The weekly American banner., 1855-07-06
Tcmporal Power oil the Pope.

We take the following passage from the
address of the Pope of Rome, delivered in Jam
nary last, on the subject Of the proposed sale
# church property BY the Piedmontese goxern-
ment:s Il xa
aAnd last of all, as you are aware, there has
been proposed in that country . billdirectly con-
trary u natural and divine right, opposed ID the
highest decree u the WeIl-being Of human 1ocf-
ETY., and favoring in every possible manneS 1ke|
perniciOus errors of socialism audk communism
By that bill it is proposed to destroy almost to-
tally all the monastic and religious associations
of both sexes, the collegiate churches, and SIM
pie benefces---even those dependent on private
to deliver over3heir property
and revenues to the administration of the civil
power. The same bill also attributes to the lay
authority the power of prescribing the conditions
which such associations as are not destroyed are
to be subjected to. Words fail us to express
our grief at such criminal olmost incredible.
acts against the Church 6n1 ne i,srioluble supre-
macy ofthe Holy See IN thai Kingdom, where
there are so great a number Of feryent Catho-
lies, and where formerly, and in particular among
the Sovereigns, such examples were to be found
of piety, religion, and respect for the Chair of
st. Peter. But the evil having arrived at, point
that it is not sufficient to merely deplore the in
jury done to the church, and that we are bound
to do everything in our power to put an end to
this state of things, we again raise voice with
an apostolic liberty in this solemn assembly, and
we reproye and condemn not only all the de-
crees already issued by that Government to the
detriment Of the rights and authority of religion,
of the church, and Of the Holy See, butlikewise
the bill lately proposed and we declare all these
acts to be entirely worthless and invalid. Fur
thermore we warn in the most solemn manner
not only those persons by whose orders such de-
crees have been published, but also those others
wh0 may not fear to sanction, favor, or approve
lin any manner whatever the bill recently propo-
seda-we warn them, we say, TO consider intline
what penalties and censures the apost,cal con-
situations and the conons Of the Holy Councils,
and ii particular the cancns of the Council of
Trent, have established against the plunderers
and pfofahefs ofholy things against the vio-
laters of the liberty of the church and Of the Ho-
II See, and against the usufpers of Their rights.
May it come to pass that the authors of such
Igreat evils may be touched by our words and
warnings, and may at length determine to cease
their andacious attacks on the liberties of the
church, and save us the great affection of turn
| ing against them the arms which have been di
vinely intruste1 to our holy ministry.'
This issthe language addressed by the Hol,
See 70 the independant and constitutional gov
ernment of SARDINIA. And yetit is asserted tha
the Pope Of Rome makes no claim to tempors
power in the affairs of other countries. But
this assertion be true. and why does he thus ad
dress himself to the people government Of Sar
dina? We would ask, in all candor, what pre-
vents him from using similar language toward
the government Of the United Statasa Hos
comes It that apenaities and censures whic
are applicable to the one are not equally appl
lcable to the other?
L Commenting upon this address Of the Pop
and its doctrines. the New York Courier cor
ltains the following, which will befead with q
ltention By every rejecting mind; aNothing
more common than to hear respectable Roma
|, ICatholics deny that the Pope makes any clail
/ Ito temporal power and yet what is srch d
nial worth the face Of the fact that he assnnt
the right to overrule the civil decrees and efiac
. lments Of foreign states. His language to 81
! dina is declare all these acts to be e1itifel
worthless and invalid. These are the i,lehtic
words. Ifhe can thus iuvsliddte legislation; !
!, lean, by she use Uf his dispensing power,
= away with all the obligations b obey !. Il ii
1 thus directly controlthe civil conduct Of
) Ieho acknowledge His supremacy What ma
Z kefs whether that supremacy % called tenapor
spiritual, % long = Il haa ths practical pa
IDEAL efsct2 Ii Ii time that this msater shou
y he a. sItelv ,auderstood Nothing can 81 Il