The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-18
V]lLPlUSX. STEP OUT OF ROME
RHtT THE POPE'S IMPRISON-
NENT REALLY MEANS.

nj, Journey 10 Monte Casino Would Break
aCustOm OF Thirty.three Xears-weuld
II Imply an Acceptance Of Facts as
They Are?-No Concession OF Temporal
Power Theory In Leaving the Vatican.
ROME. Oct 1.-The telegraph brings
ssnsational news. Tho Pope is reported
"a have announced that he would 20 to
Monte Casino, the celebrated monastery
ofSt Benedict. forty-five miles from Naples
Iithis news were true, it would undoubtedly
mean simple visit such as Wilhelm III.
made last year 1t would be none the less
An extraordinary event, because no Pope
has left the Vatican since the taking Of
Rome by the Italians in 1870. Plus TX.
condemned himself to voluntary imprison-
ment to emphasize his protest against
the spoation of which he was the victim.
He would not appear again in that city
Of Rome OF which he was the legitimate
sovereign. II he had done 80 Immediately
after the injustice committed by the Italian
Government it would have been a recog-
milton and acceptance Of the accomplished
fact
The law of guarantees. promulgated
BY Italy in 1871, assured to the Pope liberty
in his spiritual ministry. II declared that
the Pope was sacred and inviolable, recog-
nized his right to special honors, and with
drew from italian jurisdiction the palaces
reserved for the Sovereign Pontiff That
spiritual liberty demonstrated all the more
clearly that the Pope was wholly stripped
Of his temporal domain, Much later, on
the occasion Of an incident which we shall
relate further on, the Riforma, the organ
OF Crispi, the all powerful Minister of the
King Of Italy. defined distinctly the lposi-
ton which the Italian Government, made
for the Pope, by declaring that there was
no papal territory, that the Pope had
merely the usufruct and the enjoyment Of
the Vatican, of st. John Lateran and of
Castel Gandolfo, and that the extra ter
ritoriality granted to him was at best an
aogous 20 that which the diplomatic
custom Of nations comedies to the abode
OF an Ambassador or an officially accredited
agent.
The Pope, being no longer a territorial
sovereign. became, therefore, a subject OF
the New Italy" which could take away
the liberty it professed to leave him. He
was henceforth truly established in an
enemy's power rub hoshh potestate con-
shtutus, On Nov. /, 1870, in fact, the Gov
eminent had seized the encyclical addressed
to the faithful throughout the world,
Under the Nicotera administration the
Italian Government caused the private
despat ches addressed to the Pope to be in
tsrcepted. The Sovereign Pontiff is, there
fore, in fact, the prisoner Of the Italian
Government
This expression must not be taken in
the material sense. such as that the Italian
police keeps guard over the Vatican to pre-
vent the Pope from leaving. 1t Is rather
the contrary that is true. When, on the
occasion Of Leo NILS election in 1878, it
was IL ought that the new Pope would ap-
pear at the external balcony Of Saint Peters
and step outside the limits Of the Vatican,
the Italian Cabinet, under Crspi's directions,
prepared the ceremonial for the event.
The troops we're to render military honors
to the Sovereign Pontiff. -as to the King
himself In person" To these arran gements
was added THE guard of honor is the
Pope's due, when he asks for 1t; il the Pope
makes q Journey in official form, he shall
he received with the same honors as the
King; his arrival and his departure are
greeted with salvo OF fifty guns
Leo Kill did not give the Italian Govern
ment an opportunity to exhibit its official
politeness. n Plus X. were to carry out the
journey which he is said to have promised :,
il il likely that he ou'd avoid demonstr a-
tons on the part Of the Government, He
can make use Of the inco gnito or the semi
incognito. II is very certain that the ideas
Of misinformed Catholics and of many
non-Catholics will be wrong about this
plan for q journey. Some would see in it
what it does not mean, namely, a recogni-
ton and acceptance Of the state of affairs
created by the spolation Of 1870, Others
would turn on the faithful with: What did
YOU mean by saying that the Pope is pris-
oner when he buys railroad ticket to take
a trip to Monte Cassro''
Nevertheless, though the Italian Govern
ment should have the politeness to place a
train at Plus X S disposal. that would not
wipe out the injustice of thirty-three years
ago and when the Pope returned to the
Vatican from Monte Cassir o, or even dur
ing the journey, nothing would be changed
as regards the situation which past events
have created for him. as head Of the Church
and as temporal sovereign. The italian
Government will still be his jailer.
INNoMINATo.