THE POPE TO LEAVE ROME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6213, 15 October 1881, Page 7

THE POPE TO LEAVE ROME.

The subject of the Pope'a departure is still discussed in the Italian press. The Radical Capitale at once denounced the news published by the Diritto us a mere etoriella, the printing of which was equivalent to accusing the Pope of having lost his senses. The ultraRadical Lega della Demoerazia, on the contrary, has affirmed that it has authoritative ground for stating that the Pope has told the ambassadors he is firmly resolved to leave Rome, and that they are endeavouring to dissuadehim. TheOpinione says that, notwithstanding the assurances given by the Diritto, the news regarding the Pope's departure is generally considered to be without foundation. It is true, however, continues that paper, that the intransigent fraction of the clerical party, profiting by the irritation recent events have produced in the mind of the Pontiff, have renewed their efforts to induce Leo XTII. to leave Rome. The LibertA treats the subject from a better-informed and more serious standpoint in a leader, of which the following is the conclusion : —" We distinctly state that if the Pope forms the resolution to leave Rome it is certainly not the Italian Government which by humble words and acts should seek to detain him. But this Government is under the obligation of following aline of conduct which in whatsoever event shall deprive the Pope of any pretext which can justify his departure. We have succeeded, thanks to the wisdom and tact of the men who formerly held the reins of government, in always placing the Papacy in the wrong. The present Ministers would appear by their ambiguous conduct to be doing their best in order that the Papacy may finally have the vaunt of being in the right. If the Pope should leave Rome without a sufficient reason for so important a step, the public conscience in Italy and abroad, illuminated by the truth, will throw all the responsibility of so great an event upon him who has accomplished it. But if the contrary should happen; if the departure of the Pope shall be in any way justified by the dubious, uncertain, and changeable conduct of the Ministry, they and their party will receive such a blow as they will fiud it exceedingly difficult to recover from."