Roman Notes.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XV, Issue 46, 9 March 1888, Page 5

Roman Notes.

Practical proof has been given by the usurping Government of their disposition towards the Holy Father's jubilee, in the summary dismissal from his position of Duke Torlonia, Syndic of Borne. The Duke's offence was that he waited personally on the Cardinal Vicar, and begged of his Eminence to present his homage and that of the Roman municipality to the Pope. Signor Orispi's wrath was extreme and the Syndic was immediately served, in the King's name, with notice of dismissal. All the pretence, therefore, of good will and gracious acquiesence in the rejoicings of the occasion, have been effectually contradicted, and the anger is revealed of authorities that would have interfered had they dared to do so. The Pope if under but little obligation to a Government acting graciously by compulsion. They would evidently have closed the gates against the influx of the world that comes with expressions of congratulation and homage, had they not been afraid. This affair of the Duke Torlonia brings them prominently into contempt; The Pope in receiving the Italian pilgrims on January 3, made an address, which has been hailed with an outburst of indignation, and doubtless, heard with terror in the camp of the enemy. " You have not given any faith, he said, to those who, with the voice of calumny, try to : persuade you that the Pope is an enemy of Italy. The Popes, as is proved by history, have always been the greatest benefactors of this Italy, called by Providence to have the inestimable privilege of lodging the Prince of the Apostles, and Italy feels to day, and will always feel, the benefits and the salutary effects of this* privilege. You all like ourselves are convinced that the Church by her holy mission ought to be independent of whatsoever terrestrial authority, that the Church is a divine institution, and universal, and to try to reduce its interests to a question of the laws of Italy, can only be the result of the most deplorable blindness. The Church is a universal institution, as is proved by the immense commotion of the entire world, and the proofs of veneration and filial love sent here from Sovereigns.from Governments, from Assemblies, and from collective bodies all over the world for so simple a fact as that of my Jubilee. The Church is always triumphant over her enemies, and by the help of Divine Providence will ever triumph," This address has been denounced as putting an end finally to any question of conciliation, and even as inciting to civil war. But conciliation such as the enemies of the Papacy understand it, has never obtained any consideration from the Holy Father, who will be conciliated only by the restoration of the just lights of the Church, As to civil war, if it means an unprovoked attack upon the Catholic party, by that of the revolution, perhaps so. But appearances must, indeed, be deceitful were foreign arms wanting to assist, should the moment arrive for restoring the Papacy to its true place in the world. Many significant facts have taked place of late. But nothing seems more suggestive than the Pope's assumption, in St. Peter's of the triple crown, while the envoys and represeutives of Kings and Emperors were officially present. At a meeting in the tola dueale of the committees of the Vatican Exhibition, His Holiness afterwards spoke to a similar effect, or, if anything, rather more strongly. Great importance is attributed to the success of the military expedition to Abyssinia. Italy's renown as a nation and her claim to a leading place in Europe are considered compromised in a degree that is rather astonishing, when it is taken into account that the enemy is a semi-barbarous people. A defeat, of course, under the circumstances might be fatal, but how a very great degree of glory is to be gained by a victory is not so easy to explain. Besides the rather questionable renown, the objects are revenge for the catastrophe at Dogali, and the settled demarcation of the limits of the Italian province. The telegram of congratulation sent by tke Emperor of Bussia to the Pope is rather a strange one. It runs as follows :—": — " I beg your HolineßS to accept my sincere congratulations on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of your entrance into the Church to which you have rendered such services. Desirous to assure the religious interests of my subjects who belong to the Roman Catholic Church, I do not doubt but that the supreme wisdom of which your Holiness has given proof, will allow me to reconcile the requirements of the Church of Borne in Russia with the fundamental principles of my Empire.— Alexander.*' But *f the fundamental principles of the Russian Empire the religious primacy of the Cear Btands first of all. It is true His Imperial Majesty has been active in enforcing, or trying to enforce, practical reconciliation with this piinciple on his Catholic ■übjecti. But it is hardly to be imagined that he expects the Pope to further his efforts. Still, if this is not what the concluding words of the telegram mean, it is hard to understand tkem. The Vatican Exhibition was inaugurated by the Podo in person on January 6. The ceremonies were very brilliant and the music especially fine. Gounod's "Hurrah," expressly composed for the occasion, was pronounced a supreme success. The exhibits were splendid beyond all power of description, and the Holy Father who spent some time in examining them seemed very much pleased. The deputation from Ireland, headed by the Archbishop of Dublin, has been most cordially received by his Holiness. The offerings sent by the faithful people do credit to their traditional piety, and testify well to the firm hold that Rome retains on the Irish heart. Nothing, as it might be expected, was spoken on the occasion by the Holy Father touching the political question of the day , A shadow has been thrown among the festivities of the moment by the sudden death of General Kander, who only the other day accompanied the representatives of the late pontifical troops in pay-

ing their nomage to the Pope. The deceased General was ai esteemed servant of the Holy See, and the services rendered by him to it were, on his part, a true labour of love. A rudeness offered by a magistrate at Florence to tha French Consul there, which is asserted to have taken the shape of an infringement of consular privileges, has led to some misunderstanding between the Governments concerned, — The matter, which did not seem of any great weight in itself, would probably have been settled at once by the removal of the offending magistrate, had not the tone of the French Preis irritated Signor Crispi. Negotiations have, therefore, been protracted, but nothing serious is expected to follow. While feeling, nevertheless, between the countries is generally strained, any untoward event, however trifling, serveß to increase the irritation, and must, therefore, be regarded as unfortunate.