Evening star., 1944-09-04
Pope's Address Called
Expression Of Truths
World Should Take Message to
Heart, Says Lawrence
By David laurence

-
ster or a dictator. 1t can speak fortu-
nately without thought Of political ten-
ure or campaigns, without regard to
parliamentary majorities or party Lead
ership. And 1t can discuss effectively
and erestedly-without being re-
dictionary or radical-the basic issues
Of national and international economies,
and the fundamental principles Of .
world organization to preserve peace
BY the sword, II necessary.
The voice Is that Of Pope Plus XII
whose address during the last weekend
on the occasion Of the fifth anniver-
sary Of this war deserves the closest
reading and the widest possible pub
licity Here Is . message which should
be broadcast by shortwave to the troops
and by the radio networks to all our
citizens.
For it Is a message not Just to Catho-
lies but to Catholics as yell. It Is
the expression of philosophy to which
the non-Christian as well as the Christ
ian peoples Of the world can subscribe.
1t goes to the roots of the whole prob
lem of peace within the borders of
nation and peace outside.
Spirit Of the Advice.
Fragments OF the address have, of
course, been widely publicized. There
Is, for example, the passage on the
Importance of private property but
along with 1t goes a pointed warning
against the abuse Of capitalism. The
address cannot be appraised at its true
value, which is one OF profound great
ness, merely quoting extracts. For 1t is
the entire spirit Of the advice given
and the truths expressed which must
be taken to heart.
There are some in America who are
80 conscious of religious differences or
sectarian cleavages that they hesitate
to read what another religious group
or sect may say. This is the germ on
which epidemics of intolerance are
bred. There are some in America and
other Allied countries, too, who are SO
blinded by the passions of war that
they allow the degrading spirit of ven-
geance to substitute emotion for reason.
1t is, therefore, refreshing and stim-
ulating to read the calm words Of
Pope Plus XII who, in his anniversary
address, has built so sensibly his thesis
on the famous work of the late Pope
Leo XIII whose epochal pronouncement
-"Rerum Novarum"-is still vibrant
with logic and wisdom notwithstanding
the fact that 1t was written in 1893,
long before the combustion engine or
the airplane changed the habits and
mood Of human society.
Pope Plus has, however, said some
things even better than his predeces-
sors. Thus, for instance, he disposes
unequivocally Of both fascism and COM
munism and upholds what we might
call an American liberalism when he
says:
Christian conscience cannot admit
as right social order that denies the
| principle or renders it impossible and
| useless in practice the natural right
to ownership of commodities and means
Of production. Nor can 1t accept sys-
TENS that acknowledge the right to pri-
vate ownership according to an alto
gether false conception and that are op-
posed to q true and healthy social or
der. Therefore. whenever capitalism
bases itself upon such erroneous concep-
tions and arrogates unlimited right to
property without any subordination to
! the common good, the Church has con-
demned 1t rs contrary to the rights Of
man."
Postwar Policing.
On the issues Of peace and policing
postwar Europe, the Pope Is equally
fortnight and clear. He says that "the
sword can-and indeed at times must
be cast over the transition from the
cessation Of hostilities to the formal
conclusion Of peace" Then he adds sig
nificantly that "the threat of the sword
may loom inevitably within juridically
necessary and morally justifiable limits
| even after the conclusion Of peace, to
safeguard the observance of rightful
obligations and prevent temptation to
| conflict
The Pope, while conceding the need
| OF physical force, warns, however, that
the soul Of peace worthy Of the name
and purifying the spirit OF the solution
Il justice" He speaks, for instance, Of
the severe and drastic readjustments to
come inside various nations and asks !:
"Is it not perhaps desirable that for
the public good there should be Coop
Grafton between all upright, honest,
fortnight and experienced people I'm.
mune from all taint of crime and real
abuse even If in the past they found
themselves in another political party?
Would not such an action open the
way to union Of souls?"
There will be disagreement for some
time among partisans in the liberated
countries with his sound advice, but
when the rivers Of blood have run dry
and the murderous anger has subsided
the rightness Of this same doctrine will
rise to plague the conscience of those
who have besmirched the dignity OF
man by allowing themselves to revert
| to the barbaric instincts OF revenge.
For history proves that revenge mere.
ly perpetuates the cycle of war and in
evitably from underground vantage
points carries the battle on with un.
| restrained bitterness and resentment,
| The way Of reconciliation requires con-
siderable self-discipline but 1t Is the
way toward q lasting peace.
Reproduetion RiEhts Reserved,
| Thunderheud