River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1890-02-13
CHURCH AND STATE.
Pope Leo XII. Gives His Views ON Their
Observation-Disclosures Are Informed That
Their Allegiance Is Due First to ReIig-
ion and Then to the Government.

Pope Leo XII. Gives His Views ON Their
Observation-Disclosures Are Informed That
Their Allegiance Is Due First to Reiig-
ion and Then to the Government.
NEW YORK, Feb. 10.-The most inn
portant encyclical, from a worldly point
Of view at least, issued by Leo XIII.
since his accession to the throne of the
Pontiff reached this city Sunday
and was made the subject of dis
course in several of the Romaa
Catholic churches. 1t is long document
dealing with the relations of church
and State, and will be interesting to
Protestants no less than to Catholics
from the fact that it defines the duty of
the Catholic citizen, his obligations to
his church, and the extent of his obe-
dieuce 20 the State. Its principal points
are as follows:
The Pope urges that all power comes from
God States that neglect God in the admins
tration of their affairs, he contends, can not
long remain safe, because when Christian
institutions and morals fall away the prin-
cipal foundations OF human society must
crumble." He says that IL the natural law or
dams that Catholics should protect with par
ticular affection the land on which they were
born and reared, with greater reason ought
they TO be animated with similar sentiments
towards the church, the city OF the living God
from whom she had eceived her constitution.
He continues:
diction TO the Divine law, II they command any
thing prejudicial to the church, are hostile to
the duties imposed by religion, or violate in the
person OF the Supreme Pontiff the authority Of
Jesus Christ, then indeed il is duty TO resist
them and crime TO obey them-a crime
O. s.....
every ofense against religion recoils on the
State. To love the two Netherlands, the ear<hly
and the heavenly, but in such a manner that
the love OF the heavenly country prevails over
that of the other, and that human laws are not
preferred to the laws of God. Such is the es-
sential duty of Christians, from which spring,
as from their source, all the other duties"
The church approves OF all governments that
respect religion and Divine law, is Indifferent
TO parties, and, according TO the Pope. Ito seek
to engage the church in the Quarrels OF parties
and to attempt TO make use of its support to
triumph more easily over adversaries is TO COM
init an indiscrete abuse OF religion
The Pope believes, however and so advises,
that Sin politics, which is inseparably bound
up with the laws Of morality and religious
duties, men ought always and In the
first place to take care to serve the in
terest of Catholicism. AS soon these
interests are seen TO be in danger all differences
the same thoughts, and the same designs they
may undertake the protection and defense OF
religion, the common and great end TO which
all things should be referred"
cit is duty assigned to the church by God"
continues the encyclical, ito offer opposition
whenever the laws of the State in
iure religion and to endeaver earn
easily to infuse the spirit OF the Gospel into
the laws and institutions Of peoples. And since
the fate OF States depends principally on
those at the head Of the Government the church
can not grant its patronage or favor to men
whom 1t knows to be hostile to il, who
openly refuse TO respect its rights, who seek
to break the alliance established by the
nature of things between religious interests
and the interests of the civil orders.
ON the contrary, il is its duty 10 favor those
who, having sound ideas to the relation
between church and State wish to make
them both harmonic for the common good.
These principles contained the rule ac-
cording to which every Catholic ought to
model his public life-that is to say,
whenever II is lawful in the eyes OF the church
TO take part in public affairs men Of recognized
probity and who promise to merit well of
Catholicism ought to be supported and there
can be no case in which IL would be permissible
to prefer to them men who are hostile to re-
iigionn