ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH. 



C81 



deeply grateful to them for the enthusiasm with 

 which they endeavor to offer us the testimonials of 

 their affection so as to celebrate the anniversary of 

 the day on which, 50 years ago, we, unworthy us we 

 were, received the grace of Episcopal Consecration. 



What we desire none the less, is that all the pas- 

 tors of the churches scattered atar over the earth, in 

 receiving our words, will draw courage from them 

 to make known to their Faithful the dangers, the 

 assaults, and the increasing injuries of which we are 

 the victim, and to assure them, over and over again, 

 that we will certainly never cease, whatever may be 

 the issue of this situation, to condemn the iniquities 

 practised against us. They must also be made to 

 understand that the day may come when our words 

 will no longer reach them as often nor as easily as 

 now, because of difficulties that may arise, either in 

 consequence of the laws above referred to, or of oth- 

 ers still more cruel, the presentation of which has 

 been announced. We, therefore, exhort all pastors 

 personally to warn their flocks not to allow them- 

 selves to be misled by the perfidious artifices with 

 which deceitful men endeavor in their speeches to 

 disguise and distort the true state of things in which 

 we are now situated, either by concealing its sever- 

 ity, in exalting our independence, or in declaring 

 that our power is subject to no one, while we can 

 really define our position in a few words by saying 

 that the Church of God suffers violent persecution 

 in Italy, that the Vicar of Jesus Christ enjoys nei- 

 ther his liberty nor the full and entire use of his in- 

 dependence. 



In this state of things, we consider nothing more 

 opportune, and we desire nothing more ardently, 

 than to see these same pastors, who have given us 

 so many evidences of their union in defense of the 

 rights of the Church, and of their good-will toward 

 this Apostolic See, exhort the faithful confided to 

 them to make use of all the means which the laws of 

 their country place within their reach, to act with 

 promptness with those who govern, to induce these 

 latter to consider more attentively the painful situa- 

 tion forced upon the Head of the Church, and take 

 effective measures toward dissipating^ the obstacles 

 that stand in the way of his absolute independence. 



But as it belongs to Almighty God to send light 

 into the understanding, and to soften the hearts of 

 men, we ask, not only you, venerable brethren, to 

 offer up your fervent prayers to Him, especially in 

 these days of propitiation, but we most earnestly 

 exhort the pastors of all Catholic peoples to assem- 

 ble together in their churches the faithful committed 

 to them, that they may there offer up, from the bot- 

 tom of their hearts, humble prayers for the salva- 

 tion of our Mother Church, for the conversion of our 

 enemies, and for the end of our so numerous and so 

 heavy afflictions. God, Who loves those that fear 

 Him and trust in His mercy, will, we are fully con- 

 fident, vouchsafe to hear the prayer of that people 

 that cries unto him. 



For the rest, venerable brethren, let us take 

 courage in the Lord and in the power of His virtue, 

 find, vested in the armor of Goa, with the shield of 

 His justice, and with the buckler of the faith, let us 

 bravely and mightily march fortli against the pow- 

 ers of darkness and iniquity of this world. Already, 

 indeed, the care that has been taken to confuse and 

 disturb everything has readied that point that tho 

 movement threatens, like a torrent, to carry every- 

 thing over the precipice, and many of those who 

 were the authors and accomplices of this now state 

 of things now look back in alarm, uncertain them- 

 selves as to the effect of their work. But God is 

 with us, and He will remain with us until the con- 

 summation of ases. They, indeed, must tremble of 

 whom it is written: "I have seen that those that 

 work iniquity and sow sorrows and reap them, per- 

 ish by the blast of God, and are consumed by tho 

 spirit of His wrath." * But to those that tear God, 



* Job tv. 8. 



who combat in His name and who trust in Hit might, 

 for them is reserved succor find mercy, and there is 

 no doubt that, since there is now question of His 

 cause and of His combat, He will sustain Ilia war- 

 riors unto tlte hour of victory. 



Tho allocution attracted general attention, 

 and the most impartial of the great European 

 journals admitted that the Pope's arraignment 

 of the Italian Government was well founded. 

 In France members of the Senate and Cham- 

 ber of Deputies formally brought tho matter 

 to the attention of government. Protests 

 were made in Germany and England, and the 

 Catholic bishops in Holland, in a pastoral (May 

 3d), discussed a question which, striking at the 

 head of tho Catholic Church, affected Catho- 

 lics in all parts of tho world. The KeejKjr of 

 the Seals in Italy at once issued a circular to 

 the Procurators-General of the Court of Ap- 

 peal, charging Pius IX. with having exceeded 

 all conceivable limits, and the allocution a 

 " confirmation of pontifical ingratitude toward 

 a government that had shown itself so free 

 and generous toward the Church." The cir- 

 cular prohibited any adhesion to the argument 

 advanced by the Pope. Cardinal Simeoni, on 

 the 21st of March, in a circular to the Pope's 

 nuncios, cited this very circular as a prooi of 

 all that the Pope charged. 



The result was that the bill of Clerical 

 Abuses failed to pass. The principle, how- 

 ever, was maintained in theory, that there 

 was no limit to the power of the Italian Gov- 

 ernment over the Papacy and the Church. 



The Episcopal Jubilee of Pius IX. excited the 

 greatest enthusiasm among Catholics, who sent 

 delegations from all countries to congratulate 

 him on the fiftieth anniversary of his conse- 

 cration as a bishop, and to offer rich presents. 

 In his allocution, June 22d, he cited this as an 

 evidence that the Catholic world desired " that 

 the Supremo Pastor of the Fold of the Lord 

 should preside with full dignity, freedom, and 

 independence." On tho 19th of July, he 

 protested through Cardinal Simeoni (August 

 23d), in a circular addressed to the Diplomatic 

 Corps accredited to the Holy See, against tho 

 seizure of three churches, actually used for di- 

 vine worship in Rome, to be converted into 

 a hospital, a gymnasium, and barracks. A 

 circular note of the Minister of the Interior 

 (July 28th), prohibiting religious procession*, 

 was resisted, and two courts having decided 

 that they were legal, and one that they woro 

 illegal, the Minister of Grace and Justice (Au- 

 gust 23d) defended the circular n<>to. Car- 

 dinal Simeoni (September 24th), in a circular, 

 called " attention to tho ever-growing restric- 

 tions upon tho freedom of worship at this con- 

 tro of Catholicity, and upon the crer-prowing 

 obstacles that are placed in the way of 'the 

 exercise of tho spiritual power of tho Holy 

 Father. It is difficult to understand how, in a 

 Catholic country, where that religion in tho 

 religion of State, the rulers strike at acti Of 

 worship so dear to the faithful peoplo, and 

 \vliich have always been peacefully performed 



