Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-01-20
EVENING STAR.
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE

Thursday evening last.
The subject was forced upon him by the
mschinations of public men, even in Congress,
and the hue and cry raised against the Pope
as the greatest bugbear known to Christen.
dom, and he felt it his duty to speak for the
truth IApplause.]
Those of his audience who had taken thei,
frstideas Of history from Peter Parley's works
and like romances Of the age, were taught to
consider the Pope as grasping at the libertie,
of this cOuntry-but this was but the can't Of
denunciatory fanatics, whose fancies were
worthy of the knight of La Mancha. lad.
plsuse
The papacy can alone withstand the destruc
tive power Of time Venice commenced when
in the middle of the power of the pontiff; She
has decayed, but the holy faith stands in un.
diminished glory. Mscaulay says that he,
numbers are greater than ever she has seen
the beginning of all nations, and it is likely
that she will see their end
1t is not and never was an article of faith
that the Pope had any other than spiritual
power in tho state. Christ made no other pre-
tensions. His vice-regents do not nor is there
anything In the Bible giving such power.
But the Pope, as an Italian Prince, has
power, BY accident, by voluntary concession of
his children; from that he can be- and has
been derosed. But he cannot be bereft of
his power as the head of the church, by any
accident. Applause.
1t is q sylogism in the mouths of the fsnat-
les of the present day, that q" the Pope is
foreign Prince; that the Catholics are bound
to obey the Pope; therefore they are bound
to obey foreign Prince" There is as much
truth in it as in this: "a jsckass has ears,
you have ears therefore you are jackass"
Laughter and continued applause.
After the scat of the Roman empire was re-.
moved to ConstautinOple, power was given the
bishops to enforce the laws. When the bar.
harians invested and pillaged the country,
The Roman bishops succored the distressed
people with counsel, and food, and after the
Roman emperor had refused to assist them
against the barbarians, when he had totally
deserted them, Gregory LII took the sover
eighty upon himself and called in tho aid of
the French against their enemies. To this &C.
are the Popes indebted for their temporal
power and to this is the world indebted for
the civilization they now enjoy; for had not
this step besn taken, the last faint spark of
hope to the world would have been trodden
out by the Lombard.
Gregory took the chair at the request of the
people; papacy was founded by the people,
and his little power guaranteed to him by
France. Anne, i,aps should be the last to con-
denim people for freeing themselves from a
foreign government, and establishing one of
their own. Applause
The Pope still holds bis temporal power be-
cause he would be citizen of no country,
subject to no earthly prince. The Popss Of
Avgnon, and the Patriarchs at Constantine
PIE were the puppets of government under
which they resided-the church would leave
her leader untramelled. He holds his power
tor the same reason that the u S. Congress
governs the district in which they do their
business.
Ibe Popo has deposed mondrchs and inter-
fered IN State affairs in times past, because
there was no international law, go he was the
mutually appointed arbiter Of all Christen.
dom accommodation is common in all
churches; any monarch who opposed the
church could be excommunicated. The Pope
did net depese, he only acted as the Judge in
passing the sentence, awarded by universally
receiyedsls law in such cases.
Bot the Pope did absolve the subjects from
their oath Of fealty to such soyereigns in the
same way and nearly the same words in which
the Congress Of 1875 absol7ed the American
people from their allegiance to George Ill
Loud and long applause
But times have changed England first 70.
fused TO acknowledge the authority of the
church, as he wanted another wife Other
nations refused TO listen to advice, and choose
rather to decide their quarrels by tho sword
and the Pope finding his couRsels disreparded
retired from his position as arbiter, reioicin nj
In conviction of duty DONE which he coule
express in the words of our own CLAW: 81
would rather be right than be President.
Loud applause
Not many years ago England was affected
with the same fear of the Pope as the dema
goguss Of this country now profess and law
were passed and rigidly enforced, disab lins
the Catholics from enjoying many of tbs
rights and citizens but by taking an oath
dlsavowlng the spiritual and temporal powe,
OF the Pope, they could be restored to these
rights, they would not disown the Pope',
spiritual power, but rather to suffer.
When Pitt assumed the Premiership. tht
Catholics petitionsd against their wrongs. He
determined to Investigate the prince Dies OF
their faith. To do this, be propounded the
IonoWing questions to the great universities OF
Valadolid 'A0
l. Has the Pope, or Cardinals, or any BODY
OF men, or any individual of the Church Of
nome, any civil authority, power, Jurisdiction,
OF Pre- emInence whatsoever, within the realm
Of England?
z Can the Pope, or Cardinals, or any BODY
o. men, or any individual Of the Church Of
nome, aosolye or dispense with his Majesty $
SUBJECTS from their oath of allegiance, UPON
any preieIt whatsoever?
D. is tnere any principl in the tenets of the
catholic faith by which Catholics are iustifed
IN not keeping faith with heretics. or other
persons differing from them in religious opin-
IONS. In any transaction, either - q public or
aprivale nature? f1'i' VI
tsch Of these universities answered most nm
eqiVocaily In the negative. That satisfied tn e
Inghsn' and new oath was formed. LEAVING
CUT me word spiritual" which was REQUIRED
VI al Catholics taking any Office under Gov.
ernment This new oath required them, in
me nrmest manner, to disown all TEMPORAL
power OF the Pope, and it was taken bv thous.
anus OF them; even priests and bishops took
n Una. oath, and it was also taken by Daniel
de now cited passages from Arch bishop Car.
ioii, Dr. England, the letter of the American
oisnops to the Pope, and from various Popes
themselves, disoWniDg any temporal authority.
And he closed by saying that tho Catholics,
VINO had first landed at st. Mary's, VITO had
nrst brought civilization and religion to the
new new world, who had struggled for temporal
ana religious liberty here, would be the last
prove recreant to the trust reposed in them
oy their forefathers, and the last to do augbt
70 undermine the liberties of America. the
nope OF the world. Long continued applause |