The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1875-04-23
The Catholic Church in America.

| ever tncy may De, can nardlV nave Deen the
leading motive, and do not constitute the
main interest in his promotion. Indeed, the
semioflicial Voce della Verita intimates as
much as this. One world, as the poet says,
did not suffice to Alexander, and the church
which addresses her urbi ct orbi aspires to
include the new world as well as the old in
| her universal dominion. As regards the
| Spanish colonies in America that is a matter
of course but in the United States-the
chosen home of the democracy and the most
omnigenous scctarianism--therca are already,
it seems more than eight million Roman
Catholics, and the number is said to be
| steadily increasing by conversions as well as
by the perpetual stream Of Irish immigration.
Nor can this be wondered at. The same
sort of feeling which inspires an almost fun
keyish devotion to titles and decorations
among people who are not themselves per-
| mtted to receive them, would in its relig-
ious aspect tell in favor Of church which
presents the imposing spectacle of venerable
antiquity amid the ileeting forms of modera
political organ ization, and claims to speak
ing Tongues. Nor can there be any doubt
that the appearance in such society of
prince of the church, with all the gorgeous
trappings of his unfamiliar dignity will be
hailed with satisfaction, and may even exert
a definite influence beyond the pale of his
own communion. The strange thing is, not
that an American cardinal should be created
now, but that there should have been none
created earlier. And these considerations
would alone fully suffice to explain the step
just taken by Pious TX. But it serves also
to illustrate an interesting question which
has been mooted of late but which we can
not do more than briefly glance at here, as
| to the possible intention of the holy seem to
adopt new line of policy, starting from tho
| separation of church and state, which,
though condemned in the Syllabus as n
principle, is becoming more and more recog-
| nzed as an accomplished fact. The church
| of Rome, it has been surmised, may turn
! away from the monarchies and aristocracies
| which have betrayed her. and make her
| appeal directly to the masses she is ham
pered by no abstract doctrine of the divine
right of kings, and has never committed
herself to the exclusive and inherent forms
of any form of government but her own.
This is perfectly true, and we may add that
it would not really be an innovation for the
opes to return to the policy deliberately
adopted and persued with proud consist
ency by the ablest and most powerful of
their predecessors
Hildebrand publicly appealed to the body
of the faithful not only against the tyranny
of emperors and kings who had usurped
spiritual rights, but even against the resist
ance of an immoral or simoniacal clergy.
He went SO far as to forbid the laity to at
tend masses celebrated by married priests,
or to accept the sacrament at their hands.
1t may well be doubted whether Gregory's
bold experiment proved successful in the
long run; and there is force in the comment
of modern writer, that the laity who had
| learnt from him to expose their clergy learnt
in the next country from Arnold of Brescia
how to oppose the pope, and later still from
Luther how to throw off their allegiance to
him altogether. But the situation is chang.
ed since then, and the laity would be called
upon now, not to resis. their clergy, but to
support them against dominecling civil
power. Still the attempt would be rather,
to use Cardinal Mannng's words on receiv-
| ing his new dignity" "a iorlorn hope" and it
is by no means clear that it would succeed.
In America, however, there is everything to
be gained and nothing to be lost by holding
for democratic support, for there is only
democracy to be propitiated, where the
union of church and state has never existed
it can neither be perpetuated nor dissolved.
How far the same programme could be safely
| carried out in old established Catholic states
is quite another question, nor is it at best
| anything more than plausible conjecture
| that Romeseriously contemplates so momen-
| tous change Of front. One swallow does
not make summer, aud the appointment of
| cardinal can hardly be taken As n pontifical
| announcement that henceforth Catholic socie-
| ty is expected to conform itself to the Ame-
rican type. The discussion is not without
interest, both on its speculative and practical
| side; but is one which we have no space or
occasion to enter into more fully here.