New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-10-17
SELECTIONS FROM THE MAIL.
TIE DEMOCRACY OF THE POPE
HE MANIFrsrs THAT POWER OF ADAPrABILITY
WHICH FITS THE CHURCH FOR con-
TINUOUs LIFE.

TINUOUs LIFE.
To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir. Protestant writer's have often commented on
the mower of continuity inherent In the Catholic
Church The most striking passage In Macauay
prose writings IN his review Of Won Ranke's his
tory OF the Popes' deals with this very point He
points out that her history joins two CIVILIZATIONS;
that IL extends back through the long arcade OF
centuries TIL lost in the twilight OF fable; that IN
her the laws of growth and decadence which affect
other governments and ecclesiastical establishments
fail in their action. and that "she may still exist
when some traveller from New-Zealand shall. in
the midst of a vast solitude. take his stand upon
a broken arch OF London Bridge TO sketch the runs
Of ST Paurs" In a somewhat labored argument
he seeks show that this continuity Is due TO the
wonderful adaptation OF the system of the Church
TO the weaknesses Of human character But. II
needed a vet greater mind than Macaulay 10 UNI
fold the principle of eternal life and after the
lapse of nearly half century there comes yet an
other great thinker far removed from the spirit
of Catholicism the brilliant writer already quoted
In dealing with the principle OF continuous lie,
Herbert Spencer lays down the following theorem
That no organism can continue to exist which has
not the property of adapting itself to the changes
of its environment. Now If this axiom be correct.
one of two alternatives must happen. Either the
Church. unable to readapt herself 10 the coming
changes, must pass away with the systems 10
which she has become attached or she must be
able to adapt herself in the future to the changes
to come. as she has already adapted herself TO
changes i'm the past In the first three centuries she
was the Church OF the slave. the martyr and the
outcast. On the conversion Of Constantine she
donned the purple easily as she had worn the
dress of the slave. When the Gohs appeared at
the gates of Rome she conquered the conquerors.
and instead OF passing away with the destruction
OF the Roman Empire acquired fresh strength In
the new Kingdoms which rose upon its ruins. Until
the fifteenth century she practically the only
form OF Christianity In Europe. and she remained
the acknowledged faith of Italy. France. Belgium.
Spain. Portugal. Austria and part of Germany. Dur
ing these centuries the papacy became intimately
associated with the politics OF the time. and.in the
popular mind to the reigning sovereigns and
heresy To the tenets OF the Catholic faith became
correlativc terms.
But as the monarchies OF Europe had succeeded
the Roman Empire. another change ay in the
womb OF time Personal .soyernnient was destined
to disappear and the seepre of power 10 pass from
the apex of the social pyramid ~ its base; the
Republic was destlrped. 10. supers@le the mQparchy.
So intima tey had the Church been assoca ted with
the soveregns OF Europe that the question was
asked Were the bonds SO strong that, Like the ivy
on the church wall. the destruction OF the wall
would destroy the ivy? Until the advent Of Pope
Leo Nil there had been but little sympathy be-
tween the papacy and the republics. But this great
thinker has recognized the fact that the era of per-
sonal government IL passing away and that the
Church could not too prepare herself for the
coming change. by readaptng the relationship of
the French clergy with the Republic of France he
rendered 1t possible for Catholic Frenchman to
be a loyal citizen OF the French Republic. The re-
suit OF this action has been that France, ten years
ago In the great cities almost atheistic, has be-
come (ostensibly at leasD Catholic.
But the attitude of the Pope toward the United