PONTIFICAL TEMPORAL POWER.

West Coast Times, Issue 2987, 4 May 1875, Page 2

PONTIFICAL TEMPORAL POWER.

{To the Editor.)

Sir, — Whilst regretting that any member of the community should have felt umbrage at the circumstance of Catholics expressing sympathy for the afflictions of the head of their church, and their belief in regard to the effects which the present persecution of the church in parts of the world is likely to produce upon Catholicity, in their addresses to his Lordship Dr. Redwood on the occasion of his visit to this part of his diocese, I, nevertheless, thiuk this circumstance scarcely affords justifiable occassiou for making the sweeping and offensive charges against the faith or "institution " to which they belong, such as those launched against it. by " Mentor," or that his Lordship iv addressing his fldck should, as stated by him, " have made assertions that could not be received by men of a different church." Nor do I think that any reasoning man of the community cau entertain the same views in regard to this matter as those of "Mentor,". as, surely, most people of the community must beloug to some church, and that must be a new and strange one to Christianity in which assertions are not heard which are not objectionable to the belief of persons of a different church. Silence, perhaps, would be the most dignified course' to adopt iv regard to charges of this nature ; nevertheless, silence is very often misinterpreted by ignorant persons, and the subject being one of a, portentous character, a refutation is to some extent called for. - Notwithstanding that modern civilisation' does not inquire into the means by which sovereignty has been acquired in order to recognise its legitimacy, " Mentor " goes back a thousand years to dispute the title of the Popes to the sovereignly of Rome ; yet, for any evidence that he has adduced he may be as ignorant of the events which occurred in those times as the uulettered savage of the Antipodes, or yet upon any of those maters to which he refers, though doubtless there are authorities to teach him that which he has written. He sa3's the "deprivation" of" the Pope's temporal power a? a soyereign was a political necessity of long standing — and for what? "In orJer to consolidate the numerous petty States of Italy into a free and independent nation." If this is an argument to justify such acts, the same argument will apply to the same measures on a more enlarged scale, and it might be urged as a political necessity, in the course of a century or so, that some particular predominating power on the Continent of Europe should lay sudden and violent hands on the territory and possessions of all the other sovereigns, and confiscate their properties in order to construct armaments — naval and military — so as to be placed "on a level " with that, young giant power on the American Continent which threatens to overshadow the rest of the world. On this basis of political necessity in regard to balance of power, would " Mentor " restore to France her lost Provinces of Alsace and Lorraine, having been proved to have been weaker than Germany, even before she lost these Provinces? Or he deprive the petty kingdom of Belgiem of its independence (the independence of which is guaranteed by England), and annex it to either of these two Powers in order to place it on a level with England, say, and in order to create this equipose of power which is conspicuously wanting in Europe at the present time, and which, by the way, is a thing which never did ejfist, never will, aud never can, notwithstanding that " Mentor " seems to think that it has been brought about by the consolidation of the Roman States. Even supposing such a political phenomonen to be possible, I think wise men might differ as to whether it tended anything towards the preservation of peace between nations. The ruling sentiment of nations ia the same as that of individuals, and disputes occur quite as often through pride and emulation as through a spirit of aggiession through a consciousness of superior power. Let us now turn to the question of the political necessity of the consolidation of these States in order that the "many abuses which cling around ancient institutions" should be " swept away." The arguments of " Mentor " on this head are so closely connected that the intended inference is patent. Now fri regard to these 'f abuses," if we muEft. believe that such are inseparable accompaniments of ancient institutions, because- il\ey are ancient^ I hold it to be a necessity that not alone the abuses, but the institutions themselves, should be swept away, in order to rid civilised humanity of something which has the inherent quality peculiar to it of generating abuses; This is, no doubt, the doctrine which " Mentor " has learnt, and which modern " free thought " is endeavoring to promulgate throughout Christendom ; fortunately, however; for the interests o f Christianity, all Christians are not willing to accept this unchristian dictum. Catholic Christianity is unwilling to believe that the institution which was founded by Christ on earth has grown too ancient within the term of 2000 years for adherence to its faith. " On the contrary, the*belief of Catholics is to this effect — that when Old Father Time himself even has grown hoary with age, and this terrestrial

planet on which we d^ll is gravitating towards destruction, whether , that period be millions or hundreds of yearV. hence, Catholics will not even then consider that this ancient institution to which* they bvlob v lol ij has £ rown 80 antiquated that ft - s W. d bs.swept away ;. ,and for, the- source . ot this belief we have only to look to the word of its Divine Founder which says, "Behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world." . Now, let us see what was ttie' nstiire of these things which" Mentor '" 'points out as abuses, so far as they may be considered defined. The possession of revenues and property by the cburch is the only one that I can catch hold of. Now, I will ask is it contrary to constitutional law in any civilised country that church dignitaries of any degree, religious institutions, or corporate bodies of any kind, should be in possession of property and revenues ? And if it is not, why should it be repugnant to the sentiments of any impartial c.tizen of the world, that the forcible dispossession of the3e people of their property wlio had committed no crime against the State should be called a " robbery;": no matter by whom so called, but least .of all .should I it be considered so when designated so by persons who are injured (no matter how slightly or remotely), eitHer^. temporally or spiritually, by such robbery? "On the other hand perhaps it is assumed that the extent of revenues and, property . which were in possession of the church; was" ah abuse to religion, or injurious to the welfare of the State ; but neither /acts, history, tradition, nor the tevidence of the scriptures will support this thesis. By investigation it will be discovered that not only in Italy, but in every other country where the Catholic Chnrcb 'was in possession' of

property and revenue, that revenue w t as devoted to the relieving' of ihe'wahUr bY the poor, the diffusion of education, the maintenance of charitable institutions, and assuaging the numerous evils which | humanity is heir to ; so that in fact wealth | or property could be in no better hands than that of the church-; and it was prin cipally through the recognition of this fact that it has been at all times, bestowed upon her. " Mentor"' has recourse. t£ sctyp.tftrc I to prove that the possession of temporal power or wealth by the- -clergy i» in opposition to the spirit of the Gospel $ but the scriptures, will not bear him out therein. In the law relating to the Hebrew nation, of the political and religious constitution of which God himself was the Supreme Monarch, we find that in $hej partitio^^f the Land of Promise, the tribe of JLwi, which was consecrated to' the functions o( the sacred ministry, received the tithes, first fruits, and the ordinary offering* which God had assigned to it. It possessed, moreover, forty-eight'citiesitithedifferent tribes, with two thousand cubits, of,, land, araun/l each city. The High" Pries_t, ! eVen^Wn he was neither judg&jnor,p r rince in D r^el, vvas one of the most wealthy in the nation; besides the special offerings which the people were bound to make- to him on special occasions,, and the share which he had in all sacrifice's^ the ilevites>gavesiim a tenth, of ajlL that receiv.ee! . 9?l?us ancient Jewish writers compare " tke glory • and- -majesty- 1 '8f -p'ottSttV' -^(high priests) ",to that! of- kings." d ..lv the. ojLd^ law we find by the "institution of God himself the. temporal power united with the spiritual^ sin.;'? the'/niost hoty personages — "Melchisedec, ' Abraham, Itfaac, Jacob, Moses,ja_nd Jtjieir,, succgssp_rs down to Herod's time! -were at the same time both kings ijnd priests. As priest, Moses offered to Go 1 incense and victims, consecrated the altar and tabernacle, and performed all the functions appertaining to the sacred ministry. As prince and temporal governor he gave laws to the people, administered justice, exercised the right of life or death, and all the rights attached to the temporal sovereignty, and the same in regard to all the other princes of Israel. Thus by " calm investigation"' " Mentor" may discover that the words of the Divine Founder our faith, 1 in declaring " his

Kingdom to be not of this world," are open to a different interpretation to that attached to them by him, as most assuredly the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of Grod are the same. Nor in the new law is there anything which prohibits the clergy from possessing wealth or temporal power- when it is bestowed upon them by the voluntary munificence ■ of the faithful. I shall now refer to the origin of the teraporaj. power of the P. ope, its nature and effects iii regard to "other nations. Many modern writers — from some of whom undoubtedly " Mentor" has derived his views — represent that power as' the creation of clerical ambition aud intrigue, aided by the ignorance and ' superstition • of the middle ages. So far from that being the case, history goes to prove that the establishment of the sovereignty of the Holy See was, from a remote anterior period, insensibly prepared and conducted -to its issue by a combination of circumstances completely independent of the will of the Popes. After the first persecution of tbte Christians, which lasted for three hundred years, the conversion of the Emperor Constantine was the inauguration of many privileges and honors to the clergy and bishops. But long before this the Roman Empire carried within itself the seeds of dissolution, which at last completely destroyed it. • The continual irruptions of the barbarians gradually dismembered its provinces, arid involved the inhabitants in ■ the most frightful calamities, Before the p.lose of the fifth century the empire' Was almost annihilated in the west, the seat of the Emperor was at Constantinople, and Rome herself, first subjected to the tyranny of the Heruli, and afterivards ttrttfe Ostrogoths, seemed to. have been completely severed from her ancient masters, Under (he reign of Justinian the conquests of Belisarius aud of Nerses restored for some years £hat portion, of -the. empire. But shortly after the Lombards nearly brought the Roman provinces" Under -sub* jection, and founded in • thei north a monarchy which during more than two .centuries was a spurce.of calamity. to the provinces of Italy, , still, subject to (the Imperial dominion, frotn whicn they were almost completely destitute of ony aid, though constantly appealing for it -,to the Emperor, as he was hardly able to make bead against similar irruptions in the East. In -this wretched state of affairs Providence had provided q, powerful resource for Italy in the wisdom and virtue of the Popes, who then occupied the Holy See. From the conversion of Constautine tot tbeireigh of Charlemagne, they were almost all distinguished by their learning, prudence, and eminent sanctity, and nearly all of them, have been placed in the calendar of saint's. ' The strong constitution of the church { the baau'y qf its moral teaching j the reformation which it everywhere produced in public morals, pointed it out as the agent for the regeneration of society. The more the Romans found themselves abandoned by the, Emperors, . the more they naturally attached themselves to the Pope.s, who during this period were almost all Romans by birth. The defence of Rome was considered as a religious war, '

because the . Lombards were mostly all Pagans. The Popes, to protect' their churches atid convents from. t&e profanation of these b^|bapia'ns, eraplb'yfed &U the ecclesiast^il TvellthM theifc^i^tiSal, and the alms which they had obtained from Lih3.charjj;jr..QXj:hj J^itjifyl .pf the West, throughout' which Christianity had extended, and more than once;tbey.» fiad saved Rome from subjection by the Lorn by "their prudence and generosity"; so that the increa'siriu; power of thS Popes was founded on the most legitimate of all titles, their charity and beneficence. la 750, the Lombards, once more seized the Provinces, laid waste the country by the, most frightful atrocities, and concentrated their force's against Rome. Stephen the Second, ' then Pope, after having vainly solicited succour from the Emperor Cojistantine Copronymus, endeavored to negotiate with Astolphus the Lombard King T in which he was unsuccessful. In .this extremity he saw no other resource for himself and his people than to implore the assistance of the King of France, after the example of his predecessors, tx'regbry the Second, Gregory the third, and Zachary. King Pepin, thereupon, sent an army to the telief; of Rome, which, completely annihilated .the Lombards, and afterwards put the Holy See into possession of the Provinces restored. It was thus that

King Pepin established the temporal sovereignty ,of the Popes, which in effect they had long before enjoyed, by virtue of the free choice of the people, over th& Provinces abandoned by their former legitimate sovereigns. 1 shall now refer to the nature of this temporal pjwer by means of which, according to " Mentor," the Popes "gradually and artfully spread their toils until the whole of Christendom was within their grasp, and they held imperial sway over the sovereigns .of mightiest empires who were compelled to make peace or declare war as is suited pontifical interests." I- beg .leave, however, to quote from another, authority, a theologian, the Archbishop of Cambray, in explanation of this Jjowfir, hot being one myself. " Thift bovver was" not a power of temporal

jurisdiction founded on the divine law, but it was both a directive power of divine institution, and a power of temporal jurisdiction of purely human institution; The- church, and the Pope, being, in a word, bound, aud consequently entitled b§? divine institution,*' to enlighten and direct the consciences of princes and of people in all that concerns salvation, have, by the very fact, power to decide questions relating' to " obligations of conscience, arising from the oath of allegiance. But besides this directive power divinely instituted, they had, moreover, during the middle ages, a power of temporal jurisdic-tioh-ofpurely human institution, founded on the usages and maxims of constitutional la\v^ then generally admitted. When tßey*'deposed a sovereign who obstinately persisted in heresy,, or remained under excommunication, they acted not only as'dbctors and directoris of the faithful in the spiritual order ; they> acted, moreover^ as judgeSt established and. recognised by the usages and constitutional law then in force, according to which.sovereign'3-shduld be examined and judged when incur riug. deposition by the violation of the contract which they had made with their subjects';" And in. regard to the exercise and effects of this.po.wer; upon the nations, I , will quote another* authority, Michaud — History "of the Crusades. "In these latter times writers have spoken much of the powter'of the heads of the church, but they judge more by theories than by facts j more jn. thVspirit of our age than in that of th.c middle ages. The genius of the Popes has been lauded in extravagant strains ; and these eulogies have been designed principally to make their ambition more palpable. But if the Popes had the genius and ambition combined which are attributed to them, we mast believe that their {first object, should have bee'a to extend their own dominions, and to increase their powers as sovereigns ; nevertheless, in this they have not succeeded; in this tb,ey have never tried, to succeed! Is it not more natxiral to suppose, in whatever great things they accomplished, the Popes only obeyed the impulse of Christendom ? During .the middle ages, the epoch of their power,' they rather obeyed than created that impulse. Their supreme power was forced on them by their position, not by their own will. They were led to the possession of that power by the circumstances in which Europe was placed during ttje eleventh and twelfth centuries. Socjety in Europe, overwhelmed with ignorance and anarchy, and without any law, threvv itself into the arms of the Pope, and believed that it wa9 placing itself under 'the protection of heaven. As nations, had no. other notions of civilisation, but that which they received from the Christian religion, the Popes naturally became the supreme arbiters of nation?. In the midst of that darkness which the light of the gospel was constantly tending to dispel, their authority , was naturally tn.e first that was established, the first tnat vwssv wss recognised. The temporal power stood in need of theiy sanction. Nations and Kings implored their support, aad consulted their wisdom ; their power was exercised for, the benefit of public morality and social order ; • it protected , the , weak against the strong-; it Often prevented the execution' of •criminal projects ; it restored peace between the nations ; ft saved society ift its inTancy from the excesses of ambition, from licentiousness arid barbarism." ' ' Thus, although from " Mentor's " authority it would appear that "the temporal power" held the nations of the earth in darkness and superstition, from other authority, ,and from numberless authorities, 'both Protestant and Catholic, we find that to tHis^power, in connection .with the gprpad of Christianity unde.r-tljq auspices qf the Popes, Europe 'oweg -.its civilisation ancTredeniptiQn from 'barbarism, : and," 1 through Europe, the civilised -.world, .In reference to, the remarks of his LBr,d« ships, Dr Redwood, in regard to the present state of Italy, I think they are sufficiently substantiated by the statistics furnished in "A Country Subscriber's," letter. However, as " Mentor" has expressed a disposition to inquire iqto these. , matter's li in a spirit of calm investigatiqn," I trust my discursiveness will nqt weary him- if liquate from the assertions of a Deputy of the Italian House of Parliament* in drawing the attention of the House to the alarming state of society ; and as these may be more convincing to " Mentor" than those of Dr Redwood (and very properly so), it, may afford some proof of the actual 'state of affairs under" the rule of'thig " Regenerators." Deputy Spina 'saicj— " £hat there existed within the Prqvin.ces. secret band of ruffians, which reached to the" enormous number of eigHty-two thousand, who laughed at the police as at a useless scarecrow. It is no wonder that in some ot the most unfortunate of the Provinces the condition of the public ; security is most deplorable. I regret to say that in certain districts the proprietors are obliged to let the fields he unfilled,

because everyone fears to go out of his house to cultivate them ; and honest citizens are forced to abandon the country which gave them birth that they may find elsewhere a refuge against the menaces which imperil their existence." This statev. ment was certified by ex-minister Lanza. ,1 should wish to know whether this state of affairs is the " political freedom" which "Mentor" idealizes. * He is of opinion that Pontificial Government has been a failure, because during the many ages of its existence it has not extended its dominions, m6tMths'tanding ttiat '''they Held imnerial sway over the^ sovereigns, of mightiest empires;" because, notwitnstabding their "ambition" they were not sufficiently ambitious, to, tax the nation for the organization and maintenance of an army and navy, or to aspire " to place it on a level [ »<frith thfeiCxistihg monarchies of Europe." f ,;.3?he .confiscation of the church revenues and property may have gone some extent in attaining this grand object, but the world can witness the effects upo t n the population, in tbi starvation of the pbor an;d brebplesi, for whom scarcely any pro. .vision ..exists and whose wants were formerly attended to by the different religious institutions. If this is the " regeneration" and " political freedom" which modern civilisation^;, (lismands, I think Christianity at least ought to have better views on the subject. A few words more in.. . reference to "Mentor's" scepticism as to his Holiness the Pope being a persecuted man, and his emphatic assertion that the Abstraction of the temporal power was no bar to the exercise of the ministry of the churcb, or the progress pf Christianity. When, together-. with having been stripped of his own temporal possessions, he witnesses the persecution to which the church of which he is the head is subjected, not only , in the nation of which he was the former j sovereign, but in other parts

of Europe, as .in Germany, where the State, the functions of the church 3a- spiritual- matters; endeavors.to - coerce ■ the -bishops and clergy, int^o Bubmißsion to their authority, in fiiatters which are purely ' 'ecclesiastical; anflin. wMck^^obedjenpe^.iOn - their— .part would involve .perfidy towards their faith ; where iv consequence of non"Sbtiipliance with dictation from this ■'ufeutpfed diu'thbri'ty -bishops and clergy are cast wholesale into prison as if they bad beert ..malefactors— rcanThis aged Patnar«h.him- ; suffer, and witness this suffering aud " 'persecution of bis flock, and riot 'feel _ afflicted an ; d persecuted ? And in r~ -^e^ard J %6 ' fre'edorh in the exercise of his spiritual power, amongst.the SVholesale.con- ; i6scii?6n orderij'olitidii of,cbiirch property, ;' Jierh'a^psoneiustance may sufficetq'deraon- ■ -tete the fallacy of " Mentor's" tliesis— that vfij the' sale of the ih'stitu'tibri 6f ihePro-"f-|f" f -|fo f ganaa ; an institution Ynrpttgh whiph /•the - 'Catholic 'Missionary 'ystabttshm^nts • 4 l^hrbugbout fhe world 'were' Sonclu^te'd'a'nd »^maintaihed, and whi'6h Wa^'-'.B'tap^ot^a M by - a6ntftfons and feontributi'diii from''Cattfofics from all quarters pf the glpbe'.? ')f 6^ '•taking 'away ot this itfstilrffi6n, ' f " Intet'be admitted as Something more than " A dfepr^Vation of temporal power; because -.ft paralyses the missionary functions of j&fhblicity at their yery source. •' Mentor" 1 asks by whom are these wrongs committed. • To this may be answered — by men whose avowed object is " the downfall and ruin of the Cross," and who do not hesitate to demonstrate their principles by the demolition of that sacred symbol of Christianity even in sight of the Vatican, and by the desecration or places 'qf worship, and spil, which have been , rendered sacred by the life-blood of saints and martyrs. But that church which was ■ born in miracles lives by a miracle. She has Survived many such attacks, and, no doubt, she will have to undergo many more. 'Thus, by investigation, "Mentor" may discover that things are occurring in our day which he evidently knows not of, and that, in regard to the past, history teaches a different story to that which he has learnt, I do not flatter myself, h'pwever, that the trifling amount of light "which I cast on the subject, herein, 'will be considered confirmatory' evidence of the truth by him. He will have to inquire further and deeper for this, than through a jouraalistic correspondence ; but if that which I have furnished him with should ( 'foe Calculated to induce him to do so, he : need have no cause for regret that Dr Redwood "should' have made assertions that could not be received by men of a ftifferpt churcb. 1 ' I am, &c, ■ ' ' Childeric.

,Xtp new, stern-wheel steamer Bajclutha jtfiiaeher trial trip on the Clutha last week. '■pak left the jetty at Port Molynens alt 7■' a.m.7 ■'a.m. in company with the screw steamer • v Lady of the Lake, for Kaitanga'ta, arriving there an hour afterwards. She took in flfoont 80 tons of cargo from the Lady of the Lake, consigned to Balclutba owners. She also i- -received on board a large quanti ty of coal . Her „^ead weight ,of cargo must bare been about ■ jsp tons,,and with this her draught of water • .was exactly three feet. She left Kaitangata at "a quarter past two, and reached Balclutha at a quarter to'six. The distance steamed was fifteen miles, the last ten miles all against the strong current of the main branch of the Molyneux. The engines worked splendidly, and with from 65 to 70 lbs of steam, the wheel made twenty revolutions per minute. She steers remarkably well, and when leaving Kaitangata turned round in her own length. She is a great improvement upon the old Tuapeka steamer, and ia in every respect a success."