Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1864-07-21
Tae Church of Rome the Deadly
~ Enemy of Slavery, - e...

Tae Church of Rome the Deadly
III Enemy of Slavery "n.
4 No Roman Catholic can adhere to the
pro-slavcry Democratic party, without
being recreant to the cannons OF bis faith
and dcfying the anathcmas of the Church OF
Rome In proof oithis we quote, below,
the Apostolic Letters of,a Sovereign Pom
iil', Pope Gregory NYI, i,sned in 1929,
which we fini in ''Europen Civilization, "
standard Catholic wolk by the sRcy.
James Balmes., Spanish Catholic priest,
whose authority no Clergyman ofhis faith
viii be prepared to dispute Let it be
kept in. mind that Roman Popcs are held
to beinfaliblc by all of that religion. The
ordinations of Gregory XVI are the doe
trines Of that Church forever; his
anatbemas still thunder upon the track OF
the SLAYER anil npon all who, "preach or
teach'' anything whatsoever contrary to
the commands which he then uttered from
tie Chair 81 &. Peter. We win asl,
Catholic citizens to read and ponder it
well, and tell us, if they can, how they
may be the advocates OF human slavery
and true Roman Catholics also? This
momentons document is doubtless familiar
enoash TO the clergy; we print for the
information of the people. and with the
asiuinnce that it is genuine, and the
imperisAabie declaration of the head oi
lthe fRbmait Church. s'i" aai s'
APosroIaeAL E.rffR or Pops 'StfGoRY XVI
- Gre 5orius P{ PcXTIaf f,ftarsm rel laen,osian,
to the supreme degree Of the
: apostolical dignity, aud filling, although
without any merit on. our part, the place
of Jesus ChTist. the Son oliCioJ. whJ by
the excess OF His charity has deignei to
become man. and die for the redemption
OF the worfi we consilcr that it belongs
to our PASTORAL solicitudo to exert all our
efforts to prevent Christians from engag-
ring in the trade in blacks or any other
men. whoever they NAV be. 7c'
'.As soon as the light ofmthe Gospel
began TO spreal. the unfortunate men who
tGel into the hard fate of slavery during
the numerous wars of that period, felt
their condition improved for the apostles
insl iretl by the Spirit of God. on the one
hand, taught slaves to obey their earthly
masters, as Jesus Christ Himself, and to
be resigned from the bottom of their heart
to the will Of God; but, on the other, they
commanded masters to behave well to
their slaves. TO graft them what was Just
and equitable. and not to treat them
with anger. knowing that the hord of
bothis in heaven, and that with Him
there is no distinction of persons.
1.-The law of the Gospel having very
soon universally and fundamentally
ordained sincere charity towards all, and
the Lord Jesus having declared that He
would regard as done or refused to Him
self all the acts of benifcense and mercy
done or refused to the poor and little ones
it naturally followed that Christians not
only regarded their slaves as brethren,
above all when they were more inclined to
give liberty to those who nrendered them
selves worthy of it. This usually took
place particularly on the solemn feasts Of
Easter, as St. Gregory of Nysss relates.
There were even found some who, in.
famed with more ardent charity. embraced
Siarery for tie redemption of their 6rethren,
and an apostolic man, our predecessor,
Pope GregsTyl. :. of sacred memory, at.
tests that he had known a great many who
performed this wo,k of mercy. Where
lore the darkness Of pagan superstitutfon
being entirely -dissipated in the progress
of tine, and the manners of the most
barbarous nations being sOftened--thanks
to the benefit of faith working charity
things advanced SO far, that for SO many
centuries there have been nolslaves among
the greater part of Christian nations.
Yet { we say it with profound sorrow men
have been since a. found, even among
Christians. who. shamefuly blinded by
the desire of sorlid gain, have not hes
itated to reduce into slavery, in distinct
countries, indians, Negroes. and other
unfortunate races; q or Vto assist in this
scandalous crime. by instituting and
organizing q traffic in these unfortunate
beings. who had been loaded with chains
by others. A great number ofthe Roman
Pontiffs, our predecessors OF glorious
memory. have not forgotten TO stigmatize,
throughout the extent Of their jurisdiction,
the conduct OF these men as Injurious to
their salvation, and disgraceiul to the
Christian name; for they clearly saw that
it was one of the causes which tended
most powerfully to make in6del nations
continue in their hatred to the true reli-
gion. ito s4sg.Igr e. - ~ il,a,. o..
"This was the object Of the apostolical
letters Of Paul III, Of the Goth of May,
1887. addressed to- the Cardinal Arch
bishop of Toledos nndsr the ring of the
fisherman. and other letters. much more
copius, of Urban VIII, of the ed of
April. 1859, addressed to the collector of
the rights of the Apostolic Chamber in
in which tho most