The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-11-12
THE ECCLESIASTICAL PROGRAMME OF
THE PROGRESSLST MINISTRY IN
ITALY,



pretis, has just issued a Ministerial mani
| ftSto, in which he has given an outline o
| the policy of the Government OF which b.
is the head. The occasion for this mani
I festO was public banquet given TO Signo
| Depretis by his constituents at Stradella
on Sunday, the 8.h Of October. But thi
manifesto must not be treated az q mere
postprandial Grafton, intended for the
Stradella electors merely. the speaker, Il
is carefully noted by the italian Journals
ate and drank very little during the ban
quet, and in fact dined afterwards. The
speech was deliberately declared by the
speaker to contain the policy of all the
| mem bers of the Cabinet, and was moreover
carefully corrected before publication, for,
although delivered on tue 9Th of October,
it was not published in the Government
journals until the ID h of October. The
policy of the present Governmet in tempo
raj matters seems to vary little from the
policy of past Ministries. No tax is to be
diminished nor can the ExcheQuer afford
TO lose farthiBg. The collection of taxes
is TO be rendered in practice lees cruel, and
the stipeEds of Government officials are to
be readjusted and improved. The late
Ministry was blamed for putting pressure
upon Government clerks and making every
official an electioneering agent. The
present Ministry proclalms freedom in
political matters for all it's employees, and
will not interfere with liberty of voting.
This declaration comes with rather an ill
grace from a Ministry which on entrance
into office turned out, or transferred from
one town to another, nearly all the msgis-
tratee in Italy, for no fault save their pol
itical preposseesions, and even the other
day WAS spiteful enough to prevent a mem
Der of the fallen Cabinet from receiving
welcome from his constituents in the shape
of band of music to meet him at the rail
way station. But Inconsistencies are not
to be wondered at in Italy, nor is it worth
while to notice 10 detail all the weak points
of Ministerial statement of two hours and
a half duration. 1t is of more Importance
to reflect upon the points which concern
the Church and the Catholics of Italy.
And certainly, if there be truth, as it is
feared there is, in the Ministerial utterances
of Signor Depretie, en- evil time for Italian
Catholics is rapidly approaching. Siguor
Depretis assures thu people of Italy that he
is Progressist, and intends to go forward,
andare arant. "Excelsior" is his motto.
After long exposi,ion of the reforms he
intends to carry out in matters of general
policy, he applied himself, at the close OF
his speech, to the religious question. The
Cavour principle of a free Church in free
State is utterly contemDed, and the plan
which was years ago proposed to that
statesman and secuted by him is now virtu
ally adopted. Signor Depretis, so far from
separating Church and State, and combining
operations TO secular matters,
is of opinion thatsthe spiritual regeneration
of Italy ia not the least among the employ
ments of the Progressist Cabinet. ga
does not live" he says, "by arms,
by bread, OF by it's millions. Finance may
be the circulation Of it's blood. Its security
depends upon it's army. Justice consti-
tutes its health. The administration forms
it's notion But there remain the soul and
the mind, ANNA pensieri." He then
confesses that Italy, although united,
free, aud independent, and respected as
military Power, and in diplomacy, yet does
not occupy in the realm of thought and art
that position which abe once held when
slave ard divided, aud when she was
crowned, notwithstanding, with the glo
rious names of Vico, Volta. Canova, Foeco
10, MapzOni, Romagnosi, Leopard, and
Rossiui." Italy, intellectual and spiritual.
is below the mark. 'Yet let us be Just"
says Siguor Depretis, for contemporary
Italy, if che has not written an immortal
book, has certainly written an immortal
decree, the suppression, namely, of the
political priesthood, the liberation of civil
Christianity, the emancipation of religious
thought, and the free worship of humanity.
She has conceived that transaction or
transition, know not what to call it, be-
tween the past and the future, namely, the
law of the guarantees, proclaimiug the
sovereignty Of the Head of the Faith, and
limiting such sovereignty to recognition by
his voluntary subjects. This means that,
thanks to Italy, religion is no longer aught
save voluntary bond of thought. And
this is an immortal work done by modern
Italy" This immortal work is, however,
imperfect, and requires to be supplemented
by two measures, zone respecting the tenn
poral goods of the religions association, an
other concerning the recognition of spirit
ual Jurisdictions in their effects upon
society, per gil cfetH social" Signor
Mancini, the Chancellor, will therefore in
troduce two bills, which will complete and
correct the chapter of the guarantees, and
which will restore to the Clutch her
liberty; that is to say, her liberty of de-
termining the limits of her proper power,
and of obtaining the application Of the
raGOndbHe o6Sequium of the Apostle.
Thus far" said Signor Depretia, "for the
Church of tradition. Bat for the Church of
thought and progrese shall we do nothingR"
The Church of tradition means of course
the Holy Catholic Church, which, when
endowed with the gifts of Signor Depretis,
will probably be incable of further improve