The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-01-18
VATICAN BARS
MAY FALL TO
RELEASE POPE.
Accord With MuSSoIini Is
Reported Near; Church
KeenIy Interested.
PROBLEM SINCE 1870
Plus TX Interned Himself
After italian Unity
Was Established.
BY WILLIAM PHILIP sIMMs

BY WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMS
Foreign Editor, seripps- Howard Newspapers
WASHINGTON, Jan. 18.-While
3OO,OOO,000 Roman Catholics eager
" turn their eyes toward the Eter-
nal City, new chapter in their
church history appears in the max
ing.
"A prisoner in his own palace" for
nearly sixty years, the head of the
Roman church soon may feel free
TO go and come as he pleaSeS, able
to travel abroad if he likes, without
violating the fitness of things as he
sees them.
Although Rome dispatches remain
somewhat contradictory up to the
hour Of writing, it seems clear that
the Vatican authorities and the
Italian government are nearing a
solution Of what is known as the
Roman question, a thorn in the
flesh of both church and state for
decades.
The Roman question dates back
TO the reign of Plus TX, who be-
came pope in 1916,
Hold Pope Must Be Free
The church, Catholics hold, was
founded by Jesus as an independent
religious society responsible alone
TO the authority of God. To func-
ton properly, therefore, the head
Of the church, together with his
cardinals and other officials, must
be exempt from civil Jurisdiction.
Particularly, it is felt, the Pope
must not be under the influence of
any temporal state, for he exercises
spiritual jurisdiction over hundreds
of millions of people, of every ma
tionaltiy, and therefore must re-
main free.
For fifteen centuries this complete
independence was assured the pope
because he himself was recognized
as an independent sovereign, not
only over things spiritual, but tenn
poral as we'll, since with Rome as
his capital he ruled over a number
of papaI states.
From 1910 to 1860, however, great
changes occurred throughout Italy.
First, in 1848, northern Italy re-
VOTED against Austrian masters.
When the revolt failed, as it did
after initial successes, the pope, who
had not favored the movement, lost
some of his popularity which, at
first. had been very great. In 1849
a Roman republic was set up and,
menaced by a mob at his gate, Plus
TX fled to Gaeta.
NapOeon III Intervenes
In 1850 Napoleon III sent troops
to Italy and restored the situation
in Rome. However, in 1870 Ma
poleon was defeated in Sedan, the
French troops were withdrawn from
Italy. and Italian unity was pro-
claimed under King Victor En-
manuel II, who entered Rome say
ing. I'VE are at Rome and there
we shall remain
Plus TX was left only with the
Vatican, the right of free diploma
tic intercourse, and the honoTS due
a sovereign. An annuity of 100000
from Italy was refused.
Action of the Italian government
universally has been regarded by
Catholics as a "usurpation." Plus TX
declared he had been made a
prisoner in his own palace" and
refused to leave the vatican gar
6ens. His successors have followed
his example. Today the differences
between Roman church and Italian
state appear to be nearing solution.
We are told that concordat bear
ing the signatures of Cardinal
Gasparri, secretary of state for the
Holy See, and Premier Benito Mus
solini of Italy soon may be sent
out to capitals of the world an
nouncing an accord.
Italy Makes Offer
Italy, it is said, has offered add
tional land. an indemnity of NOR
than S50.O00,000, and other advans-
ages which, it also is reported, the
church is inclined to accept.
If reports prove true. the pope
would be sovereign over an area
within Italy, but outside Italian
jurisdiction. just as the District OF
Columbia is outside the jurisdiction
of any state of the United States
None of the popes of Rome, from
Plus TX down to the present, ever
has asserted that the paral state
must be restored exactly as it exist
ed before, but as Piux X stated, in
1904. amy pope would rather take
refuge in the CatacombS than re-
..,.-,o bie eovyaraiyy1 freedoy11 -