Papal Statement on the War
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It is testament to the wages of sin, and of the consequences of dismissing the truth of God and human nature that on this dark hour war has once again descended to plague Europe and the world. For years of policies aimed not at promoting concord and Christian peace, but at the spreading of perverse ideologies and obtaining dominion and advantage against other nations have finally reached their culminating end, and the world of our predecessor have been proven true. For the late Pope Paul VI warned about this "armed peace" afflicting Europe and the world in his encyclical "Praeclara Gratulationis Publicae", and saw that unless true peace was established, war would come. How woeful is this hour in which the truth of his words has been made manifest, for as he said...
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"For many years past peace has been rather an appearance than a realty. Possessed with mutual suspicions, almost all the nations are vying with one another in equipping themselves with military armaments. Inexperienced youths are removed from paternal direction and control, to be thrown amid the dangers of the soldier's life; robust young men are taken from agriculture or ennobling studies or trade of the arts to be put under arms. Hence the treasures of States are exhausted by the enormous expenditure, the national resources are frittered away, and private fortunes impaired.; and this, as it were, armed peace, which now prevails, cannot last much longer. Can this be the normal condition of human society? Yet we cannot escape from this situation, and obtain True Peace, except by the aid of Jesus Christ. For to repress ambition and covetousness and envy--the chief instigators of war--nothing is more fitted than the Christian Virtues and, in particular, the Virtue of Justice; for, by its exercise, both the law of nations and the faith of treaties may be maintained inviolate, and the bonds of brotherhood continue unbroken, if men are but convinced that Justice exalteth a nation."
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Now that war has come, however, it is not too late for the nations to adopt the raiment of Christ and to seek peace, and the restoration of the glories of justice and the ennobling arts amongst your peoples. Through dialogue, cannot Germany, Britain, Russia and Italy take counsel together and achieve a restoration of serenity amongst themselves for the good of their own nations? Cannot they take counsel together under the patrimony of Christ, and perceive that the true suffering lies with those many men, women and even children who will endure the hardships of war even unto death at the behest of princes, and due to the ambitions and diabolical errors that have so plagued our times and led men to forsake compassion and humanity in the name of power.
The Holy See, neutral in this conflict, offers itself as arbiter and host should the nations in this conflict choose to take the path of conciliation and peace. We, in the name of the Church of God call you to choose peace and life, rather than war and death. Remember, no others but yourselves can make the choice between peace and war, and no others but yourselves will face the consequences for the choices that you choose to make.
sincerely
Pope Pius X.
