The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1872-01-17
The PaPaI Decision.

There is to be an official meeting Of prelates
Rome to-day for the purpose Of announcing the
rev bishops. The assemblage is not rare, nor is
i in itself Of considerable moment to any bat
hose Immediately concerned In this instance,
however, it promises to be Of exceptional gravity,
as the Pope has declared his purpose Of annOunc-
ing not only the bishops, but the policy he has
decided to pursue with regard to the secnlariza-
ion Of Rome.
The famous old city has been the capital Of the
States Of the church for eleven centuries. The
occupancy has not been continuous. 0mitting
the earlier periods, when Pope fought Pope with
stout carnal weapons, and the longest sword won,
tie city was absolutely ruled by France five years
preceding 1914 and the Pope fed before the
people in 1913, and before his restoration at the
point Of French bayonets the next year, the PEG
pie Invested him Of all temporal sovereignty.
They have now done this again, and al Italy
backs the movement Despite negotiations, en-
treaties and threats, the kingdom has claimed its
natural capital King Victor Emanuel has enter.
el it, and the Italian Parliament is soon to con
rene there. The-King has tried TO pacily the
Pope by promising not to invade his spiritual
functions But the exercise Of temporal power,
% is alleged. necessarily does so. it limits the
free exercise Of religious prerogatiye, that, in the
opinion of Plus, has no less diameter than when
Hildebrand and Gregory swayed it. The King
viii not recede; the people show no inclination
to desert him the Pope will not yield and now
,t,1 vrr,r-a things
are made probable by the convention of poti-
Clans caring little for Peter and less for Paul be
must decide and pronounce his decision. This
decision is to be rendered to-day.
In anticipation OF some such rupture as seems
probable, England at one time, aud France more
recently, offered residences TO the Pope. Rome
has been identified with Christianity from the be-
gining. Some Of the Apostles were taken there
for trial. while Jerusalem was yet the great and
sacred city, and from that day to this, by the re-
cord the catacombs and profane history, there
has always been some measure of ecclesiastical
power enthroned there-a power that at its height
directed Kings, controlled Kingdoms, sEayed
every field OF human interest, and was almost as
potential il this world as it claimed to be in the
rsst Though weakened now, and enforcing its
DEGREES by skill rather than the sword, the old
spirit survives, and it is not singular that so de-
termined man as the present Pontif should re-
solve to yield his throne only at the last emery
ency. The most heterodox can see that bull
from Paris or Birmingham, or Algiers would be
Of Together a different and weaker breed than
one loOsed from where bulls have been nurtured
a thousand year. And it is as easy TO credit the
assertion that peaceful seat anywhere else would
remit for the sake Of peace very great share of
power.
Bat it is not easy TO see the alternative.
Christandom cannot be summoned to fight now
for ends that were omnipotent when Peter the
Hermit preached Men have got into habit Of
asking questions and particular chi bono? They
count the cost and the return A majority in
Europe. if not in Italy. doubt whether the Pope
is really anything more than he was before his
election. True, he has Just been declared &c
1tHo, infallible but men question the inspira-
ton Of the Council and the truth of the dogma.
TINS doubt has got into the Church and the In
.aHbilists and anti-lnfallibilists are pounding
away at one another in Germany aud elsewhere
ough Satan had been Gagged and nothing re-
maj ed but to cage his friends and their particu-
la ees. This worldly tendency and these church
diss 1sions lessen the Papal power at the instant
when it is needed at its maximum. The politi-
cal tuation is no better. The Gar is of the
Greek and not the Roman communion; the Ger
man Emperor is 4 Protestant, though caring lit
tie i5r any creed; the Austrian contemplates re-
signing because he cannot manage his own En-
pirg France has virtually no government, almost
no army certainly no money and most certainly
no villingness to engage in a war with Italy for
the Pope; Spain is trying, to form a government
but Las not established one. So that foreign aid
in this emergency is impossible. But as the
situation is it has to be met Victor Emanuel
is in the city-P Parliament is coming-the doc
tors are arguing certainly the Pope needs infalli
biiity for his temporal salvation, whatever may be
the ruth touching his spiritual functions.
It IS impossible to see how the crisis can ter
inmate other than by the course first adopted by
the Pope-departure. If he remains, his tenn
AulnuIill Will e0uA luilUh His
Il is an old truth that two bodies cannot occupy
the same space at the same time and the Pope
and tie King cannot both rule Rome. The lat
ter having the strongest regiments on his side,
can. according to Frederick and common sense,
enforce his will And an enforced obedience
though not accompanied by removal, would low
er The dignity Of the tiara infinitely more than a
voluntary and dignifed withdrawal. There
would then be small hope of reelaiming the peo-
pie and recovering the city small as that hope
seems in any alternative. If the infaEbility Of
the Pope is strained to know what is the ex-
peiient policy where there are so many conflict
ing interests, aud where so much IS al stake, no
less intelligence can be asked to furnish solu-
ton. But il seems as though Italy were de-
termined to have done now and forever with hi
erarchical politics, and TO push toward in the true
line Of government, leaving men to worship as
they see fit. The experiment works well here,
and would work better but for the infusion Of
some Of that political religion that has been the
bans of Italy.-N0r4z AmerioBa.