refrain from using poison
gas. and to treat their prisoners
well, giving them the comforts of
religion
His first encyclical, repeatedly
postponed as the world outlook grew
darker, was a call to sanity in the
midst of war.
His Christmas Eve address to
the cardinals set forth a five-point
base for an eventual lust and
honorable peace"
The Recommendations.
These recommendations were:
l. Assure every nations right to
life and independence.
| 2. Redeem mankind from the
slavery of armaments" by dis
| armament.
3. Correct the faults in such Or
ganizations as the League of Ma
tions.
4. Comply with the needs and
just demands of nations, peoples
and clinical minorities."
5. Observe Christian principles.
Shortly after the war began, there
were stories that the Pope was fast
ing. even sleeping on the floor of his
bedroom, and rising in the night
to pray for peace. The rumors
were believed because of his known
tendency toward the monastic life.
No Prisoner Of Vatican
Yet Plus XII has gone beyond
the confines of Vatican City more
times than any Pope, within the
first year of election, since the
Italian seizure of Rome made the
pontiffs voluntary prisoners with
In the Vatican up to the Lateran
peace of 1929.
He has exchanged ceremonial
visits with Italy's king and queen,
the first time that Pope called on
a ruler of the kingdom. He passed
the summer at Castel Gandolfo, out
side Rome, as was his predecessors
wont. He went to the church of st.
John Lateran, his cathedral as bis
hop OF Rome, to take possession of
his see. He has visited the church
OF st. Mary Major. where he said
MS first mass as priest.
His work has not all been for
peace. Other problems have had
to be solved.
Seeks Amity With Italy.
Chief among these has been i'm
provement of relations with Italy.
which his predecessor left somewhat
strained. If non-totahtarian states
men expected Cardinal Pacelli to be
an anti-Fascist Pope. they have
been disappointed. While he has
inveighed against absolute central
control of the state over the indi-
vidual, ne has avoided disputes with
relationships.
The Pope congratulated the Span
lsh people under Generalissimo
Franco "for the peace and victory
which have been granted by God"
in the civil war.
His handling of the problems be-.
tween the Vatican and other states
has been more diplomatic than that
of his predecessor.
Familiar with United States from
q visit there in 1887, he has devoted
special attention to that country.
One Of his two encycIcals was an
epistk to the bishops of the United
States in which he proposed q
Christian solution of unemployment
and other ills.
Sees Little Peace Hope.
President Roosevelt's Christmas
peace message and his appointment
of Myron Taylor as personal en-
voy to the Pope brought 4 reply
from Plus in which he seconded
Mr.. Roosevelt's peace efforts. but
expressed little hope for peace so
long as the present state of the
opposing forces remains essentially