The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-11-13

might be heard above the turmoil and dis.
cord of the earth, teaching the truth, and
summoning to the bosom Of Catholic unity
the souls whom error has led astray. ana
it was at this solemn moment, when the
Catholic episcOpate was gathered together
to treat of the most Important subjects that
can occupy men upon earth, that blow
was struck at the visible head Of the church,
and through him at the entire mystic body
of Christ Passing in review, then, the
whole glorious POntifcate OF Plus TX, are
we not fully warranted in asserting, be-
loved brethren, that it is not for any fault
or shortcoming of his that wicked men
have risen against the Vicar of Christ. No,
it is the absence of any fault in him that
has stirred their indignation against him.
Like the wicked men spoken OF In the
Book of Wisdom; they have conspired,
saying, "Let us lie in wait for the just
man, because he is not for our turn, and he
is contrary to our doings, and upraideth us
with transgressions of the law, and divul-
geth against us the sins of our life. He is
become censurer of our thoughts. He is
grievous unto US even to behold, Tor MS
life is not like other mems, and his ways
are very different. We are esteemed BY
him as trifers, and he abstaineth from our
ways as from filthiness, and he preferreth
the latter end of the just and glOrieth that
he hath God for his father. Let rs then
examine him by outrages land tortures."
Anu truly, OelOt0u UEctuioHs SnCy AOvo
accomplished their wicked deed, adding to
it every circumstance of indignity and OUT
rage that can we'll be conceived. without
declaration of war, after having bound
themselves by q solemn convention to re-
spect the temporal independence OF the
Holy See, with hypocritical professions of
veneration on their lips, the Florentine
Government despatched their troops to
invade and occupy the remnant of Papal
territory hitherto spared by them. Neither
tho 7Ssfoe Of the the eb
sence Of pfovocatiOn, nor his solemn pro-
test, nor their own pledges, nor the thought
that they were outraging the feelings gilmore
than 200, OOO, 900 of Catholics, nor the fear
of the crime of sacrilege, or of its punish
ment, could restrain these perverse men
from assaulting the capital of the Christian
world, and violating the holy soil of the
Eternal City. They constituted brute force
alone as the law of justice, for that which
is feeble is found to be nothing worth. In
vain have they since sought to color their
outrage by mock appeal to the Voice of
the people into whose city they had opened
for themselves a way by destructive cam
nonade. History shall record that this
monstrous usurpation is nothing else than
a triumph Of brute force over justice; of
hypocrisy over honesty; of revolution over
social order; of infide1ity over the interests
of the Christian religion. Therefore, we
feel it due to ourselves and to you, and to
our fellow Catholics throughout the world,
to publish our solemn protest against this
act of unparalleled injustice, and to this
protest here published we call the atten-
ton of all.
Here follows the signatures of all the
chbishops and Bishops of Ireland.