The Daily Missoulian., 1914-08-20


of the yearly American pilgrimages
had left the United States at the be-
ginning of July, 1908. On their way
to Europe Leo Kill, who should have
received them, died. SO that they We're
in Rome during the conclave, and the
day on which Plus x. was elected and
descended into ST. Peters to give his
first benedietion they were in the
Baslica, with two American flags
waving above the immense crowd as
semhled there and Joining their ring
ing hurrahs to the cheering which
greeted the venerable figure. Some
days after, the same American pill
grimage was in the Vatican gardens
when suddenly, the work of the Off
cials having already begun, they We're
ordered away as the pope was seen
approaching. With true American de-
termination they objected that they did
not want to leave. Plus x, who un-
derstood something of what was going
on, inquired, and Cardinal Gibbons,
who was among those who accom-
panied them, explained that it was a
pilgrimage of his eountrymen who de-
sired to pay homage to the Holy
ence and were waiting for the appoint
ed day The pontiff Immediately said
there was no necessity to wait and
! that he would receive the Americans
at once in the adjoining Museum Lapi-
darium. Thus Plus x. received the
first pilgrimage of his pontifcate.
held in his hands and blessed the two
American flags, which are still pre-
| served, one in Rome and one in New
| York.
] Plus x. did not intend to change the
substance of the policy which his two
| predecessors had followed toward
! Italy His protest against the loss of
temporal power however, lost the We
hemence and bitterness which formerly
characterized them.
| Trouble With France.
The strongest of his protests on this
subject was issued when President
Loubet, disregarding the prohibition to
all Catholic rulers and heads of states
to visit the king of United Italy in his
capital was the first, with the eXcep-
tion of Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria,
| Quirinal
rms, however, was iol OIily CduStu
by the feeling towards Italy but much
more by the state of religious war
with France, which was the most re-
markable event in the last pontificate,
and of which many have attributed
the responsibility to Plus X, While
the hostilities had already begun un-
der 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 Oc-
tober 5, 1910, brought about a COM
plete separation between church and
state, the expulsion of the religious
congregations and the confiscation OF
their properties.
While such serious crises were TAX
ing place. between the vatican anC
some of the Latin countries, which
had been known in history as the
most faithful to the Holy See, the re-
lations with Italy. While maintaining
in the outside form the usual charac.
ter of hostility, were in substance
much more cordial.
Plus always stood for peace ant
was greatly grieved by the Balkan.
war. The present struggle in Europe
broke his health, the war killed him
Many Reforms.
1t would take long to enumerate al
the reforms of religious characte
initiated by Plus x. such as that o
restoring the Gregorian chants. o
preaching every Sunday from a tex
from the Bible, himself giving th
good example by having as long a
his strength allowed him. the faithful
of the different parishes of Rome il
the courtyard Of San Damaso to hea
him explain the Gospel story, ant
carrying out one. after the other a
pope the same ideas and principle
which he had professed and advocated
as bishop and patriarch. One of hi
undertakings will leave an importan
mark in the history of the papacy-
the codification of ecclesiastic law
He entrusted the work to an illustriou
scholar in canon law, Mgr Pietr'
Gasparr, on whom he conferred TIN
red hat in December, 1907. Anothe
epoch making task was that of tn
revision of the yulgate, which he con
fided to Father Francis Aidan Gas
quet, abbot president of the Englisl
benedictine congregation, so wei
known as a learned historian.
Plus X. was determined to restor
the most iron discipline among tn
clergy, and this led to an unrelentin
campaign against that section of &c
clesiastics who professed unorthodo
opinions and were called Modernists
The encyclical promulgated on Sep
tember s, 1907, condemned the Mod
ernsts and their doctrines
Following this several leaders Of tn
} Modernist movement were excom
municated in Italy, England and Ger
many. The pope displayed eve
, greater energy on November 49, 1901
when he reaffirmed the necessity c
| combating by every possible mean
the spirit of rebellion, and ordered tn
bishops to watch and if necessary t
dismiss the professor infected wit
the condemned doctrines and to pre-
vent from taking orders those stu
, dents who were suspected of sym
pathiypp with tho ,,,oyamanf