ROME.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 1016, 22 March 1865, Page 5

ROME.

THE POPE'S ENCYCLICAL LETTER,

The issue of this document hns been already announced. The numerous propositions which it contains embrace a wide field, and relate to almost every form of progress in thought or policy. Rationalism is strongly condemned. Civil and religious liberty, and a free pre«s, arc declared not to be neecsmry for the wvll being of a StaUl, and the ecde.vinstict! power is mnted to be by Divine rignt distinct from and independent of the civil power. The whole purport of the letter is to show the necessity for the authority of the Gutiolic Church in order to the happiness of the world. Subjoined i* a brief digest -j! this remarkable document:—* His holiness reminds the prelates that his predecessors hnve never fjiik-d to state and condemn the errors Hgaintt the fundamental principles of religion gpreai throughout society, and in particular against the itoman Catholic Church. He ad.ls that from ihe commencement of his p>nlifKnle he has invariably rebuked these errors in his allocutions delivered at the consistories, and i;i his frequent encyclical letters to the bishops. Seeing, therelore, that errors and false opinions are constantly upon the increase in religious and lay society, the P'>pe declares that he addresses himself to the bishops upon tne present occasion to excite their zin\ to confute error, and to arrest the evil which fake iiWs of religion, philosophy, and piiitics inflict upon the modern world. The encyclical letter then proceeds to enunciate the gruvest errors which must first be confuted. These are stiltrd us the opinions of those who aty that civil progress requires society to bo governed without referenctt to religion, or without any difference being made between the true faith and heresy; that liberty of crmscisncci and of public worslupare esieutLil in a wdl-orgtnised government; that the will of the people, as displayed by public opinion or by other me m<i, constitute* a supreme law and a truu right, ' and that accomplished fitcts in political ad.ira: are to be regarded as rightfully in fjre.« ; that religious orders are not entitled to exfiat, and ought, consequently, to be suppressed ; that family society is depen lent solely up>n civil law, so that the government h*B the exclusive right of regulating the relations between parent* and children, and of directing instruction and education ; that the clergy should not b-e permitted t« take part in public instruction, because they are opposed to progress. The l*opo further condemns the opinions of those who hold that- tho laws of the Church cannot have binding forca unless they are prornu'gated by ihe civil authority $ (hat excommunication* pr.iiiounc-d iigiinst usurpers of the rights and property of the Churoh are an abuse; that tho Church has not the right of punishing those who violate her liws ; that the ecclesiastical power is not by Divine riatht distinct from and independent of the civil power ; that obedience may eonscientiouily be refused to tho-se decrees and decisions of the Holy S«s which do not aflr-ct points of faith. All these opinions, and several others, are rebuked, proscribed, and condemned in the encyclical letter, and the P >ps prohibits 'heir being in future entertainei by true believers. Trie letter i» accompanied hy >m appendix of 80 proponidonf, containing the principal modern errors inveighed iig*irist by iha Pope. Sjven refur to pintheism, u»f,ur!ilii«m, and absolute rationals»ik ; seven to moderate rationalism ; four to religious indifference ; twenty to error* against tho Church and her rights ; iteventeen. to errors currout in civil SDciuty and their relations to the Ciiurch ; nine to errors ol* philosophy j ten to crrora connected with Ctiristiao marriage ; and six to m<xiern liberty and the temporal Bovgrrignty of the Pope; Amo'ig this class are tht (Mowing: — " Tne Pope can and ouijht to be reconciled to progress, liberalism, an I modern civ li»----tion. It h nit fitting that, in th;> present dtiy, the Cat'iolic r<slii<i(m should tie Che esclusive religion of t>i« State. It is untrue th>»t civii liberty of wonhip' anl treednm of the press conduce to the corruption of morals and to prufliif'ita in H«*tfren<*."Arnono; the poettient and philosophical errom, the Popt! conlems these :-~ f ' Authority is nothing more than the ', ■Kiiion of material force and of nurnbiMra.' • A' huppy injustice of fact inflicts no injury upon ! the sanctity of right.' 'It is allowable to oppose and revolt against legitimise prince a.' 1 Violations of oaths and every act contrary: to the eternal law« are ipermiwiblein tbe izatuoof patrtotism.'" i The Pop-3 further condemns biblical societies, and all persons who bold that there is hope of the eternal salvation of those who do dot belong to the true Church, sad ia careful to point oat that whoever imagines a Protestant stands the faintest chance of being saved is most serfouily in tho wrong.