The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1913-04-05
GUIDED BY CONCERN
FOR The CHURCH
Holy See, as an Impartial Arbitra-
tor, Always at Service of
the World.
With Absolute Neutrality as a
Guide, Rome Has Always
Determined
Its Policy in the Interest of Justice
and in Defence of Rights
Of the Church..

VI the Cnurcn.
At the beginning of the Turco- ltal-
ian war, the Holy See, in its quality
as &, Power, proclaimed Its absolute
neutrality, which it vigorously pre-
served. The war ovcr-or more or
less over, for the Arabs of Cyrenaica
are still causing and look like con-
tinuing to cause lot of trouble-the
Holy See raised the Prefecture Apos-
tolic of Tripoli to the Vicariate Apos-
tolc Of Li],ya, not, as the Italian OFF,
cial organs suggested, on account OF
political considerations in which Italy"
was in any way interested, but sim
ply, as is the Holy Sees wont, for tho
good of the Church.
In the ecclesiastical changes which
may follow the political mutations in
the Balkans the Holy See will he guild
eel by the same considerations. In re-
gard to the war it is, as a Power,
neutral. AS an impartial-the only
impartial-arbitrator it is, as always,
at the service Of the world. AS the
central government of the Church it
will regulate the Churclls relations
With civil rulers. having regard solely
ITO the tClnurcl1's good. as soon as civil
authority has established itself on
definite lines in the at present dis
puted regions. For that reason all re-
ports circulating at present with re-
gard to the Holy Sees intentions are
in every case premature and in most
cases set on foot for the purpose OF
or another, and even, in some cases,
to bring discredit on the Holy See.
The Osservatore Romano, for that
reason. confines itself to contradicting
the runors. The Servian Government
has been at pains to explain what
liberal country Servia really is in mat
tiers of religion and how full freedom
will be generously extended to Cath
olics in the new Greater Servia. II
is anxious, it says, to establish work
ing arrangement with the Holy See
on the lines OF that existing in Mon
tenesro. A few days ago we were
even Informed of the names Of the
emissaries who were, to come to Rome
to arrange eFerything: and VIC We're
told that the Vatican had been made
of their visit We were told, again,
| that. in view Of coming changes, the
Holy See intended to oblige Austria
by establishing Il new diocese of
Fiume. No representations have been
made to anyone concerning the future
of Scutari, and no measures will cer-
tainly be taken with regard to the
| Catholics Of Albania till the political
status of that country has been put
on some sort of an established basis.
Austria at present exercises a. pro-
tectorate over Albanian Catholics, as
| indeed. at present, over those in Ser
via: and those who point to the tics
| or close friendship which unite the
! Emperor Francis Joseph to Rome and
prophcsy trouble therefrom when 9TH
er interests have to be considered
! (even those Of Italy, which claims un-
der treaty rights equal influence with
Austria in Albania) these prophets
forget that the Emperor being Ellis
Most Catholic Majesty" isr one of the
few important persons left in Europe
who treat the views OF the Holy See
not only with consideration but with
respect and is consequently inclined
to fall in with any solution which
Rome determines to be for the good
of the Universal Church.
| The rulers OF Portugal certainly are
not veering towards any return Of re-
spect for Rome. They bar the en-
trance Of the "Acta Apostolicae Sedis'
into the country, and the latest news
is that in places where no "associa-
ton cultuelle" has been formed to run
the Church on the lay lines establish
ed by the Masonic Government, the
authorities are proceeding to close the
churches. This, of course, is worse
than France as the whole Portuguese
persecution has been an advance on
the French. There is something Gym