The St. Johns herald., 1889-04-04
"The Pope Protests"

41 WOuAO dppObiJ iAOAii Ad1N AhOSi
 ligence from the Eternal City, tha
 Pope and King are approaching a
 crisis in their mutual relations. IT
 June next the new Italian pena
 code goes into operation, which, al
 least, so the cardinals claim, make: 1t a misdemeanor to argue in the pulpit or forum in behalf of res
 toration of the temporal power To prevent the enforcement of so unpalatable a statute, the Sover- eign Pontiff is bringing to bear all the influence at his command, nota- bly by means of letters of protest from Roman Catholics of various nationalities. Especially have the different bishops and other mem- bers of the hierarchy in foreign lands been prompted towrite strong Iy against the obnoxious enactment and endeavor to create public sen timent in the communities in which they reside that shall react, through the diplomatic representatives of those countries, on the government of King Umberto. No doubt the Holy Father finds that his present position as a virtual prisoner of the man whom he esteems his greatest enemy is yearly becoming less and less tolerable. If the enforcement of the new code should, as is as- serted, result in the speedy arrest and imprisonment of any of his cardinals he may regard it as the last straw that is said to break the camei's back. And yet, according to the Papal statement of the case, the Pope's demands are not unrea- sonable. He is not so foolish as to expect King Humbert to abdicate in his favor, or that Rome will ever again be brought under pontifical rule. All that he asks is that he be given some province in which he will be supreme and subject to no human authority. He wishes to be independent and to be certain that no documents issued from the Vat ican or directed thereto shall not, as is now the case, be intercepted. Under the new statute any state pa per in which his Holiness should bemoan his present unsatisfactory position would be contiscated and the issuing of such a missive would be considered good ground for his arrest, if the authorities felt desir- ous of subjecting him to this last indignity. What will be the result of the Pope's persistent crusade in favor of a quasi restoration of his temporal power it is difficult to
 predict. King Humbert certainly can not accede to his wishes and
 assign him to the government of any Italian province in which his own fiat would be null and void
 His Holiness may be able to secure some such last resting place for the Papacy, but it will not be on Italian territory. Democratic ideas have taken too deep root in the soil of that sunny land to permit its sOFer- eign, even should he desire to do so, to prove recreant to his trust. Per haps, as he could command any amount of money for such a pur- pose the Sovereign Pontiff might purchase some petite principality like Monaco or ARdovra, in which l to erect once more the ensign of his terrestrial authority. Indeed, | such a solution of the problem has been more than once hinted at, and | Signor Crispi's objectionable penal i code may have been framed with the express purpose of hastening the departure of an unwelcome guest from the Italian dominions. New York Graphic.