The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-12-13

cation of police regulations to the ceremonies
By this Concordat the Gallican Church was
brought once more under the spiritual 'domln-
Napoleon 90, s NJ de Pradt, always consider
ed his coronation by the Pope as forming one
of his chief titles to respect in the eyes OF the
| French nation.
The main facts of the journey of the Popeto
Paris are matters of ordinary history.
Napoleon never responded to the courtesy OF
| the Pope, anxious as he had been to obtain his
presence. To avoid the formality OF the first
interview, the new Emperor affected to meet
| his venerable guest by accident at one of the
| rendezvous de chasse in the forest of Fontaine-
/ bleau, surrounded by his piqueurs and pack OF
hounds. A carriage was drawn up to convey
them both to the Chateau, but Napoleon had
not the grace to offer precedence to the Pope,
and the two pOtentates took their places SIM
ultaneously ut the opposite doors These things
are paltry and ridiculous: but they show how
insincere was the affected Difference OF Napo-
leon for Plus VII. and the whole residence of
| the Pontiff in Paris was marked by series of
petty tricks, which might have been regarded
| as insults and humiliatons.
The return of the Pope to Rome, in May, 1905,
marks the conclusion of the negotiations of Ma
poleOn with the Papacy in matters of spirit
ual nature alone /; henceforward temporal mat.
ters were destined to be the great subject of
debate between them.
The intercourse between Napoleon and the
Pope had been of cordial and even affection
ate character, and the correspondence which
they subsequently maintained showed manifest
tokens of the esteem and admiration engen-
dered by personal acquaintance. Such senti-
ments had beneficial influence on the arrange
ment of second COncordat for the settlement
of Church affairs in the Cisalpine kingdom
But, unfortunately, Immediately on the settle
ment of this difficulty, question arose of quite
put to the test the conscientious scruples of the
Pope to a very painful degree-the question of
the validity of the marriage of jerome, the
younger brother of Napoleon, with Miss Patter-
yvnS first apNiSO S4sa
in the struggle between Napoleon and the Pa
pacy, and its influence was felt throughout the
whole of it's duration. By the rules of French
civil law the marriage was void, since it was
contracted when Jerome was aminor, and with
out the consent of his mother. But the mar
rage had been duly solemnized, according to
the rites of the Catholic Church, by the Bishop
of Baltimore and faskhe marriage was once
valid it could not, as is we'll known, be dis
solved by divorce. The decision of the Pope
was made known to Napoleon in letter writ
power" he says towards it's conclusion, "to
a judgment of nullity. If we usurped
an authority which we do not possess, we should
abuse before the tribunal of God; and your
Majesty yourself, in his Justice, would blame
rs for prOnOuncing a sentence contrary to the
principles of our Church, While the letter
concludes with a touching assurance of affec-
lion, its whole tenor and length testify to the
painful care and conscientiousness with which
But Napoleon was perhaps the last person in
he world to believe in such conscientious scru-
Dles and in this matter, which is pure ques- |
ion of fact and canon law, he evinces his utter
psensibility to scruples of conscience, more, /
perhaps, than in any other part of his dealings |
With the Papacy. He affected to believe the
'opc's unfavorable verdict was n mere trick to +
'evenge himself for not having recovered the !
He spoke with the utmost indigna- |
ion against the Pope; and as Miss Patterson |
vas Protestant, he denounced, with real or
rf1Ii
d by the Pope to the cause of Professionalism.
Nevertheless had Napoleon looked back into
'ast history, he would have discovered that the |
maintenance of the inviolablity of the marriage
ontract had always been treated by the POpes
IS one of their most sacred Duties and that in
his cause they had defied the might of Empe-
OFFS and Kings as terrible as his own. So, when
he violent words of the Emperor were reported
o the Pope, he merely bowed his head, and
aid " his duty clear. and by the help of
Tod he would not be found wanting"
While universal laudatioh= saluted him on all
ides, there was but one discordant note, and
hat came from the reproaches of the Pontiff of
Tome.
On the I'd of February, $685. at g o'clock in
he morning, the French troops entered Rome
" the gate of the Piazza del Popolo, disarmed
he pontifical guard of the gates of the town,
nd took possession of the Castle of Saint An
elo. body of cavalry and infantry sur
ounded the Palace of the Quirinal, in which
he Pope was then resident, and n battery of
EN- pieces of artillery was drawn up and point
at the windows of his apartments. The Pope
t that very hour was officiating at the Mass of
he Publication of the Virgin, in the chapel of h
he Quirinal, assisted by all the members of the
acred College The service was performed to
he end with the usual tranquility; and the
'rench officers observed at it's conclusion, with
uriosity, that the Cardinals got into their car
lagos, and drove off as if nothing extraordina-
y had taken place.
In his memoirs, dictated while at ST. Helena
g thus spoke of the Pope, and his general pol
" regarding the Church:
GO was about to raise the Pope up beyond
ge.. would have brought him to re-
ret no more his temporal power. I ,Could hare
lade him an idol. He should have remained by
iy side in Paris, which would have become the
apital of the Christian world, and L Wuold hare |
irected the ioorld- Christian 1reu as the word-
official. would have had my religious ses-
nna az we'll "a my lanialative Rassinns No