The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-05-04
NJ ,rning Star and Catholic Messenger.
NEw ORLEANS. SUNDAY, MAY 4, 1878.
LETTER FROM ROME.
AUDIENCES


Rome, April 4th.-On Saturday, March
Goth their Royal Highnesses the Prince and
Princess Adalbert of Bavaria, visited the
Holy Father, and afterwards paid the Gus
tomary visit of ceremony to his Eminence
the Cardinal Secretary of State. ON Mon
day morning, at eleven O'Clock, their hoy
al Highnesses the Prince and Princess Louis
of Hesse princess Alice of Great Brittany
visited his Holiness, and afterwards his
Eminence the Cardinal Secretary OF state.
His Holiness on both occasion received the
Royai Highnesses in his private apartments,
to which they were conducted with all the
honours due to their exalted position. Ills
Holiness has held both public and private
audiences nearly every day this week.
The Hon. Mrs. Stapleton Bretherton had a
private audience on Monday, and present.
ed the Holy Father with a substantial
proof of her devotion to the Holy See. The
number of persons presented this week has
rather exceeded the average, probably IN
consequence of SO many being about to
leave Rome, and the proximity of Holy
Week. The Holy Father was suffering
from slight rheumatic attack in the early
part of week, but has entirely recovered,
and continues his receptions and his walks
in the gardens or galleries according 10 the
4 weather with undiminished vigour ana
1 energy. His Holiness still rises at live,
saws Mass at seven, and transacts all the
business of the day with unremitting in
dustry until the hour for the receptions,
after which he takes his walk before his
i early AID frugal dinner. An English gen.
4 tleman who was in Rome five years ago,
saws, the Pope looks in all respects better
Y and even younger than when he last saw
I him, and even those who see him now Tor
the first time say he is one of the wonders
of Rome.
RIOTS NEAR THE GEsU.
think told you last week that guam
tity of roughs had entered the Church OF the
fbx. Of ~
Kissed and whistled during the sermon, and
that some gentlemen of the congregation
escorted the preacher, Father LombardlnI,
from tho pulpit to the sacristy' The same
sort of conduct has continued more or less
ever since. The preacher has never MADE
the slightest political allusion in any of his
discourses and excepting that on the
Feast of st. Benedict he spoke of the SER
vices rendered by the monasteries In tho
preservation of learning, and that on an
mothers of families preventing, as tar as
possible, any of their households attending
the public masked balls held in theatres
which was ill received by the said roughs,
to whom such orgies are dear-lt would
seem impossible to extract any cause OF
offence out of his works. 1t became, IN
short, evident that party, consisting or
Jews, free thinkers, and the rabble that
has infested Rome these two years anu a
half, intended to have row. There is no
doubt whatever that the police authorities
were fully aware of this intention, but did
nothing to prevent it, On Sunday, ire
;}Oth, about 2GO of these gentry established
themselves nearly opposite the sue doors
of the church. The service was over at
half-past twelve, and as the congregation
left they were saluted with misses Wills
thing, and insulting expressions.
POLITICAL AFFAIRS.
At the present moment the Government
are pledged to bring in Bill for the sup
preston of Religious Orders. The true
sense of the country is against this mea-
sure the "Right" in the Parliament are
opposed to it, but the Left t'sintsrs' In
every sense of the term) are determined to
push it forward, and the Government,
whether it acccdes illingly or unwilingly
to the pressure of the mob without, Will n
least have the excuse of yielding to IL
should the "sinistri' prove too strong for
tLem. There is at present tllnisterlal
crisis, and Cabinet councils are held every
day, ostensibly on the method OF comput-
ing tax on tho grinding of corn-whlch,
however, is very serious bEsiness-bu'
in reality on the general position OF ai1alrs
If there is change it will be III the direct.
ion of the Left, as Signer Ratazzl must al
least be consulted. In the meantime the
price of gold rises, and with it all the nee"
essaries of life. The condition of the poor
is truly heartrendlng.
GENERAL PERSECUTION AGAINST TIL
CHURCH.
We learn from undouOted authority
namely Signor Lanza's paper, the Optmone
that no fewer than 20 Italian Bishops and
81 of the inferior clergy are at tins time
proceeded against by the Italian Govern
ment for one reason or another. Their
episcopal residences are all Withheld, IL :,
many cases their semiRaries closed, and II
appears they can now scarcely open theli
mouths without being subject to a, ''pro'
cesso." Father Ballerini, the well-known
accomplished writer, published tale q
few years ago called Julio, the H"ntS"ah
efMe Alps; it had great sale sIso and w wen
Usher has recently reprinted it, and the
consequences have been disastrous s. to the nc
Florence, solely on that plea. Several o!
the Floreutine nobility imm ediately offered
themselves as security tor Father Baller'
inis appearance when called upon, the
more as his pursuits may be said to be ex'
ciusively literary. The bail was, how.
ever, refused, and the Rev. Father remains
in the common prison. AS it is some time
since the book in question was written, the