The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1919-04-12
catholic Press Association.)

Catholic Press Association.)
Rome, Feb. 25.-To an even greater
extent than usual, high politics enter
into the chronicle of the week. First
came an exceedingly interesting ar
ticle in the Messaggero. the Roman
morning paper of the people, signed by
Giovanni Ciraolo, Socialist ex-
Deputy. The Messaggero sets out to
be the organ of democracy, and has
always been openly anti-clerical. But
it has been patriotic, and during the
war, while the Union Sacree has
lasted, it has kept it's anti-clericalism
to some extent-but only to some ex-
tent-in the background. When there
has been controversy, it has, of course,
taken the side against the Holy Father
and the Church; but its controversy
has been conducted in a quieter tone
than of old, and it has not gone out
of it's way to make polemics. One
has always understood that it was
waiting till the war was over and
speech was free, and that then the
Church would catch it. And now we
have the ultra-democratic Ciraolo
using it's columns to plead that dem
ocracy must drop anticlericalism.
AntRcierical Methods Out Of Date.
"The old anti-clerical methods" that
is to say. make holocaust of them
at the foot of the Giordano Bruno
statue" he says. They are useless;
they are out of date. The old cleri-
calism is dead. 1t is impossible to
say any more-at least with an expec-
tation of being believed-that the
Pope and the Catholics are the enc
mics of Italy. Catholics have shown
their loyalty to their country, they
are entering into its life fully and
freely with the Popular Party; and it
is evident that the old ideas of re-
gaining Temporal Power are gone
never to return. Anti.clerical methods
must change, and the work to be done
lies in educating the civil conscience
of the people mainly in the schools.
Working in the Dark.
To endeavor to look at the matter
from the anti-clerical point of view-it
may be that Ciraolo is right. Those,
who have studied anticlericalism, say
that its best work has always been
done unobtrusively. When it has
come out into the open, 1t has met
with reverse. Nathan's work was
effective until he became too conf
dent. AS soon as he pronounced the
memorable speech at Porta Pia; as
soon as his fraternity advertised. it.
self in connection with the unhappy
Exposition of 1911, and placarded the
walls of Rome with their intention to
destroy the Papacy; as soon as they
thought they had such a hold on the
army and navy, that publication of
the fact could not disturb it-as soon,
that is, as Italians had Freemasonry
and it's aims and methods put straight
before they, then they began to fail.
Possibly, then the new anticlerical-
ism-which is not by any means
really new, because Catholics have
seen and been fighting the subdolent
methods for years possibly it has
more chance of success than shouting
.'the Pope the enemy of 1taly!" in the
market place.
Gtordano Bruno Society.
But all the anticlericals do not agree
with Signor Ciraolo. To skip, in the
chronological order, an occurrence in
the middle of the week-on Sunday
the notorious Giordano Bruno Society
celebrated an anniversary of the
apostate monk, after whom it is
called. The speaker of the occasion
said Ciraolo was wrong. The old
clericalism was not dead; the Pope
was plotting now as ever for Tenn
poral Power; in fact, the new popu'
lar party was created for that end, to
get influence in the political affairs OF
the country, and that done, to give
place to the Vatican which would use
that influence for its evil anti-Italian
designs. All very interesting and re
ceived with great applause by not q
very numerous assembly, particularly
one story about Saint Anthony and
some pigs.
III. Old crv-
What the orator might have sale
but did not say was this:
I'VE cannot afford to give up the