The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-03-30

preliminary sparring are interesting,
but not essential to our purpose. Fore
seeing that a break was nigh, Fra
Paolo informed the senate that two
courses were open to it. They could
argue the points at issue either de jure,
that Is, before a grand council of the
church, or de facto, meeting strength
with strength. cunning with cunning,
and, If necessary, steel with steel. He
advised the style OF argument de facto,
and it was accordingly put into eXecu-
ton, Paolo himself preparing the letter
To the pope in which Venice courteously
but fatty denied his right to interfere
at all in the civil affairs of the republic.
There was an interval of exceedingly
animated discussion. during which Fra
Paolo laid down the principle, now re-
duced to practice, that the pope, as the
head of a spiritual kingdom on earth
had no right to assume a control of
things temporal; and finally. on April
II. 1906, the bull of interdict and eXcom-
muncation was launched.
1t was comprehensive measure.
Every Venetian was prohibited from
receiving the saving sacraments of the
church and the consultations of religion;
no masses were to be said; baptism.
marriage and burial services were to
cease: the churches were to be locked
up and the priests to withdraw; all so
cial relationships were dissolved mar
riages were declared invalid, and all
children born were illegitimate; hus-
bands could desert their wives ana chill
dren disobey their parents; contracts
of all kinds were declared null and
void; allegiance to the government was
at an end and subjects were absolved
from their obligation to pay taxes and
To respect the law of the land" In
short, utter social chaos was the end
sought in contumelious Nenetia, The
edict. however, did not go into effect
Immediately. Twenty-seven days of
grace We're allowed. Long before these
had expired, the republic was ready.
Where the pope had ordered services
to cease. the dOge ordered them to 60
on. Where the one had commanded the
priests to quit the accursed land, the
other directed them To remain. In
short, for every papal Roland, the re-
public returned an Oliver, adding inter
est. When the patriarch of Acquileia
and the bishop of Nicenza proved dis
loyal, the doge had them seized and
! lodged in prison. one priest announced
that on the ensuing Sunday he would
obey the pope and not the doge Satur-
day night brought an official to his
| door, with a question how he purposed
| to preach next day. He replied, "As
| the Spirit prompts me-" Two hours
later the grand council of Venice sent
back word that whilst 1t found no fault
with his answer 1t yet considered that
he ought to be informed that If the
Spirit prompted him to- alter or curtail
his services in any way on the morrow
that same Spirit would infallibly
| prompt it to hang him at his church
| door before midday. The Jesuits had
| planned great demonstration to sig
nalize their departure TO consecrated
| ground. 1t was to occur at noon on the
| last day of grace. At midnight the day
| previous troops bundled them into
| boats and elected them from the re.
| public under cover of darkness.
The result of these prompt measures
was that the interdict and eXcommuni-
cation We're soon discredited; and Eu.
rope began to laugh at the discounted
/ pope. Paul V, not without reason. placed
| the blame for his defeat upon Fra
Paolo. He ordered Paolo to visit Rome
/ Paolo politely declined the invitation
! Next, he burned all Paolo'S writing!
within his reach. That failing to afford
| sufficient revenge, he ordered the books
| published by Paolo's printer, one Ro
| berto Majetti, to be placed In the index
! expurgatOrius. Finally, an effort wa.
| made from Rome to suborn the Consul
tore; but upon the senate getting wine
! of this. 1t doubled PaolO's salary an[
took measures to protect his life. Per
cCiving after a time that Venice wa:
| not to be frightened into obedience
| Paul V began to try persuasion. TIL,
French and Spanish ambassadors a
Venice were enlisted in the work of try
ing to negotiate n peace. Spain threat
cncd, France cOaXed, Venice, on tn,
! other hand, remained Obdurate, in pur
suance of Fra Paolo's counsel, until a
last the pope ended the long struggle
nv yielding every material point AnC
thus, to use our authors eXultant eX
preston. the proud pope was van
qushed by the humble friar."