BELGIUM'S CARDINAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11716, 5 June 1916, Page 4

BELGIUM'S CARDINAL.

SCORNS GERMAN WARNING. REFUSES TO BE SILENT. LONDON, April 15, In a polite and dignified but firm letter to General von Bussing, military Governor of Belgium, Cardinal Mcrcter, the Primate, declines to bo influenced by the warning to maintain silenco regarding Germany's rule in Belgium. Th© Cardinal does not regret his denunciation of the atrocities alleged to have been committed against his people by the invaders. He is willing to "render unto Ctesar the things that are Caesar's," but, without completing tho Scriptural injunction, suggests that he' is influenced by it in all his actions. "It is better to obey God than man," says th© Primate. The letter is as follows: "It behoves us, Excellency, in answering the letter it pleased you to address us, to render homage to the courtesy you have shown to the venerated head of our Church. LIKENS HIM TO KING SAUL. "Tho faithful servant of our Lord Jesus Christ, wo obeyed the summons of His representative on earth. But, you know, Excellency, that it was not wo who solicited the great honour of laying our homage at the feet of his Holiness. Allow us, then, even smitten as we are by admiration beforo tho warlike pomp surrounding you and the brilliant staff which, like King Saul, you havo attached to your person, to retain nevertheless our full liberty of judgment. "That liberty in the troubled hours, through which our country is passing wo cannot and will not relinquish. In doing so we remain faithful shepherd of that flock for which our Lord has given His life. "Wo shall follow the teaching of the noble successor of St Peter, his Holiness Leo XIII. In his encyclical he instructed us as to obeying the civil authorities when they give orders manifestly contrary to the natural, divine law: 'lf any one distinctly finds himself faced with the alternative of breaking the commands of God or thoseXof a Prince he must follow the precepts of Jesus Christ and answer as did,the Apostle. It is better to obey God than man.' "To act thus is not to merit reproach for disobedience, for princes, when their will is in opposition to the divine will and law, exceed their power and corrupt justice. Hence their authority is not binding, because when it is not just it ceases. "Excellency, your authority cannot then be exercised except in accordance with justice. Ecce in justitia regnabit Rex. (Behold, in justice the King will reign.} "When a prince casts aside justice we no longer owe him either obedience, respect or loyalty. Placed by tho will of God on the archiepiscopal throne of Marines we are ; only answerable to our conscience, and if in the discharge of

our holy office we are obliged to raise our voice we believe ourselves to be following the teachings of our Divine Master. HARKENS TO CONSCIENCE FIRST. ""We render unto Caesar those things which are Ctesar's, for we pay you the silent homage due to strength, but we keep closed to your encroachments the sacred domain of our conscience, the last refuge of the rightful oppressed. "It was not, your Excellency may he sure, without deep reflection that we denounced to the world the evils with which our brothers arid sisters are overwhelmed —frightful evils, indeed atrocious crimes, the tragic horror of which cold reason refuses to admit. " But had we not done so we should not have felt ourselves worthy to be