, 1877-02-03
The Anniversary Of CnnOssh.


On the 25th inst, the Catholic people
in many portions OF Europe will join in
celebrating great historical holiday
filled with memories of the past history
of the Church. The following interest
ing article from the London STANDARD
will fully explain the nature of the tcs-
tival to which we allude:
Preparations are being made in Italy
among Catholics hom all parts Of the
Roman peninsula, to celebrate, on the
2jth of January, in some beti.ting man
ner, the glorious anniversary of COnossa,
Eight hundred years will have elapsed
n that day since the great historical
event which it is then intended to com
mcmorate. That event was the public
expiaton made by the then ruthless
prosecutor OF the Holy See, and of the
Holy Church of God, the Emperor Henry
". of Germany. The Papacy at that
time was ruled, as it is now, by one of
the greatest of all the Sovereign Pontitfs.
The Holy Father was then, as he is now,
insoently confronted at one time, reso-
lutcly surrounded at another, by felce
and formidable persecution. Benctces
of the Church were sold simoniacally.
The pretended right OF giving the inves-
titures of bsshoprics was usurped. The
supreme ecclesiastical authority of the
Pontif was openly set at defiance. I'M
mediately upon the death of Pope Alex
ander III. the Prosecutor of the Holy See
himself made the acknowledgement of
all this in letter addressed to the great
Hlldebrand, then newly enthroned in the
!. chair Of Peter, under the glorious title
al Gregory VII Henryis submission
was soon shown to be hypocritical. Adj
dressing the Pontiff after the manner of
humble penitent, the German Emperor
repeated his offences. More than this,
having realized the infexibility OF his
Holiness, the Emperor had the consum-
mate auda.ity, ut last, to assemble at
Worms on the 23rd Of January 1915, a
convcnticle of simoniacally time serving
Bishops, who, under the pretext of u
certain imaginary nullity in Gregory's
election, daringly effected by a stroke of
the pen to depose him from the pontif-
cate. The answer made to this contu-
macious mock.sentence was character
iStlc and overwhelming. Pope Gregory
VII, in a Council at Rome, at once de-
clared the Emperor aud his schlsmatical
adherents communicated Further
than this, he pronounced that Henry w.,
by his tyranny had forfeited his crown,
apontifcial act of deposition that was
afterwards formally confirmed, Atwelye.
month, almost to the day, after the
mock.sentence against Pope Gregory
was pronounced at Worms by the 81
moniacal Bishops in League with the
German Emperor, the latter was restored
at Canossa on the 25th of January, 1877,
to the imperial dignitaries of which he
had been stripped by the Sovereign Pom
ttf at the time of his accommodation
To secure to himself this restoration of
his crown and of his authority, Henry
w, had to bend his pride to the per.
iOrmance of an act Of profound humilia.
tion. 1t was only after he had bowed
his naughty crest to the very dust that
the Pope, admitting him to his presence
granted HIM absolution. Eight hun
dred years will have elapsed on the 25th
OF anuary since that historical recon-
citation, since the German Emperor
Henry w., humblng himself at the feet
oil the great Hildebrand, made his sub
mission to the Supreme Pontitf at the
Modenese Castle of Canossa. It was by
Matilda of Canossa, one of the most de.
VOut prinCesses Of that time, that but
very few years aiterwards--at the date
oi her happy death at seventy-six, in
Tue year OF our Lord 11l5--there were
oequeathed to the Holy See goodly por-
i0ns of her dominions, Niterbo, Acqua,
Fenndeenntte, Ciyita, Yecchia, and other