Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-02-15
NUMBER 81.


The last number of the Edinburgh Rrria,
contains timely and interesting review Of q
book by Signor Bonghi, of Italy, upon the
future Pope and the policy Of the Roman
Catholic Church in the changed condition Of
affairs resulting from the loss Of the temporal
power. Anticipating the speedy summoning
OF the Conclaye as an event which, in the
nature OF things, could not much longer be
deferred, the author indicates with great
eiearness the probabilities as to the line of
action to be pursued by the Cardinals, and
the motives governing them. lie has no
idea that the coming Pope will be elected to
Ofing about revolution, or will use his
power for that end. The election to the
chair OF St. Peter has lost its significance,
and 1t no longer presents the same object for
emulation as it did previous to the loss of tie
temporal power. The old party lines in the
Sacred College have been obliterated, and
the only issue which Is likely to be raised in
the election is the appreciation or disappro-
baton of the policy of the late Pope. The
College is virtually united on the principle
of the restoration of the temporal power,
holding, according to SignOr BOnghi,
that it has real value as regards the
exercise of the spiritual authority Of the
church, and that its recovery should be the
paramount aim of papal policy. The only
divergence Of opinion is as to the means to
be pursued. There is party who favor
compromise, and conservative party who
would decline to abate a single ecclesiastical
pretensiOn in Difference to the innoyating
spirit of the age. The latter party are be-
lieved to have gained strength considerably
during the last few years. Heretofore the
governments of Austria, France Spain and
Portugal, have claimed the right of object
ing to any particular cardinal nominated for
the triple tiara. 1t is not likely that any of
them will now care to assert this right, and
if they do so their protest would be disre-
gardeG for having failed to protect the
church, they could not reasonably interfere
in what is now as purely an ecclesiastical
matter as the choice of Methodist or a
Presbyterian moderator In the words of
the RcrieU:
The loss Of temporal power by the Holy
See has cut it adriit from all those points of
contact with the civil governments and au
thorities of the earth which gave them the
means of acting on it. Archimedes Bis |
marck has no longer any fulcrum for his |
lever. IL the Universal church |
and the whole body of the faithful agree iu
saying and believing that A. b. Is Pope,
none Of the difficulties and troubles in which |
that fact may involve the civil governments
Of Europe would be in the least degree di-
by their assertion that A, B. il not
Pope.
At the present time the College of Cardi
nails is composed of sixty members, divided
in nationality as follows: 81 Italians,
Frcnchmen, 1 SPaniards, Portuguese,
German, . Austrians, / Belgian, Pole, .
English, l Irish, American and Spanish
Americans.
Signor Bonghi is Of opinion that the College
1f Cardinals will make no attempt to in
iuence the policy Of either Germany or Italy,
The only States to which the personnel of the
of St. Peters chair is of any ma
.ional consequence. lie does not consider
hat Rome has anything to gain by concilia-
lion. The election being thus free from all
outside political influences, it promises, in
lis opinion, to be conspicuous among papal
elections for purity and independence