Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-07-20

Curld CGILdlHly unQSrWSHt QSVSlOpInSHt in the direction of moderation, which great ely contributed to increasing the influence of the vatican abroad. From the very out set the new pontiff displayed the greatest interest in the social questions agitating the world of to-day and in an encyclical, issued in December, 1878, appealed to the intel lectual forces of Catholicity to contest the propaganda of doctrines which his holiness described as subservient of social order, alluding especially to the socialists in Ger many and the nihilist movement in Rus sia.
 The cooperation afforded by the pope to the various governments in opposing the growing forces of social democracy paved the way for the settlement of disputes exist ing between those governments and the Vatican, both spiritual and civil authorities being, as 1t were, called upon to merge their differences and make common cause against the common enemy. The first great political achievement of the pope was the settlement of the differences with Ger many which had given rise to the famous Kulturkampf. r4
 The rapid spread of anarchistic doctrines in Germany and the attempts made upon the Emperor's life in 1878 induced Prince Bismarck to make approaches to the Ultra
 
 his economic policy. Herr Falk, the famous author of the May laws, was removed from office and other concessions were made to the Catholics. Finally, diplomatic relations with the vatican were resumed and the late Emperor Frederick, then Crown Prince, signalized the restoration of an harmopious understanding by visiting the pope at the Vatican. A still greater tribute was paid by Germany to his holiness by her selec- ton of him as arbitrator in the dispute with Spain regarding the Caroline Islands, and her deferential acceptance of his decision in favor of the weaker power. His success in this arbitration induced the Pope to de- clare his readiness to act as arbitrator In other disputes for the benefit of the whole of Europe and of Christianity but, for this, his holiness declared it to be essential that he should be restored his liberty as an independent temporal sovereign. This de- mand, however, met with no response, as far as foreign governments were concerned, and the hopes which had been expressed in some quarters that the German Emperor's visit to the pope in 1888 might lead to Germany advocating the temporal claims of the holy see were soon dissipated. The pope himself, in a letter to the German bishops, declared that he regarded the presence of the Emperor William In Rome as the guest of the quirinal as a "deplorable recognition of accomplished facts" - a The interests of the Triple Alliance were not compatible with those of the vatican, and even Catholic Austria could not afford to offend Italy by espousing the pope's cause, although the Emperor Francis Joseph abstained from visiting King Humbert in the city of Rome, thereby openly recogni- zing the legality of the Italian occupation. \ Perhaps the most remarkable feature of the late pope's policy was the change in the attitude which the vatican had hitherto preserved in regard to the French Republic. At the beginning of Pope Leo's reign the identification of the clergy with the Royal ist movement gave rise to Gambetta's fla nous remark: ''Le clerica lisme Voila r En- ssemi! t" had caused an antagonism to all that savored of religion, which at one time bid fair to lead to the early separation of church and state in France. Alive to the danger of the situation the pope sought to conciliate the republic by acknowledging it as the established legal form of govern ment, and, in 1891, the late Cardinal Lavi- gerie gave expression to his holiness views on this subject to the great surprise of the Catholic press and the perturbation of not few members of the French epis- copate. While thus engaged in political llCR0lldLOIlS WltH VdFlOuS COulltTlGS TGqulr- ing the greatest address and dexterity, the late pope paid special attention to the act ual work of propagating the Catholic faith, and no pontfical reign since the Reforma- ton has witnessed such recrudescence of Catholicity, or such an extension of the spiritual dominion of the Catholic church, especially in English-speaking countries. As an example of this may be cited the nu- merous pilgrinages which came to the eternal city from all parts of the world, for instance at the time of the celebration, December g, 1884, of the Jubilee of the pope's ordination to the priesthood. The Jubilee service at St. Peters on that occa- sion was attended by 5000 persons. At the mass the pope used golden ewer and basin presented to him by the late Queen Victoria and wore a tiara given by the em- peror of Germany. His holiness also wore Continued on Page Seven.l