The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-02-08
TEMPORAL POWER OF THE POPE.
SPEECH OF HON. JOSEPH R. CHANDLER,
OF PENNSYLVANIA.

OF PENNS1LNANIA.
Delivered in the House OF Representatives Jan TO- 1855
CONCLUDED.
But it is charged that Roman Catholics even
now admit the right of the Pope to interfere
between subjects and their allegiance, and
between citizens and their duties to the Repub-
lie, in some other form, since the power to
depose Kings is no longer possible. l deny it;
/ have denied it for myself plainly, clearly
specifically. But, in this House, it is said that
though 1 may be excepted from the general
censure of harboring the seeds and means Of
treason to this Government in my breast, and
warming them into termination by devotion,
yet others are liable to the charge, and espe-
cially the church, tho Roman Catholic Church,
ITSELF
But the Roman Catholic Church is represent
ed by her Bishops, and therefore / turn to the
statements of those having the means Of know
ing, and the right to make known, the doctrines
of that, church, and ask the attention of the
Committee b the following remarks of the
Right Rev. DR.. England:
HGod never gave to st. Peter any temporal
power, any authority to depose Kings, any
authority to interfere with political concerns.
And any rights which his successors might
claim, for any of those purposes, must be derived
from some other source. Roman Catholic
has no further connection with the Pope than
that he succeeds st. Peter. Peter had none of
these rights-as a Roman Catholic, know
nothing of them in the Pope. He is equally
Pope with or without them"
In the early part of my remarks, took occa-
sion to say what would be my course, if, by any
remarkable (but really impossble) concurrence
of circumstances, the army and navy of the
Pope should invade the country. Hear now
how the Bishop of Charleston sustains my dec
laration:
"The American Constitution leaves its citi-
zens in perfect freedom to have whom they
please to regulate their spiritual concerns. But
if the Pope were to declare war against Ameri-
ca, and any Roman Catholic, under the pretext
of spiritual obedience, was to refuse to oppose
this temporal aggressor, he would deserve to
be punished for his refusal, because he owes to
this country to maintain its rights; and spiritu-
al power does not, and cannot, destroy the claim
which the Government has upon him. Suppose
a clergyman of England were convicted for
some crime-for instance, DIR. Dodd-and he
was ordered for execution: must the law be
imperative because the criminal IS a clergy
man? Think you that no one could be found
in Roman Catholic country to sentence, or to
execute sentence, upon clergyman who was
~ So, too, does all history show that, upon
the same principle, Catholic Kings, and Prin-
ces, and peers, and people, have disobeyed
improper mandates of the See of Rome, and
have levied and carried on war against Popes,
and still continued members of the Church"
Mr.. Chairman, I have thus shown that the
Church, in the middle ages, did not claim for
the Popes the authority to exercise temporal
power over other sovereigns by Divine right,
even when the exercise of that authority seem
ed to be so great blessing to the people that
it would scarcely seem wonderful If the people
should have hailed it as of Divine origin. And
l have shown that the best writers of the Cath
Ole Church, of later days, and of the present
century, have, in like manner, denied that it
was part of a Catholics belief that the Pope
possesses any power to depose Kings, or release
subjects or to violate faith with those who are
or are not of the Catholic Church. l now offer
other proof that the Church sets up no claim to
such power. And, before l do 1T, l may be
permitted to say that, in the pursuit of intorma-
ton with regard to the Catholic Church, 1t has
been my chance to converse with every rank
and degree of her hierarchy-Pope, Cardinal,
Nuncio, Archbishop, Bishop, and Priest-and l
never heard one of them claim any such power,
and never heard one of them speak upon the
subject who did not disavow any belief OF its
existence.
The vexed question of governing Ireland, and
of granting to the people OF that Kingdom
part of the rights enjoyed by the subjects OF
Great Britain, has often led the British Parlia-
ments to inquire into the charges made against
Roman Catholics, with reference to the asserted
right of the Roman Pontif to interfere with the
internal affairs of other Governments.
Three propositions were prepared and sent to
the faculties of the principal Catholic Universe
ties in France and Spain--those of the Univer-
sity of Paris of Douay, Of Louvain, OF Acala, OF
Salamanca, and of Valadolid. give the prop
osition and abstracts of the several answers.
Extracts from the declarations and testimo-
MES of six of the principal Universities of Europe,
on the three following propositions, submitted
to them at the request of Mr.. Pitt, by the Gath
olics of London, in 1889:
THE PROPOSITIONS.
/. Has the Pope, or Cardinals, or any body
of men, or any individual of the Church OF
Rome, any civil authority, power, jurisdiction,
or pre-eminence whatsoever, within the realm
of England?
2 Can the Pope, or Cardinals, or any body
of men. or any individual OF the Church OF
Rome, absolve or dispense with his MaJestys
subjects from their oath of allegiance, upon
any pretext whatsoever?
8. Is there any principle in the tenets OF the
Catholic faith, by which Catholics are justified
in not keeping faith with heretics, or other per-
sons differing from them IN religious opinions,
in any transaction, either of a public or pri-
yate nature? -,
These propositions, Hbnorable gentlemen will
perceive, are skillfully drawn, and cover the
whole ground of dispute; and the answer OF
every University addressed is spread at large
before the world. Solemn elaboration was had
upon the propositions, from so respectable
source as Mr.. Pitt, and all concur in declaring,
that no man, nor any body of men, the Church
of Rome, however assembled, has power to inter
fere with the affairs of other Kingdoms. give
the answers.
After an introduction. according to the usual
forms, the sacred faculty of Divinity OF Parls
answer the first query by declaring:
Neither the Pope nor the Cardinals, nor any
body of men, nor any other person of the Church
of Rome, hath any civil authority, civil power,
civil jurisdiction, or civil pre-eminence whatso-
ever, in any kingdom; and, consequently, none
in the kingdom Of England, by reason or virtue
of any authority, power, jurisdiction, or pre-em-
inence, by Divine institution inherent IN, or
granted, or by any other means belonging to
the Pope or the Church of Rome. This doc
trine the sacred faculty of Divinity of Paris has
always held, and upon every occasion maintain