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NSIGHTJuly/August 2006, Volume XIV, No. 7 $4.00 WWW.CATHOLICINSIGHT.COM

Against God and CountryEditorial3

Pope Benedict XVDimitri Cavalli12

Why is marriage precious?Doug McManaman13

Historical Chart 1965-2006Courts—Legislation—Consequences17

«- Detail from David, Gerard (1460-1523), The Wedding atCana (Musee du Louvre, Paris )

Letters: 4-8; Ian Hunter (The Gospel of Judas] 9; Ulrich (Fisherman's Wife] 10;Goodden (Faithful chronicler of the higher madness) 11; Catholic Insight Staff(Defend Marriage) 32; News in Brief 33-41; Boo% Reviews: 42-44. 7 ""25274 "86070 ""a

FEATURE ARTICLE BY D IM I T R I C A V A L L I

Who was Pope Benedict XV?

T;Ihe election of Pope Benedict XVI in 2005 sparkedconsiderable interest in his namesakes. Amongthem was the last pope named Benedict, who

reigned from 1914 to 1922 and is probably the leastknown of the 20 -century pontiffs. In fact, Prof. John F.Pollard's 1999 biography of Benedict XV is appropriate-ly entitled The Unknown Pope.

World War IA former Vatican diplomat,

Giacomo Cardinal Delia Chiesa ofBologna, was elected pope onSeptember 3, 1914, and took thename Benedict XV The new popeimmediately devoted his attention toWorld War I, which had broken outabout a month earlier.

Despite tremendous pressures,Benedict XV refused to take sidesand maintained the Vatican's strictneutrality. The pope sought to playthe role of mediator between theAllies (France, Britain, Russia) andthe Central Powers (Germany,Austria) and frequently appealed forthe restoration of peace. Benedict'sneutrality outraged both sides, whoaccused him of sympathizing withtheir enemies.

With his calls for peace ignored,Benedict organized massive relief efforts on behalf ofrefugees, civilians, and prisoners of war. In his biogra-phy The Life of Benedict XV (1959), Walter H. Peterswrites that the pope "had depleted the [Vatican's] treas-ury in charitable contributions during the war andafter." In fact, when the pope died in 1922, the VaticanSecretary of State had to borrow money to pay for thefuneral.

Reports of atrocities poured into the Vatican withdemands that the Pope condemn them. Since theVatican was rarely able to verify the reports, which were

often exaggerated and the product ofwartime propaganda, the Pope limitedhimself to condemning atrocities in generalterms. "And we do proclaim it withoutmodification, condemning openly everyinjustice by whatever side it has been com-mitted," he said on January 22, 1915.

Pope Benedict XV

Dimitri Cavalli is asocial studies editor inNew York City. He is

planning to write bookson both Pope Pius XIIand Joe McCarthy, the

late manager of theNew York Yankees.

Armenian GenocidePope Pius XII, who used Benedict's wartime poli-

cies as a model for his own during World War II, was notthe first pontiff to confront genocide. During World WarI, the Ottoman Empire exterminated over one millionArmenians. Prof. Pollard details how Benedict XVresponded to the Armenian genocide.

In July 1915, the Pope instructedMsgr. Luigi Dolci, the apostolic del-egate in Constantinople (present-day Istanbul), to protest the mas-sacres with the Ottoman govern-ment. The Pope called on Germanyand Austria-Hungary to pressuretheir Turkish ally to stop the killingsand made a personal appeal onbehalf of the suffering Armenians tothe Ottoman Empire's SultanMehmed V, who was also the IslamicCaliph (spiritual leader of Muslims).

Peace NoteOn August 1, 1917, Benedict XV

submitted his Peace Note to the bel-ligerent powers. His plan for a "justand lasting peace" among nationsincluded international arbitration tosettle disputes, freedom of the seas,reciprocal disarmament and renun-ciation of war debts, and the evacua-

tion and restoration of all occupied territories.The belligerent powers, including the United States,

all rejected the pope's peace note. However, PresidentWoodrow Wilson's famous "Fourteen Points," which hearticulated in January 1918, were similar to Benedict'speace proposals. After the war ended, the Pope wasexcluded from the peace conferences.

On the JewsAlthough Benedict XV opposed the establishment

of a Jewish homeland in Palestine, thinking it wouldharm Catholic interests there, he publicly defended therights of Jews. On February 9, 1916, Pietro CardinalGasparri, the Vatican Secretary of State, replied to anappeal the Pope received from the American JewishCommittee (AJC) to intervene on behalf of Jews whowere being persecuted in Poland. Gasparri informed the

Cont inued on page 43 »

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BENEDICT XV, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12,

BiMiTRi C A V A L L I

AJC that the Pope "considers all men his brethren"and: "he will not cease to inculcate the observanceamong individuals, as among nations, the principles ofnatural right and to reprove every violation of them.This right should be observed and respected in relationto the children of Israel, as it should be as to all men, orit would not conform to justice and to religion itself toderogate therefrom solely because of a difference of reli-gious faith."

At the time, the Vatican's letter received sub-stantial attention in the international press andearned enthusiastic praise from Jews. "Among allthe Papal Bulls ever issued with regard to Jewsthroughout the history of the Vatican there is nostatement that equals this direct, unmistakableplea for equality for the Jews and against preju-dice upon religious grounds," Herman Bernstein,the editor of the American Hebrew newspaper inNew York City, said, as quoted by the New Yor^Times (April 17, 1916). The AJC hailed the letteras a "virtual encyclical against anti-Jewish preju-dices."

DeathOn January 22, 1922, Pope Benedict XV died

after being stricken with pneumonia. Manystatesmen, newspapers, and leading representa-tives of the Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim faithsall graciously eulogized him and recalled hiscountless efforts on behalf of peace and to allevi-ate the human suffering caused by war. TheTurks, who appreciated the Pope's charitableefforts on their behalf, erected a statue ofBenedict XV in Istanbul that honours him as "thebenefactor of all people, irrespective of nationali-ty or religion."

Over the next few decades, Pope Benedict XVgradually faded from memory. He was nearly for-gotten by his flock and the rest of the world, andBenedict's successors greatly overshadowed hisrelatively short but active papacy. Fortunately, thedecision of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger to choosethe name Benedict gave both Catholics and non-Catholics the opportunity to rediscover BenedictXV, who is no doubt one of the most underratedand underappreciated popes in recent centuries.Q

«- OPUS DEI, CONTINUED FROM BACK COVER,

FR. L E O N A R D K E N N E D Y , C.S.B,

sanctify their work, sanctify themselves, and sanctifythe world. They strive to be "contemplatives in themiddle of the world." They are aware that they arethe sons and daughters of God the Father, and broth-ers and sisters of Jesus Christ, that Christ dwells inthem, where he brings them joy and asks them tohelp others to come close to Christ.

The title of this book indicates that Opus Dei is acontroversial enterprise. There are a number of ques-tions, friendly and unfriendly, concerning it. It is tothe credit of the writer of this book that he has pre-sented them fairly and, in the same unbiased man-ner, has given them the answers or explanations thatare offered to them by himself or by members ofOpus Dei.

The complaints concerning Opus Dei are: (1)that it does not make public many aspects of itselfand seems to thrive on secrecy; (2) that, besides theordinary forms of corporal penance, such as fasting,it requires some of its members to use unsuitableforms; (3) that women members are given certaintypes of work that would indicate that males aresuperior to females; (4) that Opus Dei is verywealthy and disguises this fact; (5) that it is really achurch within the Church; (6) that it tries to store uppolitical power; (7) that it requires blind obediencefrom some of its members; and (8) that it is bent onrecruitment of new members and is aggressive in itsrecruitment methods.

It seems that some of these complaints are madebecause of insufficient knowledge of the facts. Andthat Opus Dei did make some mistakes years ago butthat they have been corrected over time.

This is a very good book, easy to read, thoroughin its message, and most enlightening. Q,

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CATHOLIC INSIGHT 43 JULY/AUGUST 2006