Sacred Heart College - Stella Oriens Yearbook (Regina, Saskatchewan Canada)

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Taylor”, the letter stated, “to convey my cordial greetings to you my old and good friend and my sincere hope that the common ideals of religion and humanity itself can have united expression for the re-establishment of a more permanent peace on the foundations of freedom and assurances of life and integrity of all nations under God.” Both sides however, found some comfort in the Pope’s outline for a post war settlement in June, 1941. In it he defended private property, asked for more equitable distribution of the world’s goods, for respect for the rights of workers, for respect for the integrity of the family and for less restriction on immigration by large nations and since then the Vatican has persisted in its attitude of strict neutrality. When Myron Taylor had audiences with the Pope again in the fall of 1941, reportedly to get him to declare the war with Germany as a just one, nothing came of it. Thus the smallest kingdom in the world under his rule, is today a sanctuary-prison for diplomats of countries at war with Italy. Pius XII himself is neither Pro-ally nor Pro-axis. He is the Vicar of his Church whose welfare he must place before all temporal matters. Yet, declares the Osservatore Romano, neither is he a neutral. He should be considered a combatant fighting for a just peace based on the five points he has twice repeated: 1. To assure the right to life and independence to all nations, great and small, powerful and weak, is a fundamental postulate for a just and honourable peace. 2. To establish this, the nations must be freed from the heavy burden of the armaments ' race. 3. Juridicial institutions must guarantee the loyal and lawful applica¬ tion of an agreement. Arbitrary and unilateral interpretations of a treaty must be avoided. 4. The just demands of the nations and peoples and also of the ethnic minorities must be considered if necessary, by means of a just, wise, and acceptable revision of treaties. 5. The Pope emphasized that those who govern the peoples must be imbued with a sense of responsibility. The exact attitude of the Pope towards the ever-interesting Spanish question can perhaps be best set forth briefly by his famous telegram to General Franco of Burgos: Lifting up Our heart to the Lord we give sincere thanks with Your Excellency for Spain ' s desired Catholic victory. We express Our vows that your most beloved country, peace attained, may undertake with new vigour the ancient Christian traditions which made her great. With affectionate sentiments We send Your Excellency and the whole noble Spanish people our Apostolic blessing. THIRTEEN

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However, in spite of the happy auguries pointing to an early peace, war has tightened its death grip on the world and war has added immeas¬ urable burdens both practical and spiritual to the already heavy task set before Pius XII. In his short reign of three years, Pope Pius XII has raised several servants of God to the honours of the altar.St. Gemma Galgani, St. Euphrasie Pelletier, St. Maria Cabrini, Bl. Phillipine Duchesne, Bl. Joach- ima be Vedruna, Bl. Maria Crucifixia di Rosa, Bl. Ignatius ar Laconi, to mention only a few. Our Holy Father has recently erected a new arch¬ diocese in the United States. The election of Cardinal Pacelli meant continuance of Pius XI’.s policy which as Papal Secretary of State he had helped to effect; a policy of opposition to race prejudice, religious persecution, and what is most important — to wars of aggression. His first message was a plea for peace; he made untiring efforts to convene a five-power conference for peaceful settlement of Europe’s problems. His views on the Social Structure were clearly set forth in his broadcast from Rome, June 1, 1941, wherein he declared that individual right cannot in any way be suppressed. As the war has gone on, pained but not daunted when his proposals are politely eluded, Pius has repeatedly renewed his peace efforts. Diplomatic advan¬ ces, offers of mediation and appeals to dictators have been reinforced with orders for public Masses and Crusades of Prayer, for special appeals to the Blessed Virgin by little children bearing flowers. The Pope himself has been besieged by appeals, public and private, from statesmen, church¬ men and laymen to take more active steps against war; he has been simul¬ taneously applauded for vigor and denounced for weakness. From the first momentous days of his reign, nay, even from his first words as Pope ail his efforts have been for Peace. His motto like a gleam¬ ing star has guided his actions and his diplomacy. “Peace, the fruit of Justice”. His Easter Homily pursued this theme of peace, when to an anxious world he pleaded for peace based on justice and charity. Peace could not exist, he said, if solemnly sanctioned pacts and the plighted word had lost that value indispensable to reciprocal confidence. A remarkable diplomatic development in Pius XII’s reign was Presi¬ dent Roosevelt’s appointment of Mr. Myron Taylor as his private ambassa¬ dor to the Holy See, for in making the appointment President Roosevelt had broken a 70-year-old tradition — the last official representative of the United States had left Rome in 1870. The Pope described the President’s action as undoubtedly helping in the common aim, to secure peace and lighten the suffering of war. The personal letter of introduction from the President carried the felicitations of Roosevelt to Pius: “I am asking Mr.

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It is significant to note that on that very day the United States Gov¬ ernment decided to recognize General Franco as a de jure ruler of Spain and lifted the embargo on the shipment of arms to Spain which had been in force for more than two years. The desire of allied and axis power to secure Papal friendship for their cause, or at least to determine the Papal attitude towards questions of the moment resulted in the arrival in Rome, of Sumner Wells and Von Ribbentrop. Mr. Wells learnt that the Pope still insisted on the famous five points which he outlined in his Christmas Eve address. In London there was much appreciation of the Pope’s resolute answers to Von Ribben- trop’s specious talk of peace. It was said the talks appeared to have been fruitless and that the Pope had “delicately snubbed” the German Foreign Minister. In concise, unequivocal language Pius XII makes it clear where lies the original cause of the chaos we have inherited from the time of the French Revolution to our own distraught times. “It is the rejection of a universal norm of morality, as well for individual and social as for inter¬ national relations. The Pontiff prays for a return of a salutary “thirst for truth, justice, and the peace of Christ...” that “to those who are indifferent as yet or hostile to Christ may come a ray of the light which once trans¬ formed Saul into Paul.” Here we have the patience and faith of the saints. Little wonder that wise men everywhere are unreservedly conceding that, above the din of conflicting passions, there is one sane voice in Europe today — the voice of the reigning Pontiff of Rome, the 12th to bear the glorious name of Pius. —P. B. Titles of photos on opposite page. I. Mrs. Smith ' s pride and joy. Our horticulturist. — 2. Mr. Henderson and “Toots’ (our mascot). — 3. Kept in. — 4. How we treat nice street car conductors. — 5. A glamour girl in the making. (Margaret). Add seasoning and mix well. See picture (8) or result. — 6. Vanity, the name is Peggy. — 7. Through for the day . 9. World’s youngest co-ed, Jane Champ. — 10. June and Vivian. Going some place girlsf II. Peggy, the toboggan slide is conspicuous by its absence. — 12. Applying the law of conservation of energy. 13. The age of innocence . (Margaret). — 14. We cover the earth . FOURTEEN