Pope Leo XIII sent 70,000 lire to the Armenian sufferers; probably to
the Catholics alone, for there are about 100,000 Catholic Armenians
in Turkey. But the Armenians can expect no help from the Pope; he
has no troops; he has no great fund of spare money, and he would be
very unlikely to use either if he had them. The motive of all the
Popes has been to convert the Protestant Armenian Church to become a
part of the Roman Catholic Church,--to acknowledge the Papacy. I say
Protestant, for before Martin Luther was born, the Armenian Church
protested against the popes of Rome age after age, and was persecuted
by them. The Armenians offer their thanks to the Pope for his gifts,
but they cannot accept his dominion.
[Press dispatch, N.Y. Herald.]
"Rome, Dec. 16, 1895.--The Pope has sent 20,000 lire for the relief
of the sufferers from Turkish misrule in Anatolia, in addition
to the 50,000 lire previously given by him for the same purpose."
The European edition published recently in a dispatch from Rome the
following passage dealing with the Eastern question in the allocution
delivered by Leo XIII at the consistory on November 29:--
"The whole of Europe in anxious expectation looks toward its
eastern neighbor, troubled by grievous events and internal
conflicts. The sight of towns and villages defiled by scenes of
blood and of vast extents of territory ravaged by fire and sword
is a cruel and lamentable spectacle.
"While the powers are taking counsel together in the laudable
effort to find means of putting an end to the carnage and restore
quiet, we have not omitted to defend this noble and just cause
to the extent of our power. Long before these recent events,
we voluntarily intervened in favor of the Armenian nation. We
advised concord, quiet, and equity.
"Our counsels did not appear to give offense. We mean to pursue
the work we have begun, for we desire nothing so much as to see
the security of persons and all rights safeguarded throughout
the immense empire.
"In the meantime we have decided to send help to the most tried
and the most needy of the Armenians."