The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-11-03
THE POPES LETTER TO CARDINAL
NINA.
THE LAW OF GUARANTEES TO BE IGNORED
Rome Core sponeence London Tablet.

! THE LAW or GUARANTEES TO BE IGNoRlD
Rome Core sponeence London Tablet.
| The newspapers of all kinds in Italy hav,
| not yet ceased TO comment on the remarkabl,
| letter which Leo XtII. wrote to Cardinal Nint
| on the s7th of August last, and which forms {
mastery exposition of the present state Of tn.
Roman question. Many of the commentator
on that letter accuse Leo XIII. of ffsring termt
of concilstion to all the Powers of Europe ex
! oeptIng to Italy itself. and loudly complain o.
| the danger of permitting Italy to be thus isoIa
| tel, as 1T were, among the sister kiugdoms
The moderate and calm language in which the
Pontiff sets forth the difficulties placed by the
Italian Government in the way of the legti.
mate exercise of his spiritual authority cannot
| fail, it is felt, to make serious impression
upon foreign Governments, and to lead to for
| ther discussion of the Roman question.
Ihe conduct of Signor Conforti, the Minister
OF Grsce and Justice, is severely censured. He
he'd no bnsness to stir up the controversy
about the Royal patronage in the Kingdom of
the I've Sicilies, nor to wantonly insnlt Arch
bishop Ruffo Scila by calling him q priest
The absuldity of the Royal claims is manifest
when the Kings Procorator can only cte in
support of his pretensions the abolished Con-
oordst of 1878 aud a dozen of alleged diplomats,
said to be dated some six centuries sgo, and
not yet produced to the examination of the
Antiquarian. The refusal of the ereeuatur to
the Archbishop of Naples was political blum
der, for it calls attention to the fact that not
in the Southern province only, but in toe
Northern also, the erequatar has been refused to
several Bishops, and granted to others after
Vexatious delays. By the Law of Guarap tees,
az orig nally explained by it's authors, the King
reDonr ced all claim to the nomination of Bis
hops in all parts of his realm, and put no bar
rer in the way of exercising episcopal func.
tlonsss the necessity of requesting the royal
erequGtur.
The Bishop had only to chow his
Bnl's to the King's Proctor and the tEeSaataY
was to be issued as matter of formslity. The
Bishops did not like to show their Bulls to the
kiog's ctheers as they thought such course
would Indirectly amount to q recognition of
the King as the rightful monarch over the Pom
ttfcat dominions. So anxious, how ever, was
the King to get the Bishops to sccept he ere
qudtur that In some instances the Royal Pro-
curator went himself to the sacristy of the
Csthedra and got thus peep at the Bulls and
Issued the ercquatnr without pnttipR the Bis.
hop to the troubie or shame OF applying to the
civil power. Bat this mode of facilitating the
matter was ebsndoned by degrees, and st pre-
sent haressing AID annoying DELAYS are inter.
posed. The Bishop Who dem ands the erequatur
ls called on, not only to exhibit the Pspal |
Bolls, but also to produce certificates of his |
good conduct. 1t is a fact that many Bishops !
At this moment are without the Grequdtur, al |
though they have long ago asked for it. 1t is |
easy to Gee thst bysa judicioBs use of the eff !
cisl formalities the erequdtur may virtually be
made to depend on tne consent of the civil
governor TO the episcopal appointment, and |
.hus the King. and po OF the Pope, will be real
maker of Bishops. AS Leo XIII. observes, the
italian Government is deliberately taking
|
I'd 30 give with the right.
The MiDisterial organs make no secret Of the
OF ibe Government to violate
he engagements of the Law OF G1arantees
and, II necessary, to introd uce modIficRtions in
hat lay. The hostility OF the present Minis.
ry to the Church Is shown, not only by the ,
'ttempj to limit the Papal prerogstive in sp-
pointing Bishope, bot also by their prepara-
ions of bills to make the civil marriage in all 4
aees precede the ecclesiastical, ard to intro. {
luce lay and obligatory inttruction in all pri. ,
nary schools. All priests who shall venture
0 celebrate maCrimoDy between parties who
ave not complied with the civil requirements '
'ill be rendered liable to foe and imprison-
1ent. The Catecbism aud the Catholic
lergy men will be bapished from all municipal
chools, and the education of Catholic children
1ill be entrUS ed exclusively to lay teachers,
Tho may be infdels if they please. Lso XIII.
determined to make known to the civilised
7orld the series of prosecutions with which t
be Church is now menaced, and to expose the
ollowness of the pledges once given, that the
'Ss OF the temporal dominion would be oom-
en ssted for by complete independence OF the \
piritual power.
1t muet be remembered that the recent hos 7
lity of the Italian Government to the Church
aticsn. The Clericsls have not oonspiEsd to
Verthrow the Monarchy, or oven to overthrow
10 Ministry. The Republican and Sooialistio
evemeut rs in Italy have received no aid. moral
material, from the Curia Romano. The BIZ G
lops have in no case appeared political :,
sders, nor have the Catholic priests Joined %
10 International. In all the provinces, ex- p
'pt the Roman, the ecclesiastical dignitsries
ave offered resPeotfnl homage to the throne, A
Id within the Roman province no overt act n
IN be cited to show thar the House of Savoy
~ anything to fear from clerical reaction. p
he Crown ofhcisls themselves acknowledge 4,
e RotiTity OF the Vatican in trying to induce
/ Catholics to comply with the civil require
ents in the csse of marriages. The clerical v
scheTs in schools have sought aud obtained ).
10 Government diploma. The mOderat to party n
Italy does not approve Of the war sgAinst Y
10 Church. Bnt the extreme revolutionisis
10 men who mean to overtuEu 6be Monarchy