New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-07-27
BREAKING Up THE MONASTIC SYSTEM
IN ITALY

The two years fixed by the Italian gov.
| eminent as the limit within which the
liquidation OF ecclesiastical property in
the province Of Rome should be com.
pleted, have nearly elapsed; and We learn
from the Italian correspondence Of one Of
our exchanges, that the resulting change
for the better is already quite perceptible.
The property which has been thus held in
mortmain by clerical and monastic insti-
tutions, contributing but little, if any
thing, toward the support Of the gov.
eminent. has been fearful weight upon
the italian people, as property so
held must necessarily become upon al,
communities which permit the abuse.
Within the walls of Rome, the con-
vent buildings, with their adjoining
churches and gardens, cover an immense
area. Many of these are now in posses
sion Of the government, some being used
as public Offices and others as barracks,
while the surrounding lands have been
sold as building lots. A great many resi-.
dences. stores, etc., the revenue of which
was formerly devoted to ecclesiastical pur-
poses. have also been sold. and the pro.
ceeds put into the treasury. To the poetic
and romantic mind the change may be
sad; to the superstitious it may seem sac
religious, but to the practical man it is
fraught with benefit to society, from what
ever point Of view il may be regarded.
For. admitting that the dispossessed occu-
pants of these old cloisters are holy men
and women, living in the fear of the Lord
and the love Of His creatures, how much
better to have them mingling with their
fellow men, inspiring worldlings by their
example and holy conversation.
A procession Of long-robed monks or
yelled nuns may be more picturesque
than the frequenters Of a gymnasium ex.
cersing their limbs in strained or gro.
tesque attitudes, but the latter is so much
more suggestive Of future good to the
State that the patriot and philanthropist
can we'll endure the change. It is like.
wise promising sign to see professors Of
science sit in the seats before occupied by
generals of ORDERS devoted to the dis.
semination Of exploded superstitions.
These are among the changes now wit
messed in reyolutionized Rome.
OF course. such sights must be painful
not only to the poetic and superstitious
mentioned above. but also to the timid
and conservative-that large class which
breads change, and would preserve sys.
tenn long after it has ceased to do good,
for the sake Of the good it once did. Such
worthy, unprogressive people can not fos-
get the great services rendered TO science,
learning and humanity by the monastic |
system in those ages when Europe was
given up TO feudalism. and it was only !
within the walls of the cloister. and
under the protecting wing Of the church, !
that science and learning. limited as they |
were by ecclesiastical domination, could |
be cultivated at all, and only by the /
Of the church that mems pas.
sions could be a. all controlled. But
these days are long since passed. The |
human mind has released itself, in |!
measure at least, from sacerdotal leading
strings; and, in all matters relating to !
science the church must ienceforth
follow instead of leading.
Ifonastic institutions, however, though /
they may be abolished here and there on
account Of their abuses, can not for q
long time to come perish wholly from the
face of the earth. They satisfy the
spiritual wants of that small class Of
highly strung, contemplative natures TN.
tilted by temperament for this work-a-
lay world. Were such institutions
limited to the needs Of this limited class,
instead Of furnishing support to swarms
IF the indolept and selfish, as has been !