The Irish standard., 1906-07-21
Pope and Emperor.

In the celebrated interview between
Pope Plus VII. and the Emperor Ma
poleon, when the former was Il prisoner
at Fontainebleau. the Pope sought to
check the blasphemieS of his cuptor by
saying:
Emperor, take care. The God of
old still lives. When your measure
is full He will break it to pieces"
Twelve years later the captive Eagle
sat chained to the rock of his en-
forced solitude on the island of ST.
Helena.
Young man." he said, one day to
Il youth who. as Il little page, had
been II witness of the famous inter-
| view, do you remember those words
of Plus VlI.,-his terrible prediction?"
Yes. sire. The God of old still
lives, he said. He will crush you to
pieces"
"'rhe Pope was no false prophet.
My sceptre has been broken, not by
man. but by God"
There We're other circumstances re-
| luting tn Plus VII. over which MAJ
pnleon must often have wondered dur
ing the years of his captivity at ST..
| Helena. Las Cases relates that the
fallen emperor never pronounced the
| POntilf'S name without emotion, call
ing him "a lamb" on account of the
| mceknesS with which he bore the trials
of his pontiicate. The Pope returned
| tn Rome on the oath of May, 1914, hav.
| ing been imprisoned ut Fontainebleau
for five years. For the same length
| of lime his prosecutor had to endure
| the suffcringS and humliations of cap-
| tivity. The cuincidcncc-but it was
| more than Il mere coincidcncr-is thus
pointed out by Dom Gucranger. re-
curding the conuuestS of Our Lady ot
Help. III was not the Allied Powers,
who had made common cause against
| his uppressor. that broke the POntiff' $
fcttcrS: the very tyrant who kept him
from Rome. had given him permission
To return nt the close of the preceding
year: but the Pontif' chose his own
time and did not leave Fnntaincbleau II
till the 25th of January. The
City of Peter had been reduced to a
hcad-town of Il French Department,
with Il Prefect for it's administrators:
and. with Il view to making men forget
that it was the City of the Wears of
| IA messenger from the island of ST
Helena was one day us hered into the
presence of Plus VII. The eXiled Na-
pn.con whom he had consecrlted En-
perur in the Church of Notrc Dame,
and whose after conduct brought hin,
under the ban of ion
| now bcSouyht the Pontiff, the true and
only King of Rome. To allow him To be
rc-numitted to those spiritual bless
ngs of which he had been justly de-
prived.
"Pius VII, who had so courageous
ly braved public opinion by giving
of the unfortunate Napoleon family
readily complied with the request thus
made of him; and the Holy Sacrifice
of the Mass was. shortly afterward
offered up in the presence of the illus
| trious exile of ST. Helena.
But. before granting pardon, the
justice of God had required a full ant
public cXpiation. He. who had beer
the instrument of salvation to mil
lions of souls. by restoring religion Il
France. was not to be lost: but III
had impiously imprisoned the SOver
: eign Pontift in the castle Of Fontaine
blcau. and ii was in that very castl
that he had afterward to sign tn
deed of his own abdication. For tiv
years lie had held captive the Nica
of Christ, for five years lie himsel
had to endure the sutferings aud hu
initiation of captivity. Heaven ac
to complete her victory. Reconcile
with the Church. and fortified by TIL
Holy Sacraments which prepare tn
y Christian for eternity. Napoleon yield
ed up his soul into the hands of hi
Maker. on the 5th of May.-the mont
. that is sacred to AIary."--Ave Maria.