Cardinal Mercier in the First World War

Belgium, Germany and the Catholic Church
Jan DE VOLDER
Collection
KADOC-Studies on Religion, Culture and Society
Editeur
Universitaire Pers Leuven
Date de publication
31 octobre 2018
Résumé
Church leaders and their contrasting opinions in theface of the Great WarCardinal Désiré-JosephMercier, Archbishop of Malines, was the incarnation of the Belgian resistanceagainst the German occupation during the First World War. With his famous pastoralletter of Christmas 1914 'Patriotisme et Endurance' he reached a wide audience,and gained international influence and respect.Mercier's distinct patriotic stance clearly determined his views ofnational politics, especially of the 'Flemish question', and his conflict withthe German occupier made him a hero of the Allies. The Germans did not alwaysknow how to handle this influential man of the Church. Pope Benedict XV did notalways approve of the course of action adopted by the Belgian prelate. Whereas Mercierjustified the ... Lire la suite
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Livre broché
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Actuellement Indisponible
Crédit
Date de première publication du titre 31 octobre 2018
ISBN 9789462701649
EAN-13 9789462701649
Référence 122762-83
Nombre de pages de contenu principal 256
Format 17 x 23 x 0 cm
Poids 300 g

Introduction


Belgium and the German Invasion of 1914
Belgium, a laboratory for Catholics in a liberal democracy
Catholic Party between conservatives and social Catholicism
Cardinal Mercier, Belgium's primate
The German invasion
A Protestant-Catholic Holy War?
The 1914 conclave
Pope Benedict XV and the Belgian dilemma 

Mercier's Pastoral Letter "Patriotism and Endurance"
Cardinal Mercier and the fall of Antwerp
The Cardinal's choice is maturing
Patriotism and Endurance
Alternatives were possible 

In Conflict with the Occupier
The German reaction
Meanwhile in the Vatican
The nation's hero 

Mercier and Benedict XV
A new crisis
Banishment to Rome?
Letter to the bishops of Germany and Austria
Meeting with the pope
Triumph in Rome
Arm wrestling about the return
"At our return from Rome" 

Arrests, Deportations, and State Looting
Arrests and executions 

Dismantling of a nation
Resistance against the deportations
Towards a public papal condemnation?
Vatican pressure 

The Flemish Question
Flamenpolitik
A Flemish university in Ghent
The Belgian administration split
Roman questions regarding Mercier's stance
Roman Realpolitik 

Holy War or Holy Peace
A just war?
First search for a negotiated solution
Towards a compromise peace in 1916?
Pope Benedict's peace proposal
"The bitterest hour of our life"
The end of the war 

The Allies' Hero of a Diminished Belgium
Towards a solution for the Roman question?
Belgium after the armistice
Triumphal tour of the United States and Canada 

Conclusion 


Annex: Patriotism and Endurance – Christmas 1914 

Bibliography 

Index of Persons 

Colophon 

 

Church leaders and their contrasting opinions in theface of the Great WarCardinal Désiré-JosephMercier, Archbishop of Malines, was the incarnation of the Belgian resistanceagainst the German occupation during the First World War. With his famous pastoralletter of Christmas 1914 'Patriotisme et Endurance' he reached a wide audience,and gained international influence and respect.Mercier's distinct patriotic stance clearly determined his views ofnational politics, especially of the 'Flemish question', and his conflict withthe German occupier made him a hero of the Allies. The Germans did not alwaysknow how to handle this influential man of the Church. Pope Benedict XV did notalways approve of the course of action adopted by the Belgian prelate. Whereas Mercierjustified the war effort as a just cause in view of the restoration ofBelgium's independence, the Pope feared that "this useless massacre"meant nothing but the "suicide of civilized Europe".Through a criticalanalysis of the policies of Cardinal Mercier and Pope Benedict XV, this book shedsrevealing light on the contrasting positions of Church leaders in the face ofthe Great War.This publication isGPRC-labeled (Guaranteed Peer-Reviewed Content).

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