The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-04-04

arrow IN the Papal culver has been EMPLOYED
against contumacious sovereigns, and with wha
effect its use has been attended. In the lth cen
fury, HENRY ~, Emperor of Germany, was ex.
communicated by GREGORY VII, for resisting the
Papal claim to the investiture of bishops. The
immediate effect of the sentence was to excite to
revolt the German nobility, who availed them
selves OF the religious pretext to rise in Insured
ton and demand change of dynasty 1t is a
significant fact, that HENRYs Italian subjects par
tcularly the Lombards, remained faithful to him,
and laughed the Papal DEGREES to scorn. Encour-
aged by their support, HENRY resolved to carry
the war into Italy, and in the winter of 1O76-7
crossed the Alps for the purpose. The hardshps
which he encountered on the march, appear to
have broken his spirit and changed his resolution
for on the 2lst of January, 1917, without blow
struck, we find him standing, according to the
story, for three days, bare-footed and fasting,
from morning till night, in the depth of one of
the hardest winters ever known in the COURTYARD
oil the Papal castle at Canosa, seeking by this act
OF penance and humiliation to purchase absolu-
uon. This he obtained, but without effectng the
results he hoped to accomplish by it. The Ger
man mobiles, with whom the Papal bull had been
tue pretext, not the motive, of revolt, continued
IN arms, and elected RoDoLPH, Duke of Suabia, to
the Empire. Emboldened by some transient sue
ceSses won by the partisans of RoDoLpH GREGORY
repented of the dissolution granted to HENRY. and
renewed the sentence of accommodation. Sub
sequent events proved that in this the Pontiff
acted over-hasily. The revolt was SUPPRESSED
RoDoLpH was slain, and HENRY, at the head of a
victorious army, marched to the siege of Rome.
Twice repulsed from before its walls. on the third
assault he entered and took the city; and having
solemnly deposed GREGORY, procured the INSTALL
ment OF GILBERT, Archbishop of Ravenna, as his
successoH by the title of CLEMENT III. GREGORY.
driven into exile, died at Salerno shortly after
wards repeating with his latest breath the
anathemas he had hurled against HENRY. Sub
sequent Popes-VICToR H., URBAN H., and PAS
cHAL II.-issued fresh DEGREES of accommodation
against the old EMPEROR who minded none of
them-though after his death the Bishop of Liege,
who buried him, could only escape being involved
IN similar censures by disinerring his body.
His son and successor, HENRY v, was also excom-
municated by PAsCHAL, whom, in return, he took
prisoner and compelled to grant him absolution,
and perform the ceremony of his coronation.
FREDERIC H., the Hohenstaufen, was twice ex-
communicated by GREGORY X, first for DELAYING
his expedition to the Holy Land longer than the
POPE thought was reasonable, and again for SAIL
ing without waiting for the Papal orders and
benediction. Having accomplished the objects Of
his expedition, and crowned himself at Jerusalem
Tor no ecclesiashc would perform the ceremony
FREDERIC made peace with the infidels for which
he was again accommodated, and returned to
Europe, where, undaunted by fresh anathemas
launched at him by the untring GREGORY, he en-
tered Italy, dispersed with ease the Papal troops
opposed to him, and gained absolution at the
point of the sword. PETER of Aragon was the |
next sovereign of Importance upon whom the vir- |
tues OF an accommodation were tried POPE
MARTIN laid PETERS dominions under an inter-
dict, and gave them as q gift to CHARLES of An |
Jou But the Aragonese, albeit reckoned among
the most dutiful subjects of the Church, paid no
heed to the Papal DEGREES. The fleet of the Duke |
OF AnJou was attacked and dispersed by the Ara
gonese Admiral, within sight of Naples, and the
only result to the French Prince of the Papal
bounty was a lingering death from modification
and disappointment. PHILIP the Fair, of France |
was repeatedly communicated by BoNIFAcE
What. first, in general terms, in the famous
bulls Ctericis laicoS and AuscuHa fi and at |
length by formal sentence. None of these, how
ever, did PHILIP mind; and on the 9TH of Sep |
TENDER, 1903, the Eve of the Nativity of the
Blessed Virgin, when BoNIFACE was contemplating
the PRONUNCIATION of yet more solemn instrument
of wrath, which should consgn PHILIP and his
posterlty to the fourth generation to eternal
damnation, the Chevalier NoGARET, by Philips
command, entered the little town of Anagni,
where BoNIFACE was stopping, and made the Pom
tiff prisoner. The rage which the Holy Father
experienced at this indignity threw him into a
violent fever, which shortly ended his DAYS.
During the Great Schism, in the l4th century,
when there were two Popes claiming the divided |
allegiance of Christendom-the one at Avipnon.
the other at Rome-every Prince in Europe was |
accommodated by one or the other of the rival |
claimants to the chair and keys of ST. PETER. In
ltayin the middle ages, during the wars which were
constantly being waged between rival Republics
and teudal Princes, and in which the Popes were
generally engaged on one side or the other. bulls
OF accommodation were as legitimate and fami-
liar weapons of warfare as rifled ordnance and
MIME bullets are now-only not half so eficacious
Of this we have notable instance in the history
OF Venice. In 1883, SIxTUs " laid the Republic
under an interdict. Mass was forbidden TO be
the bells to be rung and no Christian
was TO be administered save that of
baptism. The Venetian Senate quietly forbade
the publication of the Papal DEGREES within the
territories of the Republic, and commanded the
clergy to proceed as usual with the performance
of all the ordinances of religion The result was
that the civil authorities were obeyed and the
Pope was not; and the latter dying before the
year was out, his successor absolved the Republic
from all ecclesiastical censures With these exam
pies before them all happening in the old Catholic
times, before the Reformation, it is not likely that
the Italians to-day will prove more docie or less
than were their forefathers four
and five centuries ago. Nations and Cab-
nets are no more to be influenced now
by Papal bulls and the fear of accommodation,
han by Delphic oracles or the threatened ven-
Ieance of APOLLO. The once dreaded thunders of
the Vatican are mere brmam .f1lnaen; like the red
ires of the theatre, they will not even serve to
- '5"'Nh ShiiulSu. by W lutul: la. |
will only betray the political impotence of the Pa
pacy, and bring into stronger relief the contrast
between its present estate and what it was in the
days of HILDEBRAND. As in the case of SIxTUs
w. and the Republic of Venice, the authority of
the King and Parliament will prove stronger than
that of the Pope Besides, it should not be for
gotten that throughout all the recent movements
n Central and Upper Italy, and in the elections,
the priests have everywhere been on the side of the
people. The cures, in many cases, led their
aocks to the polls; and, in most instances, the
were held in the churches. In anv
event, we think, therefore, the Italian clergy and
laity may be confidently relied upon to furnish
to the world evidence of the fact, so insolent
ly questioned not long since by political party
in this country that devotion to the Church is not
inconsistent with loyalty to the State, and that
the duties of the priest are not incompatible with
those of the patriot and the citizen.
There has never been a more favorable opportu-
nifty for the merchants of Baltimore to establish