Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-06-13
w hole Number 1878

blessing and the Kings protection.
They want the Holy Father to de-
vote himself to the spiritual duties,
and the monarch to the enforcement
of the laws. In many of the print
shop windows may be seen pictures
Plus and Emanuel walking arm in
arm, which is an emblem of the pop
ular desire. But the old Pope pro-
iesses to be obdurate and uncomprom
1slng, however, it is noticed with
lively satisfaction that the bisbops
and priests have in great measure.
ceased to preach against Italian uni
ty or from their pulpits to denounce
the King and ParlIment. Agitation
for the overthrow of the Govern
ment, or its expulsion from the Cap
itali no longer so actively and ag-
gressively carried on; and it is OBJ
served that large part of the lower
clergy seem to be quite well dispOs-
ed towards the existing political in
stitutions. Patriotism-love of
country-is not an extinct sentiment
in their breasts. The present Pope
Is now very old man, having sew
eral years since passed the 80th mile
stone of life, and must in the nature
OF things, lay down the tiara ere
long and join the Saints. With his
departure, the people of Italy think.
will pass away the dark cloud
which has hung over theirnew Gov
ernment, threatening to destroy it,
and his successor will
ACCEPT THE FACT ACCOMPLISHED.
and yield to the wishes of the nation.
1t is beginning to be seen, by the
more sensible of the clergy and
Conclave, that the freedom of action
and independence OF the Pope do
not require that he shall be tempo
raj King to rule politically over any
portion of the Italian people, against
their will and consent. There is no
natural or necessary connection be-
tween the exercise of political and
spiritual functions; and, wherever
they have been united, they have
done mischief, both to State and
Church.
There is perfect liberty of con
science guaranteed throughout the
Peninsula by the Italian government,
and the Protestant natives are no
longer prosecuted or molested. The
English have established Episcopal
churches in all the larger cities, and
in several there are Presbyterian
churches. There are also several
churches of the American Alliance,
where clergymen of different denom-
nations officiate. But the majority
of American travellers attend the
English Episcopal service. There
are
SEVEN PROTESTANT CHURCHES IN
ROME,
where services are conducted in the
English language-of course sup
ported by English and American
residents and visitors; one French
and one italian Evangelical, and one
German Lutheran church. There
are great numbers of the educated
Italians who are only nominal Cath
olics. They rarely attend church,
and never the confessional; they are
really Royalists, or Deists, in be-
lief; they laugh at some of the prac-
tices of the church, and deplOre the
gross superstitions of the lower class
es. But their main wish is that
the Church shall never again over
ride the State.
There is an ecclesiastic party in
Italy which advocates a reformation
of the Church. The programme of
this reform party may be summed
up under four heads; first the aboli-
ton of the Popes political sOver-
f. eighty; second, the abrOgation of
the feudaI oaths taken by the Bish-
ops to the Pope; third thepermission
of marriage to the priests; fourth,
the celebration of public worship In
the vernacular tongue, and not IN
Latin. J. NJ.