The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1908-05-23
THE POPE AND FUTURE OF CHURCH.

We invite our readers to read thoughtfully these
words Of the Supreme Pontif when addressing. the
ether day. distinguished bishop of the French
Fpscopate:
viii the trial be long or short? I cannot say.
But what do believe. and firmly, is that it will end
with the triumph of the church; and not only of the
church itself-about which there can be no doubt
at ALL on account Of the promises Our Lord has
made her-but Of the Church of France, to which
l have devoted and for which / shall always cherish
a special affection. Tell your people and never
cease to repeat. that the first thing necessary is
return to the Christian life There and there alone
Is salvation Many look to great things from events
which might lead to a change in the policy of the
parties in power. Vain hopes! 1t is idle to change
The government without change of heart 1t is
building IN sand"
The Pope, obedent to the obligations of his au-
gust Office raises his voice to warn France and the
world that the basphemes of today will be surely
followed by the catastrophies of tomorrow.
There is no dependency in the language of the
Holy Father However fercely the waves of the
Satanic sea may beat against the bark of Peter. or
the tide of human passion may rise around the
church of God-the Rock of Ages-the Pope knows
hat Christ reigns. and that ultimate triumph must
be assured:
He has nothing to fear for himself or the church
but for the unhappy men and women whose gods are
\ oism and basphemy, he laments with the sorrow
Of father for the suicide of his sons He forsees
ard fears the inevitable consequences for nations
and individuals which have always followed con
tempt of God. of His church and His representa-
tive On earth. Whatever happens. Plus Y. will new
surrender iota, one iot or title of the rights
Of the church the prerogatives of the Apostolic
See. On the pages of history there is no instance
where the Popes, when ~omdeceived. capitulated
when the rights and liberties Of their Apostolic
ministry, or even the rights and liberties Of any
human being in question
One Pope lost a kingdom rather than consent
to injustice about be perpetrated on defense
less woman. Philip l. of France, to the scandal of
his subjects dismissed his lawful wife and lived in
adultry with another. Dispsing repeated appeals
made to him by the Pope he was at last excommun-
Gated. He finally took back his lawful wife. An
other French sovereign. Philip Augustus separ
aTed from his queen Ingelburga. and took to him
self another in her place. Ingelburga was Danish
princess, and had no one to befrend her in France
but though she was thus friendess in foreign
land, her voice reached her spiritual Father in
Rome. Fierce the struggle made by the pas
sions Of the king, but justice triumphed and the
queen was restored her rights and place beside the
throne What did not Henry VIII of England
promise if the Pope would only consent to his d.
vorce and has marriage to Anne Boleyn? Terrible
was the ruin which his uncomfortable passions
brought upon England; but thanks Ito the sovereign
Pontif, the cause of the weak was sheltered. the
moral law was upheld and justice was avenged.
Another Pope braved the master Of Europe in de-
Tense Of the wifely honor Of an American Protest
ant girl from whom the present Honorable United
States Attorney General Is descended
There was scarcely century in which the Pom
titfs were not compelled in the name of Jesus
Christ. to use their paterna and spiritual Office to
correct the vices of princes and to recall thin to
The paths of justice and morality Lebnitz attests
that the exercise of the papal authority was fruit