THE VATICAN AND THE WAR
MR. PHILIP GIBBS INTERVIEWS THE POPE
WAR ACTIVITIES REVIEWED By Tolegraoh—Preas Association—OonvrisM (Eec. Octobcr 21, 11.30 p.m.) London, October 20. Sir. Philip Gibbs, the English author, journalist, and war correspondent, publishes in the "Daily Chronicle" a copyright interview accorded him by the Pope at the Vatican on certain questions relating to and'arising from the great war. The Pope, lie says,- mado no reference to bis attitude, towards the question of the responsibility for tlio war. He outlined the works of mercy ceasetossly undertaken, and said that war was a sciiiirgi', and the oileets of wnr enormous and incalculable. Few had guessed that the great war would last i'er marly five years. That long, period of strife, that terrific scourge, will have farreaching and enduring lesults. People must make up their, minds lo endure the consequences of the war. They must steel themselves to sulfer. At the same ■time we must do everything in ' our ;-.(.>cr to alleviate their Bulferings and u.j 1 ho burdens of thoso who aro least to support them. The Pope's thoughts throughout the interview appeared to bo concentrated on. the conditions of the working classes, JTo said that, people had been irritated by a sense of injustice. "There are many men who have made monpy out of tlio war. Those who have thus growa rich will have to pay, and the burden of taxation will doubtless fall heavily on them." The Pope mentioned the financial situation in the various countries. and feared that thero was no quick solution of the economic problems or any immediate prospects of bringing down the. nricos to the normal level.
Referring to Koman Catholic Church's cfl'orts to alleviate Europe's " war-time agonies, he said: "We could do very little in comparison with- the enormous suflering the war caused, but as far as possible we took every opportunity of relieving the people's sorrow by works of charitv. Wo could not do-more. It wa« little, but it did bring comfort to many poor people, wives, prisoners, anil wounded, and also mitigated some of the severities of military acts." The Po|)e recalled that it was the l-sulfc of the Holv See's representations that war prisoners were exchanged, civilian prisoners liberated and exchanged, and missing soldiers traced. The Pope sent ovefc one bundled thousand letters to Italian families whoso soldiers were either prisoners or m:.«sin~. lie also secured a refugo in Switzerland for sick and wounded prisoners. especially for consumptives. It was impossible for the Pope to act in Nurso Cavnll's case owing to the rapidity A«d secrecy of her execution. TBe Pope repented that what his Church could do was very little, and' only touched the great anguish of war.
Turning to the present unsettled state of the world, the I'opc said: "It is tho flutv of all men to endeavour to solvo the post-war social problems in a lawful and neacoable way,, so that the burden will be fairlv shared with good will and charitv." He expressed tho liopo, that Poi)e T.eo XIIT's writings on tho *relation of Capital an-1 Labour would .bo popularised. 'J'heir teaching was summed up in two words, "justice and charitv." The Pope concluded: "Tf men behave justly and .with real Christian charitv towards one another many of tho world's troubles will be removed, but without justice and charity there will lie no social progress."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.
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Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 23, 22 October 1919, Page 7
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562THE VATICAN AND THE WAR Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 23, 22 October 1919, Page 7
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