The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-08-20

ORNING. AUGUST 20, 1871.
mourners dressed up in seedy black, and
| all the fantastic trappiDgs of "weepers,
plumes, and horses caparisoned in
collins with tin escutcheons, and the
that 60 to the funeral conducted
luxury and economy" His 1ordship does
not object to the economy, but does de-
cidedly. to the luxury, and wishes that there
should be some sincerity, at least, in the
grief that hedges round the dead. His lord
ship - right; but custom is law, and as
long as people die they must be buried,
tom is. Charles Dickens abhorred the hol
low mockery of the English funeral too,
and wrote against it, but to little effect.
We fear the distinguished prelate of our
Church will have no greater effect than the
great novelist. 1t is very hard, next to
ner of burying the dead. For instance,
the Chinaman desires to be inferred in his
own soil and a line of ships regularly
plies between San Francisco and Canton
with the corpses of deceased emigrants to
the former place from the Flowery Land,
Ireland the custom is for the neighbors to
assemble in numbers at the dead.house
aud carry the coffin on their shoulders to
the churchyard, beautiful aud friendly
custom, and the fulflment of one of the
corporal works of mercy.
ITALY.
The Pope on the Dethroning Pooer and
the DEGREES of the C0upcil.--On receiving
the deputation from the Academia the Pope
tholic Church invites her children to defend
her against Ignorance or malice. The doc
trine of the Infallibility is sufficiently de-
fined, and the dogma does not involve the
power or the right of dfspossessfng SOW
ereigus. When Popes acted thus in former
bility, but because of the authority then
recognized in the Pontiffs. 1t was then the
public law, and all Christian nations were
agreed in referring to the Pope as Supreme
Judge. They were thus empowered to try,
as it were ciyilly, both States and sover-
is capable of confounding the present times
with the past, when the Papacy was accus-
toned to defer to the wishes of peoples and
nations. 1t is evident that raising ques-
ton on which the Pope no longer bestows q
thought is intended to influence States and
ness concluded by remarking that all COM
ments on the definitions and decisions of
the Council were superfuous, as the text of
the DEGREES spoke with sufficient clearness
| to every sincere reader.
Pope Plus IX.-To the intense annoy
| ance of the enemies of the Church, the
| Holy Father enjoys good health and re-
mains in Rome. He is, no doubt, q State
prisoner in his own capital, and burst not
venture in the streets of Rome, where he
| would be insulted by the infideIs and male
factors in the pay Of the accommodated
| Usurper who now abound in that city. But
his confinement to the walls and gardens of
the Vatican is not, thank Heaven, impair
ing his health, and his residence in Rome
| = 81 hnak b. Ill
usurparion, while his virtual imprisonment
must make every Catholic on earth feel
| with shame and indignation that the Vicar
Of Christ is not in the enjoyment Of that
freedom and independence which have al
ways been deemed necessary to the dis
charge of the exalted duties of his august
Office. A French newspaper, the Monde,
lately suggested that Corsica should be
placed by the French Government at the
disposal Of His Holiness as an asylum. As
the suggestion, though we believe made in
o friendly spirit, appears to have been
founded upon the notion that the Pope
should exile himself from his See and his
capital, we cannot too strongly deprecate
the idea. OF course, il the Holy Father
should determine that for the good Of the
Church tt would be advisable that he should
leave Rome, his decision would be cordially
acquiesced In by the whole Catholic world
AT present he certainly shows No DISPOSE
ton to leave Rome, to the deep mortifica-
ton of all tho enemies of the Holy see.-
London Register.
Father Secchi and His Calumniators.-
The Commentators Brioschi, the Persore
TansG and the Liberia have been joining il
furious attack upon the illustrious Jesuit
astronomer on account of a confidential
letter OF his, garbled extracts of which
! they published. He was accused of having
resigned his post in the Roman College ou
of desire to make himself ont a martyr
and of having expressed q hope that the
: horrors of Paris would be repeated q
Rome. Father Secchi writes to the Libert
{ a complete vindication of his conduct, sta
ting that he only consented to- remain il
!. charge of the Observatory on conditio
/ that the schools of the Roman Colleg