Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-08-20

|
inal
This, however. was not only caused
bv the feeling towards Italy but much
more by the state religious war with
France. which was the most remark
able event in the last Pontificate, and
of which many have attributed the
responsibility to Plus X. while ths
hostilities had already begun under
Leo XIII.
France found imitators in Spain,
which passed in Parliament bills
against the religious congregations
and the clergy, leading to the recall
of the Spanish ambassador accredited
to the Holy See; and in Portugal,
where the republic proclaimed on Oct.
5, 1910, brought about complete sep
aration between church and state, the
expulsion of the Religious Consrega-
ton and the cenfiscation of their prop
critics.
While such serious crisis was TAX
! ing place between the Vatican and
some of the Latin countries, which
| had been known in history as the most
| faithful to the Holy See, the relations
with Italy, while maintaining in the
outside form the usual character OF
hostility, were in substance much more
cordial.
1t would take long to enumerate all
the reforms of a religious character
| initiated by Plus X, such as that OF
restoring the Gregorian chants, of
preaching every Sunday from text
| from the Bible, himself giving the
good example by having as long as his
strength allowed him, the faithful of
the different parishes of Rome In the
courtyard of San Damaso to hear him
explain the Gospel story, and carry
ing out one after the other as Pope
the same ideas and principles which
he had confessed and advocated as
bishop and patriarch. One of his un-
dertakings will leave an important
mark in the history of the Papacy-
the codification of ecclesiastic law. He
entrusted the work to an illustrious
scholar in Canon law, Mgr. Pietro
Gasparri, on whom he conferred the
Red Hat in December, 1907. Another
epoch making task was that Of the
revision of the Vulgate, which he con-
fided TO Father Francis Aidan Gas
quet, abbot president of the English
Benedicting Congregation so we'll
known as a learned historian.
Plus Y was determined to restore the
most iron discipline among the clergy,
and this led to an unreienting campaign
against that section of ecclesiastics who
professed unorthodox opinions and were
called Modernists. The encyclical pro-
mulgated on Sept. s. 1907, condemned the
Modernists and their doctrines.
Following this several leaders of the
Modernist movement were excommuni
Gated In Italy, England and Germany.
The Pope displayed even greater energy
on Nov. IS, 1907. when he reaffirmed the
necessity OF combating by every posi-
Bile means the spirit of rebellion, and or
dered the bishops to watch and, if neces-
sary, to dismiss the professor infected
with the condemned doctrines and TO
prevent from taking orders those stu
dents who were suspected of sympathiz-
ing with the movement.
New rebellions broke out, and Plus X
went further IN the struggle, with a new
encyclical, In May 1909 and more so by
imposing the anti-modernist oath on all
ecclesiastics. s
The Pontiff reused a storm of OPPOSE
tion, to himself entirely unexpected, by
his eneyclical against the Protestants In
general and those of the German Refor-
nation in particular, on the occasion of
the centennial OF st. Charles Borromeo.
Another very important reform due to
Plus X Is that of the Roman Cura, which
has still ruled the Bull of Sixtus V of
January, 1885, With this he reformed the
Offices, the ecclesiastical courts and the
Roman congregations, withdrawing
America, Canada. Newfoundland, Great
Britain, Holland and Luxembourg. from
the jurisdiction of Propaganda Eide, re-
moving them therefore from among the
missionary countries and putting them,
together with the rest of the Catholic
world. under the Consistorial Congrega-
tion.
| To Americans Plus X was especially
interesting. His great friendship for this
country. his frequent audiences to Amer
leans, both Catholic and non-Cathouc,
and his interest in American affairs kept
him in closer touch with this side of the
Atlantic than perhaps any Pontiff that
has preceded him. He was an ardent adj
mirer of Theodore Roosevelt and had
the ex-President's writings translated for
reading, yet, as will be recalled, events
| occurring at the time of Mr.. Roosevelt's
visit to Rome led to the cancellation of
his visit to the Vatican. Former Vice
President Charles w. Fairbanks had
somewhat similar experience, and the in
cident created widespread interest In this
country and in Europe at the same time.
25TH BIENNIAL STATE