MARSHAL FOCH'S RELIGION

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 244, 9 July 1919, Page 8

MARSHAL FOCH'S RELIGION

Sir,—The persiflage indulged in by "8.T.G." in his attempt to correct rue on the quality of Marshal Foeh's religion is characteristic of my Romanist antagonists. I have not the honour of a personal acquaintance with the great Marshal, and do not pose as an authority ,on hie personal opinions and religious beliefs, but I have the testimony ot one who has a personal acquaintance, and this is my authority for tho statement. 'Colonel" Beattie, of the Canadian 'Forces, in ,an address before the Can. ndian Club at Vancouver, stated that Marshal Jfoch is a.member of the Presbyterian Church of France and an o'.der. of that Church.. This statement is repeated by the Presbyterian "Witness" of Halifax,'N.Si The fact that the (R.) Catholic "Who's Who" for 1919 does not include the Marshal-in .the list., of prominent Romanists is remarkable if,, as your correspondent so stoutly maintains, the Marshal is one of the bright and Binning lights of that organisation. Lspecially is this so in view of his quoted extracts from the •'Times History of the War." The truth of the "Times" statement, as, wet.l as the statements of the various Jesuit journals which he cites, and the statements of oilier Komanists mentioned by your correspondent, must be in gravo doubt so far us the compilers of the authoritative "Who's Who." are concerned. The mattw seems to rest upon the testimony of the fact that the Marshal did what a Protestant would do and what a Romanist is forbidden to do. The fourth rule of the Congregation of the Index of Prohibited Book—the "Index Expurgatorimis," approved by Pius IV and still in force-prohibits the circulation of, the Jiible. Pope Leo XII exhorted his priests to turn their flocks away from these "poisonous pastures," i.e.. the Bible! whilst Pius IX, "Compendio delia Dottrina Cristiana," 190G, p. 273, prohibits Protestant Bibles, and later Popes threaten with excbmmunipation anv wlio circulate or possess a copy of the Bible; and within tho Inst ten years Koinaiiists have burnt the Bibles in public vhicli the priests had commanded the people [o give up. In the light of the Papai interdict and its threatened , penalties. Marshal Foeh's approval and sanction of. the distribution of■ Bibles to the Irench troops is the action of a very bad Homanist or of a very good Pro estaut, and the evidence points to tho latter as the more probable. Tie Protestantism of-Marshal Joffre is well known, and it is not surprising that the, evidence points to Marshal Foch as being ot the smne patriotic and heroic faith.—L .mi, etC "' HOW AID ELLIOTT. ■ Wellington, July 5, 1919. [We have received several communications for which ire have not epaco on the point discussed by Mr. Llliott and other- correspondents, and have been asked our opinion on the question. bucli evidence as we possess goes, to show tlut Marshal Focli is a lioinau Catholic. |