The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-07-27
STATUS OF CATHOLICISM
IN HOME OF THE CHURCH
Bv Sam w. Small.

IT. HE cable dispatches from Rome IN
giving details of the death Of Leo
1 XIII mentioned peculiar TACT. IL
has been the immemorial custom OF the
vatican authorities to deposit the visceFa
| OF deceased popes in urns in the chhfch
of St Anastatius, in the vicinity OF
| The Ouirinal, which is now the palace OIL
the kings of Italy. But in 1873, because
of the prevailing political conditions IN
Rome the viscera of Pope Plus TX was
not deposited in the usual place, for rear
| that the procession would be assailed
and that part of the mortal remains OIL
the deceased pontif insulted and desc
Grated by a mob This year 1t was sent
out TO the world worthy OF note that
the viscera of Leo XIII was carried 10
the church of deposit without the shght-
est question or commotion OF 2ny SORT
An Index of Conditions.
IT f. difficult for any one not historical
~ familiar with the history of the Roman
see for hundred years past to fully un-
derstand the significance of the above
facts.
| Italy IS, in the minds of all men, looked
| upon as the most compactly Cathohc
| country of the globe There at Rome has
been the seat of Peter since A. d. Al ana
from that point, except in the dark days
of the Ostrogoth inundation and chaos.
and the five years between May. 1903. and
Nav. 1914 when Napoleon I decreed the
church states of Italy annexed as pos
sessions Of France. the popes have held
until the last days of Plus TX undis-
puted sovereignty
A Real Monarch.
In those days the holy father was a
monarch among monarchs, having ter
ritory, people, n army, capitol and
| all the visible and potential accompani-
| ments of a temporal king He was so
! respected by the powers of the earth
1 and to many of them whose state religion
was "the holy, apostolic religion OF
rome, was n re:-a, "A vvelf spir-
| itual primate, commanding kings. exalt
Ing or debasing thrones and barring heirs
| apparent and royal pretenders alike from
| assuming crowns and authority
| Therefore it was a strange condition IN
| 1878 that inhibited the authorities of the
| vatican from following the ancient rule
to which we have alluded. To trace the
! Incidents that led W, to that affair and
/ then to the renewal of the rite as it has
| just been performed in Leo's case IS to
apprehend one of the greatest of the
/ world-changing romanceS of history.
Beginning of the Spoliation.
The irst assault made upon the papal
! supremacy and the inviolability of the
| pope's prerogatives was made by that
! iconoclast and master Of European poll
| tics. Napoleon ]. In France the hyp-
! motto Voltaire had sown the seeds of free
thinking and infdelty, drawing away
| from religious allegiance many strong
men and masses of men who could be
led by demagogue or any master Oh
/ IN, ha
of his ambitious schemes, regarded
neither God nor man and the pope was to
him but mortal with whom he proposed
to deal as a chess player would win the
puppets of the board.
When his schemes required 1t he ~
vaded Italy subdued the petty princes
and presented his ultimate to the holy
father with a Difference that was as Dan
gercus as it was false. AS 1t suited ms
play for European dominion be annexed
The papal states and thus. FOR the 1lrSt
limo in Christian history put the ancient
powers and privileges of the papacy III
open contempt before the combined Cain
Ole and Protestant worlds.
The effects of such an exhibition OF dls-
regard for what millions had before be-
jieyed to be the inseparable prcrogatives
OF the pope could not be temporary 1t
gave rise to disloyalties and ambitions
that were destined to continue through
lv diminish respect for the bishop at
Rome as a sovereign political factor, or
even as a person whose views upon tenn
moral questions the most faithful spiritual
ly were bound to regard.
The Austrian Yoke.
After tie fall of Napoleon and the resto
ration of the papacy to its full powers in
Rome through the influence and with the
support Of France and Austria, the power
Of the latter grew in extent and oppres-
siyeness over the italian states that were
independent of the government OF Rome
until it brought to pass the resolution Of
184S-49 This was enterprised by those
daring spirits, Mazzini and Garibald
who had been born but four and six yeas
prior to the Napoleonic assault upon the
holv see and SO had imbibed in their i'm
questionable youth feelings of opposition
to its authority.
When the Austrians prevailed at No
vara and the king of SaXony-P Piedmont,
father of Victor Emanuel IL, was forced
to abdicate to his own son. the latter
faced one Of the greatest problems ever
presented to a king. The hope of the
Italian states for ultimate independence
and unity lay in the power of the king
of Piedmont TO resist the temptations
to peace with Austria and sufserance OF
the rule and benefices of that fervent
ally of the pope
The other alternative was to take UP
the cause of united Italy and light for it
amid political complications and dam
gers enough to appall the bravest spirit.
But the king decided TO take all the
chances and began the work. The Ro.
magma was his only rival in the work of
gathering adherents among the Italian
states. His efforts, therefore, must be
directed to the breaking of the power OF
Rome.
The Opening Gun.
In February, 1850, the fight opened with
an act of the kings parliament stripping
away many of the powers and privileges
Of the ecclesiastical tribunals and other
wise reducing the representatives of the
church to secular rela tons with the
state, rather than leaving to them their
independent stations as representatives
of THE holy see.
Camille de Cavour. one OF the wisest
and craftiest state ministers ever devel-
oped in Europe. was the chief counselor
and agent Of the king. He knew the psu-