Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-08-11
7h.D
TUESDAY EVENING AUG. Il, 1902.
THe p POLICY.

~ 49, ~
interest the attitude Of Plus X toward
The king Of italy, VIII he make the
claim that has caused The last two
popes to remain, practically, prisoners
In the Vatican that Of temporal pow
er, There seem 70 be little doubt
ii the new pope consulted his OWE In.
-s-rHnations, no would quickly end the
contest between the papacy and tho
%kfng tof Isaiys by formally %conceding
the kings right To the government Of
the "papal states" a government
which no already exercises In fact.
Such q decision would conduce TO the
peace. happiness and welIbeing q
both the kingdom and the Catholic
church.
The states" of the Catholic church
when they were restored 70 the pope
by the council Of Vienna. embraced
! 1920 square miles In and about
Rome, ANA contained 1000. 900 inhab.
itants. Regarding the pope's techni-
cal rights as q ruler, at the time when
Victor Emanuel dethroned him III
1870. there can be o the slightest
question. There was no monarch
IN EUROPE declares Abbott In his
History or Italy who was better On
tiaed toshis rcalms." no sovereignty
more solemnb hallowed by time, and
by the recognition, for centuries. Of all
the courts Of Europe, than the papal
sovereignty.
Victor Emmanuel believed that the
existence OF papal temporal authority
effectually barred the way 10 a unit
cd Italy; for how could Italy be unit.
ec with an independent and even hos
tile principality lodged In It's very
BOSOM Backed, therefore. BY a large
majority Of the Italians, and not less
cordially by the pope'a " subjects.
Victor Emmanuel ~forcibly. and solely
on grounds OF expedlency, Invested
the pope of his temporal sovereignty.
The deed was y%ariously received
by the world. II was widely condem.
ned. II was also widely approved. In
the doing Of II the king showed the
most profound respect and generation
for the head OF the Catholic church,
Of which he himself was a member
"Whiie ! here proclaim the unity Of
Italy said he. 4 remain constant
10 my resolve to guarantee the liberty
OF the church and independence of the
supreme pontift.. II has been asked
by Catholics. How can the head Of
the church, Christ's ~yicegerent, safe.
iy or consistently be a subject OF an
earthly king" The Italian king an
swered the question by e%xempting the
pope from all the burdens and duties
Of a subject. Nobody a say that
Victor Emmanuel and his successors
have not henorabiy adhered 10 the
purpose he then announced and, al
though many Catholics cannot Z n
that way, time seems 10 have com.
pletely indicated the policy that he.
inauguratcd. lie united Italy. He
gave the papai states a better govern.
ment Than they had had before IN
centuries. Al the same time he did
no real injury 70 the church The
papacy has as much Independence
as 4 yer had, and il has not In any
respect or degree bcon restricted In
the exercise Of lis religious and spirit.
ual functions. Ii fact the popp's ny
llverance from the d~istrac,ing duties
Of temporal rule has given him 4 bot
ter chance TO perform The duties
that peculiarly belong TO his office
In view Of all these facts. IL
should seem that Plus X would take
little risk Of making d mistake II
he should tacltly. II not formally and
verbally. rcnounce all the papacy's.
claims TO the temporal possessions
which, without question. formerly be-
ionged 10 it by right as well as IN
fact.