Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-10-31
THE PROTEST OF Pho.

THE PROTEST OF PIO.
Tho Pope's Letter 70 the cardinals
He Complains Of Infringements
Education. f.,' fAa ~
| The following protest, in Latin, has
been addressed by the Pope to each car
dinal, and was distributed in the three
hundred yestries of Rome: y, ....t ~
| PIUs TX, PORE. s-s.S +.
4 Beloved Son, salutation and apostolic
benediction; our Lord Jesus Christ, who
humbles and elevates, mortifes and vivi-
fies Il Kings, chap. ii. yer. 81; scourges
i and saves (Tobias. chap. xiii, yer. l2);
has recently permitted that this city of
Rome, the seat Of the Supreme Pontif-
cate, should fall into hostile hands, as
well as the remaining portion of the
Pontifcal State, which the enemies had
for some time considered it expedient
not to usurp Yielding 70 the impulse
Of our fatherly love towards our be-
loved the Holy Roman Church, and see
ing in them co-operators in our supreme
apostolate, we have this day resolved,
in our mourning and sorrow, TO declare
to them, as is required by the duty Of
our dynasty, and as even the voice Of our
conscience urges us TO do, the inmost
feeling Of our soul, which makes us to
detest aud publicly and openly to repro
bate the state of things now existing
We who, although unworthy and unde-
serving exercise the power Of the vicar
of our Lord Christ on earth, and who are
the pastor over the whole House of
Israel, find ourselves now practically |
wanting that freedom which is abso-
lutely indispensable to us in order to |
govern that Church of God and to main |
tain its rights; and we feel it is our duty |
to issue this protest, which we moreover
intend to have published, that it may be
known, as it is proper that it should, by
the whole Catholic world And when
we assert tnat the freedom has been
ravished and taken from us, our adver-
saries could not reply that this complaint
and this declaration are without founda-
tion, Indeed, any one who possesses
good sense will understand and
confess that having no longer that
supreme and free power in virtue Of
which we enjoy the right of our civil
principate in the use of public means of
conveyance and in the public circulation
of letters, and being unable to trust the
government who has arrogated this
power, we are really deprived of the ne
cessary and speedy way as well as Of the
free faculty of treating the affairs which
the vicar of Jesus Christ and the Com
mon Father of the Faithful, to whom his
sons so numerously come from all parts
Of the world, must treat and administer.
This observation has again been con-
frmed by fact within the past few days.
Persons going out of our Palace Of the
Vatican have been searched by soldiers
of the new government, who wanted to
know if they were not carrying some
thing under their clothes. A complaint
was lodged against this proceeding, and
take, and an apology was offered for it.
But who can ignore how easily errors Of
this kind can be repeated and lead TO
others2
Moreover public education in this au-
gust city is threatened with very seri-
Gus evil Before long the academic
year will be opened at the university.
This establishment, which has heretofore
enjoyed exemplary tranquility and
order, although about 1900 young men
are there assembled, being the sole place
where so many Christian and honest pa
rents can send their children to be in
strncted without the risk of being cor
rupted; this establishment either on ac
count of the false and erroneous doc
trines which are now prevailing, or on
account of the enemies of those who
have been chosen TO propagate them,
must fall. as will be easily understood,
into state very different from what it
was. 1t was made known that the laws
in operation in Rome should remain in
their integrity and inviolability after the
occupation; but in spite of such declara- |
tions, the parish registers are taken away s
by force and examined, and it is not I
difficult to guess that such in /
formation is therein searched '
for as will doubtless be useful to t
draw up conscription lists and for other q
ends which are easily imagined. 1t must v
be added that attacks and offenses, in 5
spired by the desire Of vengeance and by q
party spirit, are left unpunished, and r
that a similar impunity is assured to the n
authors of those shameful and unworthy +
Dutrages with which our faithful bodies O
of troops, who have so well deserved of V
society and religion, have been loadedt &
10 the great grief all honest people, 4
Lastly, ordinances and DEGREES concern
ing church property have already showed il
the tendencies of the usurpers There il
fore, against all those things already ao- o
as well as against those still S
worse which are imminent, we intend to il
protest in virtue Of our supreme author /
ty, as we protest through the present Il
etter, by means Of which we let you b
znow, beloved son, and also each of the il
cardinals Of the Holy Church, Drief p
statement of those particular facts, t
moreover, reserving TO ourselves TO enter Il
more fully into the matter elsewhere. i
Meanwhile let us fervently and inces- a
Iantly pray Almighty God that He will c
,nlighten the minds of our enemies, in Ii
,rder that they may cease loading their h
oals With tho more and more overwhelm- I
ng weight of ecclesiastical censures,a and 81
upon themselves the terrible h
wrath of the living and all-seeing God, 81
whose arm nobody can shun. We, on Il
,ur part, pray the Divine Majesty, with 81
and humility, imploring also W
he intercession of the Immaculate Vir- 81
i'm and Of the Brother Apostles Peter n
md Paul; and let us do so with the holy
that we shall obtain what we h
SIX, because the Lord helps those who are cl
u tribulation who invoke him in sin 81
erity. Meanwhile. praying that Our j.
ord Jesus Christ may besiow peace and fc
oy on thee, beloved son, we, from the j.
,ottom of our heart give thee the apos- "
olic blessing. Given at Rome, near ST. ~
'eter's on the 2sth of September, the II
FEAST of ST. Michael the Arohsngel, in "
he 25th year Of our Ponti6cste p y" W
.'.." Dfrc ID ID "