CHURCH AND WAR.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2793, 10 June 1916, Page 2

CHURCH AND WAR.

BULLYING THE BELGIAIj BISHOPS • \ . j LETTERS FROM GENERAL VON BISSING. "Kultur" seems to have determined OA severity against the Belgian Episcopal (says the London "Tablet"). Whilst Cardinal Mercier was absent on his visit to Roiiie, General von Bissing, Goveruoi-. General of Belgium, has been. tryiig to frighten the Belgian bishops "over th-ii" share m the Joint Letter to the Episco. pato of Germany No reply, to that let ter lias been forthcoming from those to whom it was addressed, but meanwhile General von Bissing has sent an-impu. dent letter to the Belgian, bishbps, in' ivhicluhe informs them that he has referred the matter of the conduct of Cardinal Mercier, with wliict they had as. sociatcd themselves, to the Holy See ihis precious document is as follows: — " lour Lordship trill not be surprised rtfTu 33 m I of surprise ftt the letter of the Belgian bishops to bls ! 10 P?- ' I am well aw w xi in ' -find- their lvordint J! of . His Eminence Cardinal Mercier; but I <annofc but offer my obS ? S^ on ifc Ms- co-signatories; I 0 co ] ,se 'i u ®nces di.vul.wton 1 Vf • ' ts secret disseuiu'iar" ,? - Belgium. The accusations i rward - in tho Jctter are .-lone K' de f ;as .6emus whilst those made i th t 0 German White Pook toe declared to be without value; and ArhK n B i sho P s ' .Committee of for toves the intention -to ren, i. German bishops responsible fot the acts of the official authorities. Th»y hav 6 .the ridrt. and dtit? to complain oi £•«. i u e . Alkffed cruelties enmmitiCeU by our soldiers and faults of oui occupation, they are so unheard if that , to t characterise The Gov. ernment of the kingdom has wnt u, rem. nllv the Holy See concerning the action of Cardinal Mercier, with which you have associated yourself, bv voui u-nmli' a " [l , tllat the positim which the Holy See will take up will spare me from taking measures on-nr own part. ' ' Cardinal Merger's Pastoral. the Cardinal Archbishor of Jxalines.came next. Having returnet trom llomo he has issued a pastoral lette; for- Lent to his people. The text of this , the '"I.iblet"), which wat rcaa in_ the -churches early in the month, has not yet been received in .this councry. But it appears from- a telegram from Havre to h&vo been largely ancerned with, the respect, esteem and gratitude which Catholics owe to the per* son of ths Pope as the successor ox St. leter and the representative of Christ on earth. "Our Holy Father," c write, ine Cardinal, is always and more thai ever; worthy of your Tespect, love, ant consideration. Belgium is ever the coun J 1 ? wl "« k he love 3' Have'confidence ii Mm. J\ hen the light, shall break and th< truth -be reyenietl to the eyes of all in irrefutable aoo.ument&, a unanimous- hom. ftge of gratitude will go out to him, and Belgium will show hint a loyalty greater than ever. In conclusion the Cardinal myites all tho faithful to receive Holy •Communion on the first Sunday of May lor the intentions of the Holy father when the cures will to be. etow- .he papal blessing carrving with it a plenary indulgence applicable to the soldiers- who have fallen on the' field of honour iiy defence of their cpuntry, . According to a Getffiian. version' the Cardinal had stated, in the pastoral that the future of Belgium is w the hands of (iod and that Belgian Catholics should receive Communion on the first Sunday' in May in order to hasten t.'ie victory of the Allies by their prayers." The" "KMnische Zeitung" has described the Letter as an.abuse of religious institutions to politioal ends. The C«rdinal uses the interests of the Church for a propaganda purely political"; whilst a Frankfort paper declares that tho camluct of Cardinal Mercier. is becoming "intolerable." Ii there is ' nothing more in tho Pastorai than what the Cologne journal refers to it is indeed, hard to see. what ground the Germans could have for complaint. Threats to the Cardinal. This pastoral seems ito have given von Bissing the opportunity he was wanting to include the Cardinal in hisbullying. He has sent his Eminence a long letter in which, according, to a Router's Dies, sage, lie ivrites:— / "Thero can, of course, be not the J.easl doubt I would never prevent your . Eminence from communicating to your flock what the Holy Father wishes to let it know thi'oughyou; biit beyond that your Eminence, in youi pastoral letters, indulges in political statements against which I decidedly pro. test. It is quite inexcusable that your Emiiionce should raise unjustified hopes as icgnrds the issue of the war. Thus, for instance, your Eminence iias mention, ed tlio inaccurate utterances of person who arc not in touch with events ; and ooiild certainly not be called experts. By such arbitrariness you. cause among the credulous population a noxious excitement and induce them to oppose the work of administration of those in occupation of the country. . Especially inadmissible in your pastoral letter is 'the Hint.'at a. menace to the religious liberty of the peopld of the occupied territory.' Your Eminence knows best-how- completely unjustified is this suspicion. In these circumstances I shall henceforth .sternly prosecute "any. political activity and any. stirring up of hostile sentiment against the authority of ilia occupying Power, which is legitimate according' to international' law. If,-..hither* to, I have submitted offences of the clergy to your Eminence for punishment I must r.cxv desist from this procedure, because your Eminence sets ail example of insubordination, and, therefore, no succcss can be expected from your intervention. Tout Eminence will once more reply that I have misunderstood individual passages of tin pastoral letter. As such controversy is wholly fruitless, I have no ijrtention to l-eopen it. Moreover, lam firmly resolved no more to allow your Eminence to al>u» your liigli oilioa and carry on a political! imitation, for which ordinary will ho called to account. I warn yoirt"" Eminence tu.desist from political activ To General von Hissing's letter the Cnr< dinal has, according to the "Tyd's" Bel', gian correspondent, sent a disnified answer 1 asserting that what he wrote .in his pas-» toral letter was entirelv within his right. He recalls tlio .illegality of the German attitude towards Belgium and towards his rights both as an episcopal authority and as a citizen, and emnhasiscs the inaccuracy of General von Bissing's remark than the Cardinal wished to excite the population", which as a matter of fact had continued to preserve a calm and nobw attitude. THE SUPREME WEED. "All men who take life seriously at, tlio present timo are anxious for a revival of'religion," says tho "Inquirer." "They may not call it by that name, but they recognise tliat the .supreme, need is tlint. of. moral'and spiritual power dwelling.in .their hearts, lifting • them above sordid cares and mean aims, and welding them into a fellowship of, goodness. They would also probabl? agree that this need is not one which can bo safely lieglectod or left, to tlia influence of casual reading or tlio ordinary services of tho church.. They cannot dismiss it with n shrug of tlio shoulders as tho business of t-ha clergy." A WAR TROPHY. The Rev. AY. M. Roberts, vicar oi 1 Llnngedwyn, Oswestry, has suggested to the Eisteddfod Committee at Aberystwyth that they should follow the exampio of the Llangollen Eisteddfod of 1858, and raise the value of a golden torque to be giyen to the bravest soldier of "Welsh nationality in the present war. The suggestion was favouiuhly received, and Professor Stanley Koborts re-» marked that Welsh naval men should also bo included. It is a well-known fact that tlio commander of tlio sub-ma-ino which sank the Undine was f Welshman. Mr. Roberts is-tho son o tho late "Ellis Wyn, of Wyrfai," wh' ran "Ebon Pardd" a close race at tha famous .ra«tfeddfod of 1868.