The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-25
P0PE'S IMPRISONMENT.


the vatican Really Means.
Rome Letter in st. Louis Globe-Democrat.
The telegraph brings sensational news.
The Pope is reported to have announced
that he would go to Mont Casino, the
celebrated monastery Of st. Benedict, forty
five miles from Naples. If this news were
true, 1t would undoubtedly mean a simple
visit, such as Wilhelm II made last year.
1t would be none the less an extraordinary
event because no Pope has left the Vatican
since the taking of Rome by the Italians
in 1870. Plus TX condemned himself TO vol
untary Imprisonment to emphasize his pro-
test against the spoliation of which he was
the victim. He would not appear in that
city of Rome Of which he was the legiti-
mate sovereign. If he had done so imme-
diately after the injustice committed by
the Italian government it would have been
plished fact.
The law Of guarantees" promulgated by
Italy In ISL. assured the Pope liberty in his
spiritual ministry. 1t declared that the
Pope was sacred and inviolable, recognized
his right to special honors and withdrew
from Italian jurisdiction the palaces re-
served for the sovereign Pontiff. That spir-
itual liberty demonstrated all the more
clearly that the Pope was wholly stripped
OF his temporal domain. Much later, on
the occasion of an incident which we shall
relate further on, the Riforma, the organ
of Crispi, the all-powerful minister of the
Kin of Italy, defined distinctly the position
which the Italian government made for the
Pope. by declaring that there was no Pepal
territory, that the Pope had merely the usu-
fruct and the enjoyment of the Vatican,
of ST. John Lateran and of Castel Gandolfo
and that the extra territoriality granted to
him was at best analogous to that which
the diplomatic custom of nations comedies
to the abode of an ambassador or an off,
cially accredited agent.
The Pope, being no longer a territorial SOW
ereign, became, therefore, a subject of the
New Italy" which could take away the
liberty it Drofessed to leave him. He was
henceforth truly established in an enemy's
power" sub hostili potestate constitutus. On
Nov. 1, 1870. in fact, the government had
seized the encyclical addressed TO the faith
administration the Italian government
caused the private disaptches addressed
to the Pope to be intercepted. The sover-
eign Pontiff is therefore in fact the pris-
oner of the Italian government.
This expression must not be taken in the
material sense. such as that the Italian
prevent the Pope from leaving. 1t is rather
the contrary that is true. When, on the
occasion of Leo Kills election in 1878, it
was thought that the new Pope would
appear at the external balcony of st.
Peters and step outside the limits of the
Vatican. the Italian Cabinet, under Crispi's
directions, prepared the ceremonial for the
event. The troops were to render military
honors to the sovereign Pontiff las to the
King himself in person. To these arrange
ments was added: The guard of honor is
Xix Il OpC > "a MDC liz ASKS u H., i the
Pope makes a journey in official form he
shall be received with the same honors as
the King; his arrival and his departure are
greeted with a salvo of fifty guns"
Leo XIII did not give the Italian govern
ment an opportunity to exhibit its official
politeness. If Plus X were to carry out
the journey which he is said to have prom
Used ii is likely that he will avoid demon
STATIONS on the part of the government.
He can make use of the ~incognito or the
semi-incognito 1t is very certain that the
ideas OF misinformed Catholics and of
many non-Catholics will be wrong about
this plan for a journey. Some would see
In II what il does not -mean-namely. a
recognition and acceptance of the state of
affairs created by the spoliation of 1870.
Others would turn on the faithful with:
What did you mean by saying that the
Pope is a prisoner when he buys a railroad
ticket TO take a trip to Monte Cassino?'
Nevertheless, though the Italian govern
ment should have the politeness to place a
train at Plus KS disposal. that would not
wipe out the injustice of thirty-three years
ago, and when the Pope returned to the
Vatican from Monte Casino, or even dur
ing the journey, nothing would be changed
as regards the situation which past events
have created for him, as head of the church
and as temporal sovereign. The Italian
government will still be his jailer.