The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-01-21
THE PAPAL ALL0CUTI0N.
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND TEE
TEMPORAL POWER.

THE CATHOLIC CHDRCH AND TIL
TEMPORAL POWER.
A Document that was Distasteful to th'
German Imperial Government.
The allocutlon of Pope Plus TX, delivered
the 22d December, 1872, at conslstory OF thu
cardinals OF the Roman Catholic Church, ant
for the publication OF which, 1t will be remem
bered, several Roman Catholic journals In The
German Empire were prosecuted, is published
for the first time in America In the New Iors
Catholic Review of Monday last. 1t is a.
follows:
ALLocUT1oN CT OUR MOST HOLY LORD Plus lx
BY THE FAVOR OF Divine PROVIDENCE POPE
DELIVERED ODD OF DECEMBER, 1872, To THE
CARDINALS OF THE HOLY ROMAN CHURCH, IN
THE PALACE OF THE VATICAN.
Venerable Brothers /: The just and mercitu
Lord, whose Judgments are lnscrutaole ano
whose ways are not be scanned, permits this
Apostolic See and the whole Church In union
with IL to groan under long and cruel perse'
cution. Our and your condition, venerable
brothers, has not been changed, but rather is
daily aggravated since the occupation OF our
provinces, and especially since, two years
AGO. this glorious city was Withdrawn from
our paternal rule. The experience OF our
woke has taught US how CORRECTLY, from the
beginning Of this persecution, promoted Oy
the Vaccinations OF wicked secis. anu perpe-
trated and carried on by their disciples at the
head of public affairs, we frequently, In our
allocntions and apostolic letters, have assert
ed openly that the sovereign rights OF our sec
ular priucedom were attacked with 80 much
force, for no other reason than that 30 way
might be laid towards a. O. hing, II mat
could be done, the spirlLhaI authorlIy ID
which the successors of Peter are glorious.
and to obliterate the Catholic Church, and
the very name of Christ himself, living aud
reIguinp in it. Very clearly indeed has
that been shown by the hostile acts OF the
sub-Alpine Government, especially by those
Ubiquitous laws by which even the clerics,
torn from the foot OF the altars and deprived
of their Immunity, have been summoned TO
the military service, by which even bishops
have been deprived Of the right OF teaching
youth, and their semlnares have been closed.
Still this purpose OF theirs shall be made still
more clear BY us. In this very city he reli-
gious congregations are disturbed uneer our
4.own ewes, or Violently driven out from their
hbuses, and the property of the church sub
jected TO an enormous tribute and handed
over to the disposition Of the civil authority.
Even now there has been proposed In the
Legislative Chamber, as they call 1t, law not
wholly oissimllar, from that which, notwith-
tion, has already been put into execution In
other parts of Italy, which must extingush,
even here in the centre OF Catholic faith, the
religious congregations, and coDhscate the
goods Of the church and offer them at public
auction. But this law-it, Indeed, we can
honor by such name decree so repulsivs
to natural, divine and social rights much
more iniqultous and criminal In Rome and the
adjacent provinces. 1t Injuries more deeply
and sorely the rights and possessions or the
universal church. 1t attacks the very foun
dalton OF the true social civilization. which
the religious orders, with unceasng LABOR and
equal courage and constancy, have promoted
and perfected, not only In our territory,
but which they have brought and etill
bring to foreign and barbarous nations,
despisiDg difficulties. dangers, losses, even
life itself. In fine, this law attacks The rights
and privileges Of our apostolate, since II The
religious houses were obliterated or notably
rednced. and the secular clergy reduced 10
desiitution and gradually diminishingin num-
bers owing to the military conscrirLiO1, not
only here as elsewhere would there be want
Ing those who should break the bread OF life
10 the people, who should administer the
sacraments to the faithful, who should teach
the young and strengthen them against the
iunumerable snares daily laid ior them. but
the Roman Portiff would be deprived Ot those
aids which, as the universal mast ef AMI pastor,
he 30 much needs tor the government OF the
entire church. The spoliation of the Roman
Church would include those treasures which
have bean gathered here and placed In this
centre of unity by the generosity OF all
Catholics rather than by the gift OF our own
people. And 80 those treasures which were
brought here for the use and Increase OIL lne
universal church will be impiously converted
to the use of others. Scarcely had We learned
thSt one OF the ministers OF the srb-Alpine
Government had egnlfed 10 the Legislative
Assembly his purpose of submitting to 1t
law of this kind than we exposed It's monstrous
character through letter of the 18Th
day Of June OF this year, lS72,) addresSei
to our cardinal secretary OF Slate, ana
we commanded him that he should make
known to the ambassadors of the foreign
princes near the Holy See this new danger
Impending over us. Nevertheless, as Cne
threatened law has been proposed, the duty
Of our apostolate requires that We shonld re-
new with louder voice the eXpostulations
already made In your presence, veDeraole
brothers, aRd before the universal church.
Execrating this nefsrous crime In the name
of Jesus Christ, whose vicar we are on earln,
we condemn It by the authority Of the holy
Apostles Peter and Paul, and by our own;
together with any scheme OF law which snail
arrogate 10 itself the power OF disturbing the
religious orders In Rome and the adjacent
provinces, and of depriving the church there
Of lis property aud dis. oslng it for the benefit
of the treasury or otherwise. We therefore
pronounce invalid whatever Is done against
The rights and patrimony OF the church. We
declare absolutely void and null any acquisi-
tion, by any title. of the stolen goods, against
alienation of which this Apostolic See will
never cease to protest. Let the authors and
supporters OF this law remeTber the cens'lres
and spiritual punishment which, lpSo 1dcto In
Cured, the apostolic constlu' ions inflct on
the invaders OF the rights Of the Church. and
plying their souls bound by these spiritual
chaips, let them cease to lay up treasures oil
anger against the day Of wrath and OF the
revelation OF the just judgment OF GOD.
The very bitter griet with which we are d.
flcted, on account oil these and the other in
jurles wrought against the church throughout
Italy, has been not lightly Increased by the
cruel prosecutions to which 1t Is subject else
where, especially In the new Gelman Empire,
where not only by secret Vaccinations, but
also by open force, they attempt TO suovert it
from tho very foundation, since men who not
only do not profess our holy religion, but do
aSeven know ii. claim for themselves the
right of defining the dogmas and rights oil the
Catholic Church, and while they disturb her
they have the audacity to declare thal thy do
her no injury. Moreover, adding caumny and
derision TO Injury, they do not hesitate 10 at
tribute this cruel persecution to the fault OF
the Catholics, forsooth, that their prelates and
priesthood, together with the faithful, refuse
to prefer the laws and will of the civil empire
to ibe holy laws of God and the church, and
81 ohetain. from th oir rpl,UioDa 6ntv