The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-04-23
NUMBER Ia.
The Pope's Position.

O~~'>S-.'
Certainly this is the hour of the power of
darkness. With Plus the Ninth q captive
In the Vatican-with the European system
itself in the state of solution into which
the great German war has thrown tit
may seem as If there were but few grounds
OF hope for an immediate restoration Of
peace, order, and the tranquil exercise by
the church of her heavenly mission in the
world. But we are told the Pope proves
himself an impractical old man-has he
not guarantees presented to himf Guar
antees Who at this time cares any longer
for guarantees Italian ministers have
never kept pledge except by force but
it is not Italy alOne-it is one great Euro
pean power after another that denounces
treaties and declares that it held them no
longer binding, because the physical force
is wanting that might punish their viola
ton. We must have something more bind
ing than solemn pledge from people who
never have given a solemn pledge except to
break it-something more than q guarantee
from people who hold that it is neither in
famous nor immoral to cast guarantees to
the wind. The fall of the temporal power
has already been sigpally illustrated by
the ope1 avowal that solemn treaties no
longer bind the European nations. Europe
has looked on with apathy while the great
est act of injustice which our time has >
known has been perpetrated with the
greatest display of insolent mockery Of all.
shat is right and holy. Tyrants have the
sway now. In one place the tyranny of
the mob-in another, the tyranny OF the
individual, who affects to personify liberty.
"Of all tyrants, the most to be dreaded is
your liberal tyrant." So spoke Josephus
at the end of the first Christian era. Who
can help remembering these words when
he contempates Plus TX. in the prison to
which the liberal party has consigned himf
AS the London Univcrse says, GA tyrant
that will boldly torture and slay can be
understood-can be COMPOUNDED; there is o
sort of honesty about open villainy that
enables us to deal with it. But tyrant
who smiles while he stabs-who promises
while he betrays-whO denies that he does
any injury in the very midst of his wrong
doing-how can we hope to resist him Z
Such ID Victor Emmanuel aud his Govern
ment towards the Sovereign Poptih." But
behind the captive and insulted Pope
is the majesty Of the Catholic Church and
behind the Catholic Church is the power of
Him whose Providence rules the world.
Fear not, stand and see the great wonders
of the Lord, which he will do this day"
Generation after generation sees the worlds
hosts surgipg up against the rock of the
Church, forgetting the defeat and destruo-
ton of which the traces are as yet hardly
removed. But the children of the Church
cannot forget them, and so each new as
sault finds them calm and confident, wait
, ing in tranquility to see in what new way
certain delyerance will be made: leaving
, to Providence the times and seasons, as
' we'll as the manner of the triumph, and
careful only not to fail in their duty OF
securing it and Fastening it on by energetic
9 activity in their own spheres of influence,
!, by the practice Of Christian virtues and
the irresistible importantly of intense and