The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-12-08
THE PoPE's TEMPORAL POWER.

THE POPE'S TEMPORAL POWER.
Under display heading on the front
page we publish to-day an able and
comprehensive address by Archbishop
Ireland on the temporal power of the
Pope. No better nor more cogent rea-
sons for the restoration of the papal
dominions to Chrst's vicar on earth
could be given by the Pope himself.
Though there is no immediate pros
pect that the contiscated property Of
the Holy See will be given back by the
usurpers, yet the Catholic world will
never be satisfied until restitution is
made.
The Archbishop clearly shows that
it is absolutely necessary for the Pope,
in order to discharge his duties fear
lessly and without restraint, to be en-
tircly independent of civil rulers. In
reality, Pope Leo XIII, one of the
most illustrious men who have ever
occupied the chair of Peter, is pris-
oner in the Vatican palace. His pred
ecessor of blessed memory, Plus IN,
was despoiled Of his temporalities by
Victor Emanuel, and though his 1tali-
an subjects and Catholic volunteers
from various countries took up arms
to prevent the spoliatlon they were
overpowered by superior force, and
the patrimony in the possession OF the
papacy since the days of Charlemagne
was grabbed by the italian monarch
on no better plea than that might
makes right" France and Austria
looked on unconcernedly at the great
est robbery Of the nineteenth century
without uttering a word Of protest.
Archbishop Ireland is right in saying
that Itomeis notonly the capital of Italy
but of the entire Catholic world, and
hence that Catholics everywhere have
a special interest in the city of the
Popes. 1t is only recently that he re-
turned from the Eternal City, and
therefore he knows that the situation
created for the Holy Father by the
presence of the Italian government is
disagreeable in the extreme. He had I
it from the eloquent lips Of the aged
pontitr himself.
In the face of all this Ricciotti Gar
riba1d. son of the Italian maraudcr,
has the audacity to say in the North
American Review for December that
Archbishop Ireland told him in Rome
chat all pretcnsion to temporal power
should he abandoned" When young
Garribaldi reads the address of the
great prelate of ST. Paul in the Italian
press he may come to the reluctant
conclusion that Mgr. Ireland said the
very reverse of what he attributes to
him in the American magazine
The Minneapolis Tribune in Mon
days issue prints an extended inter-
view with "a we'll known prelate of
tho Roman Catholic church, in refer
encc to the Archbishop's discourse on
the papacy. What this secular paper
calls "a prelate" is probably no prelate
Mt all. and for the Archbshops sake
we hope he is not, because he does not |
exhibit good common sense in what
he is alleged to have said within quo
tation marks. The said "prelate" is
evidently satellite Of his grace, but
his eulogy is in bad taste. He be-
lieves that the address of the Arch |
bishop will gain him the cardinalate,
and then enumerates others who COW
ct the prize. He drags in politics and
refers slghtingly to other dignitaries
of the church in this country.
Well may the Archbishop of st.
Paul exclaim, "Save me from my
friends" if this loquacious "prelate"
is one of them. The Irish Standard
has too much respect for the Arch.
bishop to see his name banded about
in such an indiscreet manner. There
is no dignity too exalted for the Arch
bishop of st. Paul, but when it is In
simulated that his address on the Pope's
temporal power was delivered to
''humor the Vatican" with the expec
tation of getting Ied cap it does him
great injustice. AS Catholic arch
bishop who is loyal to the Holy See
he could have said nothing less on the
subject. 1t is a grand address which
does credit to his head and heart and
we bespeak for it an attentive 'perus-
al
Backbone" is the name of the Pro-
hibition organ of Minnesota Com