Pope Benedict XV . . . Poor Preaching Responsible For Fall Back Into Paganism February 12, 2014 Frontpage No Comments By PAUL LIKOUDISThe horror of World War I, preoccupied with massive humanitarian projects on behalf of widows, orphans, and prisoners of war, engaged in intense diplomatic initiatives to defend the rights of the Church in Europe, Russia, and the Middle East, Pope Benedict XV issued an encyclical Humani Generis Redemptionem on June 15, 1917, which blamed ineffective preaching by priests for the decline in morals and civilization’s backsliding into paganism. Pope Benedict reminded bishops that their foremost duty is...