The Savannah morning news., 1902-02-10

modate itself to the spirit of the age
in which we live. The world has al
ways been the enemy of the church,
and it will continue so to the end. We
cannot serve two masters. Our deep
loyalty to the church will never inter
fere with our loyalty to our country
But we must remember that God is
above Caesar. The spirit of the world
resents obedience and submission and
glorifes what it is pleased to call free
dom of thought. We in matters OF
faith and morals, cannot be free TO
accept or reject revelation, but must
obey God; though in very deed we are
of all men most free as possessing the
freedom of divine faith.
While referring to this, we deem it
a duty, as we esteem it most appro-
pirate. tc remind you that on Feb. 20
our Holy Father Pope Leo XIII will
have completed twenty-four years of
his pontifieate. and will enter on the
twenty-1ifth year of his reign. On Feb.
20, 1878, Cardinal Joachim Pecci was
elected Pope in succession to Plus TX,
of holy memory, and assumed the
name Leo XIII. Eight years before,
Through the duplicity and scandalous
disregard of plighted faith on the part of
the SuDalpine government, the SOL
diers of Victor Emanuel, after a furi-
Gus bombardment OF the city, took
possession of Rome, The world was
once more called upon to witness the
rival claims of Christ and Barabbas
submitted to q popular decision, and
as BEFORE Christ. in the person of
Plus TX, his vicar, was rejected, and
Barabbas. in his fitting representative
Victor Emanuel, was selected, and in
both instances intimidation, threats
and deceit were used to secure a YER
dict.
ITO what legacy of bitterness did not
Leo XIII succeed? The temporal pow
er had not been restored, though no
student of history can doubt its ulti-
mate recovery. But amid all the diff
fculties and troubles which confront
ed him, Leo XIII, by wondrous grasp
of all questions presenting themselves;
by persistent vindication of right prin-
ciples; by lofty upholding of the true
and right in the face of a world given
to expediency and temporizing, and by
a calm and convincing discussion of
the most vexed problems, has attract
ed the attention of the entire world,
and placed the papacy once more
where the conscience of the Middle
Ages established it, as the champion
of the oppressed, the mediator between
the strong and the weak, and the rep
resentative of the God of peace.
'He has, as the shepherd and guide
of the entire flock of Christ, taught us
to shun those things which would harm
us, and has clearly pointed cut the path
of safety and right. His luminous en-
cyclicals and letters have covered every
field wherein modern thought has
arrayed itself against the church. and
with wise council, wide experience and
supernal light. he has uncovered and
denounced error, and proclaimed what
was best adapted to cure the ills of
society He has, in Gods overruling
providence, lived in an age when the
legitimate results of the great religious
revolution of the sixteenth century
have been seen more and more clearly
than at any period since that dread re-
volt against God. The men who re-
fused submission to an authority COM
ing from God, and proclaimed the all
sufficiency of private judgment as APP
piled to the word of God, had little idea
that the day would come when In the
exercise of private judgment the iner-
rancy and inspiration of Holy Scrip
lures would be directly impugned and
loudly derided by their fellows. The
present unsettled state of the nom
Catholic mind on the subject of the
Bible is a lamentable yet inevitable Sc
ouence of the denial of any part to
divine authority in the question of rev.
elation. Contrast with the indecisions
and doubts of Professionalism the teach
ings of the Catholic Church as ex-
pressed by Leo XIII in his letter of
Nov. is, 1897
After quoting this letter and giving
the chief events in the life of the Pope,
the letter further states: I'VE COM
mand that on Wednesday, Feb. 20,
high mass of thanksgiving be sung,
wherever possible, in the churches of
the diocese, and at the close Of the
mass benediction of the Blessed Sacra-
ment will be given and the Te Deum
sung. 1t is our hope that an opportun-
ity may be afforded the faithful of APP
preaching holy communion on that
day, and we trust they Will offer this
communion for the Holy Father. For
the rest, brethren, rejoice, be perfect
take exhortation, be OF one mind, have
peace; and the God Of peace and love
shall be with you. The grace Of our
Lord Jesus Christ. and the charity OF
God, and the communion of the Holy
Ghost be with you all. Amen"