The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1914-08-20


hold. 8e - ~ ye me
Disappointed diplomats then waiie,
about his timidity. But the wailin,
had no effect on the noble-hearted
simple man who was the head of thu
/ church.
Direct and Simple in Method.
1t is much easier to face the rulers
of Europe on question than the car
dinals assembled In the Sistine chapel
but Pope Plus did not quail or show
| timidity when he informed the car
! dinals as to his perseverance in the
lines he drew for himself. He was
firm, brief and unruffed, and made il
| plain that he would not lean in either
direction to lend weight to favored
plans OF different cardinals or fac,
tons 3 .r,y. -.
When the trouble between the
church and state broke ont in France
and the ConcoTdat was dropped, the
world looked to the Pope. specializing
as 10 what course he would take,
What he did seemed to be the only
right thing, according to the Ameri.
can idea. He ignored the nation.
Before Pope Plus had been on the
throne. three years he showed that
Young men who dreamed of the career
of courtier in Rome were going to
be disappointed. The pope wanted
bishops for the difficult sees, and the
way for young diplomats to promotion,
it was soon apparent, was through the
tiresome but wholesome Office of gov.
erning bishop. .au
One great reform Pope Plus accom-,
plished and it promises to be ever re-
membered in history. He proved that
diplomacy in church matters is a thing
of little importance compared with the
direct teaching and preaching of the
gospel to the poor. ..'.-
Compared with the policies Of his
predecessors of recent times the lean
ing OF Pope Plus X has been held to
be ultra-orthodox in purely ecclesias-
tical principles and ultra-conservative
in temporal relations. An instance of
his well-kDown uncompromising atti-
tude against advanced tendencies was
afforded in his opposition to woman
suffrage, as voiced by the pope upon
the occasion of his reception of a dele
cation of Italian Catholic ladies'
Woman can never be mans equal"
he told his fair visitors, land cannot,
therefore, enjoy equal rights Few
women would ever desire to legislate,
and those who did would be classed
as eccentrics. Scripture, and espe-
cially the three Epistles of st. Paul,
emphasizes woman's dependence on
man" ...r
Reforms In Church Government.
His now famous Apostolic constitu-
ton was considered as embodying the
most sweeping reform ever attempted
by a Roman pontifr since the cele-
brated Council OF Trent, in the years
from l545 to 1868. IN that 1t dismissed
the entire congregation of the council,
4 committee Of cardinals charged with
he Interpretation OF the Council OF
Trent, and placed all affairs in the
lands OF separate tribunals and courts
If appeal.
BY virtue Of one OF his documents.
known as the "Sapienti Consilio." the
composing the Roman
Curia of the Catholic church have
been completely reformed and the
American hierarchy has been accord
ed a recognized voice in the govern,
ment of the church. In fact, all Cath
olics outside Italy have been granted
a new political standing by the order,
200 bishops. $4,000 priests
and 100000 Catholic laymen in the
English-speaking countries have their
affairs examined and passed upon &C.
cording to the general law of the
church and by ten different congrega-
lions, instead OF one. as heretofore.
Another reform was that effected
by the papal bull requiring the return
Of sacred music In use by the Roman
Catholic churches throughout the
world to its austere and suave purity.
And still another bore upon the revis-
on Of the catechism. move dear to
he heart of the late Leo XIII. where
~ instruction in the catechism is no
onger regarded, as in years past, as
he adjunct to a basically religious
but is now held to replace
eVerything-mother, the schoolmaster.
he general mental environment.
Pope Plus was in every respect q
nan OF peace. and the clerical trou
)les in Spain and Portugal during the
after years Of his life greatly affected
lis health. When Spain and Portugal,
ollowing the lead of France, broke
way from the church. he refused to
axe any decisive action against them.
He held steadfastedly to the pur-
,ose that governed his every move
Turing his tenor in office and chose
he middle course. Standing strongly
or the rights of the church. he re-
used to use the doubtful diplomacy
With which some Of his predecessors
their ends, and when
he smoldering Volvano OF public sen-
iment In Portugal broke. and the rev
tuition, which had SO long been hang
ng fire in that country, deposed King |
ianuel and took the form Of active |
garfare against the priests and nuns. |
e decried the situation but refused |
he word that would bring to arms |