The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-03-02
The Encycical Letter of the Pope

We have received Paris papers by the
Arago. Galignani of January 80 publishes
the following translation of the principal
part of the Encyclical Letter of Pope Plus
TX. After expressing his gratitude for the
sympathy expressed by all the Archbishops,
Bishops and other dignitaries of the Church.
for the suferings he has recently gone
through in consequence of political events,
His Holiness goes on to say:
Recently, as many of yon are already
aware, the Paris journal, called the Moniteur,
published letter from the Emperor of the
French, replying to letter from US, in
which we are earnestly entreated his Impe-
rial Majesty to protect with his powerful
patronage, in the Congress of Paris, the
integrity and inviolability of the temporal
power of the Holy See, and to release it
from criminal insurrection. In his letter,
abiding to certain counsel which he had
before proposed us, on the subject of the
provinces which had rebelled against our
Ponti6cal rule, the exalted Emperor advises
us to renounce the possession of those same
provinces, considering such remuneration
as the only remedy for the present disturbed
state of affairs. Each of you, venerable
brethren, perfectly understands that the re-
membrance of the duty of our high charge
did not allow us to keep silence after receiving
that letter. Without any delay we FASTENED
to reply to the same Emperor, and in the
apostolical liberty of our mind we declared
to him, clearly and openly, that we couldnot
in any way adhere to his counsel, because it
carried with it insurmountable difficulties on
account of our dignity and that of the Holy
See, and also on account of the sacred char.
acter and the rights of that same See; which
do not belong to the dynasty of any royal
family, but to all Chatholics. At the same
time we declared that we could not cede what
is not ours, and that we could perfectly
comprehend that the victory which would
be given to the revolted inhabitants of the
Emilia would be stimulant to the commits
sion Of similar attempts on the part of the
native and foreign perturbators of the other
provinces when they should witness the
success obtained by the rebels. And among
other things we made known to the same
Emperor that we could not abdicate the
above mentioned provinces of our Pom
tl6cal denomination without violating the
solemn oaths which bind us; without
exciting complaints and risings in the rest
of our States; without inficting injury
on all Catholics and lastly, without weaken
ing the rights, not only of the princes
Of Italy, who have been unjustly despoiled
of their domains, but also of all the princes
of the Christian world, who could not see
with Indifference the introduction of certain
very pernicious principles. We did not omit
to observe that His Majesty was well aware
by what men, with what money and with
whose assistance the recent attempts at
rebellion were excited and accomplished at
Bologna, at Revenna and in other towns,
while the great majority of the people re.
NAMED Supplied under the blow of this
rebellion, which they did not expect, and
were not at all disposed to follow. And
inasmuch as the very serene Emperor thought
that those provinces ought to be abdicated
by us on account of the seditious movements
which have been there excited from time to
time, we OPPORTUNITY replied that his argu.
ment was without value, since similar move
ments have frequently taken place both in
the regions of Europe and elsewhere, and
there is no one who could therefrom draw
any legitimate argument for lessening the
possessions ola civil government. We have
not omitted to remind the same Emperor
that before the war in Italy be addressed to
US a letter very different from the last, and
one which gave US consolation and not
affection. And as, from some expressions in
the letter published in the above named
journal, we thought that we had reason to
fear that our rebellious provinces of the
Emelia were already regarded as removed
from our Pontifcial denomination, we
begged His Majesty, in the name Of the
Church, that in consideration of his own
welfare and utility, he would put an end to
cur apprehension. Actuated by that pater-
nal charity with which we must watch over
the eternal salvation of all, we remind him
that every one must one day render strict
account before the tribunal of Christ, and
undergo a severe judgment, and that every
one ought on that account to do energeti-
cally every thing in his power to merit rather
the action of mercy than that Of justice.
The letter then proceeds to call for the
prayers of all those to whom it is addressed
in order that the gates of hell may never
prevail against the church which Christ
has established.