The Irish standard., 1890-12-20
THE POPE'S ENCYCLICAL.

His Recent letter on tho State Of the
Churcl, in italy.
The latest encyclical Of our illustrious
Pontiff, Leo XIII, addressed to the bish ops,
clergy and people of Italy, is a document
worthy of the most attentive perusal,
not only by the faithful, but by those OF
our separated brethren who affect to be.
nation in Italy is one of progress and
prosperity, says the Baltimore Catholic
News" The plain language of the Holy
Father in pointing out the moral and re-
ligious degeneracy instituted by the ex-
altation to places Of power and au.
thority in Italy of men imbued with
a spirit of hostility toward the Church
and Christianity, confirms the theory
which attributes to the influence of the
malignant the responsibility for the bit
ter warfare waged by the revolutionary
elements against the visible form and
silent moral force of the Christian relig-
ion The attacks upon the Church, the
prosecutions, robberies and outrages per-
petrated against her officers and property
are the product of a virnlent hatred of
every thing Christian and religious, care
fully fostered and cherished by the do1ni.
nant political clique of which the bigar
NOUS Crispi is the head
There is nothing more puzzling to
Catholics in America than the spectacle
in country as helningly Catholic
as Italy Of creatures of the Crispi type
gaining ascendancy in State control,
prescribing extensively unjust laws, and
debating in the most insolent manner
the course of conduct to be pursued by
Catholics in relation to spiritual affairs.
The Holy Father, who is familiar with
the real and active influences at work in
the political and social spheres Of United
Italy, clearly defines the origin of these
insiduous assaults upon public and pri.
vate morals. The policy that has in view
the effacement Of the nations, religious
sources, and the wild hope Of the atheistic
sects for the erection upon the ruins of
ancient Christian civilization of an en-
tirely new and insanely fanciful order of
materialistic social development, is laid
bare by tne incisiye thrusts of the Pontif' IS
keen pen.
The encyclical presents an able and ex-
haustive treatise on the falsehoods, pre-
tensions and decisions of modern ire
igious progress as exempiitied in the
spirit and aims of the Christian
sects of Italy. The hope of the nations
f,,t11r, greatness and ylnrv as the HOLY
Father clearly demonstrates, depends
upon the restoration of the liberties Of
the Church and the unrestricted exercise
of the salutary power of religion. The
lessons drawn from the misfortunes and
misery into which the Italians have been
plunged by disregard of this changeless
truth and the reckless pursuit of anti.
Christian rulers after vain and misty
visions of purely pagan prosperity,
should not go UNDECIDED.
But the accusation which the Pontif
has drawn up against the italian State
does not concern solely those to whom
the encyclical is especially addressed.
The Catholics the Christians-of the
whole world are interested. The strong
words and plain reasoning Of the docu
ment may be proftably pondered ovel
wherever the symbol of Christianity is
hailed as the emblem Of salvation.
# The Friars of st. Francis, who were e1
PEELED from Canada By the English nearly
a century ago, are to build = new home 81
Ottawa. $ D