The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-03-24
About Face.

The time has come for TINS, Ior tne I"V"
has spoken. The Catholic world believes-or
rather has believed up to this moment
| that the absolute independence OF the rope
ia the best policy for the Chnrch and that
his absolute independence can only DC
secured by his sovereign control over
certain limited amount OF territory. Ihis
appears however, to have been D
mistake, as we now learn from the Times
not the London Times, nor yet the New York
Times, but our wise and witty contemporary
of Camp street. That far seeing journal
got d glimpse of one of the lying kilograms
that are systematically sent from Rome on
Church affairs. 1t was to this effect
Rome March ao,-Franohi has assured dis
tin guished foreig gner that Pope Leo wished Tor
a strong and united Italy. dc only required
firm assurance of complete freedom OF tno
Holy See. The temporal power was not q
dogma.
Franchi seems to be the soul Of trankneas;
would that the telegraph agent had
exhibited something of tho same charac-
teristic in the matter of the "distinguished
foreigner" As there must be umber OF
such personages in Rome, it will be difii-
cult to run down this particular one IN case
little corroboration shall be looked Tor.
However, the wink was as good as nod
to the Times and some lordly penny -a-liner
thunders forth as follows in it's columns:
Leo XIII appears to be in truth liberal and
far-seeing pontih. He bids fair to redeem the
pred q okiops of his admirers and to rescue the
Church frem it's most formidable ON ouitleP'
Toe statement credited to him, that the
TEMPORAL power is not dogma" shows that be
recognizes the true road to the policy which
will be best not only for the nations of Europe
and the interests of the papaoy bns for the
welfare of the cause of Christianity and re-
| lgion everywhere.
If people could only shake hands by tel
egraph how cordially Pope Leo would
| exchange grips with the sympathetic
statesman of the Times. Two great minds
in such full accord is something of novelty
when the eccentricities of genius are re-
mem mbered.
If small carpere might be allowed, how
ever, to put in a word, we should like to
know what there is startling in the an
nouncement that "the temporal power is
not dogma" Did the Times man ever
hear of anybody that thought it was 7
And yet the enthusiast of Camp street see 8
in this magical announcement sign that
the Pope recognizes the true road to the
beat policy, etc.
The boat policy is, of course, to give up
and subside. That will be "best not only
for the nations ard the papacy but for
Christianity and religion" Well now, it is
queer that two hundred millions of Catho
lies never thought of that. But then, o.
course, they are a benighted set and haven
any geniuses among them, and it's righ
good of the Times to take an interest il
them and tell them things.
And wouldn't Bismarck and Gambettt
AID Garribaldi and the Carbonari and tho
Free Maeons and all the deadly enemies o
a benighted Christianity be delighted to
see the Pope make such move as thu
Times thinks would be "best ~ Ant
would't they ait back aud rub their hand
over the chess board of pubic affair
and imagine that the Church would b.
checkmated in q few moves more! Blu
, even then they would mistake. They at
playing game, but the Church is not
She ia doing great and divinely appointe
work. She can never be checkmated.