The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-28
i CATHOLIC PARTY IN ITALY.
DANGEROUS FOR THE PAPACY.
HARMFUL TO THE CHURCH.

pspe Dfsapproves Formation OF "Center''
Like tho CONDITIONS In Catho-
Ito Italy Dinerent From Those in
/, Protestant Gormany-SOcial Reforms
I Preferable to Parliamentary Battles.
ROME, May FIN discussing the mean
! na and the consequences Of some part Of
tAe Italian Catholics participating in the
elections. some Of the great Guelph news
eapers nave called for the formation Of
IA Italian Center" The VICTORIES Of the
German Catholics have naturally had q
fascination for their neighbors. When in
France the old parties wished to push the
Catholics into ultra-oonservative paths
they pointed to the Center beyond the
Rhine, praising it and declaring that IL
must be initiated. without rejecting that
that same Center criticized and blamed
its adorers.
italy has not escaped this delusion. No
sooner haze two or three Guelphs crossed
tho threshold Of the Chamber OF Deputies
at Monte Citorio than the best minds ex-
press tha purpose OF building an Italian
center party" 1t must be added at once
that s1ne Of these impatient heads have
not cysed their eyes to the inevitable differ
ence between the situation in Italy and
that in Germany.
But these difference are extremely deep,
and am astonishad that these writer's
should have fallen into such a trap. The
German Center owed it's cohesion and
vitality to causes that are foreign to Italy,
In the first place, the Kulturkampf and
the necessity Of holding together against
Lutheranism which asserted that Sedan
was its political work; the struggle for
existence itself, the fight Of a sectarian
minority against sectarian majority. 1t
is OF no use to declare that the Center is not
religious Catholic party. Reasons OF high
strategy have spread such declarations.
particularly on the part of Herr Windhorst
Asa matter Of fact, what made the Center
what gave it its expansion and power, was
the effort OF the whole Catholic population
drawn up against the domination and
tyranny Of the Lutheran parties. Crrates.
Wears, laymen, workingmen peasants. all
instinctively rallied round the GROSS to
defend religion and the rights Of the mi
noritv. Is what can be done in Protestant
country possible In Catholic land? Why
should the Italian Center be more possible
than the French Center? Would the Pope.
who forbade it's formation in France, au-
thorize it in Italy? These questions alone
show how hazardous the adventure is.
Where customs differ. politics must; other
conditions call for different tactics.
The German Center, political party,
has determined the period OF long re-
ligious, social and intellectual movement.
political party is merely the result, the
garb of sotia! organism.
The German Center was born Of the
first Congress Of ls4s, under the wing of
Ketteler, Reichensperger, Buss, Monfang,
Do!linger, Hamburg and J0rg. From 1872
to 1878, throughout that period of glorious
ascent. it was the proud and rompous
electoral and parliamentary blossoming of
social works, OF religious efforts and Of
intellectual revival. These are the three
springs OF life in which Windhorst and
the Center we're baptized. For thirty
years this triple action has bloomed lux
uriantly now that the harvest has come
tho Center there has been stored away
With it.
That is the precise lesson the example,
the ideal. 1t is the part OF wisdom to iuai-
tate the conditions in order to be able to
draw the same result. The active French
men have understood it so we'll that they
have given up the enticing dream, and
instead devote themselves to intellectual.
religious and social effort. God is be-
ginning to bless this patience. which is
abnegation.
frances religious social and intellectual
literature has attained such power Of diffu-
sion that France, outstripping Germany,
ia fertilizing the mind of universal Catholi-
cism. More than others, perhaps, the
Germans, somewhat worn out by their
political contests, are taking to heart the
masters and writers Of Paris.
The Italy Of Plus y. will not forget this
lesson. II from the dynastic and electoral
side the shadows are not the same. Italy is
rome the less, like France, a land that is es-
sentially and originally Catholic. In the
practical field the conquests have been
rapid and wonderful. Resting on a faithful
people. the leaders can aspire to a success
which France will attain only after long
preparatory labors. To widen the furrow,
TO strengthen the positions, to multiply the
labors. to build up on the nrst efforts a
great intellectual revival, to follow in this
matter tho freshening in methods OF work
devised for France--that il what Is to be
dome. When the time is ripe political life
will crown as natural result ths religious,
social and intellectual life. The one will
spring from the other
The formation of Center in Italy would
create extraordinary dangers. 1t would
york above all check to the marvellous
social dawn 1t would be necessary for
a political party to deal with other political
parties; that means an era of compromises.
and it is impossible to see how Gnelphs
and Ghibellines can agree on social and
economic grounds. All the groups. mon
archists, liberals and moderate, pursue
a policy that is clearly, essentially indi-
vidualist.
The examples Of Prussia and Of Belgium
show the Inconvenience Of such RESPONSE
bilities for a political party. From 1882
TO 1860 tho German Center stopped short
socially in order to preserve its parlia-
rnentary power. Twice universal, social
Catholicism has been disappointed. Twice
We have expected that country would
create in practise the type Of social action
that would put the Church at the head
Of tho most irresistible movement In human
history; twioe tho goal seemed near, and