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

Pope Leo XII. Gives His Views on Their
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Are Informed That
Their Allegiance Il Due First to Relig-
ion and Then to tho Government. I.
New YoRK, Feb. 10.-The most Inn;
portant encyclical, from worldly point
Of view at least, issued by Leo XIII
since his accession to the throne Of the
Pontif reached this city Sunday
and was made the subject OF dis
course in several of the Roman
Catholic churches. It 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-
dience to the State. Its principal points
are as follows: "a - a..s... A.
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 prfn
cipal foundations OF human society must
crumble"S He says that II the natural law OF.
! 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:
If the laws Of the State are in open contra
diction to the Divine law, II they command sny
thing prejudicial to the church, are hostile to
the duties imposed by religion. or violate In tho
person OF the Supreme Pontin the authority Of
Jesus Christ, then indeed it is duty to resist
| them and a crime to obey them-a crime
WI iv1ivNr tn IN Cf0<n itcn1P
every offense against religion recoiis 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,
Is 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 con-
NIT ON indiscrete abuse of religion"
The Pope believes, however and so 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
interests are seen to be in danger all differences
SuOulu cease between LnCm, 50 mat 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 churehby God,''
continues the encyclical ''to 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 mem
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 it's duty to favor those
who, having sound ideas as to the relation
between church and State, wish to make
them both harmonize for the common good.
| These principles contained the rule &C.
cording to which every Catholic ought to
model his public life-that is to say,
whenever 1t 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-
| liCiOn."