New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-28

should dare attack the life or dignity OF the
Holy Father
"Roval honors ere due TO him throughout
the kingdom, and the government power
stops short at the threshold OF the Va'lcah'
No Italian functionary has, under Whatever
pre.ext. the right to enter the holy preeihc'S
of the papal palaces. Every clergyman con-
nected with the Holy See is absolutely Tree IN
the exercise of his spiritual duties.
"The Pope is. we repeat il, unrestricted IN
his communications with the governments and
neople, Of the entire world. The diplomatic
corn, OF the Vatican in foreign countries and
Tho representatives Of the latter near the
HOLY See enjoy the same prerogstives as tne
Law members Of the diplomatic guild Inc
Pope has in his absolute possession the pal
aces of the Vatican and Lateran, the Castel
Gondofo, and an annual income OF 3,2ZooOo
lire (about s750,000) is a. his disposal. IL
is not the fault of the Italian people or the
Italian government that the Pope, by oosti-
nately clingng TO the walls Of the vatican,
never gives our army the opportunity OF rem
dering him royal honors, and can they be
blamed for the fact that no Papal Secretary
of the Treasury ever has presented his
voucher to the paying teller OF the Quirinal
Communications Still Open
As TO the difficulties of communicating with
the Catholics of foreign countries, our Italian
Justly points TO the general blockade in which
the greater part of the civilized world hnds
itself for now over thirty months. Foreign
Cardinals are nevertheless going and coming
in full liberty, including the Church digni-
taries hailing from the enemy countries, Ger
many and Austria. A splendid memorial SER
vice has been celebrated by the Pope in per-
l. ., I ota IN
the departed Catholic souls Of all the nations,
and so on.
Absolutely unfounded is the fear that the
Italian government could one day undo the
work of 1870 by annuling the Laws OF Guar
antees. The latter are part of the funda-
mental laws Of the country and rest upon the
solid rock of deep and sincere attachment
of the Italian people, from the King to the
lowest journeyman, TO the Catholic Church
and its highest representative.
But, on the other hand, the separation OF
Church and State ought, once and forever,
to be considered also by the Vatican as the
unalterable decision of the Italian nation The
year 1870 is the separation line between the
Italy Of the Middle Ages and modern Italy.
The temporal power of the Popes had TO go
before Italy could enter the sphere Of the new
life of humanity.
Italy knows what she has 10 expect from
Germany. The speech of Prince Bismarck in
the German Parliament Of November 90, 1881,
where he insolently menaced Italy with the
ieopenrg Of the Roman question should
ever the Socialistc movement there "degen-
crate" into open republcanism, is still re-
membered in the plains of Lombardy and
around the seven hills Of Rome. Neither is
the promise forgotten which the Iron Chan
81 C.1; he
occasion of the above mentioned interview
l. e., that in the case of the reestablishment
Of the temporal power of the popes he would
be ready to add the Kingdom of Naples to the
former patrimony of st. Peter
And it was because Italy has been tired Of
the German trusteeship and made nervous by
the eternal open and clsndestine, menaces
that she had shaken off the shackles Of the
Triple Alliance May 2l 1915. The Italian
people love and respect the present Pope,
and are therefore panied to know that he,
the Italian, supposed TO be a model Of patri-
otsm TO the rest of the nation, should, in
principle, indorse the position taken in the
Roman question by the enemies of Italy.
What would the Vatican win through an
Decentralization of the Laws of Guaran-
tees? Does the Pope prefer to be subjected
to the wills and whims of a dozen Of foreign
rulers and governments, some Of them Prot
estant, the others outspoken atheists?
Great Problem Solved
These are the facts, this is the apparently
irreconciabe conflict, this the psychological
attitude of the two opponent camps.
The present war has already precipitated
the Russian and brought nearer to their con-
clusion many other problems of great grav-
ity 1t will also help solve the Papal ques-
ton.
The British army is near GAIA. Al any
minute We can expect the news of the delivy
erance of Palestine from the yoke OF the
Turks.
Why should not Bethlehem, where the Sa-
viour was born; Nazareth, where he was
raised, or Jerusalem, where he died, be made
the seat of his representative 20 nearly one
eighth of this globes population, rather than
the worldly town on the Tlber, with its pagan
memories?
Francis Joseph, the "King Of Jerusalem"
has, through his direct participation in this
murderous world slaughter forfeited for
himself and his successors the right 70 that
glorious dignity. William II, the sumB,us
episcoDIs of the Lutheran Church Of Ger
many, has, through his criminal unleashing
OF the furies Of Bellona, dragged INTO the
mire the name Of Christendom. The whole
of Europe has relapsed into pre-Christian
barbarlsm.
Can there be imagined for Benedict XIV
more favorable psychological moment than
the present to shake the dust of Europe off
his shoes and to start the Characterization of
Asia, Northern and Central Africa. with their
100000 coo inhabitants, the cour tries Christ
had mainly in his mind when he laid his
blessing hands on the heads OF His Apostles