Evening star., 1940-12-22
Pope Urges Catholics
To Pray at YuIetime
For War Sufferers
Special Concern Expressed
For Children in Letter
To Cardinal MoeIione
ny the Associated Press,

By the Associated Press,
VATICAN CITY, Dec. 21.-Pope
Pius XII asked the Worlds Catho-
les today to pray at Christmas time
for the sufferers of war and to re-
member in charity these little
brothers who are without bread,
without clothing and without fam
ily."
In a letter to Cardinal Maglione,
the Papal Secretary of State, the
Pontiff expressed special concern
for the children and urged that
"every one do what he can, where
he can, how he can
He expressed once again the hope
that the warning countries would
''do honor to the good traditions OF
civilized life by not permitting the
children of belligerent countries or
those in any way involved in the
war to suffer unmerited pain ="
Grateful to U. S. Bishops.
He had done all he could, he said.
to avert the ills of war, but he had
met difficulties at all times more
serious still than those in the past
World War-some of them inherent
to the very nature of the scourge
which is raging; others. We must
also say, interposed by the will of
men,"
Thus, he went on, armed only
with the arms of truth, justice and
Christian charity, that which we
can do still once more is to invite
all propitiating prayer and signi-
ficant beneficent action"
The Pope expressed especial
gratitude to the American bishops
who, although far from the horrors
of war, have shown once more their
full comprehension of the needs OF
the suffering church -.
ITO it (the American episcopacy)
goes out our full and entire graft
tude and also goes our benedic-
ton ="
Appealing for prayer and for
charity-charity without relaXa-
ton and without encouragement"
he observed:
PRAYER is force which acts
softly and irresistibly on the human
will"
The pontiff said "the sad echoes
of the devastating war come from
all sides, even in the great festival
of peace-the nativity OF our Lord
and they are the voices OF our
sons who are struggling in grave
suffering and imploring aid"
Points Out Child Sufferings.
"Such a large sum of ills and
sufferings, which are growing worse
and spreading more every day, can
not fail to find most sad echo in
our fatherly heart, which gathers
the sorrows and tears of all our sons
without distinction, so that we can
desire nothing greater in such an
upset of things than to relieve
bodies and raise the spirits" he
wrote.
Toward this we have turned all
our possibilities and have left moth
ing untried in order that in such
q great accumulation of miseries
the pity of that Jesus whose part
We unworthily play on earth can
express itself sowing its good and
rea ming IFS fruit. -
Among all the sufferers We point
out the children-those who in these
days bring to mind the Child OF
Bethlehem, friend Of the small and
innocent.
HE who defends them from evil
rose up severely against all forms
of dishonor toward them and be-
comes through our voice their de-
fense against earthly evil, extend
ing a hand for them and repeating
for those who are first among His
smallest brothers: I was hungry
and you gave me food. I was
without home and you took me in.
-" was naked and you clothed
me.'r