The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-05-12

XII all the popes have been irreproaehabie IN
suraby enriched the Braschi family, his own, by
III. way In the emu II cannot be SAID 10 have Dene
become an adsse IN Rome that the succession TO the
cardnaacs and preaces never reaches The third gen.
Grafton.
cuRTAILISG THE PoPE's POWER.
Among other oaths, then, Leo XIII. sworc before
God 10 exactly observe the Constitution OF Innocent
sumcd that the fecci family will not be enriched from
the ecclesiastical property. All the oaths taken oy the
so absolute as many persons think. IL is SAID wuh
reason that out oil every hundred questions sent 20
consult what the reply oil the Pope Will De
TO ninety OF them. Not only rs hc held and bound
by the Official constitutions Of ms predecessors ano
by Of councils, but there are, moreover.
the unanimous DEGREES oil the doctors and theocsans
against which The authority OF the Pope cannot
reach. speak here OF doctrine for II is certain the
Pope has power modify revoke laws on
purely POSITIVE discipline. Again, there are things
the Pope cannot authorize without the assent OF Inc
cardinals.
OATH BoUSp CARDINALS
In this regard 1t also required nat the cardinals
shall lakc before GOO 10 lend their consent
to things, aud, oTesceng Instances where the
pope mia M propose 10 absoye them from oath,
they take other oath by WHICH they engage never
accept aDsolution from their rst oath Dave also
before me the formula oil the oath when the cardinals
take. 1t says very distinctly that no Cardinal snail
ask be dispcnsed from his oath aud 10 refuse the
dispcnsaton II offered TO him. 'Supsr prnm,ssis ON
n,odo yecepturum." SO lar from beng Indefinite as
many people imagine. the power of the Pope Is re-
strained in thousand ways.
The chief coucern. however, Of the Catholic Church
to-day the conflict from which religion Is suffer.
ing IN Germany. IN the Muscoviie Empire, ~ Brazil
rcldi 10 arrange with the ltaian governments her
greatest alarm, and still less Is she worried over the
personnel o the nigh pontlca adult illustration. These
are only local questions. What surpasscs them all
ana lar in advance Of them Is The issue which is
rising everywhere IN the civilized world. What IS
thisY
PRESENT WAR OF RELIGION AND souiErY.
This universal aud capital question Is the apparent
II enc me-
Catholic doctrine ana modern civilization, between
liberty and religious power II IS NOT possible 10 deny
the existence OF this discord. Divers incidents have
occurred during The lat half century well known 10
the entire world which have contributed to strengthen
The opinion that an agreement is not possible between
purely Catholic doctrine and modern society; that
Catholicism necessarily fatally allied to despotism
and the inpacable enemy OF liberty; that ny us cs-
sential principles it cannot in good faith recognize
tolerance in matters OF reiigony and that II II should
submit for time because Of it's lack OF force
10 compel the observation OF al It's laws. IL
would AGAIN become nolerant and prosecutor as
us II should lind itself strong again 1t IS there
concluded that no intelligent man can be repre-
sentative of this century aud remain Catholic -
extremely affecting situation Tor good peo-
pie? On the one hand religion is necessary Tor the
preservation OF social order, end Catholicism is emil
ncnty dape by tho xty doctrine pacify and
unite men but IT, on the other hand, they attribute
Catiolsc religion doctrines inadmlssbc IN the
present CONDITION o! civilization the problem becomes
nsoIuble and the separation between Church and So
cicly will become more aud more fatally marked.
Is CATHOLICISM IyIMicAL 10 FREEDOM?
THIS protlcm wii assume higher Importance In
attribute, and with renson, the freedom they enjoy
TO the immense proxress-moral. material, commercal
and p0lillca!-accomplished WITHIN a century This
experience naturally inspires u profound esteem and
attachment Tor political institutions that have brought
sucn astonishing prosperity. On the other hand,
again. the spectacle oil religious divisions produced by
a multiplicity vi scCLs induce all good thoughtful
men 10 u solid foundation on which to rest re-
hgious belicf produce thereby unity OF sentiment
But II, uahappily, the Catholic symbol inexorably
aside the autonomy OF political power, National
sovereignty, democratic government, republican con-
situtions liberty OF cunsciencc ana freedom Of tho
press individual security Win reference to vi creeds
which do encroach upon The rights OF others, aud
safeguard puvlIc order and the maintenance Of
law IL the CathOic Church cannot accept the great
lnsl pons oil this modern epoch II she is rrcv0ca-
bly, riye4ed to the Middle Ages anu tho ancient
Tcgne, Ia oil to count Iurth her on CatnocisD
must look elsewhere Tor the axis VI moral and re-
ligous force.
GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR LEO XIII.
Such Is the proolcm whose solution is now de
manded. II Leo KILL applies his mind 10 this cnpI-
taI question II he clears up the obscurcu points; II he
dtssipates, partly at least the misunderstanding
which condemns reiRious aud civil society 10 such
sad state he viii render humanity service Of the
rst and hts ponuhcate will be renowned In his
abe through this maze o. speculative opinons and
doctrinesY That this thread exists We have irad-
tional Information 10 prove Let us leave aside'or
moment alioculions and encyclicuIs more or less
political to their DRIFT that have dimmed The epoch OF
Gregory XVI. ana those much more frequent which
acquired such great prominence ana marked the reign
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS TO SOLVE.
remark that these aiiOcuIiohs ana cacycical let
tiers, OF which tho famous syllabus Is simply The un-
Official concentration. or Table OF contents, have
thrust aside three essential truths OF Traditional
to- ching | will mt some future time establish the
oicia and doctrnal value oi aiiocutions and ency-
ccas according to the principles OF Catholic scerce.
For the moment small contcnt myself by stating that
the cucy ciicas aocutors oil the last
two pontncacs have never touched The three ioiowo
ing points,
First--rne autonomy OF civil and political power
Second The doctrine OF national sovereignty.
1htrd-the legitimacy Of the three forms o. govern.
mcnt-viz, democracy, olgarchy or sristocracy, and
neutrality-suspicious. speaking oil mixed " complex
forms
Concerning these three fundamental truths, what
Is the common. unanimous teaching OF thcologians
ana Catholic juriscoIsus and that OF the schools and
universities Funded bv the Church ana
by her not only since the prom ugaon OF the consti-
tuition the United States and posteior 10 the pro-
clam .tlon OF the principles OF The Revolution Of 1889
winch extended The consultative maxms fine Amcri
Confederation 10 the old Continent OF Europe, but
the dawn OF science IN the iuli tide o. tho
Middle Ages. IRON the foundation oil those schools
winch have set on loot the agitation Of metaphysical
and social docrlnc.y
TEMPORAL POWER MUST ne DISTINCT.
As TO the autonomy OF The cv'l or temporal power
ana consequently as to the distinction Of the Two
distinction IL natural rgnt because " ~ considered
good Tor the liberty oil man that the authority winch
supposed to control the conscience snail not ca
ploy material force, ana that tue power controlling
tho matcrai iorrc shall NOT undertake to bInd the
conscience and interfere with the progress OF thought.
Tue roots OF this far reaching doctrine are found in
Holy Writ We see in tue Old World tho paternai ana
sscerdotni power united under one hand. but Go We
ever ma there the real Junction OF religious !
nowcr ana of political soyercigntys Did not Moses
legislator for tue special people OF God, coulter the
saccrGota Office upon Aaron 20 AVOID tnc tlcnd
ing oi the puwcrsf Christ consecratcd the ais
tincton the Offices when lie said, "Rcn-
der Cesar the Things mat are cpsafs and unto
God the lnings that are God's." Twelve millions OF
martyrs have dcd IN order 10 attest Tue incompetence
OF the evil power 10 tho Religion. Alter
triumph OF Christianity the Churcn constantly OPP |
posed the intervention Of tue Roman cnperors ~ re-
isious questions. Ii she permitted Justintan and |
TO mako laws OF ecclesiast cal IL
because those princes acted rs cnforccrs oi the
canons.
TnE AMgRCAS PRECEDENT.
Ia the Middle Akcs papai uictat0rs who WELDED |
political supremacy did not forms u into do nia
moreover, instead Of accepting the responsibility oi
their acts ;hc church has 80 iar set ASIDE Their Official
that the legal text oil these acts OF political
prcnacy no longer exist. There has never been
doctrnc among Catholic dactors ana theo-
s ans winch admitted the supremacy vi the Church |
over the State. rncrc nave been opinions Dut never
unanimous certain doctrine. The United States Of
America nave acquired III history the glory OF hayiug
nfst raised hign the principe OF the complete IN
pctcncc oil tho civil government the subject OF
religious belief. fhc French Revolution next carried
the principle INTO The public DOMAIN 81 the European
Continent. Il tho school OF Joseph dc Marstre MIS-