Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-07-28

Dawes and Rev. II. IL. patterson join
ing at the latter's church, the Willard
street Methodist Episcopal. Rev.
Davies remarks were highly eulogis-
tic of the deceased pontiff and were
well received by the large congrega-
ton. Rev. Davies spoke in part as fol-
lows:
Rev. Davies Sermon.
eve see nothing inappropriate for u.s.
as Protestant Christians. after all we
have heard and read about the dead Pope
Leo XIII, to hinder us from considering
his life and services to the world. True
not long ago Professionalism and Catholc-
ty were as two antagonistic camps: but
this feeling is passing away and honest
intelligent men in both camps are seeing
that II they cannot agree, they can at
least have the magnanimity to agree to
| disagree. True, most Protestants are far
from recognizing the papal theory of
church government, or of accepting papal
authority or of believing many of the
beliefs of the papaI church The papal
system is far less likely to prevail among
Protestants than ever. The spirit of the
age is democracy and this is spreading and
becoming more intense. No king in civil
government, no pope in religious matters,
independence of thought, freedom of con-
science, liberty of speech One is your
rem
Union of Ideas.
"This is especially true of America We
will not take our politics from London.
Berlin and st. Petersburg and why should
we take our religion from Rome, any more
than Canterbury or Moscow. We are
ready to admit that. many follow Christ
In ways that we do mot care to GO Our
intellectual differences with our Roman
Catholic brethren on various matters
may be sharp and radical vet we may
be able to see and honest enough to CRATE
fully confess that in their own ways they
are doing faithful service and thank God
for the good and faithful men that stand
forth among them ~ leaders and witness
es of the truth as they see it. In study
ing over the pope as an institution, and
this is what he. is, we find union of
many ideas, customs and traditions, sur
vivals that are full of historical interests
Take his ordinary dress, he always wore
a white gown, hence he is called the
white pope This white dress is the
white frock of the early Christians. before
| there was difference between the lay and
clerical costume and the pope carries on
this recollection.
The Pope at Ceremonies.
'Then take the attitude of the pope
at the reception of holy communion. This
also recalls the Cav Wnen IL was the prac-
tice to receive it sitting or reclining. In
his own cathedral of ST. John of Lateran,
he celebrates mass on a wooden table
and not on q stone altar and his position
as celebrant is behind the table facing
the congregation. Here again primatiye
Christianity appears in the pope, when
1t has persisted all around. Then in his
person we find several things representing
Imperialism for which the secular side
of his dominion descends. His chair of
state in which he is borne aloft on the
shoulders of four subordinates is the an
cient palanquin of Roman princes and no.
bles His red slippers are the survival Of
the red shoes which the Roman emperor
wore, and the kiss which the faithful i'm
print on these shoes is a descendant of
the kiss first imprinted on the foot of Cali
gula, emperor of Rome, who introduced it
from Persia. The fans which go behind
him are the Punkalis of eastern emperor,
borrowed from Persian court. Then there
is the title which he wears, Pontifex
Maximus,' it was a religious functionary
of early Rome, just established by him a
Pompilius which Office and title the Ro-
man emperor finally claimed, and this
title the bishops of Rome assumed. When
the pope was chosen, prior to the pom
tifcate of Nicolas II, 1059-1061, he was
chosen by the populace of Rome Then
during the reign Of Nicolas II the pope
was CHOSEN by cardinals, as tnev are now
called, in which the mobiles and people
generally were expected to concur. This
order continued until the middle of the
twelfth century, then Alexander III, by
and with the consent of the third Lateran
council, ordained that the right of cleo
ton henceforth should belong exclusively
to cardinals, and that two-thirds vote of
the college of cardinals, should be neces-
sary for election. For the 800 years pre-
vious to the reign Of Alexander III there
sons elected. Some not even members
| of the priesthood. Even Hildebrand-
Gregory VII, was not made priest until
he had been enthroned as pope. The con.
clave to whom choice Of pope is confided
is as curious tribunal. The cardinals are
appointed by the pope and serve him as
his councils. There are to be no more
than 20 cardinals, referring back to &c