The Arrest of Cardinal Mercier
The abominable behaviour of the Germans to the Belgian Catholic clergy was crowned by the arrest of Cardinal Mercier, Archbishop of Malines. The following is the account of the circumstances under which he was arrested, given by the reverend prelate in a letter of the 10th January, sent secretly to all the parishes in the diocese of Malines.
“You are, doubtless, aware of a communication made by the German Government to the Brussels daily papers, to the effect that the cardinal archbishop of Malines had in no wise been hampered in the exercise of his episcopal duties. The facts show how far this communication is from the truth.
“On the evening of the 1st January and on the following morning soldiers forced their way into the apartments of the curés, seized my pastoral letter and entered an injunction against it. They forbade the curés to read it to their flocks, threatening, in case of disobedience, the severest penalties to their parishes and to themselves.
“On the 2nd January, at 6 a.m., I received the order to appear during the morning before the Government, to give explanations with regard to my letter to the priests and their parishioners.
“On the following day I was forbidden to take part in the religious service at the Cathedral of Antwerp.
“Finally, I was not permitted to travel freely to visit the other bishops of Belgium.
“Thus your rights and mine have been violated.
“As a Belgian citizen, as pastor, and as a member of the Sacred College of Cardinals I protest energetically against the violation of these rights.
“Whatever interpretation others may have put upon my pastoral letter, experience has proved that it caused no risk of rebellion. On the contrary, it had the effect of calming and soothing people’s minds. I congratulate you on having done your duty.”
Using Cardinal Mercier’s pastoral letter as a pretext, the Germans proceeded to fresh acts of violence against the Catholic clergy. We need not, however, be astonished that this letter enunciated a certain principle—to wit, that the Belgians owed allegiance only to the King and to the Government of the nation of which they form a part. The Cardinal went on to instruct his people that none the less they should accept the actual situation in the occupied districts, and leave to the regular army the task of national defence. These declarations, which are in absolute harmony not only with the teachings of religion and the principles of the law of nations, but also with the laws of war, gave the Germans a pretext for ill-treating several members of the clergy, desecrating a certain number of churches, tearing the priests from their confessionals, and looting sacristies.