THE NEUTRALITY OF THE HOLY SEE

New Zealand Tablet, 17 June 1915, Page 47

THE NEUTRALITY OF THE HOLY SEE

Some days ago a cable message from Sydney gave us the views of his Grace Archbishop Cerretti, Apostolic Delegate, with regard to the neutrality of the Holy See in the war. When interviewed (says the Melbourne Advocate ) his Excellency said he was not prepared to express an opinion on Italy’s intervention in the war.

The policy of the Vatican was always that of the observance of strict neutrality when nations were at Avar with one another. For this reason he did not give credence to the cabled report to the effect that the Pope had subscribed £4OOO to the Italian war fund and had allotted £40,000 to Italian victims of the war! When Archbishop Cerretti s attention was drawn to the Paris message wherein it was stated that it was understood that the Pope was about to - issue a manifesto approving of Italy’s intervention in the war, he said it was unlikely that it was correct. lie ex-' plained that these were matters of which, if they were correct, he would in all probability have been officially informed by the Vatican. When acts of injustice and barbarities were committed during the progress of the Avar, it was the province of the Pope to enter a protest, and to do all in his power to stop such practices. The Delegate explained that this had been done in the present war, notably in the Vatican’s protest regarding the bombardment of Rheims Cathedral and the internment of Cardinal Mercier, the Archbishop of Malines. / Following the bombardment of Rheims, Cardinal L. If. Lucon, Archbishop of Rheims, wrote to the Vatican beseeching the Pope to enter a protest to Germany. The Pope replied at once, expressing' his deep sympathy, and intimating his intentions. ' The letter never reached the Cardinal ; possibly the censor, or someone interested in suppressing the letter, stopped its delivery. The non-receipt of the letter, however, created a very bad impression in France and Belgium, and the report became current that the Vatican was openly sympathising with Germany and Austria. In order to set matters right, the Pope had his letter of protest against the bombardment of the Rheims Cathedral published in the Osservatore Romano, official organ of the Vatican. The protest regarding Cardinal Mercier was published in the same way. ‘ These are matters which are not understood here,’ Archbishop Cerretti went on, ‘ and' I have looked in vain for some reference to them in the Australian press. 1 want it particularly understood that the Pope did not favor Germany at any stage of the present war. The Church is universal. She has her subjects in Germany and Austria, as well as among the Allies, and due care must be observed not to hurt the feelings of any section of Catholics. This is why the Church, as a body, must be neutral as far as possible in such a dreadful calamity as Europe is at present experiencing. ‘ The Pope and Cardinals have their private sympathies and opinions, but they may not officially express them. If they did so it might be the cause of a schism.’ . - vo,vv r ...-

' Asked if Italy’s intervention would cause any serious inconvenience to the conduct of the Church’s affairs at the Vatican, the Archbishop expressed the fear that it would. The Italian Government had, he believed, already refused to recognise the neutrality of the Vatican. j-

‘ However,’ he concluded, ‘ out of evil cometh good. The war may lead to a settlement, once and for all, of the neutrality of the Vatican in times of European war, and the end of hostilities, let us hope, will see the world generally prepared to enter on a newer and better life.’ ' f