, 1877-04-08
j. TIE PAPAL ALLOCUTION.

= without doing everything. T.:
THE PAPAL ALL0CUT10N.
The European sensations Of the day ar
the Turkish Protocol and the Papal Anocu
tion,-and, if anything, the latter is mor'
likely to accomplish its purpose than tht
former. It is exceedingly doubtful whethe,
the Protocol will secure the rehabilitation
! Of the Russian armies, as intended, and
much less settle definitely the troubles be.
tween Turkey and her dependencies; but
the recent Allocution Of the Pope has Gre
ated sensation which will lead to more
serious contest between Church and State
than any that has occurred since V1croH
EMANUEL dispossessed P1us X. Of his tenn
pora1 power in Rome. This is the more re-
| been by no means rare within the last few
years. An allocution is simply An address
made by the Pope to his clergy throughout
the world, and these addresses Of late years
have been, mainly, 1aments over the
loss Of temporal possessions, which naturally
found no particular sympathy outside Of the
Ultramontane classes. But the secret Of the
interest which the. present Allocution has
awakened is to be found in the fact that
legislation is now proposed OF which the
Pope has right to complain,
more injurious and unjust than the FA1cK
laws Of Germany, and in a country where
resistance is more likely to be organized
than it was against BISMARCK, with voN
MoL1KEs army to sustain him. The present
proposed encroachment upon the Papal
authority in Italy is SO ruthless that it has
attracted even the resentment Of the English
Liberals, whoss organs do not hesitate to
protest against it IN the name Of Liberty 1t
Is certainly an exceptional condition OF affairs
when Protestants and Liberals plead the
principles Of tolerance, free thought, and
free speech in behalf Of the Roman Catholic
Church and its ruler
The OCCASION Of the Papal Allocution is the
proposal in the italian Parliament Of what is
called the "Clerical Abuses bill, the pas-
sage of which would be as much violation
Of CAvoua's motto, g 4 Free Church in Free
State, as was the temporal power of tho
Pope. In this case the usurpation would BE-
on the part Of the State instead of tho
Church, but not the less usurpation Up
to this time every step taken by the Italian
Government in its dealings with tha Church
has been to strip it of temporal power and
possessions. First, the Pope was limited to
the Vatican in his temporal authority. Then
laws were passed which prevented religious
communities from coercing obedience to
VOWS aud regulations. Then the enormous
accumulation of property by the religious
orders and their possession of great estates
BY endowment were limited by law. Against
all of these things the Pope has protested
time and again, tut, as they I'LL
related to temporal affairs, of which
he Italian Government had secured undis-
outed control, and as they in no wise pre-
rented the maintenance or foundation OF as-
ociations for religious purposes or threat
med the spiritual power Of the Pope. the
'apA protests have found no effective re-
ponse throughout the world. In the *s Cler-
cal Abuses Bill" however, it has become
vident that something Of the same sort Of
is to be inaugurated against the
eoman Catholic clergy in Italy as prevailed
nder English laws in the seventeenth CEN
ary. The proposed bill Is not aimed directly
the Pope, but reaches him by providing
ayere penalties for the clergy who attempt
} put his spiritual commands into e1ecu-
on. Under 1t the Pope might still COM
and, but the clergy could not obey without
sk of fine and imprisonment, Thus, the
ary frst article of the proposed law pro-
des that - The minister Of religion who
'uses his Office, so as to offend against the
stitutions or laws Of the State, and perturb
{ pubic conscience or The peace Of families
all be liable to imprisonment for term
nging from four months to two years,
th fine which may extend to 1000
C." Under such a law, any utter ne
ce which Roman Catholic clergyman ", ",
ould make in Italy might subject him 10 VI VI
osecution; for there is no proselyting pos- ~, ~
'le, and no church discipline that can be Dr.
aglned, which could not be construed to m;
9erturb the public conscience or the peace
families" The conversion to the Catholic pc ?
th OF the son or daughter of Protestant mi
rents would be likely to disturb the peace yu sy,
that particular family, and the priest who ha'
been instrumental in making the con- tta the
sion would then be liable to fine and I'M Th
sonment- Any priest who should an eve
ance from the pulpit, or in any other way sen sen
blish or circulate, & Papal allocution re- tiol
ting upon any law or Royal decree, would seeep
'bnbly be shut up in dungeon. There is pat
hing OF the Protestant or Liberal idea Of nov 2s
'rty OF conscience in this sort Of legisla- ms
l. The progressive Italian Government sese ,ehe
l. IT,. ~ |