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

month alter the death OF the great hlnl
who had deprived him of the last relic o
his earthly authority ;-peacefully, in hi
historic palace and self-made prison of the
Vatican, the shades of Death encompsssed
Plus, the ninth of that name, and two hun
dred and fitty-second Pope of Rome.
The history Of his pontifcate would en-
brace that of Continental Europe for the
las. thirty years-the emancipation and
uniftation of Italy. the decline OF the Aus
trlan Empire and the rise of the king dom
founded by Frederick the Great. the estab-
lishment and fall of the French Empire and
founding of Republic on it, ruins. The
story in its briefest outlines Is as follows
Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti (for
such was his full name) was born on the
18th Of May. 1872, at Sinigsglia, near
Ancona, Italy. lie received minor orders in
the church on the 5th of January. 1917
sut-deaeOn 5 order, 2Oth of December. 1913;
dc4eon's, 9th of March, 1919; and was
ordained priest on Holy Saturday, the same
year, at the hands Of Monsignor Caprans,
celebrating his first mass on the 10th of
April, 1919. In early life be served in the
Guard of mobiles. during the Pontifcats of
Plus VII. When young priest be was
engaged on a special mission to Chill. and
was subsequently Archbishop of Spoleto
and of lnola. lie was proclaimed Cardi-
nal on the lith of December. 1910, and
was created Pope on the 10th, and crowned
on the 2lst of June, 1916. He was called q
man of liberal sentiments and soon began
to distinguish his reign by proclamation
OF amnesty to political offenders, lowering
taxes, granting concessions for railroads
and other improvements and reforms. He
visited the hospitals and public institutions
in disguise, and appeared on the streets on
foot and without pomp. The revolutions
of 1913, and his unwillingness to take part
IN the Italian campaign against Austria,
caused disatfection among his temporal sub
jeets. HIS prime minister, Count Rossi, was
assassinated, and the populace and troops
besieged the Quirinal and forced the
Pope to accept a radical ministry. He fed
in disguise to Gaets. November "a, l848i
called on the Catholic powers of France,
Spain and Austria for assistance, and a
French army under Marshal Oudinot cap
tured Rome June 30th, lS49-and then
began the occupation OF Rome by the French
troops. which continued until December IL,
1865. An officer was Immediately des-
patched to the Pope. bearing the keys OF
the two gates by which the French troops
had entered the city, and the re-establish-
ment of the POpe's temporal power was
proclaimed on the 18th OF July. lS49.
The events of the next few years are we'll
known. The defeat of the Papsl army
under Lamoriciere the coronation OF Victor
and the uniication of Italy, are
matters OF history, as are also the withdrawal
Of French support during the Franco
Prussian war. the occupation of home by
Victor Emanuel, and the schisn of the ''old
under the lead of Dollinger.
In 1854. he called a Council of tho bishops
from all ChristendOm, and with their con-
sent declared the doctrine of the Immacu-
late Conception to bea dogma of the Catho-
lie faith Revolts of his subjects stirred up
by Gsribaldi. and encouraged by King
Victor Emanuel, stripped him of province
after province of his kingdom, and his final
entire loss of his temporal sovereignty
took place, as has been recently related in
)ur columns, in 1870.
On December s, 1869, there assembled at
Rome, at the Pope's alloeution, the R:u-
neDicsl Council-the first neld for over
three hundred years-which continued in
session until July 1870. Ii was the TWEEN
.ieth IN number (the first having been held
It Nice in 1926, and the nineteenth at Trent
u 15i5), and consisted of six hundred
Bishops and thousands of priests from every
luarter of the globe. 1t was one Of the
most remarkable and imposing gatherings
II modern times and its proceedings were
watched with the utmost interest, not only
ly the countless millions who acknowledged
Inc Papal authority, bat by all reading anG
thinking people throughout the civil
zed world. Its principal act, how
yer, belonged to an old-time world and
! bygone age-tO the medieval darkness
trough whose gigantic glJomS We dimly
ZEE the naughty Henry of England doing
Owly penanc3 Tor the murder of the srro-
-ant Beckett. and the victorious Henry
# Germany, barefooted in the snow, hum
'ly knocking at the regal pOrta. of the sue
essOr to the fisherman -Ot Galllee. This
vas the adoption 1.-THE most important event
n the modern history OF the Roman Catho-
ic church) of the dogma of Papal lnfslli
'ility-a doctrine peculiarly distas.sful to
aces of Teutonic blood. who, from the
ime the Mortimer thundered at the gates
{ Rome, have struggled and whsn need be
lied for liberty OF conscience and of person.
To summarize the great theological events
{ the reign of Plus IN !: He iscreed the
Conception of the Mother of
ur Lord as an article of the faith; the ln-
allibillty of the Pope, when speaking er
and declared the honor to 81. Jo-
eph as universal patron OF the church.
ne last great act Of his life was the
last year. of the Papal Jubi-
&c, which was celebrated with imposing
ceremonies throughout the Catholic world.
The last years of the the Pope's life were
pent in the Vatican, to which he retired
n Victor Emanuel's entry into Rome and
here he died on Thursday, FEBRUARY 7th,
frer a long illness. For the last three
ears his health has been extremely fragile,
nd reports of his death have been of almost
lonthly occurrence. lie is said to have
cen more beloved and reverei by the great
lssses of his followers than any Pope of
scent times; and many of them believed
nat he would live, Catholic journal
,iG. ito see the dawn Of bright and
lorious revival of Catholic faith and Cstho-
c practice and action through hout the
Orli." lie held his office longer than any
his predecessors, not excepting ths first
the line-iu the belief Of the church
amely, St. Peter himself; and the excep-
onal length of his inenmbeney may be
zen from the statement that the average
,ig1 OF the Popes has been only seven
,ars.
lie was a man of great ability; of many
OF strong will OF genu-
lie humor of great personal benigniiy and
gnity and of many of those qualities
bIch ensure yeneration ant love. In him
ed no unworthy successor of those great
Opes who raised the See of Rome to the
sight of human grandeur. His only misfor-
me was that he was born two or three GEN.
ries too late. And to the gentle, benignant
i man. separated by three thousand miles
sea and an infinite distance by education
I'd belief. surely even a Protestant may
nder a tribute of that respect and love
hich blameless age inspires IN every heart.