| News and Views | November 1942 |
“The Vatican Faces the Dictators”
THE above caption headed an article which appeared in the New York Times Magazine, dated October 4, 1942. The article was written by Camille M. Cianfarra, who for seven years has been the Vatican Correspondent of the New York Times. A summation of the thoughts presented in the article was well stated in the sub-heading which reads, “Hitler and Mussolini have flouted the Pope. But the Pontiff finds satisfaction in a community of interests with the democratic powers.” Mr. Cianfarra’s report of the Vatican outlook in the face of changing world conditions should be a valuable contribution of opinion to all who are watching Papal affairs from the standpoint of fulfilling prophecy.
Papacy’s position in relationship to the present global war is precarious no matter how we may view it. Papal ideology, stripped of lengthy and confusing explanations, is essentially totalitarian, which means, simply, total rule. It has to be, because, while Protestantism doesn’t accept it, Papacy professes to be God’s Kingdom on earth, and the Scriptures everywhere show that the foretold divine rulership over men is to be a total one in which every knee must bow and every tongue must confess allegiance. The Vatican realizes, however, that two opposing total rulerships cannot coexist and operate in the same countries, hence if Nazi totalitarianism is victorious in Europe no place will be found for Papacy.
This is the reason why, as Mr. Cianfarra points out, that “the Pontiff finds satisfaction in a community of interests with the democratic powers.” Democratic ideology is not that of total rule. It makes no attempt, for instance, to control the religious activities of a nation, but grants freedom for all to worship God according to the dictates of their own conscience. This is an ideal arrangement under human rulership, and it offers Papacy, as well as all other religions, their best remaining opportunity to exist. From the Papal standpoint, however, it is only a second-best arrangement, for originally the Holy See, through control of civil governments, was the total ruler of Europe, and only at the cost of much bloodshed and other untold hardships was Protestantism able to throw off this yoke of religious and civil bondage.
As a result of the Reformation, Papacy has been forced to gradually change its, policy so far as civil governments are concerned, so by now it is doubtless true that democracy offers the most fruitful field for its continued activities. Mr. Cianfarra points out in his article that while the Vatican had hoped better things of the dictators, especially of Mussolini, yet one experience after another has finally disillusioned the Pope, so that now he is basing his hope for the survival of the church in the victory of the United Nations and the world-wide establishment of the democratic principle in government.
One of the especially interesting observations in Mr. Cianfarra’s article is concerning the Pope’s viewpoint as to the relative dangers to the church of nazism and communism. Strange as it may seem this report indicates that the Vatican would rather see a Russian victory in the war, with the possibility that bolshevism would overrun Europe as a result, than to see the Nazis win, even though bolshevism might thereby be stamped out. On this point we quote from the article as follows:
“Before the writer was compelled to leave Italy he talked with high Vatican officials and members of the diplomatic corps who are received by the Pope in private audience. All of them agreed in saying that the Vatican considers the spread of communism in Europe as a consequence of a Russian victory to be less of a danger than the spread of the pagan doctrine of the Nazis. This may seem paradoxical in view of the fact that atheist bolshevism is admittedly the arch foe of the Church. Yet the Vatican being a conservative force, feels that its help will be invaluable to the Anglo-American powers in the period of post-war reconstruction. It believes, therefore, that the United States and Britain will find it to their advantage to foster collaboration with the Church, regardless of Russia’s attitude.
“From the religious point of view, nazism is feared by the Church more than communism because, as a high Vatican prelate told the writer, though communism ‘has forcibly eliminated God,’ man cannot live without believing in a superior being. On the other hand, nazism has replaced God with a pagan theory which, while it does not meet man’s spiritual needs, yet gives them something to look up to.
“According to this prelate, the Church after the war will find it more difficult to ‘eradicate the false neo-pagan theory of the Nazis from the consciousness of the masses than to instill in the soul of the atheist a belief in God, for this belief will answer a natural, craving of man’s soul, while the neo-pagan masses may not feel this craving so strongly.’”
From the standpoint of realism neither a Russian or Axis victory would put Papacy in a specially favorable position in Europe, and apparently this is recognized by the Vatican. Seemingly the best they can look forward to is whatever success they may acquire in evangelizing the masses who will have turned either to neo-paganism or to out-and-out atheism. Even this hope would prove to be a vain one in the event that the post-war lords of Europe—be they pagans or atheists—should rule against evangelistic efforts by the church.
Is it any wonder then that the Vatican is looking in the direction of Great Britain and the United States for a haven of refuge, with the hope that through collaboration with these democratic powers the Church may yet be able to survive? The fact that President Roosevelt considers it advisable to send a personal envoy to the Vatican on occasions indicates the possibility that some sort of collaboration with Papacy may be in the offing; although among Protestant groups considerable opposition has been voiced against the President’s policy toward the Roman Church. That the Vatican doesn’t expect much consideration from the Axis powers is further emphasized in Mr. Cianfarra’s article by his report of the situation in which the Pope now hinds, himself. We quote:
“Today Fascists regard the Vatican as an enemy, and the position of the Pope personally is not a happy one. He is physically powerless, because he has no temporal army with which to fight the foes of the Church, and must therefore rely on diplomacy and time to weather the storm.
“Meanwhile the Fascists have placed the Vatican under strict surveillance. They have posted policemen at its gates who report on visitors to the Holy See. Secret agents, according to some Vatican quarters, are also inside the grounds. They watch the movements of prelates, listen in on telephone conversations and report to their headquarters on Italian territory all persons suspected of what they consider anti-fascist activity.”
Thus we have this one man’s view of what the Pope fears from the hands of the dictators of Europe. Over against this is the apparently Axis-inspired propaganda which conveys the idea that the Nazis and Fascists are waging what amounts to a “holy war” against bolshevist Russia and that the defeat of this arch-enemy of religion will do much to save the cause of Christianity throughout the world. All this leads to confusion in the public mind, and with the confusion comes discouragement and fear as the people look into the future and try to imagine what it holds for them.
The only true antidote for this fear is a knowledge of the sure Word of divine prophecy, and the vision of the future therein disclosed regarding God’s new world-order in which pure religion will become triumphant and universal. Fortified with this knowledge we need have no fear that either atheism or paganism will for long supplant the true worship of God in Europe or, in any other part of the earth. More than that, the divine plan reveals that in the new world there will be a better understanding of the Creator, and a more devoted and universal worship of Him than is now represented in either the Catholic or Protestant denominations. We are told that then it will not even be necessary for one to say to his neighbor, “Know the Lord: for they shall all know Me, from the least of them even unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord.”—Jeremiah 31:34
This worship and service of the true God and the blessings to accrue therefrom are symbolically described in Revelation 21:2-5, as follows: “And I John saw the Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.”
The making of all things “new” implies the passing away of the old, and the promise of the “Holy City” which is called the “new” Jerusalem is very significant in the light of what we now see is about to pass away with the death of the old order. Turning back to chapters 16, 17 and 18 of Revelation, we find a “city” portrayed which, from the description given of it, is far from “holy.” This particular city is personified by a harlot of whom it is said that she committed fornication with the kings of the earth. This, of course, is spiritual fornication, and, undoubtedly, relates to the unauthorized union of church and state which was practiced in Europe for centuries. One of the Scriptural statements which helps to identify this unchaste “woman” is that of Revelation 18:24, which reads, “And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.” The evils of persecution, etc., resulting from the union of church and state were recognized by the founding fathers of America, hence the Constitution bars the setting up of any such arrangement in this country, for which we should all be truly thankful.
The Revelator vividly portrays the destructive “plagues” that come upon the unholy city of symbolic Babylon, and relates the mourning of the people to whose advantage it would be for her to remain in power. But irrespective of how the details may work out, and how long a time it requires for her overthrow, the Revelator leaves no doubt of the fact that Babylon is doomed. Following the overthrow of this unholy city there comes also the destruction of the “beast” and the “false prophet,” but the “Lamb” is triumphant over all the enemies of righteousness.
Then comes the “marriage of the Lamb.” And who is the “bride”? Revelation 21:9,10, answers, “And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.” Yes, the new Jerusalem is the bride, and from this we see why she is said to be a “holy” city, for unlike symbolic Babylon, she does not commit fornication with the kings of the earth, but awaits the coming of her bridegroom, and, in God’s due time, is united in marriage with Him, who is the “Lamb.”
“New” indeed will be this Holy City. That unholy city which ruled the people with a high and persecuting hand for centuries will have been fully destroyed by the time the reign of Christ and the church shall have been fully established. And with the full setting up of this new government in the earth all the other “new” things will follow in due course. Love will become the new motivating power in the lives of the people, replacing selfishness, which has blighted the happiness of humanity from the beginning.
God’s “tabernacle” will then be with men, replacing the conflicting institutions of worship which have represented the best that fallen men could produce. Divine instruction will go out to the people from Christ and the church, and it will be a “pure language”—not confusing and contradictory. By means of it the way will be made plain, so plain that the wayfaring men, though fools need not err therein. (Isa. 35:8; Zeph. 3:9) As a result of this the people will “call upon the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one consent.” Thus, not only will God dwell with the people, but they will accept Him and serve Him. Isaiah tells us that the people will then say, “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him: … we will be glad and rejoice in His salivation.”—Isa. 25:9
And what happifying blessings will come to the people as a result of their learning to know the true God and devoting themselves to Him. “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes,” is one of the heart-cheering promises pertaining to that time. Tears are symbolic of sorrow. Wiping away tears, therefore, is just another way of saying that all cause for sorrow will then be removed. Think what that will mean! Scan through a dictionary and note all the words that are directly or indirectly associated with the evils of the world which have produced sorrow, and you’ll get some idea of the scope of God’s promise to wipe away tears from off all faces.
“And there shall be no more death.” Who among men have ever assumed to advocate an ideology for world economy that includes on its agenda of blessings the destruction of death? Ambitious statesmen may, yea they have, promised many wonderful things, but never this. But God has promised it as the boon preeminent that will come to mankind when the loving rulership of the Holy City finally supplants the selfish despotism of that woman Babylon who has made all nations drunk with the wine of her fornication.
No more death, means no more causes for death, hence we are told that “neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away.” Yes, thank God, all the former things of a world order that has been characterized by war, pain and death, and in which selfishness has caused “man’s inhumanity to man” to “make countless thousands mourn,” will pass away. With such a prospect to encourage us, we will not be too concerned over the fate of what man has conceived to be Christianity, but will look forward with rejoicing to the triumphs of the divine arrangements, knowing that soon all will hail Jesus as “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”—Rev. 16:16