The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-04-03
THElEMP0RALPOWBR
The Question Of the Pope's Oh
tanning It Clearly Dis
cussed.
Conversion Of Emperor Con-
stantine Beginning Of :
a New Era.
Foundation Of the Temporal
Power the Work Of Di-
vine Providence.


an Pontiff is natural consequence Of
the spiritual authority. 1t was in the
| design of Providence that Rome should
be the center of Christian union. The
| mission of the Church was to save and
regenerate mankind.
where Peter is there is the Church.
Enriched with the blood of martyrs, it
| became tree of life and liberty, whose
| branches extend to every part OF the
world. Before it's fall, paganism in
clined more and more toward material
ism, and materialism begot despotism.
| Materialism, despotism and the corrup-
! ton of the age brought on the general
! decay Of the Roman Empire. At this
period the church was in the catacombs,
| and, in tears and blood, she was sowing
the germs of a new society. The agony
of the pagan empire was something ter
rible. It was literally choked in it's
own wickedness. The spectacle pre-
sented by the Popes was the grandest in
| history. From St. Peter to St. Sylves-
| years, every one bore the martyrs
| crown. Under the axe of the execution
er they proclaimed their divine commits
sion, and their spiritual authority went
power to save mankind in the wreck of
the old civilization, writes DR.. Justus
! J. Spring in the Irish World.
The conversion of the Emperor Con-
| stantine was the beginning Of new
era. Persecution ceased, and peace was
restored to the Church. He could not
bear to WELD the sceptre where the
| Vicar of Christ had his seat Hence he
left Rome to the Pope. He did not con-
/, fer on him the temporal power; but he
betook himself to Byzantium, where he
built Constantinople. At his death the
empire was divided between his sons.
The spirit of the sainted Constantine
was gone, and divisions weakened the
! empire. Disorders sprung up, and the
Pope was often obliged to come to the
! succor of the poor and oppressed. At
i length barbarians came on Rome from
| Asia and Africa and Northern Europe
Their pent-up vengeance was let. loose
on the cruel mistress of the world. They
rushed like devouring torrent on the
cities and provinces. Rome herself was
i several times, dismantled, sacked and
burned. In the year 552 an invading
| army for the fifteenth time entered her
gates. In the course of the sixth GEN.
tury the consulship was abolished and
the senate dispersed. The unfortunate
| citizens who did not take themselves to
flight were massacred or led into cap
! tivity. For several weeks the city was
so deserted that St. Benedict was asked
! whether any inhabitants were left
Amid those tumults the Church was the
only authority to defend society, and
the Popes were invoked in temporal
as we'll as spiritual dangers. More than
once they went out to meet the invaders
and rescue the helpless people from an
infuriated soldiery. In this way st. Leo
| the Great put an end to the siege of
Atilla. .
The bishops followed the example of
the Popes and they became the defend
ers of their 1ocks, as we'll as their spir-
| itual guides It is not to be wondered
that grateful people took on them
selves the defense of their pastors. BY
| degrees the Pope was considered the
temporal protector of Italy. He gov
erned Rome and the neighboring terri
| tory, but the imperial authority was rec
ognized in other places. The temporal
sovereignty was founded not only on
| popular consent, but on the urgent en-
treaties of the people, when their for
| mer rulers proved absolutely powcrless
to preserve public order. The papal ter
ritory was never increased by conquest.
Neither did the Pope receive any por-
| tion of it as gift from king or emperor
Legitimacy, in it's strictest sense, may
therefore be applied to every inch of
the papal dominions. Nevertheless, the
| history of Rome is one of perpetual con-
flict The Greek emperors thirsted for
! =
universal dominion, and when their
power was crushed the Lombards be-
came as aggressive and persistent. At
this juncture the Pope sought the pro-
lection of Pepin, King of the Franks
The Lombards were obliged to desist
from further conquest and to restore the
territory. already taken. The independ-
ence Of the holy see was thus secured,
and the temporal sovereignty Of the Ro-
man Pontin definitely established. Many
suppose that Perrin was the founder Of
1 the temporal power, and that It was a
gratuity from him to the Pope, but, in
reality. it began soon after the conver-
/ sion Of Constantine, and Pepin only re-
i stored that which, sFas un1ust1 taken
ranlish
IN