The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-07-24

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 and to express his belief in the ulti-
mate success of their efforts.
In 1884 Leo NH convened a plenary
council of the church at Baltimore. The
archbishops were summoned to Rome to
consult over the schema or outline of dis
cussion, and as a result of the council
strong ground was taken on the spread of
infidelity, and the movement to form a
great Catholic university at the city OF
Washington was inaugurated.
The Pope and Bismarck.
The work accomplished by Leo XIII in
Germany, because of the enormous diff.
culties he was forced to face, illustrated
better his exceeding ability as a diplomat
than any other during his reign. The op-
position to the Catholics as formulated in
the celebrated Falk laws, SO csiled from
the name of DR.. Falk, their author, was the
result of two movements antagonistic TO
each other, yet working to a ommon end.
When Plus IN called the council which put
forth the dogma of infallibility, Prince
Chlodwig Hohenlohe and DR.. Joseph Icna
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. IL was the de-
sire of DIR. Dollinger, who was tie brains of
the whole movement, that the pope should
become the spiritual sovereign of the Cath
Ole world, and that he should, SO to speak.
modernize the theory of the papacy in &C
cordance with the change brought about b7
the greater freedom Of the people. On the
other hand, the Cltramontane party be
heved 1t was right for the papatv to insist
more strongly than ever on all powers ever
held by it. As we ali know, the Ultramon.
tame councils prevailed. and the Old Catho.
lies We're thrown into direct opposition.
Count Won Bismarck, in his desire to es-
tabilsh 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
ollc 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 TX was powerless.
"hen Leo Mi 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 peo-
pie, and this IN turn had given strength to
the propaganda of the socialists.
Leo XII 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
celior and the papacy Were working side by
SIDE. From this as a starting point Leo
NH, as the months rolled BY, made ad.
vance after advance until Prince Bismarck
protesting he wonld not go to Canossa.'
found himself before the castle gates. The
taik laws were ~abrogated, bit by bit. until
they disappeared, and the triumph of Leo's
diplomacy WAS complete.
Pope Leo's encycl;cal Of 1891, in which he
took mp the socialism of the day in Amer
lea, his action III the case of DR.. McGlynn
OF New York and the appointment of Car.
Satolli to the post of papal delegate
to America are too well remembered to
call for more than a passing mention.
Pope Leo celebrated two jubilees, the
first in 1855 in commemoration of the 5Oth
anniversary Of his elevation to the priest.