The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-06-14

"Applss Of Gold"

Il
i Last Sunday, June 9TH, while referring I,
the beautiful demonstration to be made to da,
in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the clio
quent pastor of ST Stephens Church CAV
utterance to few remarks 30 startling ant
| impressive that we determined to lay then
before our readers with all their prophetic
warning and deep, suggestive meaning.
The powers of this world, he said, are array
ed either openly or covertly against Christ'l
holy Vicar. They have despoiled him of his
| temporal possessions; robbed him in part OF
his spiritual authority; and have filled his
venerable heart with perplexities and sorrows.
Plus the Ninth stands alone at this moment
against the world, which hates and persecutes
him, even as his Divine Master predicted 1t
would do but God, whose Vicar he is does
not permit him to be thus despoiled, con-
temned and afflicted without some visible sign
of His displeasure, some manifest mark of His
retributive justice. In the first place, the
Holy Father is robbed of those possessions
which were bequeathed to him, in the person
of his predecessors, more than thousaHd
years ago possessions which seem indispen-
SADLY necessary to him for the proper exercise
of his spiritual authority, and to which he has
u SiaiAu Aux ShchScL tuau Ghae Va duy crowned
head in Europe These have been taken from
him, and he, the Supreme Pontf of Christ's
Church, the divinely appointed head of Chris
tendon, is to-day pensioner upon tho bounty,
the voluntary aims of the faithful.
But God marks all things, and scans the evil
done. Let us then see in what manner He
Furnishes this great wrong done to Him in the
person of His representative upon earth. The
enemies of the Church thought to enrich
themselves by despoiling the aged Pontif, and
perhaps dreamed that through his restitution
their people might become prosperous. Is this
the RESULT Do we not see, on the contrary,
that everywhere property is becoming value
less, that possessions are slowly and surely
passing away from those who have long held
and enjoyed them, and that poverty lie becon-
ing widespread, and that calamities by fire or
flood, by drought or disease, are bringing des-
titation upon the people7
All 1t is well to reflect upon this fact: that
while the head of all Christian society is de-
spoiled and poor, the membeVS Of the same
body may not hope for success or prosperity in
their temporal affairs. Here in our midst
where too many Christians have at least con.
scented to the robbery Of the Holy Father, do
we not shudder to behold misery steadily in
creasing, and public charity carrying food to
who lately possessed An abundance
of this worlds goods
The second wrong done by the world to God
Is depriying the Holy Father, as far as it has
the pow er, of his spiritual, pontifcal authority.
In almost every Government his censures are
ignored, his counsels despised, his ordinances
violated. Bishops appointed by him are ex-
lied from their flock, and those whom he con- |
DENNIS are placed in charge Of the desolate
sheepfold. Prelates who dare to re-echo his |
paternal warnings, or insist upon his sacred |
are sentenced either to fines or |
and the teachers of Gods
unchanging truth, approved by him, are
either silenced by the voice of law or driven |
from their sphere of useful and holy labor |
How does God reply to this presumptuous
crimef The answer may be read in startling |
characters, written across the face of all the
nations. In seskiDg to destroy the highest
authority known on earth, the world has well
nigh destroyed all authority, whether spiritual
Or temporal, and wen nigh driven justice itself
ont from among the ways Of men. We see law |
poVerless to control the bad, imPotent to re-
ward the rood. Fraud aud double dealing are /
the helpers to success, and reckless disregard
Of all authority the highest ambition OF the
age. 1t IL but the stern logic Of events. 1t 10
nan refuSina 70 give even to Cesar what be-
longs 60 C@saF, because he has hFse dared 70
rob God Of what belongs TO God.
Lastly. the world has Afflicted tbs vsner1blo |
Father Of the Faishfal,--has grieved hls heart
and embisserSd his life. Perploxitias ard !
.nxisties o. esasy hsnd haset his Pash. while
IasnRt ana srirsy t1siE axrowa as Iii IN
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