The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-05-30
N tioualism IN the Church.

We are not going to say a word against
| love of country. The man who loves not
his country and who 10 not ready, if neces
sary, to lay down his life for it's real good,
Journal which boasts of a large circulation
among Catholics has told it's readers that
all the Rchisms and apostacies which have
torn so many nations from the Church Ia we
been the legitimate offspring of world
| illness in the Church. Taking worldli-
'. ing worldiiness ia his sense he is wrong.
In the first place, be objects to the titles
bestowed upon preiates The Apostles,
he says, spoke of Peter, James, or John.
The rulers of the world addressed the sue
cessors of these Apostles as Sir, Lord,
your Grace and your EmineDce. The Apos-
tolic Fathers speak OF Peter or John as we
| speak of Leo the Great, Gregory the Great,
| or Plus TX. 1t is untrue co say that prelates
| received no titles other than their Christian
names in the Apostolic writings. We find
| them addressed as Elders, as Bishops and
as Angels of the Church by the Holy
Ghost.
That there have been unworthy Bishops,
who loved the world more than their hoy
office, we admit. That there ls no more
abomlnable sin than that of avarice, in
priest or lay man, is the teaching of Holy
Writ. But are we to codemn the legiti-
mate use because thing may be abused
II 30 we should cut off human life and de-
mand q recall of human liberty when Cain
killed his brother. The Apostolate should
have come to an end when Judas betrayed
Christ. Why, then, should the external ex-
preston of the Church's maguifcence be
condemned because. some Bishops may
have placed all the glory of their Office in
that external glory Z
1t is charged that the East fell way from
the Church because Bishops had received
possessions from the State, became feudal
nd l, Gle - =
that feudalism never reached the East, and
that those very nations in which the Bishops
and abbOts remained united to Christen-
dom were those in which they received
titles and pc sessions from the State. The
East had given birth to every heresy that
afflicted the early Church: The patr-
archs of Con statinople were in many cases
uncanonically elected and were the crea-
lures of the Emperor. Among them, Arian-
lem, Nestorianism, Euty chianism and Mou-
othelism found advocates. These heresies
filtered down through the people. Mahome.
tanism arose in Arabia and carried the
Koran to the very gates of the Imperial
City. Tyrants, such as Leo the Isanran,
and Leo the Armenian, desecrated tue
churches in the name of iconociasm, aud
yet called themselves Catholic Emperora.
An unbelievipg despot, Michael ILL.,, ascend
ed the throne, cast the patriarch Ignatius
into prison, and raised his Master of Horse,
Pbotius, to the patriarchate. This Photias
Was as dssolute as his master. The EN-
pire of the West had just been established
and promised its protection to the Church.
The pride of the East was wounded. Con-
stantinople proclaimed itself equal if not
superior to Rome. The authority of the
Pope was cast off, through the intrumen-
tally of the wicked layman Photius, who
had sacrilegiOusly assumed the priesthood.
Thus was national pride, acting on peo-
pie whose faith had been weakened by
heresy and State interference, the real
cause of the great Eastern schism.
Again, it is said that Germany fell away
because of worldly minded prelates. That
there were worldly minded and unworthy
preiates in Germany was necessary conse- |
quence of tie usurped right of investiture
exercised by German EmPerors. For CEN
turtles the Church combated this usurpa-
spirit of Home Role" In matters spiritual.
Latber arose and found it ready to hand.
He acclaimed against the Pope as an Italian
usurper. The pride Of nationalism pro-
claimed ascendency. Under it's blighting
influence Germany fell into heresy. or
said. Jealousy of spiritual ruler who
lived in foreign country prevailed. The
sea indented Kingdoms thought their tenn
pOral interests could be best served by
Home Rule" in spirituals.
1t is untrue to say that Henry VIII. re-
CelVSO Cu0 GlGl0 'DeIenO6r OF the DAlCl" ,
for having defended the Pope. or Papal
against Luther. He wrote
book in defense of the Seven Sacramento,
against the German heresiarch, and for
having done 80 was called defender of the
Faith" as be was really then, by Leo X.
n England the spirit of nationalism had
Arought its kings for centuries isto conflict
With the Pope. John apd the Henrys are
proof of this. In Henry VIII. this spirit
ived triumphant. The same unchristian
pirit found place in the breast of many of |
highlands prelates. Hence their readiness
0 follow Henry. into schism, though they
'ere. not ready to follow his daughter into
eresy. In France many kings had fostered y
be- spirit OF Bati0nslism. Hence the in q
pads made by the teachings of the here
archs. If the doctrines OF unity wit the n
upreme Head of the Church had n. so
the people, France, too, Ould n
ave been lost through the spirit of ma L
onalism. N
This spirit, good in itself, but damnable
hen it runs counter to Gods teaching, is P
lcnnraGed and fostered by the very iunr-