The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-28

dence, do not permit your imagination to run
away with you. Do not conjure up vast en-
pre-, and mighty army, and Popes like
Caliphs.
No, only territory just large enough for its
purpose, small territory, religious District
Of Columbia for all the states of the Catholic
world, q sacred district belonging TO no nation
yet belonging to all, the peaceful home OF the
common father of the Christian family where
all his children may draw around him, the
safe place of assembly for the lawmakers and
high judges of the universal church.
That is the idea: let US see lit is reasonable
idea.
With hardly an exception, bishops have
spiritual authority and jurisdiction only in
one nation and over one people. 1t is different
with the Pope. He has charge OF the entire
fold OF Christ, and therefore must exercise
power and authority in many nations. At this
moment it would be difficult to name country
In which Pope Leos jurisdiction is not recog-
nlZed ana obeyed by some portion of the popu-
latlon, if not by all.
Now, what will be the inevitable conse-
quence if the Pope, who has authority in many
Pope were German subject, living in Berlin
near the Emperor William, think you the
French would stand 1t for an hour? Or place
the Pope in London, good Englishman -
| Cardinal Vaughn for example - how long
would Ireland be proof against the strain on
her historic fidelity? Or would the German
rulers Tolerate the dependence or 1o,O 900 900
OF German Catholics on citizen of the French
republic and of Paris? Or, if there were war
between Italy and France, and the Pope were
a subject and citizen of Italy (Which he now is
mott, would the French bear the Pope's rule
with becoming confidence and respect and sub
mission?
Napoleon spoke for all governments and
Paris, and it is well he is not; neither is he at
Madrid or Vienna, and that is why we endure
ms spiritual authority. AT Vienna or Madrid
glad that he lives far away from us and that
he does not live with our rivals. Ages have
been necessary to arrange matters thus, and
they have been well arranged" To see the
| force of the argument substitute London and
Berlin for Madrid and Vienna.
II facts are required to corroborate this vie W,
| that is, the unwillingnesS of a nation to be
subject in any degree to the citizen of another
nation, the facts are not lacking. Thus the
Russian church was long under the jnrisdic-
ton OF the Greek patriarchs of Constantinople
but when Russia grew TO be great country,
with great aims, she would no longer tolerate
any dependence on man who was under the
she lodged the supreme authority over the
Russian church, first in the hands of Rus
sian patriarch, afterward in the Holy Synod at
ST. Petersburg.
dom OF Greece were subject to the patriarch Of
Constantinople, but soon as they won their
independence they would no longer acknowl-
edge him as their religious chief and they set
up supreme authority of their own at Athens
their capital.
This. reasoning, no doubt, supposes the pri-
uldCg lure OlNlHO Oh the rope over the Kingdom
OF our Lord. But short of this superstition, the
reasoning should be deemed valid and conclu-
slYe by those who deplore the sad divisions of
Christendom and look for reunion. Who can
desire to see new divisions added to the old?
But the civil subsection of the Pope TO any
government would powerfully tend to snap
the bonds that now hold Catholic countries in
the unity of the faith, and thus multiply the
tiles.
However, it is objected that as st. Peter had
no TEMPORAL SOVprelQntV. the pODn Rhnnl0
have none. ST. Peter certainly had no tenn
poral power; but they who take this ground
forget to add that St. Peter was crucihed by
Nero. the head of the Roman state. Now it
might be good thing for the successor of st.
Peter to be arrested. imprisoned, exiled,
martyred; but it might not be such a good
thing for us. The sheep need shepherd. a
shepherd living and free. Moreover, the
necessity ofthe temporal power is due to the
rlYalrles and jealousies of nations. This, at
least. is only reason and an ineligible reason,
Tor asserting Its necessity. But in ST. Peters
day and for centuries thereafter there were no
riyalries of the kind because there were no
nations. There was but one nation, the world
embracing empire of Rome.
Another ground of objection to the principle
OF the political independence of the Pope is
| the incompatibility between the duties of a
secular ruler and the duties of the chief pastor
OF souls This objection is, think, fatal to the
IDEA OF making the Pope the lord of an extern
slve state But who has ever ente rtained that
ldeaY AS to the cares of a small principality,
the Pope would be better off without them If
any other means could be devised to guard his
independence and liberty in the spiritual or
der, but no other plan has ever been proposed
tor that most important end. The Pope, there
lore, must submit to whatever disadvantages
the temporal power entails for the sake OF the
paramount advantages IL insures.
But some one may say the Pope has no civil
sovereignty at present, yet he seems to dis
charge the duties of his high Office not only
without Inconvenience but with unprece-
dented independence and full apostolic lib
erty To this reply that the existing arrange
ment1s hollow one, inasmuch as 1t leaves the
Pope at the mercy of the Italian Government.
What Is this arrangement?
| In 1871 the italian Parliament, then sitting
at Florence, adopted the laws OF the Guaran-
tees, thus called because these laws were en-
acted to secure the personal inyiOlabflity and
Ofhclal liberty of the Pope. Reduced TO their
true value these laws simply declare the per-
son OF the Pope inyiolable, place offenses
against the Pope in the same category with Of
lenses against the king give the Pope the right
OF tree communication with the Catholic world
and the enjoyment, whatever that may be, of
the Vatican and Lateran palaces.
Now these laws read well, but they have one
fatal haW; they are laws of the Guarantees,
but they guarantee nothing. Had the Paria-
ment of Italy secured to the Holy Father Rome
and the Ager Romanus, or territory lying
around Rome, declared this new ecclesiastical
Pope and his small principelity under the joint
protectorate OF Europe, then, indeed. the head
OF the church would have some real and per-
manent security.
As 1t is, the Italian Parliament can in O
moment recall and abolish guarantees which
depend wholly on the good viii OF the Parlia-
Inent; and II there were-I will not say war
but any grave complication between Italy and
any other European power, 1t is quite probable
the laws OF the guaran tees would be thrown to
the winds If the Pope sought to maintain as
he ought to maintain an attitude or absolute
! neutrality between the two and, consequently,
friendly intercourse with Italys unfriendly
| neighbor
There is, however, final difficulty in the
way or accepting the principle of the temporal
sovereignty OF the Pope. and to many il ap-
able difficulty. 1t is this: Ii we long to see
Rome restored to the Pope and the Eternal City
once more and for all time what it has been for
how are we to reconcile the conflicting claims
/ OF the church and of Italy?
wen, trust can say with truth that we
yield hardly to the Italians themselves in our