The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-12-08
Attitude Of the Italian Government Toward tho Papacy
Eoquently Told by Archbishop Ireland.
The Holy Father Should be Independent Of Civil Rulers
Supreme Head of the Universal Church.
He Belongs the Entire World Any Nation
Therefore He Should a Subject.

In Il sermon on Rome mt the Cathe-
dral in st. Paul last Sunday morning
Archbishop Ireland referred to the
temporal power of the Pope as follows:
a question which no visitor to Rome
can fail to inquire into is: Is the
situation created for the Pope by the
presence of the Italian government in
Rome bearablc to him? Is it one that
may be considered normal to the papa
cy? The reply which | gave to him
self, which give to my fellow Catho-
lies of America, is an emphatic mega
tive. Leo continuously protests
against the SpOliation which wrcStcd
from him the political sovereignty of
Rome and his civil independence,
against the presence of the Italian gov
crnmcnt which perpctuatcs that act of
spoliation, and calls in most positive
terms for the restitution of his tempo
raj power. Why those protests, those
demands of Leo? shall tell YOU his
own mind as learned it from his own
lips and what believe. should he on
this important point, the mind of all
uutilul Catholics.
The churcl, is Il divincly made or
ganiSm, having from the Savior him
self the right to exist and to work in
fultilment OF her mission. and, consc-
uuently, having from Him the right to
live and to work in the manner that
the manner which is proper to the
tasks which hcfnll her as she moves
through ages, the teacher and queen
of souls. She has, therefore, Il right to
the plcnary independence of her chief
tain from all subicction to or intcrfcr-
encc from a human ruler.
The church, of course, acts and
speaks in her corporate capacity
through her head. in whom are
summed up her chief duties ana her
chief rights. Now, If the head of the
church is the civil subject of an author
ity outside himself. he is not Free as
he should be beyond all pcradvcnturc,
to exercise his supreme magistOrium
as his own sense of duty dictates and
to govern the Universal Church, as he
believes it should be governed. The
civil laws made for him by the poten-
tate of whom he would be the subject
might interfere, and, as a matter Of
fact, would interfere with his liberty.
The potcntatc would be tempted often
to impose upon him views and acts
scrvrcablc to the temporal and pollti-
potcntatc's own ambition. Napoleon
sought to have the Pope live in Paris
in order that the world be more easily
reduced to do homage to France. A
few years ago Il congress of nations
was summoned to The Hague to devise
means to lessen the causes of war and
to provide for the settlement of in
tcrnational discussions by a tribunal
of peace. Russia, to whom was due
the first proposal of the congress, de-
cidcd that the Pope be represented in
1t. as the one who from tradition and
actual work as Il pacificatOr understood
as none other the subject OF arbitra-
ton, and who as none other could en-
force the DEGREES of Il moral tribunal
But the government Of Italy forbade
the intervention of the Pope in the
congress. An independent religious
press is a potent means for the Pope
of church government. Leo is not al
lowed one. Papers which were lvOw-
cdly his organs have been suppressed.
The Pope as head of the church is the
teacher of all nations, the teachcr Of
kings as Of peoples; the teacher of
governments in their moral life as Of
subjects. He belongs to the world, not
to a city or to a nation. Now if the
Pope were the subject of any one gov
crnmcnt, of any one king, his message
to other nations, to other sOvcrcigns
goes out witha a suspicion that he speaks
from the narrow circle drawn around
him by the nation or the sovereign of
which he is the subject. The subject
of italy would find poor hearing from
th" French people when he marks out
the lines of moral conduct which
France and her government shall fol
low. The emperor Of I,ussia and of
Prussia would like but little to be
spoken to by the subject of Victor
Emanuel, especially if at that time
they were warning with the King of
Italy. We in distant America are will
ing to listen surely to the voice of Pc
ter. but it must he plain to us that it