The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1919-06-28


Covenant would bring the nations of the earth under
the domination OF the Vatican. A few weeks before
Senator Sherman's discovery, somewhat similar
diagnosis of the League situation was made by
Senator Cummins OF Iowa who demonstrated with
mathematical precision that the Covenant, if
adopted, would shift the hegemony of the civilized
world from the white to the yellow, brown
and black constituencies. The conclusions of the |
the country is happily relieved of the danger of
being caught either horn of the dilemma, there
are many other ways open for the consideration OF
the question.
Here is the gst of the Sherman propositions:
From early age" said the Illinois senator,
'the occupants Of the Vatican have believed in the
inherent right of papal authority to administer civil
government. 1t is with the utmost regret fail
later days any remuneration disavowal of the
doctrine. So far layman discover the Vati-
can still believes it ought, and would if the power
permitted, assume to administer ecclesiastical and
civil government its joint, exclusive and para
mount power.
"Of the original 80 member nations signatories
to the proposed league, % Christian nations and
four Of other faiths, of these % Christian nations II
are Catholic nations either majority or an over
whelming preponderance of the population being
OF that religious faith, and eleven protestant
The Catholic 10 members are Belgium, Bolivia,
Brazil, Cuba, Ecuador, France Guatemala, Haiti,
Honduras, Italy, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Poland,
Portugal, Uruguay, and Czech-Slovakia The IL
nations will be represented in the league in all hui
man probability by Catholic delegates"
| Because ma jority almost the entirety of the
populations of many of these countries is Catholic
the Senator prognostcates the danger of union of
civil and religious power under which the Papal
authority would be supreme, with break down
of every barrier built up against such union by
centuries OF struggle and sacrifice" Because the
head of the church proclans and teaches his nfal-
libility" it would follow that the Catholic nation
league members would be in duty bound to yield
implicit obedience to the forthcoming mandates of
| the Pope.
Senator Sherman's argument will surprise no one
more than the Catholics who may be concerned in
the matter. Hitherto they have labored under the
deluson that their relations Papal authority had
to do exclusively with matters of faith and morals
and not with civil or political questions 1t has
remained tor an astute gentleman outside Of the
faith to point out to them the pers of their beliefs
which might ultimately give another setback to the
hands of the clock of civilization as bad as that
made in Germany" From the watch tower at
Washington the gentleman from Illinois has a far
better vision Of the plans and policies of the Papacy
than those who have been affiliated with it all their
lives and have made exhaustive studies of it's history
and institutions Hence it becomes the duty of all
! Catholics to give timely heed to the stentorian
shouts OF Mr.. Sherman, lest they and the whole
4 world be cast upon the shoals of destruction.
/ The Senator does not allow the Church the
customary benefit of the doubt in the premises OF
even take into account it's previous good character
It is usual to give the accused the presumption Of
innocence until guilt is proved. But this maxim
of Jurisprudence and logic reversed in this case
1t is assumed that the Vatican is or will be guilty
OF the horrible things adumbrated in the Sherman
vision because it has not heretofore disavowed its
intention to refrain from them But then it should
be remembered that the Church authorities had no
previous intimaton of the charges lodged in the
i Senator's Indictment, and could not therefore be
lexpected to assume the burden of establishing its
Innocence in the matter.
i The civil authority exercised by the Church of
which mention is made that of certain territory
lin Italy known as the States of the Church." It
lasted for about thousand years up to $780, when
the Italian government took sovereignty over them
These states had their inception in voluntary grants
OF various strips Of territory made from time to
time by the of large Estates and the revenues
were used for Church maintenance. Many colleges,
churches, hospitals and charitable institutions were
Established in these areas, and they virtually
a part of the Church organization for the conduct
used and governed in much the same way as the
United States government exercises jurisdiction in
the District of Columbia, though including far
greater extent of territory. When they were added
to the Italian sovereignty in 1870 grant Of several
million francs appropriated annually to the Vat
A lean by way OF compensation for Them These
4 grants have been refused by the Vatican and have
been allowed to accumulate in the Italian treasury
/ tor nearly halt century, but disavowal Of her
right to these possessions has been made by the
i Church. IN
i Such is the slender basis on which Senator Sher-
Imam bases his 1udicrous charge that the adoption
OF the League Covenant implies the domination Of
world politics by the Vatican In the light Of such
Ian absurd and etravagant contention the stand Of
I neutrality as maintained by the Holy Father