Year: 1866

From the Boston Postl


As the 18th of December draws near, the


date fixed upon for the departure Of the


French troops from Rome by order Of the
/ Emperor, the situation Of the supreme pom


tiff becomes more and more interesting, il


not embarrassing OF course We speak OF


the matter in the temporal sense altogether.


As the visible head Of the Roman Catholic


Church throughout the world, the Pope ex-


ercises an authority which gains nothing BY


surroundings Of any sort other than those


purely symbolical ahetber a specific lOca-


ton for the regular exercise Of that anthOrl-


Is, and especially a location which IS rem
d cred venerable and Of imposing influence


by, centuries Of occupancy, is essential to its


vigorous existence, Is question upon which
some Of the foremost minds Of the Church
] have Of late been seriously engaged.


1 In Europe, the Austrian Emperor has Of
late years been looked 70 as the Pope's most
reliable support and constant defender. But
the recent misfortunes which have overtaken
that ruler render him useless any longer in
that chosen capacity. And as for the King
/ Of Italy, his accommodation from the
/ church would hardly tend to strengthen the
Papal confidence and.hope in him, however
sincere may have been the overtnres Of re-
conciliation made since that memorable oc-
| currence NAPOLEON is still less to be de-
pended on to perform the Office Of the Pope's
| temporal defender, even were he not about
! to furnish proof of his unwillingness to ac-
cept il by the withdrawal Of the French
/ forces from Rome altogether Prussia has
become a strong power in the North, and is
as Protestant as England herself; while the
I Gar, himself the head of the Greek church,
would be but too glad to see the dis
| appearance Of the local rule Of the Pope en-
tirely.


Since, therefore, the supreme pontif will
/ be without national support very soon it IS
seriously proposed to provide refEge for
him somewhere else than in Rome, Slnd Can
! aea. Malta, and other localities ani spoken
Of in his relation. The Catholic clergy are
| beginning to discuss the subject With undis-
guised anxiety, unwilling that the Papal
See should become a Wandlfer from the
place 50 long ago rendered sacred in the
minds Of al believers by itz occupancy. Car
dinal CULLEN, in an ad9eeS on the subject
TO the Bishops Of IreI4nd, brings to their
minds the crisis Which is at hand for the
temporal power Of the Church, and appoints
a special day Of fasting and prayer for the
threatened Holy Father. In Dublin, devo-
tions Of like character have already been
celebrated, and the Cardinal Archbishop has
impressively set forth the claims Of the Pope
on the love Of all Catholics, the perils with
which he is beset, and the proper and most
effective way of relieving and supporting
him in his critical situation.


The fear naturallyis, that the Government
Of VICTOR EMANUEL will force the Romans
10 vote the deposition of the Pope and the
annexation Of the Papal States to the king
dom Of Italy. Where in such an event, the
Catholic Bishops inquire with much solici-
tude, will he gO2 What viii he do next?
lis the question which all are asking in
Europe, and thousands more in the United
States? Should the English Government
offer him an asylum in Malta, it is thought
he may direct his steps thither; he will at
least be sure Of his liberty and hislife, where
as If he should remain among the excited
Romans he could not be certain of either.
Some of the foreign journals argue that il is
preposteroas for him to seek TO continue an
existence in the midts Of a people who are
hostile, and hence that he had better leave
Rome as soon as the French are Withdrawn.
Nothing but the event itself seems likely to
solve the problem; political ambition and
public necessities are too much worked into
the case to admit of its being decided on its
spiritual merits alone. And the politicians
and rulers viii settle it for themselves. But
it may be considered the final humiliation
Of Austria, by convincing the young Empe-
ror Of the utter helplessness with which he
has been overtaken.