The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-11-28
TEMPORAL POW R OF THE PcPES.
The Present Position Of thu Holy sse-Lccture
by Father Preston.

Last evening st. AIMS Catholic church, Eighth
street, was crowded with an attentive and respect
able congregation, who assembled for the purpose
OF hearing the eloquent and gifted PASTOR the Rev.
Thomas Preston, deliver his promised lecture on the
temporal pow er OF the POpes. Before the doors
were opened crowds had collected outside and In
hve minutes after mgress Into the acled ednce had
been allowed there was not q single vacant seat.
Many persons had to go away, there being no room
for them. ~~
After vespers had concluded the Rev. Mr.. Preston,
amid the deep silence OF the congregation, CON-
menced his discourse by reading from the thirteenth
cnapter OF the Epistle OF st. Paul 10 the Romans,
which speaks Of subsection to the higher powers,
ana OF there being no power but from God. He said
tnat nc proposed to speak few words on . subject
OF great Importance at the present moment
. subject at all times OF great importance TO
the Christian Church; for 1t concerned very
nearly her life, and also the mlnistratIons OF
the divine office committed to her. But 1t was
. matter OF particular interest at this moment,
since they knew the circumstances In which the
Holy Father was placed, and the fact that he had
been deprived OF his temporal power. How long
God would allow him TO be deprived OF 1t nobody
knew; bat at this time the faith love and devotion
Of the entire Catholic world should rally around the
standard OF 81. Peter. The Holy See had endured
and suffered much Lately. aud never so much In
al during the Pontcate Of their universally loved
and gracious Pope. Pins The Ninth. They
were Catholics, and their nrst concern
the consttr ton conferred on them the right
to worship God according TO their conscience and
did not offend against the rights OF their neIghbors
with oil legitimate protection. lie had no doubt
there were many mistaken opinions on the subject
There was IN the mind Of the American people an
honest sentiment THAI loved justice, although pre-
JUDGE might mslead them, and he believed that
plain, simple presentation Of the subject would pro-
duce its effect on the minds Of men and remove
error from the minds OF their cOnntrymen. Iio
should present the temporal power ~ defined by
Catholics; he would speak or 1t fact, and give
past two months, while in the name OF the Catholic
citizens OF New York ana OF America he entered his
AN ACT OF spoLIArIoN AND ROBBERY,
| and one that was injurious to the interests
Of religion. What did they mean by the tenn
Pope Tor reasons well known 70 the Catholic
Church They did not desire a large territory
to enable him TO carry out all his duties
| as sovereign Pontin. He should have an
duties head OF the Church. He was the ialher Of
ALL 1t was easy to see hat he could be restrained
lac o. ms tr ne were subject 70
restricted nthc circulation Of ecclesiastical letters.
or imprisoned or otherwise most uninstIy treatel
portion or its territory for the good Of the whole
country. THIS was the case in respect to the Dis
trict OF Columbia, that 1t might be free from the
strles and COMMISSIONS OF other states H. was, there
tore, necessary that
in hls government OF the Church. IT had been said
there was liberty of oplnisn this subject among
Catholics; that there should be no temporal power
| He denied that. lr they were good Catholics they
could not maintain any opinion against the utility Of
| the temporal power. They
| COULD NOT HAVE SOVEREIGN PoNTITF WITHOUT
ana while they maintained they did not njure any
| one. The conscience OF no man was vioiated by
holding 1t was right that the temporal power should
exist
All should obey the higher power. He was poor
reader OF history who dldnot that ST. Peter, a
poor fisherman, planted his see In Rome, then the
centre OF the rule OF the world. The sovereign
POntiffs OF Rome, even In the prison or
at the stake, made the pagans rcsnect them.
The Pope exercised his ONCE as mediator and ruler
the power Of the Pope ana respected it. The EN-
THE KEYSTONE OF THE crvIi. ARCH
was the Papacy, and therefore they deemed ut I
defend It. me Papacy was projected by God. II
ton OF that nation, had attacked the Holy See. Fo
what end II the Romans had been deprived o
their rights they could have been relieved wlthou
The idea Of Italian unity and liberty was the en-
ing referred to the efforts OF PMS the Ninth for tht
establishment o. Constitutional go, ernincnt anu his
Charen in 1850 the reverend ' gentleman y wen aS
ON on to say IT., that me Pope would not con
* hs sssS Of the IN e 1879 Of
who called themselves republicans; but It was found
reneh e e e oy G
made compact that he would protect the Holy
Father and the States OF the Church. but as as
| the
FRENCH FORCES WENT DOWN BEFORE THE GERMAN
TROOPS
he wrote letter to the Pope, stating that II was
necessary Tor his safely to seize the Papal States.
| 10 effect this purpose he marched sixty thousand
Pope ordered show OF resistance In order to prove
that he never would consent 10 the robbery and
Father Preston read the Pope's letter in reference
to the attack on Rome This letter ordered tnat
| there should be no shedding Of blood. When the
| first breach was made the white dag was raised
and the city was delivered TO the Italian troops.
The reverend gentleman read letter from a lady
IN Rome, who stated that the Italians entered the
| city with band Of rufilans and band OF prosti-
tntes. the rufilans perpetrated several cxcesses.
WIN regard 70 THE r1rrrso,rr
the lady stated that few OF the inhabitants voted
and the votes were deposited by strangers in hand
fuls. obscene prints were now sold In the streets,
also caricaturcs OF the Pope and Cardinal Antoneili
On the first day Of the entry OF the Italians Pro-
teStant Bibles were offered at low price, but Pro-
| testants retired from the scene In disgust.
| INFAMOUS BOOKS
were openly Sold and the sapenza was placed In
| charge OF avOwcd intides.
Father Preston also read a letter from New York
paper, winch showed that converts IN Rome had not
been Tree from intrusion and that Catholic clergy
| men bearing the blessed sacrament to dying people
had been lnsllted by men hired to Insult them.
me reverend lecturer went on to show that the
ASPIRATION OF the Italians for unity was founded In
| an aspiration for the property OF others. VINO
would say where the line as to those aspirations
should be drawn 1t had been said that the Pope
had oppressed his subjects; nut he believed that the
| government of the Papal States was too paternal
ana Two mid. 1t has been said that
the people wished to throw OF the Papal rule, but
ne mad reason to believe that the people OF the
states OF the Church had never desired and did not
now desire to reject that rule. As to the pleOtsce,
they had heard OF illegal voting the State Of New
YORK, but never before had they heard OF
SUCH ILLEGAL VOTING
as there had been In Rome when strangers Without
registration. voted as they pleased And il the Ro.
ma ms nad thrown on the Papal rue they would not
pc usIhed IN doing So as they had suffered nothing
TO warrant such an act.