Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1903-04-02
BISHOP STANLEY
Delivers q Fine Address on the Lite
and Character of Leo
18th.
A Sketch of Popal History and Incl.
dents Seen Person.
ally.
The Pope has Cemented His Church
Interests and Gained Great
Prestige.

Interests and Gained Great
Prestige.
The audience room at the Catholic
church was filed Wednesday night by
an attentive audience to hear Bishop
Shanley's address on the life and
character Of the Pope, and no one
who attended could possibly regret it,
as the lecture was replete with elo-
quent passages, wisdom and wit. and
delivered in the bishops we'll known
effective manner. He began by say
ing that the 10Th century had wit
messed the appearance of three re-
markable men who influenced and
moulded thought, and public senti-
ment in three different countries
Gladstone of England, Bismarck OF
Germany and Leo the 18th of Italy,
and in many respects, if not entirely,
the last named was the greatest
character of all.
Bishop Shanley's address was all
the more interesting and apt because
of his personal acquaintance with the
head of the church-the man who is
81 years old, but who fultills his
duties as the spiritual ruler for the
largest number of people in the world
over 800, ,OOO, 600 souls. And he ac-
complishes this by unceasing activity
and a display Of ability as leader
among the potentates of earth, the
same now in his advanced years as he
did 25 years ago when he was first
elected Pope by the advice Of Cardi-
nal Manning at the college OF Cardl-
mails.
The bishop related much valuable
historical information, new to many
of his audience, outlining the loss of
the papal states in central Italy the
temporary power over which as we'll
as spiritual had been vested in the
Pope. The sketch of the opposition of
the other Italian states as well as OF
the other governments OF Europe, to
Plus the 9th was given in an interest
ing way and the exciting scenes in
1878 when the pope was made pris-
oner in the vatican and subjected to
the direct reyersals Of fortunes, was
specially interesting as the speaker
had been an eye witness to some OF
the scenes being at that time a
student in Rome. TO Leo the 18th,
said the bishop, is due the present
great prosperity Of the Catholic
church throughout, Christendom, as
25 years ago it seemed as if the affairs
of the great organization were at
their lowest ebb. But from the wise
policy of conciliation and active en-
ergies of Leo to secure the friendships
of other monarchs of Europe. pave
come feeling of friendship for him
and success scarcely parallelled in
the history of diplomacy and religious
development. The bishop told of the
Pope's remarkable powers as a writer,
and student of affairs. His letters,
delivered as papal encyclicals many
years ago on the burning questions of
church policy and on other subjects of
the greatest importance to mankind,
prove the present Pope to be most
remarkable man. His letters are
models of composition and his treat
ises on the great conflict between
capital and labor are among the great
state papers OF Europe, showing a
breadth of study and foresight that
is wonderful.
With all his great interests to con-
slider, the aged man each day attends
to the affairs of a vast business that
comes to him through his various
secretaries, with unfailing regularity
and keeps in touch with the progress
of church work all over the world.
He is personally the kindliest and
most lovable of men and not difficult
to approach. The bishop related
how pilgrimage of POO Americans,
of which he as member, was re-
ceived by the Pope in the vatican
and how each visitor at the sugges-
tion of the bishop, was greeted
with little personal talk and some
words of friendly interest, the
audience lasting over two hours and
the Pope being taken to each person
in a chair. OF all the nations in the
world, America, the land of free in
stitutions, stands highest in the
estimation of the Pope. Every i'm
portant deta of church work in this
country is kept in mind by him, and
at the time when Bishop Shanley
was in Rome after his election as
bishop of North Dakota, the many