New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-02-16
ITALY AND THE POPE.

Contrary 10 general expectation the return TO
office Of Signor CriSpi has been sgnazed by Il
marked Improvement in the relations between
the Italian Government and the Vatican. For
the first time since 1870 there has been an in
tcrchangc Of Ciyilitics In the form Of New Years
visiting cards between the papIl Secretary of
State ana the Kings Prime Minister. and this
has been followed not only by the concession Of
the dozen or more royal cXcquaturs which had
until then been withheld 10y the Government
from that number of bishops and archbShopS
nominated 10 Italian dioccscS by the Pope. but
also by Il remarkable memorial which the
Jcsuits have just addressed To- Leo NH. in
which they urge upon His Holiness the abSo-
lutte necessity of permitting the Catholics of the
Kingdom Of Italy 10 take part In The Para
mcnary elections and political life of their
country. Ever since the loss Of temporal power
10y the Holy Scr Italian Catholics have been
absolutely prohibited by the Pontim from cast
ing their vote al the polls, under the pain of
the displcaSurc Of the Church. IN order which
has, however. been extensively dsobcyed, par
ticuarly In the urban districts. and It Is only
recently that they have been permitted to take
part in the municipal elections AT Rome and
elsewhere. with the result that the Ccricals
are in Il majority in the city Council of the
capital
1t is II notorious fact that Leo NH has long
been of the opinion that all obstacles should be
removed from the access of Catholics To the
Parliamentary polls and that lac was only pre-
vented from putting his views and wishes into
execution by the opposition thereto which he
encountered from the JcsuiiS. who constitute
what may be described rs the militant party of
the Church Now that they have given way and
come over 10 his opinion. there will probably
be no further hesitation about granting the
long -deSircd permission. which cannot fail 10
strengthen alike the cause of the Church and
that of the Italian III jnarchy. both of which
are bound up in one another 10 Il far greater
extent than might be gathered from the con
slant disputes and warfare that have been car
rcd on between the two, to Il great extent on
the surface only. fOl the last twenty years
On the one hand. the Pope and his advisers
realize that the overthrow of the monarchy as
now constituted, and the substitution in its
place of IA necessarily anti-ccrical republican
regime. would involve the removal from the
Eternal City of the Holy Seat. On the other
hand, King Ilumbcrt and his Government APP
prccatc the fact that were the immense power
welded by the parish clergy in the agricultural
districts exercised in behalf of the Savoy
dynasty. the latter would be in far better posi-
ton To make Roadway against the growth Of
republicanSm and socialism in the urban dis
trctS, any doubts which they may have had on
the subject being dispccd by the support which
they are low receiving in the paclfication Of
Sicily. from bishops and parish clergy of the
island who acted in the matter in obedience to
direct orders from the Vatican.
Lastly there is the always important financial
consideration. From the most trustworthy of
clerical sources it is known that the PontT
and his advisers are seriously alarmed ut the
startling decline of the Papal revenues especial
ly Of what Is known rs Peters Pence: and
Notwithstanding the many radical economies
which have been effected during the last two
years by Leo XIII, It Is asserted that he has