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

Our holy Father is at this time but ittle
better than q prisoner. His full spiritual
power, his real equality with Peter, has
just beea recognized by the whole Church
in such form that it can never again be
doubted, and immediately, as though to
prevent all danger of pride, his temporal
dominion is wfested from him, his power
of free CONTAMINATION with his spiritual
subjectsris taken away, and he is virtually
reduced to the exigencies and inconve-
piences of the first Pontifcate, when St.
Peter lived under the shadow of Pagan
throne. st. Paul was visited with sting
of the flesh to warn him against vain
glory after his being taken up to the sew
enth heaven. So Plus TX. is humbled to
the dust of impotence after being recog
nized in his supremacy Of spiritual power.
But it was not necessary that st. Paul's
temptations should last forever; salutary
lesson was sufficient. Will the lesson he
perpetual for Plus XXI
History repeats itself in regard to the
Church, as in everything else, and for the
simple reason that human nature, with it's
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be, the same that it always has been. Am
bition and reckless injustice, fanaticism
and bigotry, have constantly warred with
the Popes from the beginning. Frequently
they have enjoyed momentary triumph,
and have then always raised the joyful cry
that the Pope was overthrow and the
Papacy at an end. Not quite tbree-quarters
of hD1u ~
into exile and death by an army of French
Republicans, who had captured and plum
dered the city of Rome. In their wild en-
thusiam of impiety they thought that
Christianity was destroyed, and that the
Goddess of Reason would reign forever in
this world. A few years and their mad
ness had run it's course, the whirlwind had
wrought it's ruin, and the hand of religion
was busy binding up the wounds of society
which their philosophy had inflicted.
They who to day rejoice over the humili-
alton of the Pope and the trials of Christi
anity little think that the principles which
have operated this result are the same
which would overthrow all society and in
augurate the reign of anarchy and brute
force. They are simply the assertion of
Force. Italy could do as she did, and
therefore did it. No right, no reason, was
invoked. There was no war existing, and
none was declared. Without even such a
a powerful army is marched into
a neighboring territory, and that territory
is taken possession of by direct conquest.
This is not even flibustering. 1t is con-
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ment, but by it's act, In the case of the
of Texas by the United States,
that country had long since declared its
of Mexico and completely
maintained it. In the case of Nicaragua
and Cuba flibustering, our government
respected the rights of other nations and
suppressed invasions of our citi-
from this Government, those
could never have repealed.
Such an assertion of the doctrine of
Force as a mere connivance on our part |
would have been construed to be on those |
occasions, would have agitated the whole
civilized world, and caused this country to
be esteemed a nest of pirates and robbers.
ohPpOoO Cusho Spthiu VI AShSS ShouAO az
some time, in a season of profound peace.
march an army into Portugal
and take possession of it by force suppose
that Germany should, in the same uncere-
monious way, appropriate Holland or Dem
mark, would not the whole world echo with
the indignant protests of England, Russia,
and other disinterested powersq Would
they not instantly rectify the wrong by
force Of arms. Of course they would, and
why7 Because such transactions would
De the mere assertion of the doctrine of
rorce and that doctrine is the subversion of
Ill established order and safety among
as it is among individuals.
Each man sacrifices his individual advan-
age over a feebler neighbor by entering in
he social compact because it is still to his
advantage to do so, and in the same way
here is a comfy among nations by which
tresgth is required to respect the rights of
weak ness.
In the matter of the Pope, however,
here is a marked difference. He is hey ond
he pale of human justice. His States are
lot protected by the law of nations. He
8 a man entirely of peace, and the natural
erocity of his fellow men finds him such
N unresisting prey that their cupidity can