The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-10-17
POPE LEO XIII AND THE
DECLINE OF TEMPORAL ROME.
Archbishop Keane Writes His Impressions Anen His Return
the Home Of the Church- America and the Propaganda

Of the vatican. There dwells the repre-
sentative OF the power which replaces the
imperial power of the Palatine hill and
as II to tell how the transformation was
accomplished. between the two, lies the
Coliseum, a superb monument of imperial
vanity, and at the same time of all the
popular corruption on which imperial pow
er had at last to rest its tottering strength.
From these ruined balconies the patricians
and plebeians of Rome gazed together on
the inhuman spectacles which pandered tn
their cruelty ana their lust, and in that
arena the disciples of Jesus of Nazareth
won the victory OF the crucified One by
laying down their lives through love of
Him. 1t was the power of love conquering
the power of brute force and brute lust.
Thus it was that the healthier colossus
representative OF Jesus OF Nazareth took
the place of the Caesars.
NOT THE SPIRIT OF IMPERIAL, ROME
lola in his Rome" meditates on the
Palatine hill, and imagines that the spirit
OF imperial Rome has been taken up and
perpetuated by the successor OF Peter. No
Impression could be further from the truth.
The two spirits are as far apart as were
Nero and st. Peter. The only resemblance
salty of them both.
Rome is still the world city. No one can
live long there without recognizing that
IL Is the most cosmopolitan city in the
world. People have tried of late 10 rob IL
OF It's cosmopolitan character and make it
a narrow, nationalistic CRY, but in so doing
they We're not only marrlng and distorting
Ter the While the national character of the
eternal city but are running by the experi
'nent the nation of which they had rnade
1t the capital. l say this in no spirit OF
enmity to Italy. Pope Leo XIII himself
looks with profound sorrow upon the bani;
Iupt cohui.ion into which poor Italy is
deeper ana deeper sinking. The experiment
is no success. 1t could not he, because IL
Is contrary to the historic nature of things
Rome Is and must BE the world city. THAI
is why providence made il the see of the
world bishop of the church and the church
is called Roman simply to signify that II
is worldwide and universal. ANY ottsr
aappellation would limit it and would maze
= NATIONAL provincial, insular; the title
Roman makes 1t universal, catholic
Thus the Rome of today offers IN tho
MIND two fields of intensely interesting
study. First, the field of philosonb,ca
historical and literary achieyemepts
crowned with the glories OF the grandest
miiftarism the world has ever behold All
.his IS the history OF the distant past its
intellectual results living always. The sec
ond ieid OF study is that OF tho great
.hrisuan Influence which the Savior of
me world gave to mankind az a substitute
Tor mere might and power Nowhere as in
rome can one study the world wide power
OF religion or Christianity. There Proyi-
aence has placed the center of the admin
istrauon CT the church which. as our Lord
aeeiared, was TO be the teacher OF all ma :
uons all days 10 the end OF the world: Nat
iraily there can be nothing SO interesting
70 one who rightfully appreciates the ire.
menaous Importance OF this spiritual power
as to study its workings at its very center
They who have the opportunity OF study.
Ing IL eeeply see clearly that the vita,
power placed there by the Savior Of tha
world, for the worlds moral good has al
tne potency and all the promise Of per-
petnity which 1t had in the apostolic are.
cliURcH's RELATION TO AMERICA.
MY chief interest in Rome is. Of course.
my relation to the welfare Of the church IN
America In SO far as that Is Influenced by
the central administration OF the church.
= wae for that purpose that the holy father