The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-05-10
THE POPE EXPLAINS.
The February Brief Misunderstood
in Some Quarters.
IN FAVOR OF GOOD GOVERNMENT.

a Sad Blow to the Aspirations of tho
French Monarchists-Thc Teach
ings of the Vatican Are the Ac-
ccptance of the Constituted Gov
ernment.
PARIS, May 10.-In explicitness and
directness the new brief of Leo NH to
the French cardinals leaves nothing to
be desired. In it the pope suggests that
his brief published in February has not
been understood exactly in all quarters,
and then proceeds to reiterate the funda-
mental principles then enunciated. He
clares that any form of legally estab-
lished government which furthers the
common veal is good and should be
obeyed by its subjects. Efforts to
overthrow such government, more
over, are reprehensible. These doc
trines then receive at his hands such
special application that royalists of the
Correspondence Rationale party are left
without ground upon which they may
even quibble.
After recalling to mind the import of
the last brief the pope says:
"There have been some men of differ
ent political parties, even sincere Chris
tians, who have not understood accu-
,rately our former words on the subject.
Political changes are far from being al
ways legitimate at frst-it is even diff
ft cult that they should be legitimate,
yet the supreme criterion of the COM
mon welfare and public tranquility
should impress upon all the acceptance
of new governments. 1t has been al
legged that in teaching these doctrines
we adopt towards France conduct other
than that which we pursue towards
Italy, and that therefore we are incon-
sistent This is not so. Our aim in tell
ing French Catholics to accept the con-
stituted government was, and still is,
merely to safeguard the same interests
which in Italy impose on us the duty of
demanding necessarily the full liberty
required for our sublime function of
the visible head of the church appointed
for the government of souls--a liberty
which does not exist where the vicar Of
Jesus Christ is not, in his own home, a
true sovereign, independent Of all human
sovereignty. What is the conclusion
from this if it is not that the question
which concerns us in Italy is also an
eminently religious one SO as it is con-
nccted with the fundamental principle
of liberty Of the church. Hence in our
conduct towards nations we constantly
make all things converge to the same
end of religion, and through religion to
the deiverance Of society and the vel
fare Of the people.
1--WE .coniide in you thus, dear sons, in
order 'fHat we may relieve ou- OVID
heart and comfort yours. Our sorrows,
far from overwhelming us, stimulate us
10 put on the armor Of still greater cour-
age in order that we may face tine diff
culties of the present hour"
The brief is regarded as fatal blow
to the royalists. Since the sending of the
preceding brief of similar import they
have not ceased to talk III their press
about nnding some "basis on which the
Monarchical and Catholic organizations
may come for mutual help" and to
maintain that the pope had laid no obli-
cations upon the Catholic clergy TO alter
their attit due toward the republic. The
i. .Ai.TEy, they said, We're still bound to
serve the monarchy, and any other
course would cross diametrically the
spirit of the pope's brief.
To such quibbling the pope's brief is
considered u final answer, as well as the
subversive doctrines of the bishop and
his fellow ecclesiastics who have de-
clared practically that nobody is bound
to obey laws of which he does not con-
scientiously approve. Among the in
ferior clergy who are the confessors of
the people the repetition of the pope's
avowal of approval of the republic is re-
ceived, it is said, with rejoicing. They
naturally are inclined toward the re-
public, despite the opposition of the
church dignitarics in France, and they
welcome the last brief as a final settle
ment of the matter.