The Opelousas courier., 1884-07-26
The Holy See.
Il. Democrat

IL VI IN WE #&E& 90
The Iong-discussed possibility of a
transference of the Holy See from
Rome to some other portion OF the
Christian world would seem nearer OF
realization than ever,-to judge from a
Roman letter published in the Sunday
issne of the New York Sun. The whole
government policy Of late years has
not only been unfriendly, but violently
antaaonistic to the Papal claims and
4 powerful anti-clerical party seem to
have grown up in the Eternal City un-
der the secret encouragement, i not
under the actual patronage, OF the SUI
preme authorities. This society q Its
organs, which publish anti-C Catholic
diatribes with impunity, and print
what not Catholics only, but Christ
ians, would set down al filthy BIAS
pllemies. The university students,
supported by a large and audaclons
faction of free-thinkers, have provoked
on various occasions terrible or dis
graceful riots, the chief particulars OF
which are too well known 10 need
comment. Meanwhile the civil au-
thorities have declared the Vatican it
selfsubiect to police supervision, and
have struck severe blows at the tinan-
ces of the Propaganda. The Pope
could not certainly show himself in the
streets at certain times without being
grossly insulted; and the insulters,
strangely and i~nexcusably, seem to DC
uDder the protection of the police. Al
all eyents,swhen arrests are made undei
such circumstances, the subsequent
lcourt-trials are mere farces, usually
ended by the discharge of the accused
amid roars of applause. On Sunday,
June 7..the last riot occurred. Lit was
in the Church of the Minerva, which is
the titular church of his Eminence
Cardinal McCloskey. During the ele-
walton ofthe host, a tremendous roar
Of Yea Garibaldi I Abasso IL Papa
Re Z Morte al PrehLwas uttered by
a crowd ofconspirators-as the cores
pondent says, with such t~hnnderous
violence that it sounded like an ex,
s4osion and completely drowned the
organ y Women tainted with fear
A free fight folIoWed,-broken up by
the police, who took good care to show
no favor to the Catholics. AS there
were special services going on at ths
time, With included prayers agains
the perpetrators of such outrages, ane
the action of the newspapers above
alluded to, the infidel rioters found ths
ghost ofan excuse to offer in court, ant
got off scot free.
Since then, Rome has beheld severa
great ecclesiastical festivals undisturbet
by rioting But further outbreak
are inevitable. Enjoying such immuni
ty the more violent anti-clericals vii
not hesitate to provoke tumult and dis
order whenever they feel numerical.
strong enough. Of course the fndiffer
ence of the civil authorities implie
satisfaction abthis state of affairs, AM
perhaps eve a fixed policy to make Rom
untenable for the Pope, UDtenable j
could not fail to become should presen
conditions long prevail. They ar
certainly extraordinary, when y re
fleets upon the consequence of attempt
ing such scandalous disturbances in an
IreIigious assembly in any other part
the world. Imagine asystematized 81
fort to break up Catholic W0rshipIn Ne
York, TO outrage an Episcopal congre
CATION iii London, or to make a row j
the cathedrals of Berlin, Vienna, ParI
Stockholm, Oh any Christian capita
The Pope proposes TO make a represen
/ tation to the foreign powers of his trea1
. ment ssby the Kings of Savoy j" but I'll
. powers are not at all likely to effet
! anything in his behalf. OF course I'll
! great Protestant governments wi
. have nothing to do with the matter e,
ceptin d friendly way and Spain alon
|. of Catholic nations. could feel inclini
9 ton to do 10. Shefs poWerless. TIA
is the creature of Germany ; and &c
man policy is violently anti-Catholi
France is, If possible, sven more inin
ieai,-although authors of such distu
Dances as those recently made in Ron
would be seYeraly punished under b
laws. All things considered, it is n
J at all unlikely that the Papal See ms
y have to be eventually removed to son
other country. Armed interference
the Pope's behalf is az present ont
: the question and although his inf
: ence is still great enough to have weig
in the government policy of all Chri
d tian nations, the papaI temporal POI
d err in the original Specification of t
word, has ceased to be, even within t
walls of the Vatican.