The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1905-04-29
Church Universal

ellldf kably -outspoken, and there are
Ihose who regret that his pages have
ever seen the light. The book is. how
ever being translated into many Ian
guages and it viii no doubt shortly
come TO us in English dress.
me pamphlet purports to give the de-
eShs OF the pontiff's plan ito restore
on lhlhgs in Christ" He is to begin
with the clergy, and more specifically.
with the clergy of Italy. He is not
Sa1lshed With the work done in the
semlnaries of that country There are
Inree hundred of these institutions.
Ihats altogether too many. and much
more than can be run with advantage.
ds italy is not able to supply first-class
professors for more than forty or fifty.
what the ponuf wants are jealous,
practical, learned and energetic priests
he is going TO see if the theological
schools of his native land cannot be-
come more efficient in supplying them
we fancy that if he reduces the num-
Der OF ecclesiastical seminaries from
three hundred to fifty, he will have
taken long step towards the desired
END. Italy ought to be able to worry
along with fifty theological schools
even IL she is divided and subdivided
INTO two hundred and eighty bishoprics
The pontiff then calls upon the bish-
ops to exercise most special care and
Iatheily vigilance over the younger
clergy. He. eXhorts the members of re-
IlgiouS orders Ito return. to the most
perfect kind OF life'' He would have
their superiors allow no money. not
even the most trifling sums TO individ-
uai religious; he would prohibit them
absolutely from visiting private fami-
lies and would have them exercise the
utmost care in the selecting of subjects
Turning from the clergy at large to
lnoSe who are more or less identified
with the Roman Curia. the writer points
out schemes of reform that are at once
tdr-reaching and radical. AS Plus X
mas already Incorporated the congrega-
ton of Indulgences and Relics with
that of the Rites. so he would identify
the Index and the Holy Office, giving to
the consolidated congregations the title
De Eide Tuenda' Congregation for
the Conservation of the Faith Other
plans of consolidation are suggested
The Holy Office is to have no part in
trying matrimonial cases. and the
bishops and regulars are held to es-
chew matters belonging to the council.
These and other matters especially in
teresting to the Roman clergy are dis
cussed.
The correspondent of the Tablet de-
e'eiV liihl tlt uOtuIlell Is terribly
drastic about bishops who, through in
trinity, or old age. have become in
capable of performing their duties in
person. Coadjutors will not serve the
purpose, the bishops should be made
by law TO resign and give way to other
prelates able to procure the welfare of
the diocese Neither does the writer
believe that one bishop should ever be
transferred to another diocese, unless
for the gravest reasons. 1t would be
very advisable. in his view, to re-estab-
fish the observance of the DEGREES of
the Council of Trent with regard to the
rights and duties of metropolitans to-
wards their suffragans. especially con-
corning the obligation of regulars and
the visitation Of the dioceses, and put
into full force the canonical prescrip-
lions affecting the right of appeal to
the metropolitan from the diocesan
court
As the publication of this pamphlet
has produced profound impression in
Rome and has as vet been visited with
no official disclaimer, it seems right to
conclude that it enjoys pontifical toler-
ance. if not approval 1t would seem
that Plus X has been thinking out loud
and that his sentiments have been re-
duced to writing either audaciously or
by his own direction.-Catholie Tran
script.