Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1883-03-01
BISHOP GILMoUR
Talks Of His European Travels and
Impressions. &

Talks Of His European Travels an
Impressions.
Especially In Rome and Ireland.
After some "reminiscences Of Bisho]
Gilmour's European trip, Heral
man called at the Episcopal residence
last night and intei viewed the Prelate
He was found IN excellent health anc
spirits, and shows rare improvement
in every way from his trip. Wher
asked about his stay in Rome and in
terview with Pope Leo XIII, he said
"When l had my audience with the
Holy Father, Pope Leo Kill, | found
him to be q man of vigor. both mental.
ly and bodily, and keen and inquisi.
tive in his inquiries upon the social
and religious condition of America
l also found the officials at Rome, and
almost all the people l met In Europe,
in wonder at the extensiog, great
wealth and development of America.
Among Catholics everywhere wonder
existed at the material and numerical
growth of the American Catholic
Church. The Holy Father made mi
mute inquiries into the spirit of the
people; the nature of their institu.
tions; the relations of the State to the
General Government; and the gener-
al spirit of the people on the subject
of religion-whether Catholic or Pro-
testapt. His fear was that the spirit
of liberalism and the spirit of liberty
under which we live would ultimately
tend to a lessenlng OF reverence and
respect for the doctrines of the Chris
tian religion and q fear that the edu-
cation that was beingsgiven, in which
religion was SO largely eliminated,
would end seriously to the religious
spirit of the country He also feared
that this spirit would, to some extent,
influence manyin the Catholic Church.
He was glad to hear when | stated to
him that much of the bitterness and
hostility to the Catholic Church, that
at times has been manifested, was pas
sing away" Among the interesting
scraps of conversation which the Bish-
op-conveyed to his interviewer were
views on the condition of the once
powerful Papal State and the position
occupied by Pope Leo XIII. He said;
"The Holy Father is virtually prls-
oner in the Vatican. All that re-
mains to him Of his glory in the grand
and spacious Vatican, covering many
acres, with its multitude of offices,
magnificent treasures, in books, paint
ings and general art; les gardens and
palatial surroundings, made doubly SO
by past events; the Cancellaria, OF
Papal Chancellors head quarter, and
the Palace of Gondolfa, fifteen miles
out ofRome. Only over these three
places has he any control and he never
leaves ths Vatican. His only recre-
alton is to walk or ride in the spacious
gardens Of the Vatican. His reve
nue. is reduced to the Offering sent
from different parts OF the world, and
known as Peter-pence. I have an
idea that the Papal, establishment i.
none Of the richest, but on the con-
trary is hampered by poverty.
''The Italian Government, pursuing
the policy Of King Victor Emmanuel
is con6scating every possession thai
was formerly attached to Rome. Ever
now, the property belonging to tht
Propaganda, Roman society charged
with the management Of the Roman
Catholic missions, is in the courts
On every hand can be seen the worl
of confscation of the Italian Govern
ment. 1t has seized on many OF thu
converts in tie -laad, and. the build
ings are now used for governments
bureaus and barracks. The postoffic,
in Rome itself was formerly a iarg,
convent. a NJ asss 4.
'Tte italian Government is nov
bulldhgup . huge library, with th,
building the same one formerly uses
by the Order of Jesuits. The nu
cleus ofsthe library was seized, with til,
buildings and is being grad dually added
to, as other convent libraries are heinz
rifed Among thast1eaures Of art re
centlv c0nfiscafsst3 arc tllnns, .0f fl,a cnn