Roman Notes.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVII, Issue 47, 14 March 1890, Page 3

Roman Notes.

Among Catholic colleges recently founded not the least interesting is that by which new ground is broken in a schismatic country. We allude to that established at Athens by the efforts of Mgr. Marengo Archbishop of the diocese.

Mgr. Satolli, Archbishop of Lepanto, wbo was the delegate sent by the Holy Father to represent hia Holiness at the opening of the Catholic Univertity in Washington, and concerning whose visit, on his return voyage, to Ireland, so great an uproar was made that he felt himself obliged, lest the false rumours spread by anti-Irish tongues should assume any appearance of truth, to confine his stßy to a day or two, spent privately in the company of his personal friends, has recently had a special audience of the Holy Father. His Holiness is said to have been much pleased at the account given him by the Archbishop of the condition and prospects of the Catholic Church in the United States. Mgr. Satolli is believed to be one of two cardinals created a few vi eeks ago by the Pope, but as yet reserved by his Holiness in petto.

A good deal of surprise has been occasioned by the attendance of Sir John Lintorn Simmons, the English Envoy to the Vatican, at an entertainment- given by Lord Duffsrin, Ambassador to King Humbert. Tne envoy is looked upon as having made a grave diplomatic mistake. His Excellency, however, can plead the support given him by English ecclesiastical dignitaries who were also seen in the saloons of the Ambassador to the Quirinal.

Interest in the erection in Rome of the Irish National Church of St. Patrick is still well maintained. Prior Glynn is now busy with plans Bent in for selection by him. The fiueßt of those is in the Florentine style, a characteristic of which is a profusion of marble in the construction, arranged so as to produce very rich and beautiful effects. In the fagade niches are provided for, to hold statues of Irish saints, St. Patrick standing in the centre above the principal door. No choice of a plan, however, has been aB yet made.

The allocution delivered by the Pope in the recent consistory has excited the indignation and alarm of the anti-Catholic party, and been loudly comp ained of by their organs in the Press. The Pope, nevertheless, spoke only as the occasion demanded, claiming once more the right of the Papacy to the Temporal power and denouncing several nefarious acts of outrage lately committed against the Holy See by the usurping Government. His Holiness, for example, referred with well deserved severity to the Penal Law to come into

*orce at the beginning of the year— and by which the clergy would be forbidden to apeak a word in defence of the Church. He also alluded to the confiscation of the Opere Pie, or charitable f undß bestowed or bequeathed by Catholics of all nations, for the relief of the poor, in aid of the soffering souls, and for various other religions purposes. The Pope especially complained that the administration of these funds, with gross injustice taken out of the hands of the clergy by an inquitous law, would be intrusted to whomsoever the authorities might please, even to women, with the exception of the rightful administrators, the parish priests. His Holiness had further to complain of an insult offered directly to himself, and a violation of the rights of the Papacy, in the removal from his residence and deprivation of bis episcopal revenues of the Bishop of the Troad.— In concluding his reference to this transaction, the Pope said :—": — " As it is right to be subject to the said political power in civil affairs, so in what affects the spiritual government they can obey no other than oars, and that of those who are placed over them by a legitimate title, unless they desire— which God forbid— to separate themselves from this centre of Catholic unity." The indignation, therefore, expressed by the anti-Catholic party, at the Pope's allocution is only a further offence, and perhaps an indication of what is still to come. Unless there is a determination to silence even the Holy Father himself— which, indeed, is far from impossible— it is vain to remonstrate against his complaining of the insults and injuries inflicted upon the Church, and the Holy See. It ia hia plain duty to do so, and Leo XIII. is not the Pope to ba restrained by even the formidable threats of the enemies of religion. Their assumed indignation and inevitable alarm are not worthy of his notice.

It is of special interest to Irish people to know that the temperance movement now being promoted in Ireland has the special approval of the Holy Father. His Holiness, for example, has granted five hundred days indulgence for the daily recitation of a prayer for the repression of drunkenness, forwarded for his approval by the Bishop of Down and Connor. Those, moreover, who recite the prayer frequently may gain a plenary indulgence twice a year.

The permanent appointment of a British envoy to the Vatican ia now looked upon as among the certainties of the future. It is not, however, thought likely that the mission of Sir John Lintorn Simmons will be prolonged beyond the period necessary for the settlement of the Maltese question, respecting which he has been tent to Rome. The envoy's qualifications as a diplomatist are looked upon as defective, and by no means such as to render him fit for what must prove rather a difficult position.

It will be good news for the Catholics of British, India, that their grievance of thepadroado bids fair to terminate. It is reported that a satisfactory arrangement with respect to it has been made between the Portuguese Government and the Vatican. We do not suppose, meantime, that spiritual jurisdiction proceeding from Goa would at all partake of the nature of temporal jurisdiction existing in the city itself. But this must be far from perfect if a just judgment may be formed from a quarrel among judges that has recently occurred in the city. It would be idle, again, to speculate as to the fate of the padroado, should Goa be annexed to the British territory, a result not at all unlikely to ensue on a war between Portugal and England. The settlement made by the Holy See. however, is certain to be wise and satisfactory.

A encyclical letter has been issued by the Pope on the principal duties of Christian citizens. Among the duties pointed out is that of refusing obedience to laws which are contrary to the teaching of the Church. The Pope also refers to the war made on the Church by infidel governments. In resisting these, says his Holiness, Catholics shonld be united, their apathy or disunion readering their adversaries more bold. Like every utterance made by Pope Leo XIIL, this encyclical is remarkably lucid and powerful.

The Empress Frederick of Germany has paid a visit to Borne, interrupted by the news of the Empress Augusta's death which obliged her Majesty to leave at once for Berlin. A curious incident of the Imperial visit was the multitude of begging letters intercepted by the police Inspector appointed to attend on her Majesty. This fact evoked the charity of King Humbert, who ordered the condition of the writers to be inquired into with a view to their relief if found deserving. The King's whole revenues, however, would fall far Bhort of relieving the misery that prevails generally in the country. But if the distressed applying to the Empress Frederick were indeed deserving their appeal to a stranger rather than to their own monarch seems rather significant.

Notwithstanding the stupid denial of the government, Rome also has been severely visited by the influenza. The public services have in someinßtaDces been interrupted, and the sufferers iv all ranks of life, and in all situations, have been legion.

The anti-Catholic party have been greatly disgusted by the resolution of general Pasi, the first adjutant of the King, lately deceased, to die and be buried like a Christian. The General's words on being informed by his doctor that his illness must prove fatal were to the effect that he wished his end to be that of " a soldier and a Catholic." He accordingly sent at once for a priest. The sight of a Catholic funeral leaving the precincts of the Quirinal was a most displeasing one to Signor Criepi and his followers.

Among the victims of the influenza has been the King's brother, Amadeus, Duke of Aosta, and some short time King of Spain, who died at Turin on January 11. Amadeus was a brave soldier and a consistently good and pious man. He is known to have bitterly deplored the attitude towards the Church of the heads of his House. He make a mistake in accepting the throne of Spain, aud, perhaps, a still greater one in abdicating— at the risk also of bia wife's lift

who bad been but a few days coofined, and who caught a cold on the occasion from which she never recovered — and leaving the country to the repuHicans Had be held out a little longer he might very posbibly have made way for Don Carlos, a man much more after bis own heart. Tie dying prince received the blessing of the Pope, who aftei wards ordered a Mass of Requiem to be offered for him in the Vatican.

Fhe Peter's Pence for last year fell short of the sum for 1838 by *6,000. The total amount w»s £120,000, of which Ireland contribnted £6,200, and England £3,800.

A large deficit is again announced The only resource appears to be an increase of taxation. The country, however, is already taxed almost beyond the uttermost farthing, and statesmen can only listen with alarm to snch a proposal. But, as the Italian people have already borne so much, the limit of their endurance is hard to descry. They have patiently allowed themselves to be reduced to skin and bone. Perhaps they will also part with the skin without a murmur, and become complete skeletons: