IT appears to be the opinion of Protestant writers in general at the present time that Papal Rome has a distinct hand in bringing about the great War now raging on the plains of Europe, and after some study of the evidence adduced we feel bound to concur in that opinion. The evidence is of two kinds. The first kind is founded upon well-known facts with regard to the modern policy and aims of the Papacy, and the friendliness of the German Emperor with the Roman see. The second kind of evidence is immediate and direct, based upon the simple matter of fact that the strained relations between Austria and Servia, leading up to the War, were due to a form of Papal aggression which the people of Servia resented.
Let us notice then the first form of evidence. We shall take as our guide an authority of the highest standing. Dr. Robertson of Venice, in his book, named “The Papal Conquest,” written in 1909, has a chapter with the title “The Military Invasion.” Here he forewarns us that the peril of war is “very great and very near”—war deliberately planned by the Pope and the Kaiser in united counsel, “the original date fixed upon” being 1911-1912. Dr. Robertson points out that ever since the Pope lost his temporal power in Italy, in 1870, the Papacy has been ill at ease, and has been constantly plotting with a view to regain that power at all costs. He quotes from an article by Cardinal Manning, written in 1874, the following sentences: “There is only one solution of the difficulty, a solution, I fear, impending, and that is, the terrible scourge of Continental war, a war which will exceed the horrors of any of the wars of the first Empire. And it is my firm conviction that, in spite of all obstacles, the Vicar of Jesus Christ will be put again in his own rightful place. But that day will not be until his adversaries will have crushed each other with mutual destruction.” Manning evidently looked forward to a day when Protestant nations would be at war with one another—a thing which has certainly come to pass in the case of Germany and Britain—but whether the results will be as he expected is a very different and a very doubtful matter. The possibility is that the Papacy itself may be crushed in the struggle. At the same time, it is perfectly plain that in Manning’s case the wish was father to the thought, and that he gave expression to the intense desire of the Papacy to regain its lost power, no matter though Europe would be deluged with blood in the attempt.
Perfectly in harmony with Manning’s utterance is the remarkable testimony borne by a Roman Catholic Delegate to the Peace Conference, held at the Hague in 1899. It appears that the Pope wanted to be represented at this Conference not only as a temporal sovereign but as the world’s great peacemaker, the representative on earth of the Prince of peace, but the proposal was not entertained, as some of “the powers” would have refused to take part in the Conference. At the final meeting, however, “the representative of the Netherlands handed a paper to the Secretary to read.” This paper contained “a letter from his Queen to the Pope, in which she indicated that it was not the fault of her Government that he was not represented at the Conference,” with the Pope’s reply, “in which he magnified his office as the world’s peacemaker, and reiterated his incontestable right, as such, to be represented.” It seems that this paper roused the indignation of one of the delegates, though a Roman Catholic, to the highest pitch, and after the Conference ended he unburdened his mind to Dr. A. D. White, the Ambassador of the United States, who personally related the incident to Dr. Robertson at Venice, and afterwards embodied it in a book, his Autobiography. The following are the chief statements in this striking testimony:—”The Vatican has always been, and is to-day, a storm-centre. The Pope and his advisers have never hesitated to urge on war, no matter how bloody, when the slightest of their ordinary worldly purposes could be served by it. . . . They did everything they could to stir up the war between Austria and Prussia in 1866, thinking that Austria, a Catholic power, was sure to win; and then everything possible to stir up the war of France against Prussia in 1870; . . . and now they are doing all they can to arouse hatred—even to deluge Italy in blood—in the vain attempt to recover the temporal power. . . . Their whole policy is based on stirring up hatred and promoting conflict, from which they hope to draw worldly advantage. In view of all this, one stands amazed at the cool statements of the Vatican letter.”
The above testimony, coming from a Roman Catholic source, cannot be gainsaid. And now the question arises, “How is the Vatican to accomplish its desires and designs?” Dr. Robertson answers this question as follows: “The Vatican looks to the Government of Austria, its bondservant, to restore its Temporal Power: but . . . England blocks the way. Austria cannot move in the matter, either to regain Venetia and Lombardy or to help the Pope to the Temporal Power, until England is humiliated. The Pope and the Church must first find a power to attempt this, a power that will dare to make war upon England, and a serious war it will be . . . Well, the world knows—it has again and again been declared—that the Pope and the Church has found such a power in Germany, and that, in the person of the Kaiser, they have found the very man to inspire and lead the nation in this enterprise.” These words were written by Dr. Robertson five years ago, and we cannot fail to see their far-seeing meaning to-day. The Kaiser “possesses (he proceeds) in quite a phenomenal degree these two qualifications for the task—hatred of England and love of the Pope.” Now, we learn from Dr. Robertson’s pages and other sources that the Kaiser, though a professed Protestant, has shown a remarkable fondness for the Papacy ever since he was Crown Prince. He has paid formal visits to the Pope with considerable pomp on several occasions, and has been in the habit of sending him gifts and congratulations with a regularity excelled by no Roman Catholic fanatic in the world. “His portrait is a prominent object in the Pope’s rooms. Here it is on a table, there it hangs on a wall, yonder it is in an album.” The late Pope carried on his breast “a magnificent cross, composed entirely of emeralds, a gift of the Kaiser.” So recently as July 12th, of this year, eleven days before the War broke out, the Kaiser sent as a present to the Pope a banner, said to be a facsimile of the supposed famous banner of Constantine, the Roman Emperor, who in the early centuries secured the triumph of Christianity over Paganism. This costly banner, “embroidered with precious stones,” was joyfully welcomed by the Pope, and he “sent a most gracious message of thanks through Count Spee” the bearer. We agree with the Editor of the Protestant Observer, to whose pages we are indebted for much information, that this display of love for the Papacy was most significant at such a crisis. The Kaiser appears to have put himself forward as the Constantine who is to deliver the Papacy from her enemies, and “by force of arms restore in its full plenitude the glories of the Temporal Power.” It is further to be observed that, while the Vatican press in Italy have been professing to deplore the terrible bloodshed that is going on, the Jesuit organs in Germany have been strong advocates of the war.
In conclusion, on this line of evidence, we feel bound to say that everything points to the conclusion that the Papacy has had a decided hand in the war. The Kaiser, at any rate, was unmistakably determined upon it, and seems to have been exceedingly anxious to enlist the sympathies and support of the Pope, who, through his influence in Ireland, would secretly weaken the military strength of Great Britain. The Pope and his advisers, on the other hand, intensely desirous of regaining the Temporal Power, have entertained the deep-seated expectation that the German Emperor would be the means of attaining for Rome this greatly coveted object, and there can be little doubt that they gave him every encouragement in his plans. The present course of events, however, is not in favour of Emperor or Pope, and this deeply laid scheme may be ignominiously crushed.
The second kind of evidence, which we have obtained from the American Protestant paper, called The Menace, is to the effect that the strained relations between Austria and Servia, which led to the War, were due to a certain form of Papal aggression in Servia. Through Vatican diplomacy a Concordat had been entered into between the Papal authorities and the Servian government with a view to the State recognition of the Roman Church in Servia, and the introduction of the Ne Temere and other Papal decrees among the Servian people. The greater number of this people belong to the Greek Church, and naturally resented this new development, which seems to have been treacherously carried through. The Archduke of Austria was a strong Papist, and to all appearance was doing his utmost to advance Roman Catholic interests in Servia. His efforts were provocative of reprisals. The Concordat was signed at Rome on the 4th day of June, and four days after, the Archduke and his wife were assassinated at Sarejevo by a Serb student. This tragic event was the occasion of the difference which led to the War, declared by Austria on 28th July. The Menace prints the Concordat in full, as taken from Roman Catholic papers, and from its terms we are not at all surprised at a Servian revolt.
Such are some of the circumstances which lead to the conclusion that Papal Rome has performed her own part in provoking the present tremendous conflict, with the hope that she may regain her former temporal power and glory among the nations. But the actual fruit may be that she will experience a crushing defeat. May the Lord grant such an issue!
The Pope and Peace.
An Italian newspaper states that the Pope is already using diplomatic channels with a view to the Vatican being admitted to the Peace Conference that will doubtless be held after the war. The Pontiff’s object, adds the paper, is that legal guarantees regulating the status of the Papacy in Rome may be duly modified and transformed into an international agreement by the Powers. The Pontiff, concludes the paper, hopes to be successful, as the only Power from which any serious opposition can be expected is Italy, but if Rome remains neutral Italy would have no right to participate in the Peace Conference. The Vatican denies the above statement, and declares that the Pope is only working to shorten the war without any personal considerations.—Glasgow Herald.
We can estimate at its true value the Vatican’s denial. The Italian paper is right.