New-York tribune., 1920-06-20

declared to be the property of the
Holy See and regarded as extrater-
ritorial to Italy. This was de facto
as we'll as in principle recognition
of temporal power, and would seem
to justify the position of the Pope
that a government recognizing so
much should recognize more.
"At any rate, since the Italian
| government admitted that the Pope
was entitled to exercise temporal as
we'll as spiritual sovereignty, the
Pope on his part assumed the right
to refuse what he considered the un-
just terms of a hostile government,
and therefore to demand that the
representatives of Catholics and
other friendly powers should not
manifest friendly relations with the
head of government which was
inimical to him. There really was
no need of a formal prohibition to
the Catholic kings or the heads of
states in concord with the Holy See
against visiting the King of Italy
without the consent of the Pope, be-
cause the Catholic kings themselves
and the heads of such friendly pow
ers recognized the impropriety of
such visits.
For fully fifty years, therefore,
no Catholic head of a state visited
the King of Italy, although on one
occasion the King of Portugal de-
clared his intention of doing so. The
heads of countries like France and
Germany, having friendly relations
with the Holy See, usually observed
the proprieties of visiting the Pope
and the King according to the Ell
ouette arranged for such visits, mott
flying both beforehand and acting as
! if they were visiting independent
sovereigns. 1t was not until France
had decided on a breach of concorda
of 100 years standing that President
Loubet visited the King of Italy
without the consent of Plus X and
without visiting him.
Maintains His Position
What is most significant about
the new order is that Benedict XIV
removes every obstacle to the ex-
change Of visits between heads of ma
tons and the King of Italy, but at
the same time reiterates his posi-
tlon on the temporal power, without,
however, defining the extent of his
claim to such power.
"The things that are essential to
temporal power are sufficient indie
pendence, liberty of communication
with Catholics in every part of the
world and with the heads of nations
even though they be largely non-
Catholic, but yet in friendly rela-
tons with the Holy See, and, finally.
sufficient means to facilitate this
communication, such as open routes
of travel, cable and postal commu-
nications, and resources of money
far greater than the law of guaran-
ties allowed as indemnity.
"It is a notable fact that such
mode and measure of temporal power
as has been advocated by Cardinal
Bourne, Of London, has been urged
without a dissenting voice from the
Vatican or the College of Cardinals
nay, more, the Cardinal after his re-
turn from his diplomatic mission tc
Jerusalem was instrumental in OBJ
tanning the favorable opinion on the
subject from the heads of the Alliec
powers, and would even have sue
ceeded in getting the matter befoc,
the peace conference but for Lloye
George, who tried to make its admis
, sion before tAc conference an occa
; sion for bargaining with the Holy
; See to bring pressure to bear on the
Irish hierarchy for repressing the
Irish movement for self determine
ton.
Diplomatic Activities
1.-THE Holy Sec Is now IN active
diplomatic relations with full,
thirty governments, of whom twent,
at least actually have represent
atives at the Vaticar. It stands I,
, reason that sooner oi' later the ltal
> ian government must wfesAe nm tn