THE ANNIVERSARY OF PORTA PIA IN ROME.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume III, Issue 138, 24 December 1875, Page 15

THE ANNIVERSARY OF PORTA PIA IN ROME.

!Fn r E years have passed since the breach of PortaPia and the dethronement of as beneficent a monarch as ever ruled over a people. The deposition of Pius IX. was not effected by honorable adversaries after the rules of recognised warfare. Victor Emmanuel was on terms of profound peace with his victim, lie had even contracted and pledged himself to preserve intact the Pope's dominions. With fervent protestations »>f affection and filial regard, without the shadow of a pica to urge against his peaceful neighbour, without even a declaration of war, he launched a powerful army against the tiny band which kept guard within Koine, and seized by means of overwhelming masses of soldiery the territory and capital of an almost unresisting and altogether unoffending sovereign. And now that a lustrum bas p»ssed and gone away since that act of unparalleled perfidy and injustice was accomplished how stands it with Rome, and with its new King? Koine is indeed the capital of Italy, but a capital only in name and by virtue of military occupation. "Withdraw the Italian troops and Rome will revert without effort to its former ruler. The aged Pontiff, prisoner as he is within his palace, is still the monarch over the hearts of all within his former city who arc eminent for virtue and for rank. The ancient nobles renew year by year their acts of respectful homage to their discrowned King. In vain does Tictor Emmanuel offer to them the allurements of the Quirinal. In vain are posts of profit and honor laid before them for acceptance. The le&ser citizens, borne down Avilh heavy imposts, look back Avith regret to the happy days when their possessions Avcro there oavii, and when no man was driven to suicide irom want of bread to support life. Eome is indeed changed, and is no longer the Kome of iive years ago. Crime and moral infamy have done (heir work. The face of the beneficent Pontiff is no longer scon in the streets. The majestic PapaL functions have ceased in the Basilicas. The tombs of the Apostles are no longer visited by crowds of citizens from every quarter of the universe, met together to gazo with awe and reverence upon celebrations embodying all that is historic, beautiful, sublime, and ineffable in the divine religion of Christ. Borne in olden time was famous for observance of sacred days, for the splendour and richness of church ceremonies, and for the reverence paid outwardly by every one to the mysteries of the Faith. But the intruder s who now govern Rome have dissolved the vows which united men to God, impoverished the holy shiues, drivon out the once happy inmates of clo stored homes, and broken up the communities of men and women whose lives have been dedicated lo charity and prayer. Barbarian conquerors often spared the sanctuaries of religion, and refrained from despoiling the unarmed friar and the defenceless nun. But the Christian spoliators of to-day are remorseless, and spare nothing that is holy, and scruple not to enter and to plunder tlic most sacred asylums wherein their suffering and weak fellow-Christians have sought repose and safely from the world The pilgrims who now proceed to Rome to visit the tombs of the Apostics may not stop in the streets before the temples to recite a prayer to God, nor can they perform the stations of the Cross on the arena which Avas once drenched Avith the blood of martyrs. The stations have been removed from the Coliseum to facilitate excavations Avliich have only resulted in the propagation of malaria. The priceless treasures of books and manuscripts so lovingly gathered and preserved by the religious have been rudely takcti from the convents and monasteries and roughly collected into heaps to bo dis^oi'sud or sold, as caprice or greed may dicia'e. And to compensate for ;tU Ihis, a corrupt and debasing literal lire Las been introduced and fostered. Inlamous and blasphemous journals daily poison the youth and enervate the manhood of the kingdom. Indecent and irreligious spectacles and exhibitions arc permitted, although the processions of the Sacred Host are inhibited. And v'ce flaunts herself in the streets, while the ministers of God arc mocked and insulted. As if to render permanent the degradation of the people, the ministers or religion are forced to close the schools wherein the young were taught to worship God. Those who are educated in seminaries, colleges, or schools under management of Catholic clergymen aye excluded Irom competition for offices and employment in public departments. Secular schools are establ shed in which the masters and mistresses may profess any or no religion, and may practise any kind of morality they choose. The (Jafholic schools are doomed to destruction, and in the metropolis of Christianity Christian teaching is put under a bun. Not content a\ itli waging war against the Religious Orders, and despoiling the monks and nuns, and prohibiting religious education, the new master 1 * of Kome are about to plunder the poov, by compelling the benevolent and charitable institutions to convert their real property into the paper money of the Government. Such are the results of the breach of Porla Pia. And it must be asked were these the results of the free and liberal policy promised in the face of Europe by Victor Emmanuel Avhcn he tried to palliate his violation of treaties and his pledged word ? 3lc then declared vehemently that his purpose was to secure the ■welfare of the Church and maintain the dignity of the Head of Christianity- Ho pretended to give freedom, and to emancipate religion from the trammels of political exigencies?. But he has enslaved the Cliuroh, imprisoned the Vicar of Christ, and freedom in Italy is a inocktiy, a delusion, and a snare. There is no freedom in the punineuia. Men arc arrested on frivolous ground*, manacled and incarcerated for months, and then dismissed from goal for lack of evidence to place them on trial. The prisons arc crowded with eighty - iive thousand inmates, one half of whom could not be properly accommodated in tlie rooms at present available; for criminals. Rome is indeed altered since the :iOth September, 1870. The Pontiff is moially si prisoner, the clergy arc trampled upon, the rites of religion are turned into ridicule, and parodied in theatres; the religious communities) nre dispersed, the sacred inheritances, the gifts of Constantino and Oluirlemugne, the funds for religion and Christian bonovolenco, lifiuvo become the prey of auction-bidders. Some of the churches are deserted, some have been ehuL up, and some have been turned to profane uses. The guardians of Lbo churches, who dwelt near them iv convents, haAe boon removed. Whut remains, save a population debuted; and v yuutb demoralised? Hits not Kome received a, hundred

and forty-tAvo houses liconsed for impurity, in exchange for onfl hundred and tAventy convents suppressed? Wo must forbear to pursue further the contrast between Rome under Pius IX. and the Rome of Victor Emrnamiel. But if the "breach of Porta Pia is commemorated by Eomans and Catholics it is as an anniversary of shame, a day to be observed with tears and lamentations, Avith regret for the blessings which have passed avvay, and sorrow for the evils which aro present. — ' Tablet.'