The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-05-02
Pope and King.

n TRAVIS show. the way the WING
~ blows. Little things. events oc
cupying but few moments Q,
time. have often marked the turning
points in history. Last Wednesday, fol
the first time in almost unnumbered
years, a king of England and Roman
pontiff met in the court of the vatican
They conversed together for only TWEEN
ty minutes. Not much of grea. impor-
lance, it might be said, could have hap
pened in that space of time, but the
fact that they met and met within the
walls of the palace of the pope has en-
gagged the attention of the whole civil
lied world. And well it might.
Diplomats and statesmen are bound
to recognize the unique Importance of
a conference between the greatest man
in all the world, the spiritual director
of the consciences of 300, 0OO, 600 of peo-
pie, and the king of the greatest nation
whose subjects, numbering more than
900,0000O0 souls, are scattered in every
quarter Of the globe.
AS was to be expected, the narrow
bigots composing the Evangelical alli-
bodies have raised an awful howl. They
have. reminded King Edward that he is
the head of one Protestant church in
whose homilies the pope of Rome is
called anti Christ, and of another whose
confession of faith is even more I'M
ohio rito hIa Ithaca ,1aoDla how 1,oo,
snubbed as they deserved and are the
laughing stock of the general public.
1t is better to pay no further attention
to them, but to look at the bright side
of things.
A new age must indeed have dawned
when a king of England could be in
duced to resume friendly relations with
the vatican. The Importance of the
event lies not in the mere fact that the
king was personally inspired with suf-
ficient respect for the aged pope to
cause him to pay this courtesy, but that
he did so at the express desire of his
and parliament representing
the whole people of his empire. An
English monarch cannot leave England
or go anywhere when abroad without
the consent Of his constitutional adj
visers; so this visit to the vatican was,
in sense, the act of the combined
millions over whom he rules. It may,
therefore, be taken as q token that the
age of blind bigotry and intolerance has
passed away so far as the ruling classes
of England are concerned
Pope Leo XIII is indeed worthy of
the respect of all men. Twenty years
ago three men lowered above their fell
lows in power of intellect and influence
over the destinies of mankind; Bis |
marck, Gladstone and the pope To- |
day the pope alone remains, the last |
of company of giants and |
an age of great events, the influence of |
which will be felt through all time.
1t is as the great diplomat and peace
maker, probably the greatest in all the
ong line of saints and able men who
have worn the triple crown of Rome.
hat the pope win be remembered. The
mighty struggles in which he has taken
4 part during his long and eventful
reign have been all for peace, for the
settlement of disputes, for the restora-
ion of their rights to oppressed peo-
oles and races. He is the only man
who ever won in a contest with Bis
narck. Through the superior diploma
Y of the pope, Bismarck was forced
o recede from his position with regard
o the church in Germany and make
the journey to Canossa''
The blessings which are being show
red upon the Holy Father in these
losing years of his career are in direct
ulfilment of the promise made in the
sermon on the Mount, Blessed are the
eacemakers for they shall be called
he children of God"