The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-11 00:00:00

REPLY OF THE POPE.

Imperial Majesty,—The thought which your Majesty
expresses of being able to establish without shock in Europe
—with God's blessing elsewhere also I—with the concur-
rence of the Sovereigns or of their representatives, a system
which calms men's minds and restores peace, tranquillity,
and order to the numerous countries where, unhappily,
these benefits are lost, is a design which greatly honours
your Majesty, and which, with the co-operation, of all, as-
sisted by Divine grace, would produce the best results. We
co .operate, therefore, in so laudable a project in a perfectly
cordial spirit, and can now earnestly assure your Majesty
that all our moral support will be afforded to the Congress,
in order that the principles of justice, in these days so much
misunderstood and troddenunder foot, may be re-established
to the advantage of society in its present agitated state, that
violated rights msy be admitted in order to be asserted in
favour of those who have had to suffer by their violation,
and especially in order that the real pre-eminence which
belongs naturally to the Catholic religion, as being the only
true one, may be re-established, especially in Catholic
countries.

Your Majesty cannot hesitate to believe that the Vicar cf
Jesus Christ, el: her from the duties of his sublime repre-
sentation, or from the conviction he entertains that in the
Catholic faith, in conjunction with practice, is to be found
the sole means proper to moralise the peoples, cannot in the
midst of Congresses, even political ones, fail in his obliga-
tion to sustain with the greatest rigour the rights of our
most august religion, which is one, holy, catholic, apostolic,
and Roman.
The confidence which we express, of seeing violated rights
vindicated springs from the conscientious duty imposed
upon us by their guardianship. In showing ourselves full
of solicitude on the subject of these rights, we do not wish
your Majesty ever to suppose that we could' ntertain any
doubt with regard to those appertaining to this Holy See,
since, besides the other motives which militate in its favour,
we have also the assurances which your Majesty has several
times given, and caused to be given publicly, assurances
which it would seem to us offensive to doubt, coming from
so high and powerful a Sovereign.
After this preliminary explanation, which has seemed to
us all the more opportune that we better understand your
Majesty's views, we are happy to add that we applaud ma-
terial progress, and desire besides that nations should be in
a position to enjoy peaceably their property, as much for the
profit that they derive therefrom, as for the occupation
which it gives them. We could not say as much in the case
of our being invited to satisfy certain aspirations of some
fractions of these nations—aspirations which cannot be re-
conciled with the principles above enunciated.
We entertain the hope that your Majesty, with your high
perspicacity, will recognise in our frank communication the
character of loyalty which always accompanies the acts of
this Apostolic See, and at the same time the evidence of the
great esteem which we entertain towards your august per-
son, to whom we have in no way hesitated to speak thus
explicitly in a matter of so much importance.
Hereupon, with the assurance of our paternal affection,
we give your Majesty, our august Consort, and the Impe-
rial Prince, our apostolic benediction.
Given in our palace of the Vatican, the 20th November,
1863. Pius P.P. IX.