On this page
-
Text (1)
-
•Feb. 18, ia60.] The Leaderand Saturday ...
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
-
-
Transcript
-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
Letter Piiojnj: Italy. (Speciai,.) Pa.Pa...
not of regret ; but the conduct of the Papacy deprives it of the sympathy that is due to its misfortunes . There is a kind of si [ mess ° * I know of no better word to use-about the ^ vholp ^ otnan policy at the present day which is really irritating . ItiP * l h to ™ ve about the stake and Ithe martyr ' crown , when nobody has the . shg * test Intention of hurting a hair of your head ; sillyto . talk of . jour paternal love when your provinces are in arms agamst yom ^ cruel Mercies T silly to boast of your independence . when you are guarded in your own capital against your own subjects by foreign troops : silly , in fact , to bark when you cannot bite , to lie when , you cannotdeceive . No poorer on earth couW make tl » e posi ^ n ^ tlre Pope a dignified one at this moment ; and if any thing could make it less dignified than before , it is the system of pompous pretensions and querulous complaints and fulsome adulation which prevauVnow at the Vatican . 1 know not how better to give an idea of the extent to which this system is carried than by describing our last Papal demonstration . / . i ^ ' ¦ A- .
,. __ _ . ,,, , _ To enter fully into the painful absurdity of the whole scene , one should bear in mind what the prospects of Papal politics were at the be g inning of the week . The provinces of the Romagna were about to take the first final step towards their separation , by electing members for the Sardinian Parliament . The question whether the French troops were to retire from Rome , or , in other words , whether the Pope could remain in Rome , was still undecided . Tluj streets of the city were crowded with Pontifical Sbirii and French patrols to suppress tie excitement caused by a score of lads , who snouted " Viva Italia ! " a week before . The misery and poverty of the Roman populace was so great , that the coming Carnival time was viewed with the gravest apprehension , and anxious doubts were entertained whether it was least dangerous to permit or forbid the celehration of the festival . Bear all this in mind . Fancy that some "Mene , mene , tekel upharsiri , " is written on all around , telling of disaffection and despair , and revolt and ruin * and then listen to whatwas that of
said arid done to and by the Pope on Sunday Septuagesinia . Some months ago a college was founded at Rome for the education of American youths destined for the priesthood . There were already an English , an Irish , and a Scotch college , not to speak of the Propaganda . However , in addition to all these , a college reserved for the United States was projected and established by the preserit Pontiff . Indeed , this new American college , the boulevard raised in the Forum , and the column erected in the Piazza di Spagna to the dogma of the Immaculate Conception , appear to be the only material products of the Pontificate of Pirrs the Ninth . Sunday last \ yaa the feast of St . Fbastcois i » e Sai , es , and , for some reason or other , which I am not learned enough in theological lore to determine , the feast of this saint was celebrated as a sort of inauguration festival byjhe pupils of the new college . The Pope honoured the ceremony with his presence ; and , for a wonder , a very full account of the proceedings was published in the Giornale di Jtoma . From this , and from private sources , I have compiled my narrative of the ceremony . The paragraphs in italics are literal
translations from the official report . " THe day /'— -I quote , of course , here from the Giornale— " , in yery truth , a bl essed and a fortunate one , not only for the pupils themselves-r--who yearned for an occasion of bearing solemn ^ witness to t hei r gratitude and devotion towards their best and highest Father andmost munificent benefactor—but also for all those who have it upon their hearts to share in those great works which form the most striking proof of the perpetual growth and spread of our most sacred religion . " Apparently , the number of the latter class is not extensive , as the visit of the Pope attracted but little crowd , and the lines of French soldiers , who were drawn u £ on his way to salute him as he passed , were certainly not collected in the first instance by a spirit of religious zeal . The . Giomctle , however , sees every thing with
the eyes of faith / Mass was performed at the " Holy Church of the [ Humility , " and " from early dawn , as soon as the news of the Holy Father ' s visit was circulated , an immense crowd assembled there , which filled not only the church , but the adjoining rooms and corridors . The crowd was composed of the flower of Roman rank and , beauty , and the hlito of the strangers residing at Rome , both French , English , and American , who . desired the blessing of assisting 1 at the bloodless sacrifice celebrated by the Vicar of Camsx , and longed to receive from his hands the Angels' food . " I am sorry that truth compels me to state that the whole of this " immense
. crowd f consisted of some one to two hundred persons in all , and that the only illustrious personages of special note amongst the crowd , not being priest ^ , were General Guy / on , thtf American Minister and Consul , and the Senator of Rome . The Pope arrived at eight o ' clock , and then proceeded to celebrate the Communion , assisted by Moiisignors Bacon , Bishop of Portland , U . S ., and Goss ^ , Bishop of Liverpool . „ " The rapt contemplation ! the contrition of heart , the spirit of ardent fuith , which penetrated the whole . assembly , move especially while the- * Holy Father' distributed the saored bread , were all things so sublime , that they are easier to conceive than to describe . "
The Pope , after mass was over , entered the college . Over the door the following 1 inscription was written in Latin , composed , wo can safely say , by an Hibemo-Yankee pen : — " Approach , O Mighty Pius , O Thou , the parent of the QW World" and tho New , approach these sanctuaries which Thou husfc founded for Thine American children d « voted to tho service of the Church . To Thoo
tho whole company ojf pupils , to Theo all America wjld with exultation , offojci up praise . For Thoo they implore all things peaceful and MoBeoa . " In the Hall prepared for His Holiness ' s reception there was hungup , " beneath a gorgeous canopy , a marvellous lull length likeness of
i the august person of the Holy Pontiff , destined to recall his revered ! features . '' Around the picture a number of appropriate Latin mottoes were arranged , of which I give one or two as specimens of the tone of adulation adopted : — " Come , Q Youth , raise up thy glad voice ; behold , the Supreme Shepherd is present , blessing his children by the light of bis countenance . ' " Hail , 6 day , shining with a glorious light on which his glad children . receive within their arms the best of Parents . " " As the earth beams forth covered with the sparkling sunlight , so the youths rejoice With fresh badness , while , O . Father , Thou kindly gladdenB them with Thy most pleasant presence . "
Refreshments were then presented to the guests , which I trust , and indeed am told , were much better than the mottoes . The pupils of the Propaganda , who were all present , sang a hymn ; addresses were made to the Pope , by the Pro-rector of the college in the name of the pupils , by Bishop Baccht On behalf of Catholic America , and by Cardinal Babnabo , the Superior of the Propaganda , all of them in terms of the most fervent adoration . Each of the American pupils then advanced with a sliort poem , which he had composed--or was supposed to have composed—in expression of the emotions of his heart on this joyful occasion , and requested permission to recite it . At such a time , the best feature in the Pope ' s character , a sort of kindliness of nature , was sure to display itself . I cannot but think , indeed , that the sight of the young boyish faces , whose words of reverence might possibly be those of truth and honesty , must have eivfin an unwontedDleasure to the worn out , harassed , disappointed old
man . The " Holy Father , receiving so many tokens of homage with agitated feelings * was delighted beyond measure . " When the English poems were read to him , he called out , " I can't understand a word , but it seems gopd , very good . " He spoke to each of the lads ; . in turn , and when he was shown the statue of Washington , told them to give a cheer for their country , to cry " Tlva la Patria * ' ( the . yery offence , by the way , for \ vhich , in the very week before , hs had put his own Roman fellow-countrymen in prison ) , and then , when the boys cheered , he raised his hands up to his ears and told them , all this is nice and
laughingly , they would deafen him . Now very pleasant , and I wish truly I had nothing else to tell . I trust , indeed , that the long abstinence from food ( as a priest who is about to celebrate the communion is not allowed to touch food until mass is over , and in these matters the Pope is reputed to be strictly conscientious ) , or else the excitement of the scene had been too much for the not very powerful mind of the Pontiff ; otherwise I know not how you can excuse an old man , on the brink of the grave- * -to say nothing of the vicar of Ciiftist ^ using such language as he
em" After such affectionate demonstrations , the Holy Father could no longer restrain his lips from speaking , and turned his penetrating glance around . " Very possibly you may have received an account of the speech ere this . In case you have not , I extract the striking passages . After alluding to the foundation of the college , the Pope " pointed but" what a great " blessing the Catholic faith was * a true gift of Heaven , which formed , indeed , our sole comfort and relief in time of trouble . . . and expressed his extreme distress . that this very faith should be made an especial object of attack in these days j adding that this fact alone caused him most lively and poignant grief / There was no need , he said , to refer to the imprisonments arid martyrdoms of past persecutions , when every one was an eyewitness of the onslaught which is now made in like manner upon the Catholic faith , and upon all who would sustain its purity and dignity . . . . Although in the midst of persecution , it was his Hiif . v f n nvm himself oiilv witli firmer eouraere . Yet the grief of his
heart was rendered still more bitter by beholding how , in this very peninsula , so highly privileged by < 3 od , not only wifchjdie gift ^ pf the faith , but with the blessing of being the centre of that laitb , and of possessing the most august throne on earth—how even here the minds of men were hopelessly perverted /* His Holiness then went on : — " No , it is not the arms or armies , or the forces of ai > y power on earth , which can cause me fear j not the loss of temporal dominion which can create in niy heart such bitter grief . Tne guilty ^ uthors of this loss must bear , alas ! the reprobation of the Church , and be given over to the wrath of Gop , unless they repent and trust in His
mercy . No , what afflicts and terrifies me far more than all , this , is the perversion of ideas , the frightful tendency to make all id . eas false . Vice , in truth , is Counted for virtue ; virtue taken for vice . Indeed , in some cities of this unhappy Italy , men have sunk at last into deifying the robber and the assassin . Praise und glory are poured lavishly on the most villanous of men and actions , while yet people have the audacity to stigmatise as hypocrisy , fanaticism , and abuse of religion , all constiuicy in the faith , and even episcopal resolution in preserving the snored doctrines of that faith ana its
greatest blessings , ,. . . .. I have reason to believe that oven amongst the audience , who all belonged to the papal patty , the intemperate and injudicious character of this speech , and the allusions which could not but be intended for the Emperor Navoi . eon , Cavouk , and Vjotob EMMANtJjsfc created grave consternation . The Otornalo , however , tells us that wben His Holiness , with agitated voice , bestowed his apostolic benediction , awe and admiration cou d bo read on every countenance—all hearts bent aloud ; no eyeh 4 was ; left dry . The whole assembly moving forward , bent in turn before tho august Personage > touching , some . hMress , some » J hands , while others akain cast themselves at his (' cot , in order to impress a reverent and affectionate luss . ^ ,. . enn ± < . „ After having examined the building , the Pope « . w « rt - ° " 5 ot' « tho neighbouring convent of tho Augustine nuns , calledUlio f ^ nvent of the Virgins . Tho whole of tho relierloua community woro
•Feb. 18, Ia60.] The Leaderand Saturday ...
• Feb . 18 , ia 60 . ] The Leaderand Saturday Analyst . -167
-
-
Citation
-
Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 18, 1860, page 19, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_18021860/page/19/
-