The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-07-24
An Ineffective Claim.


At the meeting Of the congregation OF
cardinals at the vatican yesterday. Car
EdinaI Oreglla proposed. to send note
to the powers who have diplomatic rela-
lions with the papal government, remind
ing them of the loss Of the temporal power
and the occupation of Rome by the Italian
government about third Of a century
ago, and laying before then. the .condi!--
tion of affairs, Several Of the cardinals
wanted more strenuous declaration on
this perplexing subject, demanding the
restoration Of the papal territory and the
claimed papal rights. Vannutelll ana
Others advocated milder declaration.
while maintaining tha historical preten-
sions of the vatican, and this proposition
was adopted.
This was wise, for it Is extremely prob
able that any insistent demand, after the
ananner of Gregory VII, would eompli-
cate matters greatly. Not even that
strenuous son Of the church, Francis
Joseph Of Austria Hungary, would make a
demand upon the kingdom Of Italy; for
,the surrender. of the territory known for
: =
IThe fact is that two pontiffs have existed
and got along very well in close .prop1n-
guilty to the Italian government and par,
lament, and have been amply protected
under the law Of papal guarantees enacted
by the Italian parliament. There have
been very few occas ions when there has
been lapse of protection, notably. when
taL
Peters at night for $interment UNDER the
altar Of another church, when a. disorder
ly crowd Of loafers attacked. the: cortege,
but were soon dispersed.
The Italian government has guaranteed
all needed protection Of the pontiffs in
the possession of the property held in
Rome, and the, country. estate outside OF
it, together, with all security in the ex
ercise Of their spiritual functions For.
a third of a century the pontiffs: have
lived and the church has fourished under
the changed conditions. A modus vi
vendi exists; nobody is imprisoned, the
only trouble being that oneT7of the crowns
in the papar tiara mo longer represents
the temporal power, but a claim to that
power.
The states of, the church, which, be-
fore the unifcation of the Kingdom of
italy were under tho government Of, the
popes, includedya portion Of central. Italy
covering about 5000 square miles, ex-
tending $40 miles on the, coast OF the
Adriatic and 1870 miles on the west coast
fronting on the Tyrrhenian sea-. Turnout
the temporal sovereignty of the popes,
there was for centuries constant strug-
gle with revolted peoples and with great
feudal lords, who set thesauthortty of. The
pope at defiance. q Even the great legacy
Of Matilda of Tuscany TO- the ,papacy
never was brought willingly under the
sway of the popes The enemies OF the
temporal rule were many and active, and
the popes frequently had to delegate their
powers to counts, nnarauises and apos-
tolic Wears, whose despotic rule and de-
iance Of papal reseriptss are matters Of
well verified historic fact
The last acquisition Of territory. by the
church was the small duchy of Urbino
added in the seventeenth century. The
temporal power, during it's entire period
was an irritating thorn In the, side OF thu
papacys The claim for it's restorat ton car
only be met by the action Of the. Euro
pean powers. Which OF them will under
take this restoration? The Italian gov
eminent and people will not consent u
the bisecting of United Italy from tn,
Adriatic to the Tyrrhenian sea, cutting
out OF it strip 1870 to lao miles wide
and presenting it to the vatican
The temporal power fell before thu
strong movement of the time spirit. TIL
Roman church is at its best in efectiv
work in this country, because it is no
tied to the apron string of the tempora
power. Wherever on this hemisphere TIL
Spanish American peoples have cut s.loos
from church and state union, there !
progress; there is intellectual growth
there is larger liberty there is create
material prosperity; deeper spiritual life
AS Count Cavou once said, II the separa
ton Of the pope's temporal and spiritus
power could be brought about, his indie
pendence would repose on far firmer foun
dations than it otherwise could. And
has been the case in Italy.
The Washington booKbinders union mo-
claims that w. "A. Miller, the assistar
foreman in the government printing offie,
who has just been reinstated. Is an unf
person for the place. A. charge of ths
kind is an entirely .r different : propositio
from demanding his discharge because h
had been elected from the union