Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1858-11-13
MORNING LEADER.
RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.
The Innovation of the ROmish Church.

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The Paris correspondent of the New York
Commercial under date of Oct. 2lst, thus writes
of the recent alleged abduction of Jewish child
at Bologna, which has created considerable SEN
satiOn in Europe
The polemic in the French journals on the
subject OF the abduction Of the Jewish child at
Bologna, in Italy, and its retention by the Cath
Olic government at Rome, has become most
violent Indeed, the discussion of this affair is
the prominent event of the week 1t is true that
the French Government has addressed to the
Pope demand for the restoration of the child
Mortara to its parents, and that tins demand
has been refused. The grounds of the refusal
are these:
The eanons of the Romish Church recognize
the right 10 abstract children from the parental
protection where that protection is used to in
still into the child doctrines calculated to send
it to perdition. This being fundamental
principle in the doctrines of the Church, the
Pope has no right to interfere he can only ex-
ecute the laws of the Church, he cannot change
them.
He regrets, it is sad his inability to interfere,
because such an act would be an offense against
the parental authority, and an outrage to the
conscience of the rest of the Christian world
But he refuses to act, because by so doing he
would be Over-stepping the limits of his posi-
ton, and would compromise himself with the
Church over which he presides
Here then we sec the Romish Church claim
ing in the middle of the nineteenth century
what it claimed in the most prosperous days Of
its existence-the authority of the Church over
that of parents. We see this Church asserting
the right to withdraw from Protestant parents,
their children, for the purpose Of instTucting
them in the faith. 1t is not even true that the
child of Mortaras was baptized in the Catholic
Church, but only by female domestic; yet,
according to the tenets of that Church, it is a
| Catholic
The baptism was surreptitiously performed
upon child incompetent from IFS age to act
otherwise than passively. But under any cir
cumstances is 1t not gross and indefensible
doctrine, in this age of enlightened and liberal
opinions, to claim that church has rights over
parents in the person and the religious educa-
ton of child. The outrage seems so fragrant,
that is astonishing to see journals in liberal
France defending it.
A distinguished priest at Paris has raised his
voice against this outrage, committed on the
common sense of the enlightened world, and on
the good name of the Romish Church but for
this he has only drawn upon himself the abuse
of his own church and journals. 1t is fair 10
believe, however, that at least large proportion
of the Romanists in France do not approve OF
the course of the Church of Rome.
The Emperor of France, it is believed, viii
not allow the matter to rest where it Is. He will
make another appeal, this time backed by othel
Romish soysreigns, and in the case of refusal
will order the Commander-in-Chief of the
French army at Rome to seize the child ant
restore it to its parents.