England, Canada and the Great WarDesjardins, L. G. (Louis Georges)
History
England, Canada and the Great War
Desjardins, L. G. (Louis Georges)
Great Britain -- Colonies -- Canada; Imperialism; World War, 1914-1918; World War, 1914-1918 -- Canada
Most happily, such a disordered opinion is shared only by a small
minority. It can be positively affirmed that public opinion, the world
over, outside the Central Empires and their swayed allies, is almost
unanimous that Germany, through her military party and the junkers
element, is responsible for the dire calamity she has brought on
Humanity. The question of the restoration of "PEACE" must be viewed from
this starting point--the only true one.
The standpoints of the TRUE and the FALSE friends of PEACE being so far
apart, the conclusions they draw are naturally widely different.
CHAPTER XXXII.
A MOST REPREHENSIBLE ABUSE OF SACRED APPEALS TO THE BELLIGERENT NATIONS.
I cannot qualify in milder words the use Mr. Bourassa has made of the
solemn appeals His Holiness the Pope of Rome has, at different dates,
addressed to the belligerent nations in favour of the restoration of
peace. I bear to the Head of the Church I am so happy to belong such a
profound respect and devotion that I will scrupulously abstain from any
comment of the Sovereign Pontiff's writings and addresses. I have read
them several times over with the greatest attention and veneration, so
sure I was that, emanating from the highest spiritual Authority in the
world, they were exclusively inspired by the ardent desire to promote a
recurrence to good-will amongst men, in obedience to the Divine precept.
Having to reproach the Nationalist leader with having abused of the
weighty words of His Holiness, to support his own misconceptions of duty
as a loyal British subject and a Christian publicist, I will refrain
with great care from writing a sentence which might be construed as the
shadow of an attempt to do the same.
I will take from Mr. Bourassa's own comments of the Sovereign Pontiff's
appeals, the two conclusions upon which he lays great stress, and which
clearly summarize the convictions of His Holiness Pope Benedict XV.
Praying with all the powers of His heart and soul for the orderly future
of the world, the Sovereign Pontiff implored, in the most touching
terms, the belligerent nations to agree to a "JUST AND DURABLE PEACE."
As it was certain, even if He had not said so with such pathetic
expressions, His Holiness drew the saddest possible picture of the
untold misfortunes war, carried on in such vast proportions, was
inflicting upon the peoples waging the struggle.
I will only quote the few following words from the first letter of His
Holiness, dated July 28, 1915:--
"_It cannot be said that the immense conflict cannot be terminated
without armed violence._"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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