THE POPE AND THE WAR.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1631, 31 October 1916, Page 4

THE POPE AND THE WAR.

What amounts to a defence of the attitude of the Pope in regard to Germany’s breaches of international law was published recently in the form of an interview which a representative of the Journal had with Cardinal Gasparri, the Papal Secretary of Slate. Asked why it had not. been possible for "the nighest moral authority in the world” to condemn "Vervain methods employed in the present war,” the Cardinal xeplied: —‘‘This reproaeh has been made against us, and recently repeated with inconceivable levity by some great newspapers. The Holy See, however, has already condemned such violations ot international law, and has also, both in the Allocution of January 22nd last year and elsewhere, recalled the belligerents to the observance of the laws of war. Ought or could tbe Holy See go so far as to pronounce condemnations by name in particular cases ? These accusal ions have come from ail quarters and limn both sides. We must it we are to be impartial, deal with all by the same rale. Been if we cojild approaeli the actual accused parly we should probably bo more or less politely refused information or receive denials, or perhaps explanations which we could not investigate. It would lie easy lo give examples of this. Now are we not doing much (tetter than this? Me hold ourselves entirely outside the conflict, which enables us lo do good fo all, and even perhaps gently and quietly to induce belligerents to give up some of the practices in question. We do not always kiicceed, but sometimes we do, and the little that we gain is so much less evil on earth.”