The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1900-12-09

Roman Catholic Church viii signaIize
the opening year of the twentieth cen
fury? That is a question which is en-
gaging the attention OF the Catholic
clergy and laymen, as well as of great
statesmen OF other religious denom-
nations in all parts of the world at the
present moment. Much will depend
upon the condition of health of Leo
XIII. now in the his 91st year. II, IS
predicted by his physician, this re-
markable old man lives on for few
years longer, il is practically certain
that an ecumenical council will take
place at Rome in 1901, while if the
venerable pontiff pays his debt to ma
ture before that time it is conciaTe
that will be held instead.
Leo XIII would naturally prefer an
ecumenical council to the conclaye,
not that he stands in any dread Of
death. for which. in Catholic eyes 1T
any rate, he may be assumed 80 be
more fully prepared than any grown
person in existence, but because he
believes that an ecumenical council
that is, synod of all the diocesans
GROWING lustre in history TO pom
tificate that is not only one of the very
longest on record. but likewise one Of
the most important, marking> as il
does. the beginning of new epoch in
the annals of the papacy-annais
which cover a period of near 1000
years.
While the pope is anxious for an
ecumenical council and already glories
in the idea of presiding over one Of
those great assemblies, which may
justly be regarded as the milestones
of the history of the church, his views
on the subject by no means meet with
the approval of his encourage and by
what is known as the Roman Curia.
Indeed, it may be questioned whether
the members of the latter would not
Infinitely prefer conclave TO council
and they may be reiIed upon to place
every obstacle in the way of the real
iZation of the project, for reasons
which will be explained anon. In spite
of this. and of the extraordinary infiu-
ence and power welded by the Curia,
it is probable that the council will
be held. providing Leo XIII retains
his health. For even still greater than
the power of the Curia is that of what
may be described as the .vox populi'
of the Roman Catholic Church. which
is bringing so vast a pressure to bear
upon the Vatican in the matter that
il cannot be resisted. Indeed, it is
only the death of Leo XIII and the
consequent organization of a conclave
that could possibly avert the council
with which the Curia is threatened
Among the reasons given by works
dealing with the subject. for the cali
ing of ecumenical councils. there are
some which more especially apply to
the universal synod now projected,
namely, the necessity of solving "Ques-
tons threatening the unity and the
well-being of the church. the urgency
of instituting certain far-reaching re-
forms. not of doctrine but of admins
tration. and in this manner to restore
into one channel the main stream of
ecclesiastical life, and to bring home
alike TO those within and to those with
out the pale a sense of the church's
corporate unity"
From time immemorial there has al
WAYS been disposition manifested on
the part of the Roman Catholic Church
TO resist the usurpation of administra-
tive powers by the Italian clergy. At
the Council of Constance. for instance.
held in the early part of the fifteenth
century. and which lasted for several
years, the voting was taken by ma
tions, for the avowed purpose of keep
ing the Italian prelates from out
weighing the rest" Indeed. the whole
annals OF the papacy give evidence
OF never ending struggle. sometimes
merely latent at other times open and
undisguised, between the Italian and
the foreign element for the mastery
OF the church. II has become more
acute than ever since the Holy See
was deprived of its temporal power.
and the various Italian members of the
noman Curia became in the eyes of
the law of their own country. as well
rs in those of foreign nations, mere
subjects of the Italian crown. The
very word catholic" implies some
thing that is universal and interna-
tional 1t means that the church is
not exclusively Italian, but belongs to
all nations alike. no matter what their
race or hue This being the case,
there is no reason why the administra-
ton of this great international de-
domination should remain in Italian
hands alone. and that foreign nations
should virtually have no share what
soever in the control thereof. There
were obvious objections to this species
Of Italian monopoly in the days when.
owing to the temporal sovereignty Of
the pope. the various members of the
Roman Curia owed no allegiance. splr-
itual or temporal. TO any other sover-
eign than the holy father. There are
still far greater objections to the prac-
tice. now that the members of the
Curia are ahsolyed from their tenn
poral allegiance TO the pontin. and
are subjects not merely to the King