Cardinal Mercier in the First World War

Church leaders and their contrasting opinions in the face of the Great War

Cardinal Désiré-Joseph Mercier, Archbishop of Malines, was the incarnation of the Belgian resistance against the German occupation during the First World War. With his famous pastoral letter 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 of national politics, especially of the 'Flemish question', and his conflict with the German occupier made him a hero of the Allies. The Germans did not always know how to handle this influential man of the Church. Pope Benedict XV did not always approve of the course of action adopted by the Belgian prelate. Whereas Mercier justified the war effort as a just cause in view of the restoration of Belgium's independence, the Pope feared that "this useless massacre" meant nothing but the "suicide of civilized Europe”.

Through a critical analysis of the policies of Cardinal Mercier and Pope Benedict XV, this book sheds revealing light on the contrasting positions of Church leaders in the face of the Great War.

This publication is GPRC-labeled (Guaranteed Peer-Reviewed Content).

"Cardinal Mercier in the First World War" was written by Jan De Volder.

Jan De Volder is a Belgian historian. Currently, he occupies the Cusanus Chair ‘Religion, Conflict and Peace’ of the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies of the University of Louvain (KU Leuven). He has a special interest in church and religion during World Wars I and II.

Yes, "Cardinal Mercier in the First World War" is part of the "KADOC-Studies on Religion, Culture and Society" series. It's book 23 in the series.

Elena Arigita Maza (Universidad de Granada)
Florian Bock (Ruhr Universität Bochum)
Timothy Brittain‐Catlin (University of Cambridge)
James Chappel (Duke University)
Kim Christiaens (KADOC-KU Leuven)
Kathleen James-Chakraborty (University College Dublin)
​​​​James Kennedy (Utrecht University)
​​​Franziska Metzger (PH Luzern)
Patrick Pasture (MoSa‐KU Leuven) - chairman
Isabelle Saint‐Martin (EPHE Paris)
Thijl Sunier (VU Amsterdam)
Árpád von Klimó (Catholic University of America)
Veerle De Laet (Leuven University Press)
Peter Heyrman (KADOC-KU Leuven) - secretary

Proposals

Proposals and enquiries can be sent to Peter Heyrman. The series welcomes monographs and edited volumes. Book proposals may relate to, for example, the political impact of religion, the dynamics between religion and welfare, and missionary history. All proposals and manuscripts are subject to double blind peer review involving at least one external reviewer (proposals) or at least two (manuscripts). The editors strive towards completing the review of proposals within two months and of complete manuscripts within five months after submission.

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Links & Resources

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