The Outlook for the Papacy
By M. C. W.
War Losses and Gains — What Will Come to “the Church” as the Result of Europe’s Conflict? We know that the losses of the nations engaged in this war are already tremendous, incalculable. What their gains may be is problematical. No man may foretell them. There are too many unknown factors to deal with. Providence may intervene to overturn the strongest ambitions and highest expectations of men, but it seems clearly evident at the present time that the papal outlook is distinctly favorable. Against the strong protests of the great Churchmen’s Union and Evangelical Alliance of England, the British government sent her ambassador, Sir Henry Howard, to the Vatican, reversing the Protestant policy of four centuries. The Churchmen’s Union feels that the government is undoing the work of four hundred years, during which the “English kings have consistently ignored the pretensions of Rome.” Sir Henry Howard is now in Rome; has already received “visits of two distinguished prelates, and has presented his credentials to the holy father, and has been received.” Britain Would Not Assign a Reason
Demands were made upon the British government for the reason of this change in policy; but the Western Watchman’s (Catholic) London correspondent declares that the government “declines all information regarding the exact reasons for the mission, or the instruction to the ambassador, who, if he is a Catholic, is also an accredited diplomatist. The outburst is a sufficient explanation of the reason which caused the British government to preserve the strictest secrecy regarding the appointment to the last moment. That the appointment was going to be made was known in France four weeks before it was even hinted at in England. The bigot can do very little now the diplomatic relations with the Vatican are a fait accompli [accomplished fact], but if they had had time to organize beforehand in their selfish shortsightedness they might have wrecked the plan.” When it was declared by the Protestants of England that the government was embarrassing Italy and France, the reply was that Italy “was quite cognizant of the action taken,” which clearly shows that Italy herself is reversing her policy pursued since 1870. France, Russia, etc., to Take the Romeward Step
The Rome correspondent of the Western Watchman, in that paper of the same date, January 21, declares that “a permanent representative of the British government is being received to-day by the holy father. It is only a question of time until France follows England’s example;” and the London correspondent says that the French government has appointed Monsignor Duchesne, who lives in Rome, as its chargé d’affaires to discuss matters with the cardinal secretary of state. It is believed that this will soon ripen into a full ambassadorship; for we are told, “The Vatican is also amiably impressed by the action of the French government.” Another item along this same line is that while Turkey has induced the sheik ul Islam to declare a holy war, at the same time she is coming nearer to the Vatican. Heretofore the matters which lay between the Vatican and the Turkish government have been handled by the French ambassador; but the London correspondent above referred to says: “For the first time, a sultan of Turkey has received an apostolic delegate without the intervention of the French embassy. Monsignor Dolci, the new apostolic delegate to the Ottoman empire, arrived in Constantinople a few days ago attended by his secretary and his vicar, and was received almost immediately by the sultan. The delegate presented to the latter an autograph letter from the holy father.” There are rumors that it will not be long before Russia will have her representative at the Vatican. Protestantism Going to the Papacy
Another item along the same line is the favorable attitude of Protestants to the papacy. The Rome correspondent of the Western Watchman above mentioned quotes from the Osservatore Romano, the semi-official organ of the Vatican, that “printed on the first page was the copy of a cablegram sent to the holy father by Mr. John Wanamaker of Philadelphia in the name of a great peace gathering in that city, and expressing the appreciation of those present of the holy father’s effort to promote peace amongst the warring powers. The telegram was given in full; and I have been informed, since my arrival in Rome, that it gave great pleasure to the holy father, and that he was deeply touched by the sympathetic and appreciative tone of Mr. Wanamaker’s message.” These are more than straws that show the world tendency back to Roman Catholicism. Out of this war will come a stronger reunion with the church for a little time than has ever been known before. There are some who see this in the trend of political events. There are others who feel far better assured from the prophecy itself which points to a restoration of the papacy, and God’s message warning against that union of church and state which will come with it. It is the business of Christians at the present time to study the great message that God has given us in the fourteenth chapter of the Revelation and its related prophecies. It points out the dangers that the world is facing. It points out the only remedy—the everlasting gospel. M. C. W.