The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-02-24
q rnlng Star and Catholic wessenge'. t.
NNW ORLEANS, SUNDAY, FEBRUARY e. lss
PAPAL ELECTIONS.
Catholic World for January.
concluded.

Catholic World for January
Concluded
Theodore the Goth, having once been
appealed to, now thought to take the inl-
4 tiative in the election of q successor to
John l., whom he had left to die of starva-
4 tion and neglect on his return from Con
stantinople, where he had spoken rather
sccording to his conscience than In favor
bf the Arians, as the king expected. On
lis recommendation st. Felix ~. was
Elected pope on the 18th of July, 526. The
Roman clergy and senate protested against
Mis- stretch of royal authority, although
hey had no objection to the nominee, who
Ssas simple, mild and charitable. The
kfair was not adjusted until a compromise
Vas affected under Athalaric, whereby the
Roman clergy by their votes, and the Ro-
&man people by their assent, were to elect
the Roman poptiff, who would then be
confirmed by the king as q matter of course.
The popes were elected in this way until
the extinction of the Gothic kingdom of
Italy in the person of Teias, who was
Justinian, in the year $50. The Greek
emperor, having recovered bis sway in
Italy, continued the abuse, to which the
Romans had submitted only through fear
OF the barbsrians, and arrogated to himself
and successors the right of confirming the
remarks, arose the prudent custom at Rome
Of electiDg to the Papacy those members
OF the clergy who had been 6pocriciarii-
Se., agents or ftunctos of the Holy See at
Constantinople, whore it was presumed
they had won the favor of the court and
i become versed in matters of state. Thus
R&he right of confirmation wss reduced in
practice to q mere formality, although in
&prtnciple ever SO wrong In this way were
elected Vigilius in $50, St Gregory ]. in
$50, Sabinian in 6n4, Boniface III. in COZ,
nnd Others who we're personally known to
The Byzantine rulers,
Avarice or a love of money under some
retext or another, was a besetting sin of
ae Greeke, end from it arose new and
lore degrading condition imposed on pa
ISL elections. The imperial sanction was
wen only on payment bv the Holy See of
{rteen thousand dollars of our money.
Dme writer's, it mnst be said, attribute
ae imposition of this cdious burden to the
thic kings. Graveson, who agrees with
sen, says (Hist. Eccl., tom. ii. page 62)
's&t the money was always distributed in
as to the poor.) The Emperor Constan-
<e Pogonatus, at the request of the pspsl
Rtes TO the Fourth General Council of
nstantinbple in 68l, exempted the Holy
~ from the further payment of the tax.
was moved to do so by the sanctity of
Agatho; but he still retained the as
ned right of forbiddipg the pope's con-
cation until his election had been con-
bed. A few years later, however, be
nted Q constitution to Benedict H., his
fsonal friend, and to whose guardianship
left his two sons, Justinian (ID and
sraelius, in which he forever abrogated
rs arbitrary law. The concession was
Agratefuly revoked b7 Justinian ; and
pnoD, who was elected on October 81,
was obliged to ask the consent of the
rch of KavenDa, vicercy of the emperor,
10 his coDsecration. This necessity gener
ally occasioned delay of from six weeks
kp two months. The exarchs of Rsvenna,
&AFipg command of the troope M d the key
the imperial treasury in the west, felt
tkemselves in position to abuse authority
&nn try to- act up creatures of their own IN
tome. Often did the Roman clergy aud
98Dy popes protest against their rIegu lar
nets. The choice of Pelacius H., in 51S
was not submitted TO tie customary retifi
eatiop, because the Lombards around Rome
had cut off all communication with the
liter world.
~ The historian Novaes Gays that although
she Holy See resisted the Interference of
tecular princes, yet the turbulent spirit of
che Romans, often stirred mp by Cnscrupu
aous ministers or by the sovereigns them
eelves, obliged the popes to have recourse
20 these same princes TO maintain order at
heir conservation. Nothing, we think, |
abetter confirms the necessity of a temporal |
4ominioa whereby the popes can exclude
Che exercise of foreign influence in Rome, |
and themselves vindicate the character of
HOOu ROVSTuu0uG IOE WHICH LuSy dTS re- !!
eponsible. Papal elections were of an alb |
peaceful nature only after Goths, |
Lombards, Greeks, aud Germans ceased to |
support an armed force in Rome or it's
vicinity. Guarantees are deceitful and a |
mere personal sovereiRnty of the pope |
without territory attached would be in |
suffcient to assure the independence of the
Holy See.
A very remarkable law found its way into |
decree, under the name of Pope |
stephen, by which it is ordained that the
newly. elected pontiff shall be consecrated
In presence of the imperial ambassadors.
about which pope passed this law. Baro
nius, Papebroch, Natelis Alexander, and
Cthers attribute it to Stephen w.. elected
in SIG: Pagi incines to Stephen VI, al as
VII; Mansi TO Deusdedit, elected in 6l5
while some think that it belongs to John
TX, because it is found among the acts of
a council held by him in 695. Novaes
suggests that this council may only have
H.. II |