Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-06-13
Bl.hop ReInksss on the Pope and Italy.

]
Bishop Reinkens has addressed to
Signor GUerrieri- GonZaga, a member OF
the Italian parliament who took prom
| ineut part in the recent debate on the
papal guarantee laws, long letter on
| the attitude OF the pope toward the Itai-
! ian State. DR.. Reinkens says it is well
| known To him that the politicians and
/ the large majority Of educated men ia
1 Italy are NOitairians; q result directly
Attributable to the conduct Of the R0-
man church, which, being in conflict
with the spirit Of christianity and with
human reason, has provoked revolt Of
! the conscience in all cultivated minds
To be at peace with the pope, the bishop
observes, the State must tolerate an
army OF priests who strive toacOmp8ss
! its ruin by their underhand macbina-
tions among the multitude. Tne pope
seeks, by the aid OF kind OF pOntificsl
international society, to convert the
world into an ecclesiastical State, Of
which he himself is to be supreme priest
and king; but by the establishment Of the
I new German empire his scheme has
/ been once and for all OverthrOWn. Plus
! X proclaims laws void in the name OF
God, and as there are no longer princes
{ TO aid him with fire and sword, he ap-
! peals TO the people, melting them TO
! disObedienCe, 10 disorder, and Tevolu-
| ton. The better 10 wage his war against
moral and intellectual progress, he has
clothed himself with the divine attri-
! butte Of infallibility; and Italian states
men, with singular readiness and COM
/ pliancy, have afforded him, through
| the guarantee laws, vantage ground
| for etiecting his purpose. "And now
4 behold the pope, dwelling in the largest
/ palace in the world, without any earthly
incumbTance; protected by modern
State, and yet standing outside it and
above its laws; loaded with rights and
/ privileges, and yet free from all duties;
more sovereign than all sOvereigns, be-
cause public law cannot touch him."
The law Of guarantee, continues DR..
| Reinkins, was inspired by that most hui
| man OF feelings, the desire to console the
pope for the loss OF his throne, which
/ stood so BeaT to his heart that he wished
to make it dogma; hut it was suggest
/ ed chiefly by fear Of the sO-called Cath
/ Ole powers, and especially Of France,
! The wisdom OF the true statesman did
/ -ot preside over the conception o. that
4 law; and historians viii record it as an
/ important document, destined TO prove
I
| ton between the Jesuit papacy and the
modern State. A man living in the
midst Of the world of politics, who is
above and beyond the reach of all law,
is incOnceivable. Every State can regu-
late for itself its relations with the
church, but only with reference to its
own territory; and no State can erect a
man into an international parsonage
who places himself above the laws Of
| the country, and even above public
rights. Italy could make no greater
mistake than this. For the Italian king
dom the pope is real embarrassment
Before the laws Of Italy he can be TO
more than the first bishop Of the king
dom, owing obedience to them; and for
his International action the Italian gov
eminent have q true responsibility,
which they cannot continue forever TO
/ raInHiofa