Norwich bulletin., 1910-04-15
The ouirinaI and the Vatican.

1ne acton or Car01nal Merfy Oel val in canceIing the vatican reception of a German Catholic singing society be- cause it had sung before the king at the Quirinal appears to have excited s much attention among his co-reltg1on- ists in Prussia and Austria as the Roosevelt episode elcited in the United States. German Catholics feel the snub inflicted on the society because it has certs to Catholic charities. It recently went to Italy, and was very well re- ceived. Being commanded" to sing before the king it gave a concert at the handsome "honorarum-" Its members doubtless had no intention of showing dfSreSpect for the pope in manifesfing respect for the sovereign. but the doors of the vatican were shut against them by the Spanish cardinal. who seems de- termined to exercise to the fullest his powers as papal secretary of state to keep open the chasm between the vati- can and the Quirinal.
 The incident is different from either the Roosevelt or the Fairbanks episode in that it presents the old issue be- tween the papacy and Italian sove- reignty Neither MT. Roosevelt nor MT. Fairbanks had done or said any thing which could be construed as impugning the pope's claim still to be temporal sovereign Being Protest ants, the papal court probably would not be inclined to expect of them the compliance it exacts Of Catholics The pope is consistent with the traditions of his great office in enforcing the rule, and however much Austrian and Prus- sian Catholics may be offended by this exclusion of the singing society. they cannot charge Cardinal Merry del Val with making a new departure. To the popes every king of Italy who has reigned since Rome was made the na- tional capital has been an interloper in that city. Every pope since 1870 has resolutely maintained the old doctrine a spiritual ruler To the vatican the occupation of Rome in 1870 was the successful invasion of the territory of one temporal power by another. The plebicitum by which the Romans be- came Italian subjects is to the vatican null and void and 6 usurpation of its authority. Hence the popes have for the last forty years taken up the atti- tude of prisoners of the vatican though they are perfectly free to travel where they will, and are assured of courtesy and consideration throughout Italy.
 ing to their self imposed isolation in assertion of their policy is impressive, for 1t entails their refusal of the tribute which the kingdom of Italy is willing to pay out of respect to their spiritual character. Every year the Italian parliament votes an appropria- ton of $645,000 to be placed at the dis posai of the pope to maintain his dig nity, and to be expended generally for the maintenance of his court. Every year the pope as regularly refuses to receive this allowance lest its accept ance should negative his claim to be a temporal prince in his own capital. This process of appropriation and re- jection has been kept up ever since 1871, when parliament guaranteed to the pope and his successors forever the Vatican and Lateran and CaStel Gran dolfo, and voted the first allowance. The aggregate of these appropriations is now in excess of 25,0Oe,000 all Of which is held subject to the pope's order.
 A visit to Rome by a crowned head or actual executive always presents a delicate diplomatic question to sove- reigns with many Catholic subjects, for if they call upon the Quirinal first the Vatican will be offended and if upon the Vatican before they have paid courtesdes to the king, Italian public sentiment may protest. King Alfonso of Spain reconsidered his acceptance of an invitation from Victor Emanuel to avoid complications that would have been troublesome at home. The czar Automatically avoided the issue by holding his recent conference with the Italian sovereign at one of the lattere palaces at a distance from Rome Boston Transcript.