CHURCH AND WAR CHURCH AND WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3042, 31 March 1917, Page 18

CHURCH AND WAR

miHDirS PATRIOT CASBML IStIBUTE BY AN AMERICAN BISHOP Dllis Eight Rev. Samuel Fallows Bis'htm of the. Reformed Episcopa Clmreh, Chicago, has published an ap.pnedation of' : Cardinal Mercier., from Wihiksh ir» take the following:— Oae <d the most striking personages of this Wood-stained era is Cardina, MsTcier of Belgium. His arm has neyei lifted a. sword—has carried nothing iteavier than a. hook or a crosaer, it fast—yet it .wields more power over wramiiymen and foe alike than any other "iu Belgium, not-even excepting that of Albert, his heloved King. _ Such spiritual heroism as Cardinal • Mercier. has displayed since the beginhshk of the war has heen rarely equalled in the world's history ._ "With his country lying stark and silent at his feet, this prelate dared to step forth, one puny man against the whole oi the terrible Central Powers, raising his Voice in. protest against the devastator around him. After the sacking'of Lou vain and the destruction of her. University, hie Alma Mater, with tht priceless library therein, the, greai Cardinal's human heart well-nigh broke.. The University, with its treas ; I Hired library and its associations, hat meant everything to.him, in an earthlj sense. AIK his youthful dreams ant plans for future, Christian service wer< born within those walls. He was a diligent and an enthusiastic student' After his graduation, he became Professor of Tiibnuisian philosophy in thai ancient centre of learning, and worth ily upheld the sacred traditions, of tht important chair. The. man who was destined to become Cardinal loved teaching, and was a natural leader of n-en. l*'or his pupils and disciples he felt thejjreatesl affection and tenderest'solicitude. • Ht S»rew stoadily more and more famous When the presidency of the Koyai Academy of Sciences, Letters, and Fine Arts of Belgium was offered to him, lie accepted it humbly and wonderfully -as was his wont. To him all the credii lay with'his beloved Alma Mater, not with himself. In recognition of his great public service, he was made Archbishop oJ Mechlin in 1906, and created a Car dinal, April 15, 1907. And -always, ir the midst of the dignities and honour! which came to him, the University ol Louvaiu seemed in his memory like a ladder, as it wore, to the higli>p]ant on which ho stood. s Then came the thunderbolt—war Louva'iii, idol of the Cardinal's mint and heart, was the first victim of its ravages. The world • shuddered oi raged. But the spiritual soul of tht Cardinal took this, the greatest of all his sorrows, straight to God. It may be that the passionate .prayej of!this latter-day saint was answered by the inspiration of that famous Pastoral Letter which afterward shooL the whole world with the strength ol .its pleading. At any rate, Christendom has listened.breathlessly over since to each word Cardinal Mercier has pub licly uttered, suro of its inextinguishably truthful origin. Cardinal Mercier's voice lms not yet been silenced. Ho is'still the mouthpiece of his unconquerable little nation, the chaunel through which their' accumulated sufferings are poured upon s pitying Western world. Just now ho is giving speech to the feolings of his countrymen upon the subject of' t'heii 'deportation for tho purpose of aiding the German Empire in furthor con- . quest.- ~■':-.,■ Only a nature formed from a combination of tho ascetic "and the soldioi could dare speak at such a time anc 1 in such a manner as has this coura; geous prelate. And yet the Cardina is not a very young man. Born in 1851 he is far from being either youthfn in) appearance or strong in physique Tall and thin, ho is the ascotio ir every lineament. Yet of his physic*, and moral bravery there have been fere peers in history. It is related of bin that on a morning when he was driving in his automobile along the street* of a neighbouring village, a little gir ran directly in the path of the flyin| car Instantly the Cardinal shoutet to his driver to swerve from the road though in the fulfilling of this commanc the chauffeur was obliged to head for t high, stone wall! The Cardinal waf thrown out, and sustained severt lacerations of the head and face be cause of his intrepidity. When condolec with-subsequently, he remarked witt fervour- that his injuries were a rea: source of happiness to him, if through ,them the child's life might be saved, It is said that the Cardinal loves America especially because his unole, the Very Rev. Adrian J. Croquet, was ' one of the great pioneer missionaries in this country'. The latter was known as "tho saint of Oregon." The' Cardinal has spoken many-times to Amoricans,,to whom he has given audience, of his ■ great desire to visit America and to see the places where his Sstinguished relative performed his »iany exploits. It is not-unlikely that tht influence of tho valorous pioneer pries! had a sub-conscious influence in forming the character of his stout-heartec Belgian relative. But from whatevci source I Cardinal! Mercier draws his con tempt of danger, he understands ae well as any living man to-day the 7 meaning of Christ's words: "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it.; hut whosoever will lose hislife for Mj - sake, the same shall save it.'