The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-10-20
IN APPEAL.
FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES OF THE HOLY
SEE.
London Tablet

London tablet.
The Vicar of Christ, despoled for the
time of his temporal possessions, is in need
of the assistance of the faithful. The m, =
| ment this need is known Christendom will
hasten to relieve it. Since the death OF
the lamented and beloved Plus IX. au im
preston has gone abroad that the temporal
necessities of sthe Holy See were left fully
provided for by the large Gums from Peters
pence which had been carefully funded.
The gossip mongers, the correspondents,
| and the general press delighted to circulate
reports as to the extraordinary eecret re-
sources accumulated by the late Pontiff
for the use of his successor. Leo XtII.
showed himself in no hurry to correct the
reports thus circulated, and still less has he
been inclined to make an appeal to the
dutifulness of the faithful. His mind and
heart have been upon other subjects than
those of Peters Pence. The consequence
has been that an impression has gone
abroad that Catholics may relax their
efforts and pass their money into other
channels They had even begun to imag-
inc that the Pope's necessary expenditure
was sufficiently provided for. The fact is
otherwise.
We know from certain sources that Pope
Leo XIII. from the moment of his accession,
curtsiled and greatly reduced the far from
extravagant expenditure of the Vatican
that his own personal habits are exceeding
Ae6oA ohu cPoAibS odN buoo ho Aifso Nv
more care for money, for its own sake, than
had his iilustrious Predecessor of happy
memory. We now learn further, and from
equally certain sources, that the annual
income from funded property is wholly
insufficient to defray the necessary and
actual expenses of the Court and Govern
ment of the Holy See; nay, more than this,
that it has already been necessary to draw
upon the invested capital, and that within
brief period the capital itself mnst be
wholly consumed, unless the faithful are
informed of the wants of the Holy See, and
therefore of their own duty towards lts
honorable maintenance.
That ilustrious champion of the Church,
the eloquent Bishop of Orleans, has already
sounded what one may call the cry of dis
tress and the cry of duty throughout France,
and his words have struck the ear of the
Sovereign Pontiff, who has addressed to
him the following letter :
LEO PIP. XIII.
Venerable Brother Health and the Apostolic Ben edc
We have received, with your letter. a copy
of the Pastoral which you have published in
order to give the Faithful of your diocese a
new motive for helping the Holy See in it's
distress. 1t wa5 truly, Venerable Brot oer, q
subject worthy of your zeal and of all the vi
gor of your elcquence the more so that the
enemies of t ne Church have brought together
all their art fees t. cause hat work of Cetho-
it is the work of capital Importance, without
which there would be for the Holy See uether
liberty, nor dignity, nor any assured means of
exercising its Divine ministry. 1t is therefore
in order 10 deprive the Holy See of this last
remaining safeguard that they have determin-
ed to reunite their attacks and their common
efforts.
1t ia then q very happy thing that the voice
of the Epscopate resounds sfar to defend these
great interests, and We rejoice, Venerable
Brother, that you have had it in your heart to
make Catholics clearly nderstapd that there
is at stake the cause, not only of the Church
end of the Apostolic See, but also of each one
of those who give 80 generously a portion of
their fortune to the Church these gifts will
for q certainty bring them the treasures of the
Divine goodness and mercy.
The zeal which you have lately shown is a
shining proof Of your love for the Apostolic
See We have confidence that it will bear it's
fruits for the honor of the Church and for Our
consolation.
As testimony of Our good will and as
pledge of the favors of heaven, We accord you,
with a lively affection in Oor Lord, to your
clergy, aud to the faithful of your diocese, the
Apostolic BeEediction.
Given at Rome, at ST. Peters, the 11th OF
September, 1873, in the frat year of Onr Pom
tifcste. LEO PIP. XIII.
These brief words of the Sovereign Pom
tiff will at once awaken the Catholic con
science of Christendonl. "The enemies of
the Church" ;" he tells us, "have used every
artifce to cause this work of Catholic
piety to decay, the artlhce OF de
ception and the artifce of false
reports have already produced their
effects they have for the last six or eight
months almost dried up the streams of Ca
tholic generoeity which for eight years had
flowed in o strong stream of many rivulets
towards the rock of Peter.
They have almost dried up the stresme,
we have aaid the source and the spring
of those streams, however, they have not
dried up. These they cannot reach these
are as fresh and as healthy and as mex
haustibIe as ever. The hand of Moses has
again struck the rock the needful water
will now respond to his touch the Faith
ful throughout the world will again com
mence their weekly or monthly Peters pen
ny the streams will again flow through |
the hands of Bishops, societies, Journalists
and private individuals, towards the See |
of Peter.
Pope Leo XIII. in this valuable docu-
ment, points out great truth, which in |
the present condition of the Holy See may |
never be lost sight of, viz, that the "work |
of Peters Pence is the work of capital ins,
n. D. L. Fo.-