The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-02-17
FRIDAY, FEB. IT.
THE PoPEss LErrEis.

: Il
of our readers, We publish tho material
portions of the recent Eucyclical Letter
of Pope Plus Ninth, which is causing no
little stir in Europe.
1t will be seen that the Pope dees not
bate one jot or title of the claims Of his
predecessors Of the dark ages to the ex-
ercise of supreme power on earth IS the
vicegerent of God over temporal as we'll
as spiritual affairs. Over the policy OF
Kings and Governments, as well as over |
the opinions and conduct Of the people,
he alike claims absolute control.
Freedom of conscience and freedom OF
worship is denounced as delrIum ana
most bitterly mathematical, and those IN
our country who would be obedens to
the Pope must set themselves in hostile |
array against the fundamental principles |
OF religious liberty, secured as amongst the
most precious liberties of our land by our
Constitution.
mas not less directly aud violent against
the civil than the religious liberty, Sc
secured under our popular form Of Gov
eminent, and the very principle upon
which our institutions rest, TIE WILL
OF THE PEOPLE," is secuted as impious and
destructive 10 society.
The Pope claims exclusive and gu
preme power, as well against the claims OF
OF civil Government as against tho rights
Of parents over the subject of marriage
and of education. And in all matters
temporal as well as spiritual the Pope
asserts his supremacy as head Of the
Church, and he especially denounces all
who would confne the power of the
Church to matters OF faith and manners.
Secret societies also come IN for a share
of the Pope's vituperation, who is deter
mined that only such secret societies al
work in his special interest shall be al
lowed to enter the field, for he appreciates
their efficiency, and is determined to
monopolize it for his own purposes.
This ball Of the Pope Plus will serve
to disabuse the minds OF those who have
thought that the head of the Catholic
Church bad lowered his prelensions o.
given up the portentious claims of powel
made and exercised by his predecessors
in the middle ages. II should also eery,
to expose tue position of the Pope ON tn,
question ofRepubliean institutions, FIRE,
Government. tree discussion, freedom o
worship, liberty Of conscience, popula
education and many other matters thai
concern Us 40 people 1t will also, We
trust, serve to open The minds OF some o.
our Catholic friends who have been ac
customed to assure US that the head o
Church claimed no right to bind thei,
conscience outside Of strictly spiritual mat
tiers of faith and practice. In this letter
they will see that there is nothing in the
entire range If human affairs, from the
highest responsibilities OF civil Govern
meut to tie education of our children, OF
joining ole OF the numerous societies
with which civilized society abound, that
the Pope does not claim and exercise ths
right of supreme control and direction.
Here is the material portion of the let
Ter TO which we refer, dated the 9Th G
December, 1864, aud signed Plus TX.
But although we have not hithert,
omitted to prescribe and reprove th,
principal errors of this kind, yet the caus.
of the Catholic Church, The safety of I'll.
souls which have been con6ded to us, ane
the well being of human society itself, alb
solutely demand that we should again ex
ercise our pastoral solicitude to destro,
opinions from so many sources. Thes,
false sud peryerse opinions are the NOR,
detestable as they especially tend I,
sbackle and turn aside the saiutary fore
that the Catholic Church, by the exampl,
of her divine Author and His order
ought freely. to exercise until the end o
time, not only with regard 10 each indi
Finuai Han, Out with regard TO nations
people and their rulers, and to destro
that agreement and concord between th
priesthood aud the government which hav
always existed for the happiness and Sc
curity Of religious and civil society. For
as you are well aware, venerable brethren
there are great number of men in tn
present day who. applying to civil societ
the impious and absurd principle of ma
turalism, as it is called, dare to teac1
"that the perfect right Of public societ
and civil progress absolutely require
condition OF human society constitute,
and governed without regard to all con
siderations of religion, as if it had no ex
istencc, or at least without making an
distinction between true religion aud here
sy." And, contrary to the teaching Z
the Holy Scriptures, Of the Church, an
OF the Fathers, they do not hesitate to a
firm s'thas the best condition of society
that in which the power of the laity is u
compelled to itfiiet the penalties of la