The New York herald., 1872-11-03

the whole Empire the Pope claimed 10
have spiritual jurisdiction- This authority
was often called In question What reader OF
history is not familiar with tho fcuds between
the Guelphs and GhibeIlincs. with the pre-
Reformation struggles against the pretensions
Of the Church in the times Of wickix'e and
Huss, and with that terrific outburst which reft
from Rome the whole Of Northern Germany.
England and Scotland. the NetheriandS .
large portion Of Switzerland. with Denmark
and Sweden and Norway Afser The lapse OF
ages the same spirit has developed itself. and
the old contest has been resumed The
evil dates a. far back a. the days az Con-
stantine, who proclaimed the Christian
religion the established religion sf Tho
Empire; and IL is impossible 10 REFUSE 10
admit that tho compact made with tho
Pope by Pepin. and confirmed successfully
by Charlemagne and Otho has been fruitful OF
untold evil 10 the Church and the world In
the differences now existing between Rome
and Spain. between Rome and Italy. bct~ecn
Rome and Austria. and In the religious war
now raging in Germany and Switzerland. We
have. in . qualified form. = revival cf the
religious strife which shook Europe 10 ~
centre and rent the Western Church in twain
in the sixteenth century. Rome insists ON
what she calls her ancient and Gcd-given
rights but tho civil Powers, strong with
stronger than spiritual strength. refuse 10
recognize any authority superior 10 their own.
What is TO be the final result II n not easy
to say. We cannot blame the civil govern
ments for insisting that they are and must be
supreme in their own territory and over their
own subjects. The recognition Of the claims
of Rome, as these claims are nov
presented in Germany and Switzerland,
would virtually imply the existence Of
an impriam in inaperio, and to this not one Of
the Continental Powers il at all likely 10 ssb-
NIT. So long as the State pays the Church
the State in the last resort must be the
stronger of the two Az little. however, can
we blame the Church for claiming what IL
calls its own. The Holy Father claims 10 be
the head of the Holy Catholic Church Ages
Of recognition and the willing homage of mil
lions Of faithful followers encourage II they
do not justify his claim, and the Holy Father,
in doing what he is doing, is but fulfilling
what he regards as the behests of Heaven. II
is possible, however, that some little blame
attaches to both parties in the contest The
Roman Curia might do better than provoke
conflict where defeat is certain and where con-
ciliation is not only possible but easy. Tho
civil governments are, we think, unneces-
sarily sensitive. 1t is not our opinion that any
good can come from the harsh policy Of Prince
Bismarck. The presumption is that his expul-
sion of the Jesuits win strengthen rather
than weaken the Catholic cause through
out the Empire. The situation in Switz-
erland recalls the memory of the
excitement which prevailed in England
when Cardinal Wiseman was appointed Arch
bishop Of Westminster. Most of us remember
Lord John Russelrs Ecclesiastical Titles BILL
how easily it was passed through both houses,
but how ineffective it was in accomplishing its
purpose. Cardinal Wiseman lived and died
Archbishop of Westminster, and his successor
WcdIS buu AUuOIo UuC UlJ1c. lAC Opc uPPOAnto
bishops and archbishops to vacant sees in the
United States but what harm has come to us
from the right which the Holy Father claims
and exercises? 1t might be well if there was
a little less Of hierarchical parade and preten-
sion, and if things were brought more near to
the original simplicities Of the Master and His
immediate disciples. A little less Of ostenta-
tious show and little more Of the Sermon on
the Mount would be gain to all the churches.
With things as they are, however, we must en-
deavor to content ourselves By and by, no
doubt, will come the millennium. Meanwhile
it must be admitted that the Pope, by his
vigorous protests is not permitting the world
to forget the chair Of St. Peter. He is still
live man and force in the midst Of us, and
while the Holy Father SO vigorously represents
the spiritual power and Bismarck SO forcibly
represents the physical power, we have our
choice to follow which banner we please
Mr. Bergh and the Herald.
A Bohemian contemporary, with some of the