The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1888-03-10
RIGHT REV. Or. VAUGHAN
His Lordship's Views on the Civil
Power of the
Pope.
GREAT SCHEME.

All Christians Should Combine to Strengthen
the T. old Of Christianity Upon
Modern Civilization.
The interests of Christendom aud OF
modern civilization, no less than of tbs
Catholic Church, seem to demand that
the position Of Leo the Thirteenth
should be made really independent and
free from the control Of any particular
State Or civil power. These are days in
which we can allow OF no deliberate
we kening Of the great traditional in-
Auences which hold together the struc-
ture OF the Christian order Of the world.
Rather is it time when all Christians
should combine to strengthen the hold
OF Christianity upon modern ciyiliza-
tion, and frankly accept for this purpose
the protfered cooperation Of LEO the
Thirteenth. Anappeal lies to Christian
| common sense.
When Napoleon had incorporated
Rome with his Empire, and had locked
up Plus the Seventh within the walls of
Sayona, he declared, in a memorable
conversation with Prince Met5ernich,
that it was his intention to establish the
pontiff in an exalted position Of inde
pendence and dignity. He then un-
folded his plan. He would bring the
Pope to Paris; he would give him a
palace i'm theneig ghborhood of ths capital
with a zone of neutral territory; he
would transfer from Rome, as in fact lie
did, the archives OF the Holy Office and
Of Propaganda; he would Surround the
Pope with the Sacred College Of Car
dina!s; would allow him TO send forth
and receive ENJOYS and ambassadors,
and wonld guarantee to him civil list
of six million Of francs lie would
treat hiln with sovereign honors.
placed near Farls,'' he continued,
''1he Pope will dnd himself more in the
centre Of t:e Catholic world-nealer er 10
Vienna, Lisbon and Madrid--than
when h3 resided III Rome"
SfELink you," added Napoleon. ''that
Plus the Seventh will decline this pro
posalY' II believe he will,o replied the
Prince, land that all Europe will ap-
plaud him. The Pope will declare that
III this new position he will be as much
the prisoner Of your majesty as he now
is within the walls Savona.' After a
heated discussion, Metternich reduced |
the proposal to its true meaning in the
following words; My master, the En-
peror of Aus5rla," he said, seeing that
your Majesty is unwilling to restore
Rome to the Pope, has determined to
offer him the palace of Sehonbrunn,
enclosed within neutral territory OF
ten or fifteen leagues circumference,
with a revenue Of ton millions q ysar.
If the Pope is willing to accept this of-
fer will your Majesty signify your con-
sent?" The Emperor had understood
the diplomatist, and abruptly closed the
interview.
Napoleon recognized the weight aud
reach Of the Pope's authority through.
out Europe. lie was accustomed to say
shat he treated the authority Of the
Pentiff with the respecl; due to an army
Of 100, 900 men. He did not desire to
destroy it, so much as to subject it to
his own ambitious ends. He therefore
determined to invest the Pope with the
name and insignia Of sovereignty.
while retaining within his own grasp
effective power over the Pontiff's real
freedom and Independence
The proposal which Napoleon failed
TO carry out has been accomplished
under the King Of Italy. The law of
guarantees ef 1871 has thrown into legal
form the plan sketched out in 1870
Every effort has been made TO persuade
Jhristendom that the Pope is sovereign,
.ree and independent, while his position
has in reality been reduced to one Of
absolute subsection to ths Italian Gov
This condition of tAings has
oeen brought about by two classes of
men, by those who are bent on tina de-
'truction OF the Papacy and Of Chris
ianity itself, aid by those who would ;
etain the Papacy, provided it be sub
ect to the Italian State. !
One thing, and one thing alone, has
hitherto saved the dignity and freed ona
# the Pontiff, viz: his absolute rejec-
lon Of the Law of guarantees, his refusal
o treat with the Government, and to
'e reconciled with 1t, until his rightful
overeignty and independence have
'een restored. Had che Pope complied
With the proposals of the Italian Gov 1
rnment, accepted the law Of guaran.
ees. waived his claim to civil prince
ON, the Christian world would have I
eclared that in a moment of weakness ,
. had yielded to the I salian revolution, ]
nd had become salaried official Of the q
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