Edmond Paris - The Secret History of the Jesuits

A rumour was spread that Cardinal Ottaviani's brutal stand was not the exact reflection of the Holy See's thought, but only that of one of the so-called "integrist" clan. The Catholic press, in France at any rate, tried to attenuate the import of that violent speech—and "La Croix", in particular, only printed a short extract from which all violence had been omitted. Wise opportunism indeed, but it could not deceive anyone. It is just impossible that such a sharp criticism, of an exceptional political importance, could have been uttered from the pulpit of "Sainte-Marie-Majeure" by the Holy Office's secretary, without the approval of that Congregation's chief, of its "prefect", the Sovereign Pontiff himself. And, as far as we know, he never disowned his eloquent subordinate. Pope John XXIII could not throw that bomb himself, but by making one of the most important of the Curia's dignitaries take his place, he wanted to make his connivance obvious to everyone.

Moreover, and by a strange "coincidence", a more modest explosion took place at the same time, in the form of an article in the "Osservatore Romano", condemnding once again socialism, even non-marxist, as

"opposed to Christian truth". However, those who practice this political

"mistake" are not excommunicated "ipso facto" like the communists. They still have the hope of escaping Hell—but the threat of Purgatory remains!

By showing its opposition to any attempt at bringing together East and West so vehemently, was the Vatican expecting some positive results? Was it really hoping to intimidate the Statesmen who pursue these politics of peace?

Or was it at least hoping to provoke a move contrary to the "detente"

amongst the faithful?

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As unreasonable as such a hope may seem, it may well have haunted these clerical minds. Their peculiar views are bound to produce such illusions. What's more, these soothsayers, they could not have forgotten a certain illusion used for so long to deceive those who trusted them—and which they apparently shared. We are referring to "Russia's conversion", apparently announced at Fatima by the Holy Virgin in person—in 1917— to Lucia the shepherdess, who eventually embraced holy orders and testified of it somewhat late, in 1942, in the "memoirs" she wrote at her superiors' request.

This cock and bull story may make us smile, but the fact remains that the Vatican—under Pius XII's pontificate—propogated it throughout the world with any amount of speeches, sermons, solemn declarations, a torrent of books and pamphlets, and the peregrinations of the statue of that new and very political "Notre-Dame" across every continent—where even the animals, so we were told, came to pay homage. This noisy propaganda is still clearly remembered by the faithful—as are the wild affirmations such as this one, printed on the 1st of November 1952 by

"La Croix":

"Fatima has become a cross-roads... The fate of the nations can be decided better there than around tables".

Its thurifers cannot find refuge in ambiguity any more. The alternative is perfectly clear: "detente or cold war".—The Vatican chooses war—

and does not hide the fact.

This choice should not surprise anyone—if past experience, even in the recent past, has been a lesson to us. And if it surprised some, we believe that it is because of its unceremonious proclamation, or without the usual camouflage."

We begin to understand the violence when we consider the importance of the stake to the Roman pontiff. We would misjudge the Vatican by thinking it capable of renouncing a hope as old as the Eastern schism itself, the one of bringing back Orthodox believers under her obedience through a military success. Hitler's rise was due to this obstinate hope—

but the final defeat of his Crusade still did not open the eyes of the Roman Curia to the folly of such an ambition.

There is another and even more pressing desire: to liberate in Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia this famous "Church of Silence" which has only become such because of the unexpected turn of events—for the Holy See—in the Nazi Crusade. "Qui trop embrasse mal etreint (grasp all, lose all): a wise proverb which has never inspired fanatics.

To resume its march towards the East, its clerical "Drang nach Osten", and first retrieve the lost strongholds, the Vatican still relies upon the Germanic "secular arm", its main European champion in need of new strength and vigour. At the head of Federal Germany—western section of the great Reich—it had placed a trusty man, Chancellor Konrad Adenauer,

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the pope's secret chamberlain—and the politics he pursued for more than fifteen years clearly display the Holy See's stamp. Exhibiting at first great caution and an opportune "liberal" state of mind, the man his fellow-countrymen nicknamed "der alte Fuchs"—"The old fox" worked at rearming his country. Of course, the "moral" rearmament of the population, and of the German youth in particular, was an imperative supplement to the first.

That is why important posts in the ministries and administrations of Western Germany are held by many individuals with notorious hitlerian pasts—the list is long—and captains of industry such as von Krupp and Flick, who had not long since been condemned as war criminals, direct again their gigantic works which were restored to them. The end justifies the means. And this end is clear enough: to forge Siegfried's new sword, the arm necessary for revenge—a revenge which would be shared by the Vatican.

It is then with a perfect synchronsim that the chancellor-chamberlain, during an interview given to a Dutch periodical, echoed the fulminating speech Cardinal Ottaviani had just expressed:

"...The peaceful co-existence of nations whose views are totally opposite is just an illusion which, alas, still finds too many supporters".(150) The incendiary "sermon" given on the 7th of January at "Sainte-Marie-Majeure" preceded by a few days—as by accident—the visit of Konrad Adenauer to Rome. The reports the press gave were unanimous at underlining the friendly and sympathetic atmosphere which prevailed during the private audience His Holiness John XXIII gave to the German chancellor and his Foreign Affairs minister, Mr. von Brentano.

We could even read in "L'Aurore":

"This meeting provoked a rather unexpected declaration from the chancellor, when answering the pontifical address which praised the courage and faith of the German government's head:

"I think that God has given the German people a special part to play in these troubled times: to be the protector of the West against the powerful influences of the East threatening us".(151)

"Combat" accurately noted:

We had heard this before, but in a more condensed manner: "Gott mit uns"—"God with us". (The motto on the belt buckle of the German soldiers in the 1914/18 war).

And that newspaper added:

"Dr Adenauer's evocation of the work attributed to the German nation (150) "ELSEVIERS WEEKBLATT", quoted by "Combat" on the 11 th of January I960.

(151) "L'Aurore", 23rd of January 1960.

(152) "Combat", 23rd of January 1960.

(153) "Le Figaro", 23rd of January I960.

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found its inspiration in a similar declaration from the previous pontiff. We are therefore allowed to presume that if Dr Adenauer pronounced this phrase in the present circumstances, it is because he thought his listeners were ready to hear him".(152)

In fact, one would have to be singularly naive and utterly ignorant of elementary diplomacy to think that this "unexpected" declaration was not part of the programme. We wager also that it did not cast any shadow over "the prolonged conversation Mr. Adenauer had with Cardinal Tardini, the Holy See's secretary of State, whom he entertained for luncheon at the German Embassy".(153)