The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-11-18
THE SEIZURE OF CHURCHES IN ROME

1He IollOWlnR ID the tex OF the lette
addressed by Cardinal Simeoni to the Dip
lomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See
'In his memorable allocution of the I2 /
of March of the present year the Holy
Father deplored in accents which founC
such a powerful echo in every Catholic
heart the iBnamerable attacks directed
since the invasion of Rome against the
Church and its righte, and it was to be
hoped that those who now rule would have
spared fresh Affections to the Sovereign
P0ntiff; but, on the contrary, they have
persevered in their hostile attitude, and
recently, by acts as illegal as unjust and
sacrilegious, have filled the heart of his
Holiness with borrow with the same blow
Woundipg the religious feelings of the Ro
mans and perpetrating the destruction o.
different historical and artistic monuments
The acts to which allusion is here made are
the shutting up of the churches of ST.
Anthony the Able, on the EsqRiline, of ST.
Martha, on the Piazza del Bolleggio Ro-
mano, and the taking possession of the
oratory attached to the Church of Santa
Maria Della Scala. 1t is intended to con
vert the frat church into an hospital, the
second into military barrack, and the
Orstory into gymnasium.
"The proceedings adopted with this oba
Ject haze been most summary and despotic.
AS regards the Church of ST. Anthony,
which Is used as a chapel of ease to the
parish of ST. Mary the Greater, the pastor
was verbally informed on the 65h of August
that the building would be occupied the
next day. A few hours later he was told
in writing that til order bad been suspend
ed and finally on the morning of the 13 b.
his protests and the fact
that the Holy Sacrament still remained in
the church, seals were put on the doors.
Even harsher means were used in the case
of the Church of St. Martha. On the same
day, the 13,h, several members of the
Committee presented them
selves at tho door without any previous
announcement, forbade the single lay Off
cial present to call the ecclesiastical supe-
rior, and then, in the absence of any person
who could make legitimate protest, they
put seals on the inner doors, and taking
away the keys also locked the outer en-
trance. In the third instance, the Oratory
of the Scala, after a verbal notice previously
given by the secretary of the said committee
TO Cha superior Of the church, possession
was taken of the sacred building on the 4th
of August by simple document, and by
means of another it was ceded to the mu-
nicipality of Rome, represented on the oc-
,asion by one of its officers, and thus was
this triple sacrilegiOus Uccu-
patton.
"In its justification there can be alleged
lot only no juridical title, but not eveA
sem DIdnce OF legality. MOI alone Divine
aud ecclesiastical right but even the dispo-
,itious of the civil law condemn it, and, in
act the 18th article of the law of the 9TH of
July, 1876, relative to religious commuui-
les contains the following clause THE
ollowing are exempt from escheatage and |
Buildings for public wor-
hip, which may retain their original des-
ination, as we'll as the pictures, statues,
md sacred furniture, aud objects therein
n accordance with this law, when pos
esson was taken of the monasteries of St. |
Anthony, st. Martha, and the OratOry of
he Scala, these churches remained couse.
rated to the purpose for which they were
Intended.
'EIt is alone, then, the contempt which
he Government manifests for Catholic
,hurches which urges it on to occupy lille.
ally and unnecessarily two of the beet of
hem, at the same time that it accords all
Is favors to the Protestant temples OF
hese latter there are great number in the
lost populous districts of Rome, although
hey need have no fear of being robbed of
heir places. Any far-seeiDg spirit can
educe from these facts what is the let
-hich will be left for the churches of Rome
l the future, more or less distant, if the
resent state of things is unfortunately
lowed to continue. The guilty echeme
hich Bit by bit is about to be carried out
ouid remove from the means of public
orship not alone the converts, the monas-
,res, and the confraternities, but even
ANY of the parish churches, so as to di-
finish the number OF the chapels of wor
Zip. This plan was commenced when