The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-02-23
The Earl Marshal Of King Edward Explains His Address
the Temporal Power of the Pope.
Splendid Exposition of His Views of the Question by
the Intrepid Catholic Nobleman
Broken Pledges of Security and Independence Made by
the Late King and His Minister.

But the paragraph in our address to
which public attention has been so
specially drawn is the following: =
'We pray and we trust that this new
century may witress the restoration of
the Roman Pontiff to that position of
temporal independence which Your
Holiness has declared necessary for
the effective fulfillment Of the duties of
his worldwide CHARGE
Having carefully considered the
matter for some days, l own am still
wholly ut a loss to know why any
surprise has been excited by this re-
iteration of hope which is repeatedly
expressed inevery part of Christendom.
Every year great congress of German
Catholics embody it in a resolution
which they send to the Pope. l have
myself taken part in congresses of
Catholics in Switzerland, Belgium and
elsewhere which have sent him the
same unfalterng message. Again and
again have English Catholics embod-
led it in their addresses, and have
myself on several occasions had the
honor of reading addresses before two
Popes, assuring them of our firm ad-
herence to this just claim of the Holy
See.
AS 1 do not know what it is in our
present utterance that is so unlike our
former statements as to have so per-
turbed the public mind, it is not easy
for me to suggest an explanation for
an outcry which is at least perplexing
We had not supposed that the simple
restatement of claim so consistently
and so openly maintained would call
forth comment or surprise. We GER
tainly would not have expected that
that surprise would have found vent
in declarations of such advantage to
our cause. For we all know how dur
ing the last thirty years we have been
assured that the position of the Pope
is in every way satisfactory; that he
is in complete freedom; that his spirit
ual children have full liberty Of access
to him; that no limits are set to the
discharge of his duties as head of the
church; and that there is nothing to
keep Catholics from addressing him as
they will.
Would it be easy to bear stronger
testimony to the impossible position of
the Pope and of his spiritual children
| than to assert, as is now asserted,
that we Catholics may not go before
the head Of the church, and, in his own
palace in the Vatican, speak to him
as we spoke:
eve pray and we trust that this new
century may witness the restoration of
the Roman Pontiff to that position of
temporal independence which Your Ho.
liness has declared necessary for the
effective fulltillment Of the duties of
his worldwide charge"
| Does anyone believe that there is
any statesman in the world who, If he
is favorable to the cause of united
Italy, does not, in his heart, echo our
prayer? Is there anyone who gives
any candid consideration to this great
subject who does not know that the
principal cause which makes for dis.
union in Italy arises from the present
position Of the Holy See, that it is a
perpetual source of weakness, and
that it is tending to take away from
the italian nation the health and
strength which only religion can be-
stow?
When, in 1860, the late King Victor
Emmanuel, in time of peace. invaded
Umbria and the Marshes with an army
of $4,000 men, he issued proclamation
in which he states:
II intend to respect the seat Of the
chief of the church, to whom I am
willing to give, together with the allied
and friendly powers, all the guarantees
of independence and security"
That promise was not kept The seat
Of the chief of the church was not III
the event respected. International
guarantees Of independence and secur.
ity were not given to the Pope.
In 1864, in the Italian parliament
Signor Crispi said:
"The Roman Pontiff cannot he the
citizen Of great state, descending
4 from the throne on which the Catholic
world pays him homage. He must be
prince and master in his own domain
second to none."
1t is to my purpose to quote the uh
fulfilled pledges, made by those who
have had so great share in the unfit
cation Of Italy, because it appears tt
be supposed in some quarters that 6