St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1893-02-18

as the ku1turkampf between the papacJ
and the German government. His efforts
in that direction were crowned with sue
cess, and with but few concessions OF
his own part he managed to secure from
Prince Bismarck the repeal of all the
Objectionable features of the SO called
Falk ecclesiastical laws in Prussia.
Diplomatic relations with the czar
which had been broken off by Plus TX
were renewed, greatly to the benefit o1
the Catholic church in Poland and other
parts Of Russia. Indeed the Catholic
church in Muscovy today occupies al
infinitely more advantageous position in
every way than the Lutheran church
which is subjected to all kinds of perse-
cutions by the czar's government. In.
stead of melting the Roman Catholic
clergy in Russia to acts of insubordina-
ton against the civil authorities of the
empire, Pope Leo has, on the contrary,
recommended obedience, and he has not
| only secured the recall from Siberia of
many Catholic bishops and priests who
were exiled by the czar during the papacy
| of Plus TX, but has also brought about
more friendly relations between the
orthodox Greek rite and the Catholic
church than have existed at any timo
since the schism of the former, many
hundred years ago. One of Pope Leo's
fondest and most ardent wishes has been
to effect q definite reconciliation and re-
union between these two great branches
of the Christian church, and it is quite
possible that before he brings to close
his brilliant and enlightened reign this
cherished project of his may become
realized.
In France Leo has succeeded in plac-
the relations between church and state
and in putting an end to the persecution
to which the clergy and religious asso-
Citations had been subjected during the
pontifcate Of Plus TX. His political
prescience and insight enabled him to
perceive that France is now definitely
committed to republican form of gov
ernment by the will of it's people, and
that continuance Of the alliance be-
tween the clergy and the monarchica1
party could only result in injury to the
latter by estranging therefrom those per-
sons religiously inclined who did not see
their way to unite to their belief in the
teachings of the church an allegiance to
the monarehical party. Accordingly
Leo XIII issued series Of pastoral let
ters and eneyclicals, in which he COM
manded the French clergy to preach
from their pulpits obedience and loyalty
to the government instead of the sedi-
ton which had been taught until then.
Of course there was a great outcry at
first on the part of the French aristocra-
cy, and even among the higher ranks of
the French prelacy, who had allied their
fortunes too closely to those of the royal
ist pretender. But Leo declined to per-
nit the church to be used as an instru-
ment for the selfish political projects OF
the Comte de Paris and Of Prince Victor
Bonaparte and persisted in the course
which he had adopted, with the result |
that there has been during the last year
or two distinct revival of religious
feeling throughout France, since the peo.
pie have now learned from the mouth OF
the holy father himself that it is posi-
BILE to be fervent Catholic and good
and patriotic republican at one and the
same time
The conflict between the Swiss gov
and the Vatican, which had re-
suited during the reign of Plus TX in the
expulsion of the late Cardinal Mermillod
from the territory of the Helvetian re-
public, has likewise been brought to a
close by Leo XIII, and the exiled prelate
was welcomed back to Berne with ex-
official honors. The dynas-
ties of both Spain and Portugal are in
debted to Pope Leo's support for the
of their thrones in exceed
ingly critical moments, and for the first
time since the reformation in Great
Britain an interchange of diplomatic
courtesies has taken place between the
court of ST. James and that of the Vati-
can. Moreover, if the Catholics have
obtained the upper hand in Belgium and
and Catholic administrations
are now in power at Brussels and at
The Hague, it is primarily due to the
sagacious and liberal policy of the pres
emit pope.
Nor have Leo's efforts been confined
TO Europe. In 1886 he dispatched a
special mission to the emperors of China
and Japan and established friendly and
diplomatic relations with them, securing
thereby valuable privileges for the
church in the far east. Throughout his
reign SO far the foreign policy Of the
papal government has been conducted
with rare and enlightened statesman
ship. His holiness seems to realize that
it is the duty of the church to offer
peace rather than war; that her role in
stead Of being that Of the aggressor
should be that of the peacemaker, and
one of the greatest triunphs of his life
has been when Germany and Spain ap-
pealed to him jointly to act as arbiter Of
their differences on the subject Of the
Caroline islands, thereby paying tribute
TO his pre-eminent qualities as states
man, as a diplomat, and, above all, as
peacemaker.
Sss "a 81
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