down, patriotic Panislamism and Turkish nationalism took its place. The greater number of the Jews rallied around the flag of Zionism, not a form of religious Judaism, but a new religion founded on the misconception of race. In those days of strife and hatred between groups of nations, internationalism was looked upon with the same suspicion and ire as would have been free-thought in the time of the Crusades.

Superstitions of the grossest sort and childish legends—such as that of guardian angels protecting the British retreat from Mons-flourished both in the armies and among distressed civilians. Soothsayers never had better opportunities; prophets found audiences; amulets were sold by the million; the absurdities of occultism and spiritualism spread like prairie fires. Superstitions are older than religions; they are often disciplined and purified by these; they run wild when religions decline. Belief or disbelief in accepted creeds is a thousand times more attractive and attainable than rationalism, and therefore much more frequent in our day.

One great spiritual power remained, which could have interposed to prevent the outbreak of the war. But Pius X. vainly bade his Nuncio admonish the Austrian Emperor; he failed even to get a hearing from that well-guarded old imbecile. The next Pope, Benedict XV., had to reckon with a majority of pro-German cardinals, with the hatred of the monastic Orders for "persecuting" France, with the aristocratic leaning towards authority which, in many Catholic countries, such as Spain,2 gained sympathy for the German cause. He strove to remain strictly neutral. He spoke words of solace to Belgium, but not one word of reproof to the invaders, murderers and burglars though they were; he protested against new and abominable methods of warfare, but did not condemn those who first resorted to them; he ordered prayers for peace, peace without victory, but disregarded the responsibilities incurred by the aggressors and the legitimate demands of the oppressed. The time came when truly Christian words about the infamy of the war and 1 Bellucci, Folklore di guerra, 1920.

3

F. Girerd, Spain during the war, in Revue du clergé, February 1917. Anonymous, La politique de Benoit XV., in Revue de Paris, October 15, 1918; Glorieux, Benoît XV. et la guerre, in Revue du clergé, August 1, 1916.

hopes for the advent of a better era were uttered only by the Protestant professor, President Wilson, whom Loisy, lecturing at the College de France, called “the Pope of humanity.”

Perilous as it was, because over-cautious, the Roman Pope's policy was not unsuccessful. He had disappointed many expectations, but wounded no susceptibilities. His charity, if not his judgment, had been impartial. When the German star declined, Benedict found good words for his "dear France"; the French national heroine, Joan of Arc, was canonised (1920); diplomatic relations were renewed between France and the Holy See (1921); the Italian Government was no longer held in suspicion, and Benedict's successor, Pius XI. (February 1922), received official Italian honours when he ascended the throne.

The prospects of Catholicism are now indeed very bright. Two new independent States that are Catholic, Poland and Hungary, stand in close contact with the schismatic Slavs, who may be induced to reunite. Syria and Palestine are under Christian rule, widely open to Catholic teaching and proselytism. Catholicism remains all-powerful in Austria and in western Germany. France, having recovered Alsace-Lorraine, where Catholic traditions prevail, and occupied the left banks of the Rhine, has been obliged to modify her policy of ignoring the Church. The Catholic part of Ireland has become practically independent (December 1921). In Great Britain itself, the religious Orders and their schools have risen to great prosperity. In the United States, the Church of Rome is more influential than ever; a Catholic union, the Knights of Columbus, have made themselves conspicuous in peace and in war.

But that is not all. In our revolutionary days, a great and very ancient authority is an element of stability not to be despised. Russian Bolshevism has terrified the better classes all over the world.1 Even agnostics reverence a power which may avert similar collapses of civilisation. This does not mean nor foreshadow a truly religious revival, though there are symptoms of such a revival in Russia; but it does mean for all Churches, and especially for the well-organised Roman Church, a renewal 1 Marc Slonim, Le Bolchevisme, 1921. * See Les Études, August 5, 1921.

of past influence in politics. Empires and kingdoms have crumbled to dust; the "servant of God's servants" in the Vatican, having survived them all, and teaching a better lesson than theirs, has at least a chance of being recognised once more as one of the solid pillars of this shaken world.

INDEX