The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1908-02-08
.O1.yplA kA1~75f~'d
City of Gomez Palacio, Mexico.
DARK AGES.
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noblemen, who assumed that he (Boniface) was en-
croaching on their civil rights. Our critic makes
the same assumption, notwithstanding the we'll
known fact that Boniface absolutely and unreserv-
eddy disclaimed the power and authority which he
wrongfully accused of claiming, namely, 'the
right of bestowing or taking away crowns at their
sweet will" Philip provoked the quarrel by claim
ing for the jurisdiction and the right of dis
posal of all ecclesiastical property in his kingdom,
as Napoleon subsequently attempted to carry out,
and as the present government has actually put in
practice. Philips pretensions, that he defend
ing the rights of the state and its independence.
meant the slavery of the spiritual to the temporal
authority. That Boniface could do less than Plus
X has done in the present quarrel namely, to de-
fend the rights of the church. could not be expect
ed, and in resisting st. Louis grandsons arbitrary
and predatory claims he was simply defending the
rlghtfu authority of the successors of St Peter in
spiritual matters. If the Pope all powerful.
arbitrary and despotic, how could it happen that
Philip the Fair, Napoleon, and all along down the
line, from Gambett to Falliere, could insult, i'm
prison and prosecute the church and its Supreme
Head? Or would Mr.. Reyes justify these robber
rulers III sacregiously confiscating justly and le
gally acquired property and IS being done
today? The right to hold honestly and justly &C
CURED property is natural right, and is prior to
civil society Then it is the duty of the state to
protect the rightful in his possessions. But
the state, under Henry ", Philip the Fair, and
down to the present ruling French regime, under
the plea of the states independence in temporals,
deprives the church of its natural rights and con
fiscates its property, thereby undermining al
rights. On which side is the encroachment? The
temporal extends its jurisdiction the spiritual
by depriving it of its sacred rights. What the in
dividual owns he has right to dispose of accord
ing to his good WILL and in the disposition the state
should protect him. as it does in this country, UNI
less it be for immoral purposes. If one wills and
bequeathes that his property go to some charitable
cause be used for some religious purpose, is 1t
not the duty of the state to that the testators
will is sacredly carried out? Such is and has been
the recognized principle of law in the United
States. But in Europe and today in FranSb tbs
states turn churches and homes of religious insti
tutions into barracks or whatever suits their pur
pose.
Now follows tie answer to critic. "What
would he term the severity of Gregory VII, tho
Hildebrand of history when dealing with Henry
" of Germany or of the autocratic bearing OF
Boniface VIII towards Philip the Fair, grandson
of ST Louis of Francel To put whole nation un
der an nterdct as did Gregory VII, because of his
quarrel with the emperor, was claim, tyrannica
exercise of supreme power" Both Henry " and
Philip the Fair encroached on the rights of the
spiritual by forming a union between the temporal
and the spiritual, making the temporal supreme
and the spiritual subject to it. Henry " did this
by claiming the right of investiture. Philip the