Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-07-20

les, and the government of Turkey &C
knowledged the benefit derived. In Persia
the efforts Of Leo XIII were most success
full, and in Japan he made his diplomacy
felt
The famine in Ireland in 1879 enabled Leo
XIII to take a strong stand with the Irish
people aud to express his belief in the ulti-
mate success of their efforts.
In 1884 Leo XIII convened a plenary
council of the church mt Baltimore. The
archbishops were summoned to Rome to
consult over the schema or outline of dis
cussion, and as q result of the council
strong ground was taken on the spread of
infidelity, and the movement to form
great Catholic university ut the city Of
Washington was inaugurated.
The Pope and bismarck.
The work accomplished by Leo XIII in
Germany, because of the enormous diff
oulties he was forced to face, illustrated
better his exceeding ability as diplomat
than any other during his reign. The op-
position to the Catholics as formulated in
the celebrated Falk laws, 50 called from
the name of DR.. Falk, their author, was the
result of two movements antagonistic 10
each other, yet working TO n common end.
When Plus TX called the council which put
forth the dogma of infallibility, Prince
Chlodwig Hohenlohe and d.. Joseph igna
titus Won Dollinger formed a party among
the Bavarian Catholics in opposition, which
eventually became that section known as
Old Catholics. The distinguishing plank
in their platform, to use a phrase which
thoroughly expresses the idea sought to be
conveyed, was a denial of this dogma.
In point of fact this denial was really an
expression of opposition TO the claims of the
papacy TO temporal power. 1t was the &C.
sire of DIR. Dollinger, who was the brains of
the whole movement, that the pope should
become the spiritual sovereign of the Cath
Ollie world, and that he should, so to speak,
moderniZe the theory Of the papacy in az
cordance with the change brought about by
the greater freedom of the people. On the
other hand, the Ultramontane party be-
lieved it was right for the papacy to INSIST
more strongly than ever on all powers ev,r
held by it. AS we all know, the Ultramon-
tame councils prevailed and the Old Catho-
lies were thrown into direct opposition.
Count Won Bismarck, in his desire TO es-
tablish an imperial government in Ger
many with as much absolute power as he
dared give to it, found himself face to face
with the movement going on in mems
minds in the direction of greater freedom.
He sought and found in the Catholic church
that sop which he might throw to the
growing Cerberus of the people in order to
divert their minds from what was being
done He took advantage OF the Old Cath
Ole movement to increase the opposition
to the papacy, and then to the Falk laws
sacrificed the interests of the Catholics who
were loyal to the pope 1t was skillfully
done, and Pious IN was powerless.
When Leo NH was elected, he found
himself face TO face with the Falk laws,
then in full force. But the oppression of
the Catholics in Germany had weakened
the hold of all religious bodies on the PEG
pie, and this in turn had given strength to
the propaganda of the socialists.
Leo XIII saw his opportunity and wrote
his encyclical letter ON socialism. Prince
Bismarck found an ally where he least ex
pected one He was unable to refuse the
help offered, and once more the prince chan
cellor and the papacy were working side 10y
side From this as starting point Leo
XIII, as the months rolled by, made adj
vance after advance until Prince Bismarck,
protesting he would not ''go to Canossa,"
found himself before the castle gates. The
FallI laws were abrogated, bit by bit, until
they disappeared, and the triumph of Leo's
diplomacy was complete.
Pope Leo's encyclical of 1891, in which he
took up the socialism of the day in Amer
ica his action in the case of DIR. McGlynn
of New York and the appointment of Car
dinal Satolli to thu post of papal delegate
to America are too well remembered to
call for more than n passing mention.
Pope Leo celebrated two jubilees, the
first in 1888 in commemoTation of the 5Oth
anniversary Of his elevation to the rricst~
hood. and the second In 1893 on the 50th an
niversary of his being raised to the rank OF
archbishop.
In February, 1900, the pope issued an
envelical ON Americanism which caused
much discussion and in June, 1901, he rs
sued letter on labor, which also aroused
much interest.
On March 3, 1902, the late pope took
part i'm the public celebrations in honor
of the twenty fourth anniversary of his
coronation by holding a ''papal chapel"
in the Basilica of st. Peters. on which
occasion he was greeted by $4,000 per-
sons. This was the first time chapel"