New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-10-04
RELIGION IN ITALY.
ny THE REV. MATTRo PRocHET OF GkSo


- ~ ro,r and DESTROYS as / am to comply win
,nl,bed rules and 10 obey orders cut them on ana
,,bout any introduction will at once ehVer in'" my
subject "The state Of Religion In Hay'
very complicated state indeed 1t has been TOT Soio
= ,,ost and IA now so more than "The Roman
Ctbo religion is the religion OF the State says the
arst article of the Italian Constitution and IN iact 20
600 roo Italians have been baptized by the priests, are on
rho prests rolls and entitle Italy TO the name OF Ro
man Catholic country But the shades Of Romansm are
40 many with that feel it impossible 70 treat OF
them under one head On the other hand, the Protest
ant efforts italy also divided that TO De truly I'M
partial and give you accurate an idea as possible OF
the state OF things must be satisfied with series %
panoramic views or tableaux TO which take the liberty
NJ calling your indulgent attention. begging that you
woud bear in mind that oyersQueezed things become
rather bOuy and dry.
l. First comes the venerable looking old iman whom
his adherents call tho Angelcal Vicar OF Christ the IN
fable representative OF God on earth. Whatever ne
may be as man. he is conscious OF the dimlnutloh OF
his power and influence, and his words from time 10
time betray the bitterness of his feelings he sees his
children turning their backs upon him. yet he has MS
faithful band who their best to make up for the de-
serters by redoubled activity and by their hyperboca
praises.
H. The clergy as SUCH with few exceptions, nave
gathered themselves closely around the Holy see
determined to stand fall with it, You would say tha
they feel that the wreck is fast approaching anu a'
sailors who. in the moments OF impending danger cus
ter around the captain ready TO obey his orders so y
cling TO :the Pope They take in Syllabus and lniall
hiIitv and seem to sacrifice completely their own
uberiies minds and consciences upon the affair oI
the church than they did even IN the uarh
DAYS of the past The old riyalries between regular
and secular orders between this and that monastc fue
are hushed to silence. One common foe Is before them
Light they must put it out aud they are determined
upon doing so.
Does this mean that all the priests really believe all
that Rome teaches do not think 80. Some years ago
oOCO priests signed petition TO Plus TX, begging hn
for the sake OF the country for the sake OF religion 10
throw OF the temporal power. The Pope refused, ana
the 1900 priests teach that the temporal power Is from
God When Garibaldi entered Naples In 1851 hundreds
Of priests Joined the liberal party, and with little or no
connection with Rome. said masses IN churches
assigned to them. Two years after, the Cardinal
pishon o. Naples, reinstaed by RlcasOli suspended
a divine and they all disappeared. Last Spring l
was offered through friend eight priests at time will
ling 10 throw away the collar ii would give them po
sition refused and those priests say masses to-day
What does this proyel That the race of savanaroa Is
extinct in Italy; that cannot expect reformation
from the Italian priests. Where is the Dollinger OF
Italy2 Where is the bishop, the priest OF some
standing who opposes the dogma OF Infalibty! Even
France had her Father nyacnthe-Itay had none.
Father Hyacinthe ectured in Rome, created momen-
tary excitement among her people, but the clergy left
him alone the few adherents were such that nothing
OF any Importance could be done By Them Yet con-
WINGED or not they work. and how they do work! You
may dsapprOve OF the end, you may condemn
the means, but you must bow before the de-
voted activity, the relentless energy displayed.
Whether they be discouraged not by their repeated
misfortunes is not apparent; they defend their
ground and try reconquer what they have lost with
courage and perseverance worthy Of better cause
The confessional that powerful weapon OF Rome makes
ifs influence felt throughout the country from the steps
of the throne the shattered shanty Societies OF all
kinds made to the tastes OF class have been
formed, and like spiders web, cover the whole ma
ton Salvation Of souls-Bcnefcence is the motto
golden letters on the floating outside To bring
the people back to the good old times is the object which
the initiated have in view. Competitive schools are
opened wherever they cannot have the whole manage
ment of the public ones and in them they offer better
instruction and better education Their reasoning is
simple and comprehensive one let us have the women
through the confessional and the children through the
schools and the nation will be ours. We will still see
better days for US and they would them, my
fun conviction If they had only to fight against
human agencies. But there Is power mghtier than
theirs at work The Meme, Meme, Tekel Upharsin, has
been pronounced upon their systems from the day in
which an old made the impOus attempt to snatch
with a trembling hand jewel from Gods own crown.
be terrible one Let not forget it, nor neglect
our part in the battle.
Ill Clustered around the priests the good Roman
Catholics, the convinced, the bigoted and fanatics
cruted unequaly from the different classes. The
bty and the peasantry largely represented in their
ranks and the women occupy quite prominent posi-
ton while they the useful instruments There
are many earnest souls among them-souls that have
deep religious wants-and though perhaps not wholly
satisfied with the Romish teaching and practice, yet
they cling to them the only anchor of salvation they
know Of. But how many also are there who, alas, are
superstitious without region-fanatics who would
peat tomorrow the st. Bartholomew II they had the
power 10 do 1t.
w. Following these we find enormous proportion
OF the population which, while 1t remains Outwardly
Roman Catholic belongs really to the religion Of don't
care or is no religion at ALL il by religion We mean
personal knowledge OF God and personal communion
with Him. They Roman Catholic by birth, and con-
slider it their duty TO belong to the church OF their
fathers Habit Indifference sufficient chains to bind
them. They would by means build the stakes and
they would not go them either they called upon
10 do so as a seal OF their religious belief Ask any
OF them IL he believes in the nfability OF the Pope and
he will laugh at your simplicity but.if you want TO
draw the natural consequence OF his belief that he
come out OF the Church Of the Pope he does under
stand YOU He is well he is that he does not
how he ought 10 give place 10 religion In his life.
V. The religious question mas been Tor many years
enurely Ialu dslue w tho Eicot JUN itiioh
ton specially by those who actively and energet
cally wrought out IFS freedom and unity. The thought
of freeing the country from civil bondage absorb
ing that they could not think OF anything else. Italy is
now free and united aud the question begins TO force
itself upon the attention OF many thoughtful minds.
Carlo Conzonn elaborate article in one Of the best
periodical publications OF Italy says when people has
obtained fun liberty OF conscience 1t has completed
its work. IL has merely acquired the means Of comply
ing with and giving satisfaction To its moral aud
religious exigencies; and inasmuch as by neg
Letting these people declines and GOES pack To
barbarism or loses itself in unyersed and
eorrupted civilization 50 we Italians ought
not TO make mere negative use Of our religious
liberty by throwing ourselves the OF skeptl
csm or OF Indifference. Our political regeneration
would be OF value were 1t not followed by moral
and a religious one" These very significant words,
healthy symptoms OF the moral recovery Of Italy, do
NOT stand alone thanks God. Another distinguished