The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1911-06-17
British Government Considers the
Pope the Same as Any Other
Sovereign.
France, on the Other Hand, Does Not
Accord Royal Honors to the
Roman Pontiff.
Yet Plus X is the Supreme Ruler
of His Own Limited Little
Territory.

Is His Holiness the Pope a Sover-
eign or is he not? Is the Papal flag
seditious emblem, or is it not? If
the Pope is not a Sovereign, then
what is he? If the Papal flag is not
seditious emblem, then, again, what
is it?
France answers the first question
in the negative and the second in the
affirmative. England disagrees with
France on both points. The British
government, in its arrangements for
the ceremonies incidental to the cor
onation of Kig George, has considered
the Pope the same as it has consid-
cred any other sovereign and has in
vited His Holiness to be present, says
the Providence Visitor.
His Holiness has accepted the in
vitation and has appointed a special
pontifcal mission which will attend
the coronation ceremonies. The mem
bers of this mission will be received
in London with the same honors as
will be accorded the representatives
of other sovereigns.
France, on the other hand, through
it's court of cessation, holds that the
F1per isrnots, a sovereign. In-t4le opin-
ion Of this great court the Papal flag
is seditious emblem! And the Pa
risian press is laughing at the pro.
nouncement. One journal gravely an
nounces that a poached egg has been
summoned for showing the Papal col
ors and the Joural Des Debats, pa
per which cannot be suspected of
clericalism and which the Literary Di-
gest likes to refer to as the mouth
piece of the ministry of foreign af-
fairs feels bound to protest against
the anxiety of the French authorities
to seize every occasion of sighting or
insulting the Holy See.
Joker in Decision.
There is a joker in the decision of
the court of cessation, however. And
the joke is on the government, or
rather the prime minister, Mr.. Mo-
mis-. In 1901, while minister OF Justice
Mr.. Monis wrote the following letter
to the public prosecutor of Dijon, con-
cerning an affair similar to the case
which the Paris court Of cessation has
lust decided with such complete want
of common sense:
Monsieur lie Procureur General: In
reply to your letter of 18th July last,
relative to the prosecution commenc-
ed against M. P, barrister, for
having hoisted flag Of white and
yellow colors, must inform you that,
according to a communication from
the ministry of foreign affairs the pom.
tifical flag of white and yellow colors
is that of a sovereign. (Signed) M
Monis.'
On the occasion of the French ma
tional fete, July IA, 1903, a gentleman
living at LIE Mans was prosecuted by
Papal flag, which he rightly consid
cred he could do, as the French law
permits the display on such occasions
of the flags of all foreign sovereigns
The lie Mans tribunal acquitted him
and condemned the prefect to pay the
costs of the trial. The judgment de
clared "the law of 9th December, 1905
(the law for the separation of church
and state), which regulated ques
ton Of home policy, cannot in any way
have the effect of modifying the pre-
viously acquired position of the Holy
See, much less to suppress, ipso facto
the Papacy and the character of q
sovereign attached to it's representa-
tive"
Government Appeals.
The government official, however
appealed to the court of cessation
and at the trial the public prosecutor
dishonored himself by pleading tha'
because the Pope has no longer either
territory figuring on the map of Eu
/ rope, or army, or coins, etc., ne
ceased to be a sovereign. The court
agreed with him, reversed the lower
court and the man who exposed a
Papal flag from his window is to b