The Press.
London, England, 1858-10-30 00:00:00

THE PRESS, OCTOBER 30,1858.

pet Bernardina Renzi, the "prophetess of Valen-
tano,"—the pythonesse Chritienne, as she is called
by the historiographer of the Jesuit Order,—who,
after the fashion of the "death's head and cross-
, bones " nearer home, predicted the death of Pope
Ganganelli, while the Bull for the suppression of
the Order was still under his consideration ; whe-
ther he was satisfied of the truth of that notable
miracle, certified to the Papal world by one of
his successors, and published in Protestant Eng-
land under the auspices of Cardinal Wiseman,—
the trance into which St. Alfonso di. Liguori fell
at Arienzo, while absent in spirit to shrive the
unhappy Clement XIV. in his last hour, for that
grievous sin of his Pontificate,—is a matter of
small moment. But it is a fact full of significance,
that the Sacred College, though many of them,
including Cardinal Pacca, had been vehemently
opposed to the Jesuits, were now unanimous in
their favour, with the sole exception, as the
reviewer observes, of Consalvi. Giving to that
able diplomatist full credit for having discerned
the pernicious effect which so overt a return to
the worst principles of the Papacy in its worst
days was calculated to produce upon the public
opinion of Europe, it would be a great mistake
thence to infer that he was opposed to the policy
of reaction. The solemn protest (which appears
to have escaped the reviewer's notice) presented
by him, at the Congress of Vienna, to the assem-
bled representatives of the European powers,
" against all the innovations detrimental to the
" Church, and to the rights of the Holy See"
involved in the treaty for the pacification of
Europe, sufficiently proves what were his views
as to the position which it became the Papacy
after its restoration to assume. He might differ
from his colleagues as to the means by which the
end was to be attained, but as to the end itself,
the reassertion of all the most extravagant claims
ever advanced on behalf of " the Chair of St.
Peter," Cardinal Consalvi was clearly of one
mind with his brethren of the Sacred College.
This, indeed, is the estimate of his views formed
by the reviewer, who observes that "he was as
" much bent as any of them on restoring the
" Roman Sec to its former pre-eminence ; but
" while he was satisfied with obtaining what was
possible, and would yield trifles to gain easen-
" tials, they would have lost the end while dis-
" puting about the means."
The progress of the policy of ecclesiastical re-
action thus ominously inaugurated immediately
after the reinstatement of the lack-land Pontiff in
the " patrimony of St. Peter" is traced, and,
as far as his limits admitted of it, illustrated by
the reviewer through the remainder of the reign
of Pius VII., and that of his successor, Leo XII.
To have included the following two Pontificates,
over which the " Recollections" of Cardinal
Wiseman extend, would have greatly exceeded
the compass of an article ; but we trust that at
sotne future time the deficiency may be made up
by the same able pen. The topic is one which
deserves to be discussed more fully, and that for
practical purposes more immediately connected
with the policy of England. Our reviewer notices
the fact, that so early as his visit to London the
grand object of Cardinal Consalvi was to pro-
mote the cause of " Catholic emancipation ;" and
an attentive perusal of Dr. Wiseman's book fur-
nishes abundant evidence of the fact that the
ecclesiastical conquest of England is a project
which has been entertained ever since the re-
storation of the Papal power, and is steadily kept
in view in the counsels of the Vatican. Nor is
this otherwise than perfectly natural. The wealth
of England cannot fail to possess in the eyes of
an ecclesiastical power so deeply versed in the
art of converting the property of the laity to its
own use, attractions almost, if not quite, as
powerful as in the eyes of French colonels
dreaming of the invasion of England is the sack
of London. And considering the position occu-
pied in Christendom by the Church of England
as the principal bulwark of the ancient faith
against mediaeval and more modern innovations, as
well as of religious freedom against spiritual des •
potism, the removal of so great an impediment
to the realization of the Papal ideal of universal
theocratic supremacy must ever be a primary
object with those who direct the policy of the
Court of Rome. To imagine that that object
will ever be abandoned or lost sight of by them,
is to suppose that the Papacy will abdicate its
pretended power, and with its own hand place
the extinguisher on the tiara, we arc not