The Voice of the Vatican

...Indeed, it seems that the passing of "secret diplomacy" has made peo- ple more anxious than ever to discover secrets...

...Though this may seem a mat- ter of minor importance, it does indicate that Geneva is genuinely anxious to afford Catholic opinion a hear- ing on matters in which it is directly interested...

...The League was on the verge of accepting the mandatory statute presented by Great Britain and, of course, the article governing the disposition of the holy memorials...

...Catholic interests seemed adequately safeguarded, but the fact that the com-mission was to consist almost entirely of British rep- resentatives practically insulated the governor of Palestine from criticism...

...To them might be appended, of course, other recent and quite definite statements by the Holy See on the moral evils of an exaggerated nationalism...

...and Lord Balfour summed up the matter by saying that the original projects of his government 'had been very unfavorably received by those who represent Catholic opinion in the world.' "This result was an indication of what could be accomplished at Geneva by adriot use of diplomatic means...

...But it is nevertheless true that the nuncio's praise of the conciliatory policy sponsored by Briand in the name of France implies more than appears upon the im-mediate surface...

...Nevertheless, it is quite true that the man chosen for the position is considered unusually qualified to act as an "observer" of the League, in the American fashion...

...This provided for an international commission entrusted with the task of maintaining supervision and reporting difficulties to the League...

...This papal action was, of course, a continuation of the charitable endeavor sponsored by the Holy See during the war rather than an attempt to take a stand on a political issue...

...What His Honor has done for decency in the city should be brought to the attention of every representative of the city at Albany with a very definite demand that they do their share in the legislature to voice the feelings of those who elected them...

...It seems that the existing arrangement is the best conceivable under existing drcumstances---much bet-ter, indeed, than direct affiliation of the Papal See with the League powers...

...If they will not, opportunity can be found to do to them what the mayor seeks to do to news-dealers who perpetuate a scandal--revoke their permits...

...Thus it is also significant that among the delegates at the Opium Conference summoned by the League there were two missionary priests who had returned to Europe expressly for the purpose, and that Monsignor Constantini offered the assistance of the Catholic derg3r in the Far East...

...Finally, after various British manoeuvres and further papal notes, the matter was successfully dis- posed of...

...But it was natural that the growing importance of the League made it necessary that the Papacy, like all other powers, should observe what was done at Geneva with great care...

...This resolve has been manifested particularly in various relations between the Papacy and the League of Nations--rela- tions so little known here and so well set forth in a paper by Doctor Carl Docka, of Zurich, that we think it helpful to quote a little : "The first contact between the Vatican and Geneva was brought about by Benedict XV during September, x92I, when he addressed the assembly of the League regarding the famine in Russia...

...Recent history shows that the Vatican, far from entertaining visions of what the League might conceivably be, is reckoning with it as a political reality...

...THE VOICE OF THE VATICAN T HE effect of the New Year's address by Mon- signor Maglione, papal nuncio in Paris, was marred by curious attempts to read into it a lot of subterranean meanings...

...People have exaggerated the posi- tion of the nuncio in Berne, who was accredited, for the first time since fifty years, at precisely the same moment that the seat of the League was established at Geneva...

...January I9, I9z7 THE COMMONWEAL z8 7 of departure for an intensive campaign of education in New York...

...The reply was that everything possible would be done to ameliorate con-ditions...

...In these remarks, it seems to us, there is food for much thought...

...The nuncio, in fact, played an important part in the negotiations which marked the second contact be- tween the League and the Vatican...

...If they will, they shall receive plenty of support from upstate members and the leading state in the Union shall soon have anti- obscenity laws with teeth in them...

...Nowadays any pronounce-ment of a political sort is sure to kindle the "prophetic" imagination of Europe...

...The Holy See therefore addressed a note to the Secretary of the League, in which a definite protest was voiced against the arrange- ment...

...Of course, this action presupposes the authorization of Rome...

...Great Britain had been accorded a mandate over Palestine...

...Behind it stands the Vatican's abid- ing resolve to encourage as much as it can every effort to promote the conciliation of Europe...

...These powers are not confronted with the delicate problem of altering the statutes gov- erning the constitution of the Council and the Assembly, and the opportunity to safeguard Catholic interests is always there...

...It remains to be noted that in response to a request from the League the Holy See appointed Pro- fessor Gianfrancheschi, of the Gregorian University, as its representative in the commission to achieve a reform of the calendar...

...It seemed obvious that the status quo of the regulations govern- ing the sacred places was endangered...

...This ought to silence voices which are constantly talking of a gulf between Rome and Geneva, and so attempting to hamper the activity of the Vatican...

...and the Swiss delegate, M. Motta, arose to 'announce, amid generous applause, that this was the first time that relationship had been established be- tween Rome and the League...