The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-07-16

The Church Of Rome has stood for long time.
i has outlived the iucusious oi Goths and Van
dals the secession Of Luther, Tie denunciaiions OF
Knox, and the sneer Of French free-ihinkers. But
il is not therefore indesHuctible. It may fall by
The folly Of lis clergy, il not BY The power Of Pro
leataniism. L may be able TO resist the stacks q
its enemies and vet perish BY the hands Of foolish
and minimizing friends
1t cannot be ihat the Roman Catholic Bishops IN
America are Ignorant Of these truths. Report says
that lhey are many of them learned, and their po-
ssion indicates that they are endowed with an
ordinary amount Of Intellect. And it does not re-
quire much talent Or learning to arrive at know
ledge Of the fact, that religion viii perish when
it becomes unsuited forthe nation or the race which
has nroiessed 10 believe its doctrines and practice
It's preceps. How, then, can we account for the
course which several Of the American Bishops
have lately pursued How is It that these men,
ordinarily so intelligent do not see that if they per-
severe in the line Of conduct they have entered on,
they viii inevitably work the destruction of their
order and Of their religion in these United States
Can they not see that in attempting 10 excite sym
pathy for the Popes loss OF temporal authority and
ia sandering the character ndconduet Of the ltal-
Jan Republicans they are shaking the foundations
of The Pope's ecclesiastical authority Orare they
smitten with iudiccial blindness Is ii true, that
whom The Gods wish to destroy they first make
mad :" One Of these Bishops has recently under
taken 10 prove thaiits absolutely necessary for the
Head Of the Catholic Church 10 be an independent
sovereign How can such doctrine be aecepta-
bic to American Catholics How can men who
believe in the absolute and unconditional sove.
reignty Of the people admit the right of any single
man to usurp those powers which belong TO all
Americans, too, are in the habit Of surprising that
the union Of Church and State is a degradation to
the Church and an incaculable injury to the State.
How then can they be led to adopt the opinion that
The absorption Of the State by the Church is abso-
luiey necessary for The support and maintenance Of
Catholicism II the American Bishops insist on
such doctrines-if they impregnaie the public mind
with the idea that in order 70 maintain the ecclesi-
astical Independence or The Pope it is necessary to
outrage all the principles on which the American
Government is founded-tbey viii very certainly
estrange The American mind and ALLEVIATE the feel
Iigs Of all the Catholics in the country
If the clergy Of tie Catholic Church wish tC
strengthen their religion and increase lis influence
in America, they had better keep clear Of all poll
teal questions. And the present issues between
the Roman Republic and the ex-Prince of the Pa.
pal States are entirely and exclusively political
There are in no part Of Europeor America more
enthusiastic and faithful Catholics than are to b.
found in the Roman States; and many of these
az present active participants in the republican
movement which has forced Plus to retire from
bis throne. In fact, we are disposed to think tina
those the best Catholics who insist most strenu
ously on taking away all temporal power from the
Pope. The ireer a Church is from exterior EN-
barrasslnenfs-- less it is hammered by-WOrldh
goods and worldly considerations more com
peiely it relies on the pure religious feelings 0
man, by so much the more is lis existence secure
and It's influences useful. When it Identifies il
interests with those OF State, it becomes as morta
and insecure as the Government with which it il
connected Hence, not only are the republicans o
Rome The purest patriots, but also the most faithful
Catholics 10 the country