![]() There is no limit to the measure of ruin and of slaughter day by day the earth is drenched with newly-shed blood, and is covered with the bodies of the wounded and of the slain. The combatants are the greatest and wealthiest nations of the earth what wonder, then, if, well provided with the most awful weapons modern military science has devised, they strive to destroy one another with refinements of horror. ![]() On every side the dread phantom of war holds sway: there is scarce room for another thought in the minds of men. Certainly those days would seem to have come upon us of which Christ Our Lord foretold: "You shall hear of wars and rumours of wars - for nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom" ( Matt. For what could prevent the soul of the common Father of all being most deeply distressed by the spectacle presented by Europe, nay, by the whole world, perhaps the saddest and most mournful spectacle of which there is any record. But as soon as we were able from the height of Apostolic dignity to survey at a glance the course of human affairs, our eyes were met by the sad conditions of human society, and we could not but be filled with bitter sorrow. We make no secret, Venerable Brethren, that the first sentiment we felt in our heart, prompted certainly by the goodness of God, was the inexpressible yearning of a loving desire for the salvation of all mankind, and in assuming the Pontificate our sincere wish was that of Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, when about to die on the Cross: "Holy Father, keep them in Thy name, whom Thou hast given me" ( John xvii. For the whole of mankind was freed from the slavery of sin by the shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ as their ransom, and there is no one who is excluded from the benefit of this Redemption: hence the Divine Pastor has one part of the human race already happily sheltered within the fold, the others He declares He will lovingly urge to enter therein: "and other sheep I have, that are not of this fold them also must I bring, and they shall hear my voice" ( John x. 15-17) as spoken to Ourselves, and at once with affectionate love we cast our eyes over the flock committed to our care - a numberless flock indeed, comprising in different ways the whole human race. Raised by the inscrutable counsel of Divine Providence without any merit of our own to the Chair of the Prince of the Apostles, we hearkened to those words of Christ Our Lord addressed to Peter, "Feed my lambs, feed my sheep" ( John xxii. IN PEACE AND COMMUNION WITH THE APOSTOLIC SEE. TO OUR VENERABLE BRETHREN THE PATRIARCHS,
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