ARCHBISHOP MANNING ON THE PAPACY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 51, 18 April 1874, Page 12

ARCHBISHOP MANNING ON THE PAPACY.

I ?^^ «^d^eas>efpro,tli€. Deague of fiti Sebastian, assembled in Willis' Rooms, London, hit Grace, the ArchbUhop of Westminister, •poke as follows ;— >t ;■ ' ' "/r " ; - ' ' '^' M ' '!> ' IhopetheLengue may^talce l .its enemies by surprise at much as •SS^^P' tey^.H'^^me. ;(Ea6ghif^.) iyW loame here tO-d»y, it was fo listen And not speafc If is a queition which bceupies the mindt— l may say the animosities— of a great many nations «bo«eek to put difficulties ;in;^'the way bf ; apnoihtwg • •uocessor to Pius IX., in case- of an event which I hope v far distant. (Hear here.) Ten years ago; in Koine a distinguished diplomatist was m communication with certain great statesmen: - He was asked to give his opinion "Whether the dissolution of the Temporal. Power would ?£* %fr S £&' 1 #& 1 !? i * h?^ di « ol , ntio ? °l ibe spiritual authdritjr of Pius IX.P.V The diplcmatiflt in queetjon, whb was riot a Catholic, answered, MBe cure of thia^you may dissolve the Temporal Pbwer^ypu may.destrOT Eotee, if youwiU • but as lonfe as there are fhree Capuchms m. the world, two of them wiU elect the third a Pope !"i CLoud Appkuse.) Eighteen hundred 1 years have nbtsufflced to break the links of Peter s chain: We need not have any anxiety on that point. (Hear, hear:) f The l exeited .antagonism of the nktions of Europe is founded on a fact full of cbnsolatiops. I airi' perfectly Von-vinced-thnt the reaction which set' in after the first French' Bevolutibn when infidelity had wrecked the pelce of Europe, has continued until now, and is turning the minds of N men back to truth and order! ' The reaction has gone on ever since, and has never been so powerful as in the Pontificate of Pius. IX. (Applause.)^ Instead' pf being alarmed; or scared, or discouraged by the great sharpening of animosity and the peat massing together of antagonists, I look upon it as the most beautiful sign. For lam confident; that the "Catholic Church! was sever more developed in its action on the world.' Therefore it iVassailed daily by all the stories, and ( slings arid accusatiprii of the nations ofEurppe. We ought to take; great comfort from such things. In 1848, all the Revolutionists of Europe were .down in the streets sfriv ing to overturn" the Christian Society of Europe. The differerib* between 1848 arid 1874 is that" the' Revblutibriists; instead of being iri the streets, are at this mpmeht intlie cabinets and on the thrones (Loud applause.) Down t0.1870, the Holy See was in conflict with a horde ot rebels and unbelievers— persons from all parts of the continent—and when that mighty host of marauder* -came round about the Holy See, the, chivalry of all the nations of Europe came and turned them out. (Loud applause.) And now in this day we are looking oa a more difficult- position.- It was then difficult indeed, but it was by no means; impossible, tp meet and beat back Now; when the nations of Europe have revolted, 1 and when they have dethroned, as far as men can dethrone, the Vicar ol Jesus Christ, and ■when they have made the usurpation of the Holy City a part of international law^ when all this has been done, there is only one solution of the difficnlty— a- solution, I , fear, impending, and .that is the terrible ecourge of coatmental war^-a war which, will exceed the horrors of any of the wars of the First Empire, I do not see how this can be averted. • And it is my firm conviction that in spite of all obstacles, the Vicar of Jesus Christ will be put again in his own rightful place. (Loud applause.) But that day.wili not be until' his adversaries have crushed each other with mutual destruction. Greatly as I glory in the chivalry of the League of St. Sebastian, this will be done without their aid. The nations of Europe are doomed to executive judgment on each other; but the League of St. Sebastian, wearing their old grey and humble uniform, will, it may be, once more stand By the, throne, of Pius IX. amidst the daybreak of that restoration. (Loud and long continued applause.) His Grace concluded by an allusion to the progress the League was making, and hoped it would continue.