The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-28

Incompatible privilege OF having tho real
and immediate presence Of the Papacy
This moral and material preeninenee creates
duties OF which the most indisputable Il
that OF respecting and guaranteeing the
nature, the regular working and the ulti'
mate functions Of the supreme power.
The second objection would bring about
soon the compact union Of all the other
groups. from the extreme monarohical Right
to those hanging on to the Socialists. For
an Italian Center would rouse all the terrors
and ven seanoe Of the risorgtnen4o. Here
again 1t would be useless to declare ad-
herence to the institutions, to the monarchy
and to the unity Of Italy; doubts would arise
at every success. In the elections and in
Parliament the inevitable fusion Of parties
would condemn the Center to a fruitless,
not dan gerous, opposition.
In this case the example Of Germany
the Radical and Socialist party differs
more with the Lutheran Right than with
the Catholic Center In the stormiest days
Of the Kulturkampf the Socialists and the
democratic group, following the Frank
flrter Zei!ung. always voted with the Center
against the Government, the Conservatives,
the Conservative Liberals, the National
Liberals and the Fortschrutler. In the de-
bates on religious matters this phenomenon
is still repeated.
Between the Socialists and the Center
there are points Of contact, while the Luz
theran Conservatives have nothing in COM
mon with the Bebels and the vollmars
Finally the German Socialists, practical
men and realists, respect individual belief
and write in their programs the inva-
riable declaration that religion Is private
matter for the individual: Die Religion list
Prirdtsdche.
Italian socialism is distinctly anti-clerical
phlosophieally, POLITICALLY. morally and
socially. Even Signor Turati has been
obliged to follow the lead Of Signor Ferri,
and the Italia del Popolo shows no more
regard for Catholics than does the Rome
Ardni. 1t must not be forgotten either
that in Germany dynastic and national
questions seem to be settled for the time
being, while at Rome they are open and
will continue open in spite of all liberation
and compromises until the day when his.
tory shall record the organic agreement
between the two halves Of God"
This sum OF facts and Of intereste would
condemn the Center to be a small select
circle. as in France, Spain and Portugal,
The Italian Center would not be- like the
German center. the rallying point Of all
Catholic forces; it would be, o put 1t frankly,
clerical" 1t would consist Of few po-
lemical idealists, brilliant minority, but
more embarrassing than effective. AS in
France, it would be enough that they pro-
pose a law or measure for the majority
to oppose it unanimously. Supported by
the Italian Center, the Pope and the
Church would be always defeated Look at
France.
Still more. it would he turning aside,
rendering useless the best Of resources. In
stead of being the wide open church, the
universal family it would be the little
Church" the Cat holicisms Of rites standing
by itself, as narrow as the monarchical
idea. limited almost exclusively to itself,
with no power to influence the State or
the civilized world.
The great movement Of Catholic revival,
which Is Overlooking the whole world,
tends through various efforts to do away
with this mar ow conception OF Catholi-
cism; it tends especially to pour into all
domains in order to fill them with the Chris
tian spirit and to make Of the Church the
greatest social force in the universe The
Papacy favors thi. marvellous movement:
it cannot. therefore, permit In Italy, after
the most painful experiences, return to
the principles and the causes Of our dis
asters.
To sum up. Catholic party in Catholic
country is a cont radict ion OF the idea Of
religion. of doctrine and of the public good.
A Catholic party degrades the Church to
a sort Of religious clique and exposes 1t
to the worst attacks, In spite Of our keen
and sincere admiration for the Belgian
Cat hoiic party, we tremble for the Church.
II ever the opposition gets into power,
religion and the Church will suffer as on
Calvary The Italian Center and the
Papacy would incur still greater risks, for
the national question would render the
polit ical question more complex.
A party Of any kind fundamentally and
politically must represent a single idea,
the public good. The religion OF the pub
lie good is the keystone of the doctrinal
edifce Of Catholicism in regard to power,
to society, to Government and the constitu-
ton. All the parliamentary groups forget
this law; one follows philosophical IDEAL
another proclams social reform, still
another dreams of a new world. but all
have left aside the great idea Of Cath oil
cism, the public good.
Why should we Catholics follow in the
general error instead of knotting together
the broken threads of tradition? Why
should we become a party. like Center,
the fragment of a mosaic, tho fraction Of
a fraction, clustered in a single domain
cut off from the common life?