The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-03-03

Italian government. If ever men should come
to think that the Pope is in cry way @ bound ns %P
denoe of the rest of Europe-snd, indeed, Oh al
the world. To run the risk of losing this, would
be more out of question and more dangerous
now than ever. / have said above that the
Papaoy might be tempted to throw itself into
| the clash and conflict Of popular passions, and
to take sides with the lowest elements against
| has not done so and it will hesitate q long time
| before deciding on such O step. As things are
| now. it is the vigorously conservative elements
| is from them it draws it's resources, in them 1t
finds support and favor.
Now these are all opposed to the course Of
should appear to be regulating his conduct to
| suit the government, they would abandon him;
or at least adhere to him with much less tena'
| city than now.
On the other hand the italian goverum ment
has nothing it can offer as an induoement to the
Pontiff to exchange his present attitude of hos.
| tility for one of friendship.
In the first place, 1t has taken away ms
States, and this is an injury not quickly heal
ed. And then, to speak truthfully, the Pontlh-
| cal government, whether right or wrong, has
no confidence in the Italian government being
solidly enough established to observe stead
fastly, for any length of time, any compact
which might be made between them. The
maj jorities in the Parliament seem to have little
| strength and less duration, aud the people
| throughout the country have not so generally
taken part in political matters as to form those
which in other countries help to develope the
spirit and progress of the State by their alter
I uate periods of welding the geeeEament--
Moreover the only parties which at present
have any prospect Of prevailing in Italian poll
| tics, by whatever name they are called, are too
much opposed to the Church, too much inclined
| 30 war against it under the banner OF one sys'
tenn or another of-relations between Church
and States, for the Papacy to expect from any
| of them q secure compensation, even 1t there
were such thing, for the loss of the Temporal
1y 10 r,nff f0rt q n "a
nor is it in the power, of either one OF the
parties to n axe On agreement with the other.
And most probably they will remain for many
other, unless negatively. That is, neither will
| be induced to take any steps towards helping
| or pleasing the other. Nevertheless in spite OF
pacy may safely conclude that at least for good
while to come, the Italian Legislature will not
interfere with it's spiritual functions in regard
| to the Catholic lsity, and that the Executive
will be still more prudent than the Legisla-
ture.
How utterly Signor Bonghi erred in his
prophecy is now apparent. The Italian
usurpation has not maintained towards the
Church an attitude of cold neutrality as
predicted, but has, in it's ecclesiastical
laws, evinced the most insolent and deter
mined spirit of hostility. The Leopard
cannot change its spots.
On the other hand certain telegraphic
inspirations concerning the coming policy
of Leo XIII have been just as wild as Sig
nor Bonghi's estimate of the Revolutionary
spirit. According to certain parties, Car
dnal Pecci was Observation-Disclosures
| that meant-or moderate" He was
going to depart from the rigid policy Of
Plus TX and come to friendly UNDER
standing with Bismarck and the Italian
| robbers. The reserve of the Vatican ee-
c!usion was to be terminated.
The folly of all this is most apparent.
There ia "non possumus" in Papal ad-
ministration that must be respected; it is
not matter of policy bnt of principle.
We do not say that the Papal States are
necessary to the Papacy. Any loose and
thoughtless use of that term in that con-
nection by orators and essayists is very
reprehensible. The Papacy is precisely
| the same divine inetitution now that 1t
was during the period of the Catscombs,
and nothing is essential to it now that
was not essential to it then.
| But the "non possumus" has wider scope
than the essentials of the Papal Constitu-
tion it includes all moral wrong. You
ask US to sanction robbery We cannot
"mon po8sunaus" You wish that we should
formally recognize as an accomplished
fact" the conquest of the Papal States We
cannot. Why7 Because those States are
necessary to the Papacyf No, for they are
not necessary, though temporal sov'
ereignty is most convenient and useful fol
} the Papacy, but because that conquest
, , that robbery, was crime and, not only
was, but is, crime.
No. The voice of Christendom demands
! that it's Pope shall be independent Of any
civil superior, and to insure that indepen
J dence Christendom has donated the Papa
!, States to the Papal See, Us q separate
r nationality. The Papnl See cannot Civ
them away either directly or indirect.
| i r,,t