Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-20
Roman Question Near End

tration Of this contention. It was as
serted that the Pope could not make
an effective appeal to Germany for
peace because Germany would attribute
such a move to pressure from the
Italian government
And when Cardinal MERCER came to
Rome to relate to the Pope the suffer-
ing of his Belgian flock, he found him
self constantly opposed by German
cardinal. 1t was claimed that Germans
at the Vatican were responsible for
plots against the Italian army and navy.
And the papal officers complained that
the mail OF the church was interfered
with by the Italian authorities.
Then, too, there Is the seemingly I'M
important but none the less awkward
matter of diplomatic precedence. Some
times foreign sovereign visits Rome.
When the visitor is a Catholic he must
decide whether he will first call on the
King Of Italy and offend the Pope or
call first on the Pope and offend the
King.
Two Journeys Solve Problem.
This difficulty has been overcome in
| truly diplomatic fashion. The foreign
sovereign comes to Rome, calls on the
King and then returns to his own en-
! baSSy. This is considered as a return
to his own territory. From there he
can now make an entirely new journey
ito Rome" and pay homage to the Pope.
Two things soon became quite obvious.
One was that there was little likelihood
of Italy ever giving back the papal ter
ritorieS to the Pope. The other was
that the fiction of war and uSurpation
was highly unpleasant for both parties.
AS time has Softened the earlier asper-
! tiles, both sides have developed a dis
position to effect some compromise.
They have gone at it gingerly and
there has been no hurry. The italian
| government has possession and the
church has infinite patience. Neither
! side wished to take any step which
might be construed as. waiver Of its
| claims.
| Electoral Ban Removed.
Nevertheless progress has been made
! Things are quite different now from
, what they were in 1873 when Crispi
threatened to occupy the Vatican If the
Sacred College met in some other coun-
| try to elect successor to Plus TX. 1t
met in Rome and elected Leo XIII.
During his reign matters improved suf-
| ficiently SO that his successor, Plus x,
| went so far as to remove the ban on
Catholics participating in the Italian
elections.
He also suggested a possible plan for
the settlement of the Roman question.
He made it clear, however. that the
initiative must come from the italian
government. Negotiations were not be-
gun, but the Ill feeling was greatly nit
| igated.
Pope Opens Negotiations.
The next Pope, Benedict XIV, availed
oil nf "a friopadIIy bNNy
opening negotiations with Premier Or
| lando Immediately after the war. 1t ap.
| peared to the Pope that the peace con-
! ference of Paris, while it was settling
so many of the outstanding problems of
the world, might appropriately take ac-
ton which would better the position of
the papacy.
Under the sure hand of Cardinal
Gasparri, the papal secretary of state,
the negotiations proceeded to a con-
cluSion which was satisfactory to both
sides. They were kept entirely secret,
however, and as the Orlando ministry
| fell just after an agreement was reached
no action resulted at the time. POPE
Benedict, however, further loosened the
restrictions against Catholic subjects of
the Italian King.
Under his ruling Catholics were al
| lowed to run for Office, provided they
agreed not to vote adversely to the
church on any matter affecting its in
| tereStS.
Plus XII went so far as to authorize
the formation OF Catholic party AL
though this party was presided over by
Don Sturzo, a Siciian priest, the Vat
lean accepted no responsibility for its
views or its acts. This was rather for
tunate. as otherwise there might have
been a renewal of hard feeling when
the Fascist government abolished the
Catholic party.
Differences With Fascism.
The relations between the Fascists
| and the papacy have not always re-
Sembled a love feast. There have been
sharp differences, especially on the
| question Of education. Fascism is quite
as ready as the papacy to act upon the
Jesuitical injunction to control the
child. The churchs efforts to bring
Italian children into Catholic schools
were crossed by the Fascist plan to or
ganize them into ballila. Some very
plain words were uttered on both sides,
| giving voice to their respective phi
loSophies as to the place of the church
and the state in education.
Nevertheless the natural affinity be-
tween a religious hierarchy and an abb
/
overcome these minor disagreements
and to bring the papacy closer to the
| Fascist regime than to any previous
| government of modern Italy. When the
Holy Year 1927 was at an end Pope
Plus called the attention of the faith
full to the precarious condition of the
head of the Catholic Church.
MusSolini considered this as an invi-
tation to open negotiations. He APP
| pointed two representatives, who ap-
preached the Vatican on the subject
of the Roman question. The latter re-
fused to enter into formal negotiation,
but unofficial conversations" have been
proceeding ever since.
Various Plans Rejected.
| The old schemes were rehearSed, but
none was found practicable. One Of
these plans was to give the Pope juris-
diction over a small strip of land. or
right of way, from the Vatican to Civita
Vecchia, the old papal port on the Med
iterranean. This would have allowed
the Pope access to the sea and free
dom of movement which he has declined
to accept under existing conditions. 1t
was felt, however, that this involved
| too great a sacrifice of Italian Sow
ereignty.
| Another suggestion was that the IA
nous CaStel San Angelo, only short
, distance from the Vatican and con-
nected with it by an underground pas
sage, should be restored to the papacy,
for which it formerly served as state
prison. AS the Castel San Angelo is
! on the Tiber, it was thought that
papal boat might convey the Pope from
here TO Civita Vecchia, part of which
was to be placed under the jurisdic-
; ton of the holy see.
This plane was also set aside and the
negotiatorS finally arrived at an agree
templates the cession to the papacy of
a small territory lying back Of the
| Nathan pardnnS and Including the Nilla