The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-02-05
The Social and Religious Position OF sar.
DINA.


ruerswho i'll endure the spectacle of institutions
go signally contrasted with sheir Own.
lesson instructive to all nations, and no. wi tn
ous its moral for ourselves, may be learnt from the
question which now threatens the Sandman govern
ment with its chief difficulty. Sardinia, rs the
reader must be aware, Is not only Roman Catholic
country, but q country most emphaticslly Popish
and priestridden. About the soundness Of its faith
in the eyes If the Papal See there is no manner OF
doubt, and the reforms now pr ected by its govern
nent in ecclesiastical matters entirely free from
any heretcal leanings towards religious liberty or
spiritual enfranchsement in the Protestant sense Of
the terms. The simple truth ia that Piedmont Is
0verrun, and as We may literally say, eaten up by
ia church establishments and its clergy..he idle
and least serviceabe members of the profession oh.
tanning, rs usual, q lions share of the conse.
Grated revenues, TO the prejudice OF their
working brethren and The scandal Of religion
in general. The extravagance of the prevailing
abuses will be appreciated when we say that,
though the population concerned is less than twice
that of London, the ecclesiastical staff includes
archbishops, "a bishops, 312 benefited canons, 74I
collegiate canors and 1000 priests over s1d
above 81 orders Of monks with BAT converts and
20 orders Of nuns with l4l converts Prodigious
IS these insults may appear, they are little moro
than have invariably occurred in all countries sur
rendered to Popish Influence. Before the deuge
of tie French Revolution there were cities on the
continent where the larger portion OF all the proper
ty and almost majority Of the population per-
tanned TO the Church ard there is &C arcely single
State in which 1t has not been found necessary at
some time or other, to deal summariy with these
membranes. Belgium, Spain and Austria have
witnessed spolistions If this is to be the express
sion Of ecclesiastical property, "a sweeping as those
produced by the Reformation Ia England. This,
however, is not the object OF the Sardinian re-
formers they ask for nothing but better distri-
button of the church property for church uses, for
q Suppression Of Improbable establishments, and
for more decent maintenance OF the parish priests,
who are the rueet and most serviceabe ministers OF
religion. SO wretchedy, notwithstanding the vast
amount Of church property are these working clergy
provided with the means OF hvicg, that out Of $50
paroehia clergy, 2,540 are subssting upon incomes
which, even when eked out by stl bends from the
State, average only some f33 los per annum. The
Sandman government, therefore with the foil con-
curreDce and approval of the Lover Chamber aud
the public, propoes-First a re AUCTION in the nu n
Der of bshoprcs; secondly TIE suppression OF the
ndicant and idle religious oIder-the charitable
and industrious orders being preserved; thirdly,
reduction in the number Of caDonries especially In
cases where the original object OF the foundation has
become obsoete fourthly, the equalization of canon
ical stipeDds; filthy, the appointment OF what we
may call an ecclesiastical commission with a view
TO the adoption Of fixed rules in the collection and
payment Of church revenues and more squable
arrangement OF their distribution. -
The English reader win recognise In these pro-
posals the identical principles which have invariably
commended themselves to all wise and prudent
governments. Nevertheless, or as we should per-
haps say very naturally, although there is attack
made or intended against the tenets Of the Papa
faith, the Court OF Rome Is violently opposed 70 tn
projected reforms; nor Is u At al hkely that hai
sidious and interruptions Powe n, l.SrAi tsnlb