The Irish standard., 1914-01-17
Effects of Constantine Jubilee Shown in Manv
Manifestations of Increased Fervor
Among Faithful
Communities Where Prejudice Reigned Mar
vel at Public Display of Zeal and
Power of Church

The year Of jubilee commemorating
the granting Of peace and liberty to
the Christians by Constantine in 313
closed Monday, December 8, the
Feast of the Immaculate Conception,
inscribed in the Catholic calendar as
the "Patronal Feast of the United
States of America"
In proclaiming the Constantinian
Jubilee Pope Plus X, who took for
his motto: ITO restore all things in
Christ" and has already restored a
score of things, including church mu-
sic, the ecclesiastical calendar, the
recitation of the divine office, the
marriage law, canon law, the revision
of the Bible, ETC.. made use of these
significant words: "These festivals
are to be quiet and not noisy, and
they must be celebrated with holiness
of life and prayer that God may re-
store to the Church that independence
and liberty with which Constantine
wished to endow It,"
That the united prayers of Chris
tendon have not gone unanswered is
evident from the extraordinary
changes that have come to pass dur.
ing the year Of jubilee, especially DUR
ing the past few months and the past
few weeks. .
!
In the first place, the year of jubilee
has so emphasized the startling con-
trast between the peace and liberty
enjoyed by the Church under the
Roman Emperor Constantine and the
lack of 1t at the present day under
the present Italian government, that
all nations have been compelled to
take notice of the anomalous posi-
tion Of the papacy among the ma
tions of the world.
Bishop Schrembs of Toledo, that
patriotic American who led the first
diocesan pilgrimage from the United
States to celebrate the jubilee in
Rome, in his address to the Holy
Father which stirred up the ire of
the irreconcilables, or anti-clericals,
but won the applause of all right
thinking men of all countries, pointed
out that the United States with it's
District of Columbia situated on neu-
trail ground free from the interference
of any Of the Federal States, while
assuring all equal accessibility and
facilities for communication with the
central government, furnishes the
best political analogy for the indepen-
dence of the Holy See."
Only year ago all Italy was ring
ing with the alleged scandals in con-
vents and monasteries dished up la
Menace by the Liberal press. But
just recently Signor Mingnozzi, editor
of the Giornale del Matino of Bologna,
was sentenced to eleven months and
twenty days Imprisonment and fine
of 1900 francs by the Italian court of
justice for publishing just such de-
famatory articles.
few months ago, when 5000 ath-
letes of all countries assembled in
Rome and proposed to march to the
Vatican to make their Jubilee visit to
the venerable pontiff Pope Plus X,
the procession was forbidden, and
they were set upon by the rabble and
subjected to indignities and insults
which they were not slow to report
to their respective governments, and
nearly precipitated international COM
plications. But only a few weeks ago
when hundreds of American blue
jackets and marines repaired to the
Vatican to pay their respects to the
Father of Christendom, public senti-
ment had so changed that they be-
came the admired of all admirers and
the Holy Father reminded them in
his gentle, fatherly way, that life on
the seas offered them an opportunity
to lead clean lives and he could see
in their faces that they had done so.
But wonder of wonders! In the re-
cent election in Rome the Jewish an
ti-clerical Mayor Nathan, who never
missed chance to insult the Pope
and the Catholic Church at the
Breach Of Porta Pia," was forced to
resign, and the unspeakable Podrecca,
editor of the Ass, the prototype of the
Menace, and the apostate priest,
Murri, who advocated bitterly the
abolition of the Italian law of papal
guarantees-both have dropped out of
sight!
Thus. it would seem that by his
mastery policy Of the "non-expedit." I"
a ID ;. ! IE f|ts ii4S 4!