The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-05-06
ADDITIONAL LOCAL.
@THE POPEs THE nENEFACroRs OF
NATIONB.r
Abstract OF Lecture Delivered In Ben.
wood by Former wheeling Priest.

Abstract OF y Lecture Delivered In Ben
wood BY q Former wheeling Priest.
The people Of Benwood were treated L
Gfne address on Sunday afternoon las
on the above subject, by the Rev. Rober
Keleher, formerly Of the Cathedral, bu
now stationed at ParkeBburg. The lee
ture was given under the auspices Of the
st. Johns Benevolent Society, in St
Johns Church, and despite the inclemency
Of the weather the sacred editice was well
filed by an appreciahye audience, which
included many Protestants. As the lee.
ture was above the average In point oi
merit we take pleasure In laying before
our readers short synopsis.
The reverend gentleman began by say.
Ing that u he could prove that the Popes
had, at all times, protected the weak, and
curbed the tyranny Of the unjust great
.nes, he thought 1t must be conceded that
he would make good the assertion that the
Popes were the benefactors OF Nations" ."
He proposed TO prove this by showing
that Il was through the efforts OF the
Pontifis: lst, That slaves were gradually
and frequently emancipated; I'd, That the
PontiiIs protected the next weakest class,
namely, woman, against the injustice OF
many a tyrannical husband-eyen royal
husbands and Sd, That the agricul-
tuEalist found the surest projection
in those wise measures, the Truce Of
God" which the Popes introduced in
order to guard the tiler OF the soil against
the lawless soldiery OF the middle ages.
The emancipation OF the seris, he main
tained, was due principally to two acts Of
Popes. The first law in favor OF the serf
was when the marriage OF slave was de-
clared valid provided, the slave did not
conceal his condition OF slavery from the
free party. Once impress upon the free
man in the "ages OF Faith" that he or she,
who yesterday may have been slave, Is
to-day this ireemanis peer through the sac.
rament OF matrimony, and you have as
good as made the slave free. The hus-
band would not long leave his wife in
slavery, even though it cost his entire
worldly goods TO redeem his wife. st.
Gregory the Great, in a Council held at
Rome in sos, deCreed that liberty should
be granted TO all who desired to embrace
monastic life. St. Thomas Aquinas saws:
Slaves, as regards the entering upon the
marriage state, are not Obliged 10 obey
their masters will in this matter, Again,
when by the ordinances OF many Popes,
the seri who may be found capable, was
allowed to minister on the altar, to COM
mand authoritatively; in fact, It is eyi-
dent that the class 10 which that priest
once belonged could not long be held in
such abiect bondage as the word slave
imports amongst now Christian nations.
The reverend gentlemen next develop
ed, at considerable length, the noble con.
duct ol Popes in protecting the wife in her
marital rights. In the 9th Century, 10th
aire LIST produced a fraudulent divorce
from his wife Thentberge, to marry Wald.
rade, but the Pope Nicholas restored
Thentberge to her position despite 10TH
aires threats. In the llth Century, st.
Gregory the VII, the 80 much Caluminat.
ed Hildebrand, forced Henry ", Emperor,
to restore to her lawful position Bertha,
his consort, whom this Henry repudiated,
In the 18th Century, Ingulberga, wife OF
Philip Augustus, finds a protector In
Pope Innocent III. In the 18th Century,
Martin ~ excommunicated Laudillaus
for his debaucheries. In the 10th Centu.
ry, Henry the VIII, Of England, finds that
Clement VI! is no less protector of the
injured Catharine OF Aragon, than was
Hildebrand, Of Bertha, in the eleventh.
Only tho other day, in Baltimore, lady
died, whose rights were upheld by the
Popes OF Rome, although this lady was
not a Catholic. Miss Patterson, as she
was called Though her real title was
Mrs. Bonaparte-if not Queen), having
married the brother OF Napoleon LIST, was
declared the lawful wife Of Jerome, and
though Plus VII was Napoleon's prisoner,
and every indignity heaped upon his
venerable head, because he would not
grant divorce, the Pontiff stood firm
and declared that "no man had power 10
separate those whom God united"
The reverend gentleman next passed 10
the third proposition OF his discourse.
He defined what the "Truce OF God"
meant; quoted extensively from Balmes.
The substance was that Pope Urban II
and Pope Alexander II alexander in the
year l00S and Urban In the year 109Sl
confirmed all the DEGREES OF the Councils
held in Tubuza, St. Giles, Narbornne, and
added more extensive privileges to the
rights OF non-combatants. No sword could
be drawn from Friday evening TO Monday
morning, Men going to church OF accom-
panYlng women were not TO be attacked.
Oxen, plough horses, olive trees, growing
crops, agricultural implements were not
to be injured. This, he said, alleviated
in great measure the horrors OF war.
Pope Pascal in Ills extended "the Truce
OF God" to three years.
Father Keleher argued cogently and
clearly. The audience paid the closest
attention, and we regret that the space at
our disposal prevents us from doing full
justice to the learned lecturer.