The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1889-07-27

examine Win me Jana you may DO II as
well as thew, to examine with me the
page of history and see who the Pope is
as he appears to us there.
| say-histury tells me so the Pope
in the first place is a man who has been
always prosecuted. From the day when
Peter, under the ban of Claudius, was
expelled from Rome. until the day when
Leo Thirteenth sits a prisoner in his
own Vatican palace, under King Hum
bert in Rome, the Pope has been no
stranger to Punishment. Popes have
been exiIed, put to death even, NAL
treated in the several ways that human
ingenuity could contrive to make human
life a curse. Has the Pope died? The
Pope stands to-day not only the most
sacred. the most eminent and
the most venerable parsonage in
the world, but the only one that sur
wives from the time Of our Blessed
Lord. Macaulay has said that all the
institutions in the world when COM
pared with the Papacy are but Of yes
terdav, which is very true, and the
longer the Roman Pontitf remains the
more modern by contrast DO other instl.
buttons seem to be.
The Roman Pontiff has defeated
more of the enemies, thrown down
more Of the barriers and imparted to
humanity more of the benefits Of civil
lization than any other man or institu-
lem stood with his scimitar at the doors
of civilized Europe, threatening not
only human life but even Christian
civilization, who was it that drove him
back to his Eastern Businesses, whence
he has never since dared to emerge?--
who, but the Pope. When letters were
all but lost IN Europe, where were they
preserved? Under the seal of the Pope
of Rome. When it was tried to per
petuate pagan slavery in Europe, who
was it that set his ban, and who alone,
WAS able to set his ban, upon that curse
that places one man under the heel of
another, and tells us that we ara born,
not as God made us,-brothers, all men,
but that some are born slaves and
serfs.-who, but the Pope!
But, ladies and gentlemen, the Pope
of Rome is not known; more's the pity.
His Divine Master Is not known; more's
the pity. Our Holy Father the Pope
represents the greatest power upon
earth, for, mark you we'll. that cause is
powerful which has back Of it not a
multitude of men. but one strong man.
And, surely, it ever a strong man wore
the triple crown OF st. Peter, occupied
the chair of Peter and ministered in
the great Basilica of St. Peter, it may
well be said he is Leo Thirteenth. The
present Roman Pontiff is man of
culture beyond most even in this ad
yanced age. A man OF the most just,
advanced and liberal ideas with regard
to human rights and human civilization.
A man who has been able to carry out,
and to procure that the countries OF
Europe should admit and accept the
truths, which in the face Of the greatest
opposition, his predecessor, Plus Ninth,
defined in various encyclicaIs.
1t may have escaped the notice of
some of you, ladies and gentlemen. but
not long since, 1 believe about two years
ago. Leo Thirteenth effected one Of the
greatest changes in modern history.
The wires throughout the world flashed
only these simple words, that Ger
many has been reconciled with Rome y
What Rome? In the language OF the
world Of to-day, as of old, Rome means
the Rome Of the P0pes. When King
Humbert Is spoken of he is relegated to
the Quirinal. Rome is the Rome of the
Popes and so it will ever be. Germany
then was reconciled with Rome. What
did that mean? 1t meant that the man
who has been called, and justly so, the
Iron Chancellor, man who has at bis
beck and nod over million Of armed
men, a man who has one of the greatest
nations of Europe so drilled and trained
that it is one vast army,-had come to
terms with a man whose army mum
bered. how many? Not one sabre. In
other words, the cause of God had
registered one more victory for the
right over might.
When, therefore, we acknowledge our.
selves loyal children Of our Holy Fa.
Their, we confer upon ourselves the high.
est title that God has given us to pos.
sess. I am proud to call myself an
American citizen; proud to have been
born upon her soil; will yield to no man
in love and loyalty to my country; but,
as between my country and my religion,
were q collision possible, there is no
choice. And the divinely appointed