The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-10-23
The now Orleans Il

""vO A0Iu preliminary me0SAu8 ons
prepared en- address protesting agains
the usurpation of dominion over the Papa
States by the Kingdom Of Italy. The
Committee recommend this address fol
adoption by the various parishes of the
City, some twenty-six in number, and all
Catholic men are earnestly requested to
meet in their respective parishes this (Sun-
day. evening at specified hours and places,
for its consideration. We sincerely hope
that there will be general attendance, for
several reasOne.
The first is that it has already been
claimed, by enemies of our holy religion,
that in New York the enlightened Catholics
were opposed to the temporal power of the
Pope and were really relieved to find that he
had been deprived of his States. This is at
tempted to be put forward as the sentiment
of an enlightened American Catholicity,
and it is important TO show the world that
this assumption is false. We do not believe
that there is single good practical Catho-
lie in the United States OF any other part
of the world, who believes the temporal
power Of the Pope to be useless and un-
reasonable, unless he has never examined
the question and has taken his views from
improper sources. That enlightenment in
New York and elsewhere, which differs 80
widely from the views Of the Pope himself,
which considers an ecclesiastic out of place
in temporal government under all circun-
stances and which would consign the head
of the Church to the control of some petty
chieftain. OF despotic Infdel, is not the
sentiment of real Catholics, but Of that
class which calls itself liberal. These lib
eral gentlemen take good care to make
their conduct as Independent of ecclesiasti-
cal direction as their views They are not
practical Catholics.
And this consideration is an answer to
the objection raised by some we'll meaning
persons, that there is no utility whatever in
this movement, that it can do no good, will
effect nothing and will border on the
ridiculous from it's solemn impotence.
There is indeed great use in it, and that is
to confound the malignant assumption of
those who pretend that intelligent Ameri-
can Catholics do not sympathize with the
Pope on the subject. Let the records of it's
falsty stand clear and unmistakable. Let
not only the parishes here and elsewhere
adopt an appropriate protest against the
but let that protest be
signed by all the names which represent
the stlength, the honesty and the intelli-
gence too, of Catholicity in this community
and all others in the United States. Every
true Catholic ought to make q point of de-
fining his position distinctly on this ques-
ton, not only by signing the protest but by
being present at his parochial meeting.
1t may be considered vain and ridiculous
by the overly wise to give forth q protest
which can effect no reformation, but we
are confident that it will not be so con-
sidered by the Holy Father. Every such
protest will be consolation to his paternal
heart and regarded by him as a mark of
affection as well as wisdom on the part of
the faithful. 1t must be remembered that
protests are not expected to effect anything
at the time and are lymade when all re-
sistance has become unavailing. A protest
will not set the matter right, but it will set
US right.
The following is the address referred to
Considering: That the unwarranted in
vasion of the States of the Church and the
suppression of the Govern
ment thereof, have taken place in con-
tempt and in violation of solemn treaties
and of the principles and laws by which
Nations are governed:
That the long established, we'll regulated
and paternal Government of those States,
eminently protective, as it was, of the un-
alienable rights Of its citizens, has been
without authority and without
cause:
That it is startling and monstrous pro-
position, subversive in it's application, of
peace and happiness, to as
sumo, that power has tue right, III view
of it's own ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, to invade with
it's armies, in time of peace, the adjoining
territory, and to induce the inhabitants
thereof, for slight and transient causes, to
change the form of a long established and
Government:
That the Government of the States of the
Church has been originally instituted on
conceded by Constantine, Charlie
magne and others, not only for the benefit
of the Catholics within the limits thereof,
but also and chiefly, for the good of the
greater number, the millions of Catholics
the world, who, as members of
the Holy Church have an interest equal
to that of the said Catholics, in maintain
ing a proper order of things, and that said
cannot be altered or abolish
ed without the freely expressed consent of
all concerned, or at least of their Represen-
tative, the Holy Father and those in au-
thorty around Him:
That by those acts incalculable injury
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