The sun., 1881-01-23
Pope Leo His Own Minister.

NV
1t is now about two months since Cardinal
JAooBTNI became Papal Secretary Of State,
that Is to say, the official organ Of COM
munication between the Vatican and the
civil powers. The opinions OF the ex-nuncio at
Vienna were pretty well understood through
tho share which he had had in the long
negotiations with the German Chancellor,
and 1t was supposed that his appointment
| might forecast decided step In the path Of
compromise and concession on the part OF the
Papacy. No such change, however, has oc-
CURED, and recent events have only served to
confirm our impression that LEO XIII. is in
the fullest and most emphatic sense his own
Minister. There have been Pontiffs in this
century whose utt..Arances were believed to
reflect, in no light degree, the influence OF
their Secretaries; but this is plainly not the
case with the present occupant the Papacy.
We have had special cause Of late to ap-
preciate the sagacity with which LEO Kill,
while refusing to swerve by hairs breadth
from the resolute maintenance OF princt-
pies, has managed to avoid even the SEM
blancc OF collision with the civil authori-
ties. Within the past few months very Sc
rious disturbances might have been pro-
voked In France and Belgium by such un-
guarded and vehement expressions OF sym
pathy as under the late Pontir would
almost certainly have emanated from the
Vatican. In France, especially, the relations
Of the Government to the Roman See seemed
| likely to become extremely strained from
the moment NJ. FREYcINET's reluctance to
apply In their full rigor the March decrees
| against unauthorized religious orders was
succeeded by NJ. FERRYs inexorable
| enforcement Of them. The outbreak
| of Indignation provoked by these repressive
measures among the Catholic laity was suf-
| fciently violent. and we cannot doubt thata
| word OF approval from the head OF the
| Church would have given great impetus
| to the movement. But that word never
| came. The expulsion OF the Jesuts from
| their seminaries was followed by the eject
| ment OF other clerical orders from purely
charitable functions; but still the represen-
| tations of the Vatican on the subject were
| rather suggestions than remonstrances and
seemed to be based on the assump-
tion that the legal soundness of the
French Governments position could not
be disputed. No one, we think, can
fail to recognize the wisdom of LEO
Kill In thus refusing to be committed to
contest on untenable ground. 1t was
acknowledged, even by the opponents Of the
| March decrecs, that the vocations prac-
| tised by the unauthorized orders, and even
their residence in France were violations Of
express statutes. The whole dispute, there
fore, turned on tho point whether the
statutes had or had not lapsed by desue-
tude, But this was manifestly question
to be determined by the French courts, and
not by the Papal curia; and thus the Pope
persisted in regarding it, Notwithstanding
the immense pressure of every kind which
we may be sure was brought to bear by
French clericals upon the Vatican.
| The action Of the FERRY Ministry may
have caused some soreness, but, nominally
at least, the misunderstanding between the
! Vatican and the French Government which
at one time threatened to entail diplomatic
rupture, had nothing to do with the March
| decrees. 1t was concerned with the an
| pointment to certain va cant BlshopricS.
Under the concordat the State can nomi
T, nate, but the Pope alone cGn confer ca
nonical institution, and the inference would
be that the French Ministry must go on
nominating until they found an acceptable
candidate. This inference, however, was
rejected by GAMBETTA's organ, the Re-
publique FrdncGisc, which maintained
that il the Vatican delayed comforting
canonical institution on the State nominees
more than six months, this rite could be per-
formed by the senior Bishop Of the province.
1t based this claim, which had never been
heard of for sixty years on Papal brief
issued by Plus VII, under durcss; that is
to say, when he was prisoner in the hands
of NAPoLEoNI As 1t happened, controversy
touching the validity of this document has
been averted by an agreement regarding
nominations. But this is just one of those
points, involving as it does n maintenance
OF principle, on which 1t Is certain that the
present Pope would have shown himself in
flexible had the French Government set up
the authority OF the eXtorted brief
Just where LEO XIII. draws the line be-
tween possible and impossible concessions
was disclosed also in the failure of the ne
, gotiatlon with BISMARCK, conducted by the
present Papal Secretary OF State. IL was
certainly believed in last June In BGriu-and
, Cardinal JAcoBINI is quite generally held
responsible for the belief-that the Vatican
would be satisfied with the nun-eXecutlon Of
the FALK laws, and would not Insist on
| their repeal. Accordingly, at that date, the
Chancellor secured the passage of a bill
, through the Prussian Legislature vest.
ing some discretionary power in the
Minister OF Public Worship, But it turned
out either that Cardinal JACoBINI
t in his esgerness to secure somc basis
for a compromise, had exceeded his in
5 structions, o. that BISMARCK, as tho envoy
}, himself alleged, had misunderstood him
: 1t is certain that BIsMARCK's proffer OF non
: enforcement was not accepted by the Vati
o csn, on the ground that tho interference
: sanctioned by the FALK laws was wrong ii
0 principle. aud could not even tacitly be ad