The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-01-24

chufchoa nro tho services In n foreign
tongue; We havo about fifty churches
GERMAN RArIoNALisM.
Speaking OF German Catholics in this
country and in Europe, / asked tho
archbishop Il lo thought Catholicism
was gaining or losing ground In Ger.
many, mot relatively" Haid ho, ~
suppose, however, that all churches aro
losing ground In Germany as against
thelrcommon ioeol rauonalism.' Ilhen
related to him n talk | Ind on tho same
subject In Rome with an eminent Cor.
man official, who had lived several years
~ ma country, and who was a Biz.
matklan and q nationalist, and who
toiu n American consul and myself
tnat Catholicism was gaining ground In
Europe and America, but especially In
America.
From tho state OF affairs in Germany.
religious and political, to tho still moro
disturbed conditions prevailing Just ut
thia time In Italy, was an easy transi.
ton In our conversation. The St. Louis
papers had Just published tho news
from Rome to the effect that King Um-
berto's government was lettering to its
iall, aud | remarked that ! supposed
that the old historic issue as regards
the pope's temporal sovereignty would
arIse again. "Very likely uaid tho
archbishop; "there Is no telling what
10 expect from tho volcanic aud revolu.
tionary disturbance, In Italy. You
know wha. they have been In tho past.
The expected aud tho unexpected thing
happens there. Tho fact 10 that Italy,
and especially Rome, arc In tho throes
OF socialism aud irrcligion. Tho lawles,
clement In Rome have held such sway
That the pope would not be safe from
insult or v Q violence were he TO ap.
pear OH the streets. ! suppose you 70.
member the attack on the funeral pro-
cess!on Of Plus TX" "Yes," I 70.
marked, ~ do, but a. the same time
there is q political explanation Of this
feeling In Romo towards the papacy,
growing III Of its understood hostile
position towards Italian unity. With
this friction removed thia state Of fool.
Ing would not probably exist, for Rome
Is oil course q Catholic city"
Catholic in name" said tho arch.
bishop, shut ready, many OF them, 10
fall In with Garibaldi's suggestion tina.
St. Peters be turned into a railroad
depot" l related to him tho substance
OF q talk l had on this subject with a
prominent ecclesiastic. who took the
ground tina. a solution oil this much
mixed question might be arrived a. by
a guarantee by the powers. OF tho 40.
called guarantees OF the Italian govern
ment as respects the papacy. These
Italian guarantees provide for tho e1-
NATURALIZATION OF the Vatican, tho
same as il it was on IN island in the
Mediterranean, but the trouble Is that
the Vatican feels no confidence in the
permanency OF the arrangements. and
never will as long as they depend on the
passing caprice OF the Italian pol.
iticiana who may happen to be in
power. To this the archbishop replied
that the position Of tho pope as re.
spects a practicable solution OF the
whole question was that Of an "0ppor.
t%unist," a term very we'll understood in
Europe, and meaning that he relied, as
80 many Of his predecessors had done,
on the turn Of events to open up a way
to his independence. which turn OF
events might or might not at this time
be near at hand, but which the Cath
Ollie world looked forward to as likely
enough TO happen sooner or late:.A
PAPAr ISFALLtBiLirY.
. In the course Of this highly DIVERSE
fed conversation between tho arch
bishop and myself We came to speak at
length OF the position Of bis predeces.
sor in St Ionis 40 a member OF the
celebrated Vatican council OF lS69.70
in which the historic issue OF the pope's
infallibility had been passed upon and
settled; which position was the same as
that taken by Bishop Whelau, Arch
bishop Purcell, and, in fact, by most Of
the American hierarchy. viz: that tho
affirmation and proclamation Of the dog.
mt ut that time was inexpedient and in.
opportune. asked the archbishop il
their opposition went really no deeper
than this, or in other words. was not
more radical in ils character, az, for in.
stance, it was in the case OF tho famous
Austrian Cardinal tSchwartgenberz),
who had strsnuously opposed it, not
only on grounds Of inopportune,s alone,
but also as not being sound theological
ly, or, in other words, as not being
truth. To this the archbishop replied
that he never understood that
anyone OF the American hierarchy
shared in this position OF the Aus
TRAN Cardinal, but opposed it solely on
account oftheir belieftha the fullncss Of
time had not come for its pronunciation
as 4 dogma OF the church.. They posi-
bly, sympathized with the position OF
one OF the German bishops who actually.
with tears. opposed it because it would
involve the church (as 1t did) in a var
with Bismark and because in the face
OF the gathering storm that threatened
Europe at that time. and that so soon
o~ventuated in the Franco-Gorman war.
they deemed the decision At that timo
fruitful OF personal and ecclesiastical
trouble. There was. perhaps. Il N
what general and sympathetic feeling
OF this sort in the council. but the great
majority hold that in tho then disturbed
state Of tho world there was no know
ing whom or where another session OF
tho council might be possible. and thore.
fors i. was better thcn and there to
have a res ddjuiicdil II suppose you
remember" continued tho archbishop,
that tina. council adjourned somewhat
hurriedly; that many speeches on tho
question reS,rrcd TO wero cut short
that OF my predecessor hero among tho
number), and that when It did finally