The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1871-01-18
ROME AND THE POPE.
MEETING OF RICHMOND ROMAN CATHOLICS.

large assembly was convened In st. refer Oa'he'
dral on Thursday evening, 18th inst, to condemn
the occupation OF Rome by King Victor hmman'
uel. The altar was concealed by lofty screen
aud in front of it was erected large platform for
the speakers, officers, &C.
At a quarter to eight the Right Rev. bishop
McGill in his official robes, accompanied by Rev.
Fathers Jansen and Vandoveiver of the Cathe-
dral; Rev. Father Kelly of st. Patrick's church !;
Rev. Father AchardU of ST. Marys (German)
church, and Rev. Father Thomas j. Brady OF
Portsmouth, entered the sanctuary and took the
seats assigned them on the platform.
AT s o'clock the Bishop called the assembly
to order, and announced that having been desig-
mated as the president of the meeting, he was now
ready to hear the nominations for vice presidents.
Thereupon sixteen gentlemen from their three
churches of Richmond we're elected, and also four
secretaries.
Next committee of three from each parish, Of
which the Hon. A. NJ, Kelley Mayor OF Rich
mOnd) was Chairman, was appointed to bring IN
resolutions for the consideration of the meeting:-
During the absence of the committee Bishop Nc
Gill addressed the meeting in speech which occu'
pied about half an hour.
BISHOP McGILL' s ADDRESS.
The Bishop said that having the honor to pre-
side at this meeting, it behooved him to explain
its objects, although he presumed they were al
ready well known. The occasion of our assem-
bling is that, in common with our fellow Catholics
and the friends of order in all parts of the world
we may express our sympathy with the head Of
the church. Vicar of our Lord, who has in the
most unjust and arbitrary manner been despOiled
of the State which he held as the patrimony Of
St. Peter. OF those which he justly governed nc
has been dispoSSessed by the robber King OF Sardl
MIA and his sacrilegious army.
No Catholic worthy of the name, can, without
indignation, contemplate this high handed rob
berry And $50 900 900 Catholics are invoking
God to thwart this effort of these Italian infdels,
and they are backed by all outside of the Church
who favor Justice and right. There are those who
from education regard the Pope as the anti Christ
of the apocalypse, but even these know and fee
that the Lord does not approve of this rapine, VIC
leuce and debauchery and will, therefore, punish
the recent outrages of the Piedmontese in the city
of the Popes. But Catholics know that the Pope
is the successor of st. Peter-the Vicar of Jesu:
Christ and the head of his Church, which is rea
kingdom-the kingdom and inheritance of the
King of Kings and Lord of Lords-though not
merely of this earth, and with the right here tc
live and labor for the gaining and preserving Of
immortal souls
The argument was sometimes brought forward
that Christ said before PLATE, my kingdom
is not of this world. But this passage is mis-
translated. What he said was that his kingdom
was not aolo of this world: this is mistransated by
emitting that very important little Greek particle
(aOSa) which means nOao He therefore denied thai
Christ taught the doctrine that his kingdom wa:
not Of this world. In the circumstances in which
be was then placed, it pleased him to hold his king
ly prerogatiye over this world in allegiance, but
it was different after those circumstances were
changed
The chief end of Christ's kingdom is to guide
and govern men for their happiness in eternity
This happiness they are to secure through knOwl
edge of God God is here represented by Hi:
church and this Church has its rights in the world
in order to fulfil its great mission: 1t is the crea
ton of God for the benefit of all nations OF the
world 1t is to live on earth, and extend itself II
all times and in every place; and must necessarily
possess its officials, its locations its subjects, anC
be what men are to themselves, both soul and body
occupying the earth, but journeying towards
heaven Though the chief powers of the church
are spiritual, yet the souls can only be reached
| through the bodies of men. Man, whether a citi
zen of kingdom or a free republic, is creature
of God, and has to give to Him an account as tC
all he is or does. Hence he has to know and dc
the will of God To make His will known Goo
has chosen the Pope as His Vicar and Represen
tative-His universal teacher-and the teaching
of the Pope must be coextensive with the world
He must be untrammelled by the wishes, the in
trigues, and must be beyond the influences OF men
| He must be independent internally and externally
be free and be known to men to be free.
Whatever his nationality by birth, as soon as he
obtains the "ring of the Fisherman the keys Of
the kingdom of Heaven and the staff of office over
'the one fold" of Christ, he must no longer be
the subject of any earthly ruler powerful or weak,
with mighty armies and large possessions, or with
but title or small inheritance, for he would have
right to call himself the master Of the Vicar Of
Christ and of the head Of Christ's Kingdom on
earth, and in this one thing awaken the Jealousy
of kings and nations against the voice OF his teach
ngs. To make the Holy Father the subject OF a
temporal ruler would at once nationalize his char
acter, and render impossible the exercise Of his
spiritual authority over the different nationalitleS
of the EARTH
The Church came upon the theatre of the world
when all nations were subject to one temporal pow
err but when the time arrived when the world was
governed by many rulers, God provided another
means to render His Vicar independent. He made
him king among kings, though with limited ter
ritory He chose that he should be independent
by the means of a temporal sovereignty. The Sow
ereignty of the Popes after some centuries of very
gradual formation and increase took a more dis
tinct shape when, in 1853, it received from Pepin
e BRET twenty two cities taken by him from Astol-
plus, king of the Lombards. The Popes had al
ways tried to uphold the imperial power but were
not sustained by the emperors, and had often to
stand forth as the protectors of the Roman people.
Thus did Innocent |. stand up against Alaric king
of the VisigothS, and ST. Leo against Attilla.-
Rome had to look to the Popes as its defenders,
and the social and political influence of these was
continually augmented Already in the seventh
century the patrimony of St. Peter extended to
Dalmatia, Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, Spain, and
embraced dependencies in France, the Alpine cOun-
tries, etc., and all the neighbOring coasts belonged
l. ~ - 49, nd 81 tba
The Bishop here recited instances OF the Pope S
comforting high titles on Charles Martel, Pepin
and Others
Now the temporal sovereignty of the Popes, said
he, with most honorable, and even necessary orr
gin, has been consecrated by the approval of Divine
Providence through centuries of the most remark
able vicissitudes aud changes. This sovereignty,
commenced from the necessities of the times, has
been approved by the kings of the earth, by the
peoples and nations of Christendom and by God
himself 1t is this sovereignty, the originator,
guide and guardian of modern civilization, the wise
moderator of the difficulties of the various mon
archs of the modern world, that Victor Emmanuel
usurps and endeaveFS to abolish in his Piedmontese
cavern of the forty thieves. This usurpaton
is made with the pretence Of forming united lta
y-a thing that has had no existence since the de-
cline of the Roman Empire
With the character Of the Italians and the inf
deity OF the numerous Red hepuOlcans, D0und py
oaths to overthrow royalty and religion, a united
Italy is not possible We shall soon see another
crownless conspirator like Napoleon Ill, if not a
prisoner looking for resting place of safety for
they will ere long send away this puppet of King
when he has served their purpose as tool. You
will see the glorious Republic which ignores God,
rising like Thetis from the waves of the sea Of
blood and carnage to revolt the world with its hide
GUS excuses, and to draw down upon poor Italy,
with its vineyards and its olive and orange groves,
the iron heels and wheels of Russian and Prussian
aud homes, ih proving that order is yet needed on
EARTH and that there is still in Heaven God who
created and rules the Universe.
As to the Church. her ultimate triumph, he said,
was sure. She can defy the power of men, or even
of hell