The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-10
lie Says His Holiness Cannot Go be-
yond the bounds of the Vatican
without Sacrificing Dignity.
HOPES FOR A GREAT CHANGE
THINKS CHRISTENDOM WILL GIVE
THE POPE HIS LIBERTY.
Civil Independence and Temporal
Power Necessary Because Leo
Is Head of n World Church.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 9.--Archbishop Ire
land. in sermon preached at ST. Partick's
Church in this city to-day, reviewed the
question of the independence of the Pope
and prophesied that at no remote day 'the
Italian people and christendom at large
would give back to the papacy it's wonted
dignity and liberty
The discussion of what is known as the
Roman question was especially significant
as the archbishop, during the latters re-
cent visit TO Rome, talked at length with
the Pope. The archbishop referred to the
Pope as a prisoner in the Vatican. volun-
tary In that no physical force prevents his
leaving its precincts, and involuntary in
that he could not go beyond the Vatican
without impairing his dignity as pontiff
and without seeming to accept the situation
created for him by the entrance into Rome
os the troops of the Italian government
He said the Catholic Church is "a divinely
created organism, receiving directly from
Christ it's mission and all the rights which
are needed that it may live and work; it's
life and mission are expressed in it's su-
preme chief, the successor of Peter, and to
him belong in pre-eminent manner all the
rights inherent in the church and whose
possession is needed for fulfillment of its
mission and work willed by Christ. Hence
the pontin's right to independence as a
consequence to temporal sovereignty"
The archbishop said: IF the Pope rs a
civil subject of an authority outside of HIM
self, he has not the necessary freedom.
The ruler or government would interfere.
make laws impairing his freedom of action
or strive TO impose methods more service
able to the state than the church. The
pontiff's words must bear no possible sus-
picion that they were imposed by men who
have no authority in things moral and
spiritual. IL the sovereign pontin be the
subject OF the King of Italy, what guaran-
tee Is there for other peoples and their
rulers that. whether through fear or favor.
Italian influences have not penetrated into
the Vatican and that Italian interests are
not to be served? The peril of national
jealousies would be the greater were the
foreign countries at the time warning with
the King of Italy.
I'VE in America are willing indeed TO
hearken to the words of Peter, but it must
be plain that they are not the words of a
foreign ruler whose sole purpose is the in
terest Of a foreign nationality, not of the
church. The sole effective guarantee OF
independence for the pontin is temporal
sovereignty which marks out for him SUI
jcient space on earth on which he may
work in fulfllment of his mission with all
the independence he needs. The dependence
of bishop on the civil ruler sewers him
from union with Christians in other coun-
tries. reduces his church 10 the condition OF
national church and disrupts the oneness
OF the universal church. Other churches
than the Catholic do not demand civil In
dependence and temporal power for their
chieftains because no other church than the
Catholic is world church. nor aims at be-
ing at the same time universal and one:
nor fulftlis the injunction of the Savior
teach all nations. |" The government OF
somewhere outside OF Rome.