The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1890-02-13
CHURCH AND STATE.

Pope Leo XII. Gives His Views ON Their
Observation-Disclosures Arc Informed That
Their Allegiance ID Duo First to Relig.
Ion and Then to the Government.
New York, Feb. 10. The most im-
portant encyclical, from worldly point
Of view at least, issued by Leo KILL.
since his accession to the throne Of the
Pontitf reached this city Sunday
and was made the subject of dis
course in several of the Roman
Catholic churches. It is q 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-
dience to the State. It's principal points
are as follows: -.
The Pope urges that all power comes from
God. States that neglect God in the adminis-
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."S He says that II 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 received her constitution
He continues: *E
III the laws Of the State are in open contra.
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 Pontin the authority Of
Jesus Christ, then indeed it is duty to resist
them and q crime to obey them-a crime
fraught with injury to the State itself. For
every offense against religion recoils on the
State. To love the two fatherlands, the earthly
and the heavenly, but in such q 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,
rs 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
triumph more easily over adversarieS is to com
NIT On indiscrete abuse of religion" !
The Pope believes, however, and 80 advises,
that I'm 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 as these
should cease between thcm 50 that united in
| 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 REFEREED
1T is duty assigned to the chureh:by God,''
| continues the encyclical, ito offer opposition
| whenever the laws OF the State in
jure 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 it knows to be hostile to it. 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, it is its duty to favor those
| who, having sound ideas as to the relation
between church and State, wish to make
them both harmonic for the common good.
These principles contained the rule &C.
cordtng to which every Catholic ought to
model his public life-that is to say,
Whenever it is lawful in the eyes Of the church
to take part in public affairs men Of recognized
probity and who promise to merit we'll Of
Catholicism ought to be supported, and there
can be no case in which it would be permissible
to prefer to them men who are hostile to re-
| ligiOn."