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Wrgt No. 77.-VoL. VI.
Peter's Pence.
PERTH, THURSDAY, JULY 17, 1879. auxiliaries, of their libraries, their museums, their scientific collections, and of the buildings and pious foundations which provided in all respects for the education of the people and clergy of Rome, and of the young ecclesiastics who from every part of the world came to Rome as to the fountain head of true doctrine.
PRICE 61'.
"Not among infidels only is the least ten millions (francs). This sum, Holy See obliged to come to the aid of which is indispensable to the Pope, and the clergy. Amongst those condemned which the piety " The institution of Peter's Pence is of the faithful should to Siberia there are many Polish priests double so that he might be enabled to as old as the Church itself. Its object reduced to the greatest destitution. In respond to the demands and wants , is to secure to the Pope, by means of Germany there are hundreds of parishes all parts of the Catholic world will without priests, who, if tl. voluntary contributions, independence are not appear very small if it is compared to imprisoned or banished like in the exercise of his supreme office. the illus- the budgets of several countries, and trious Cardinal Ledochowaki, who finds imposes only a light charge on the His spiritual authority extends to the a shelter in the very Palace of the 200,000,000 of the faithful, for whose " In the poverty to which he is thus Catholics of the whole world ; it is, Vatican, are without means of support. benefit the authority of the Holy See ii reduced, the Sovereign Pontiff has no therefore, right that all should contribute other resource than in the offerings of Iu Italy a great part of the Bishops exercised. despoiled of their revenues have no to the support of a Government from his children, namely, Peter's Pence. " But we must not forget that three We may well say that this is the first other subsistence but the aid sent to fourths of the whole of Catholics are which they derive immense advantage. them by the Sovereign Pontiff. The and most important duty of Catholics, suffering from persecution or from " The Pope never dies, and our and should command the first fruits of persecuted clergy everywhere look to poverty, and that those countries which him for assistance. enjoy the advantages of peace and reliobligations to the Holy See do not their charity ; for in it the existence of " In order to maintain his relations gious liberty, and are favoured by the cease with the life of Pius IX. In the the Papacy, the centre of the life of universal Ca,holicity, is at stake. with the different Christian Govern- gifts of fortune, ought to make it a long trials of his glorious Pontificate " But it may be asked of what re- ments, and with the infidel countries point of honour to pay for those who Pies IX. taught us how we should sources the Pope stands in need, and where the Gospel is preached by his are more unfortunate, and who are regard the Pope, the Vicar of Jesus for what purposes they are required. missionaries, the Pope has Nuncios, obliged to hold out the hand of supplicaChrist, the guardian of our faith and of There aro many who are not sufficiently Legates, and Vicars -Apostolic who tion to the common Father of the faithour liberty of conscience. And thus the informed on this point, which has been represent him at a distance, as France ful. We cannot doubt that there will obscured by so many calunmies and is reprssented by her Ambassadors and be a generous emulation among the most distinguished by their tender misrepresentations : and it is, therefore, Consuls. Through their agency Rome Catholics of Spain, of Austria, of Engaffection to that great Pontifr have been important that they should learn the is informed of everything that concerns land, of Belgium, of Holland and of the first to tender to Leo XIII. their truth. the interests of the Faith, and of America, and above all that France will Catholic peoples even in the remotest call to mind that, she is the eldest submission, their respect, their love and " Personally the Pope lives very countries. daughter of the Church, and that even their devotion. Leo XIII. is now the simply. The seats of wood which " Nor is this all ; the clergy charged were she alone, this title would itnpose Infallibl t Head of the Church ; and furnish his :info trnent, his white woollen with the government of the Universal upon her the obligation of providing fur those : . have had the happiness to ap- robe, lt:s tfiYe at whieii lie cats alone, the wants of the Papacy. etel:ty idsigt.leenet in com- Church reipire a nursery from which proach n s person can hest tell what entli! " The sacred obligation of Peter's to reeruit their numbers. Llitherto this parison with t. ,t nt t.th: r sovereigns, strength of sJul, what elevated senti- or even with I'dtt of has beeu provided by the Religious Pence can never be diminished while Drivers individuals dry up whose convents have been con - the meats and at dent zeal he brings to the of moderate 1;.1 :I, lc e IIto ilie palace of Orders, , sotirces of the holy See and while eie ie-e ie eeeeres .e.,; de, %;titiLtiti, accomplishment et' the task confided to I.'" 1'1'k° closed, and by the colleges and academies i'..101esCre .Eu.41111K;nores titi, ne,creit.; over its library, in him. of re-establishing, on a fitting and durable its archives and its museums, the history which otieretl to the inhabitants of Rome greater flicilities for education than have basis, the independence of this supreme " The authority of the Pepe, neces- of eighteen contfiries of Christianity. sary at all times for the &helve of the Its galferies fire constructed to receive ever existed elsewhere. All this has moral authority. Catholics, therefore, disappeared to give place to the enter- must not relax their zeal, they must eternal principles of truth and ofjustite, the pilgrims of the whole world, and prises of the Bible Society, and of Pro- organise this undertaking in a regular the church built over the tomb of St. is more thati ever required in our day, and permanent manner. Peter is the lai'ee-t find most beautiful testant sects and free -thinkers, who in the midst of the intellectual anarchy under heaven. Were it only to protect spare nothing in motley, clothes and " How is this to be effected which prevails, when nothing is lc- and care fir these treasures of science food to attract children to their schools, " The Pope exacts nothing, he imand who vie with one another in zealous spected, and the foundations of social and of Christian art. the services are efforts to unchristianise the ancient poses nothing, he prescribes nothing. order are threatened by the Revolution. required of a oundier of workmen, of servants, and of caretakers, who, like capital of the Catholic world. If lie We have, therefore, full liberty in our The Pope is the bond of our union with the Pope himself, need their daily would not abandon to infidelity the choice of means, and all means are good people especially confided to his charge, if only we are sufficiently impressed Jesus Christ. Were it not for the Pope bread. and witness the consummation of their with the supreme importance of the every country would have long since moral ruin, the Pope must oppose this duty to be discharged. " The Sovereign Pontiff is surrounded adopted its own system of morality and by some forty Cardinals, who not only propagandism of infidelity by the estab" Without making elaborate comreligion, following the caprice of its are the electors charged with the nomi- lishment at his own cost of primary, rulers, and sacrificing the interests of nation at some future day of his succes- secondary, and superior schools. This binations, a method that naturally the people. The Holy See has estab- sor, lint are also his ever present is a source of expense which increases suggests itself is that in addition to the in proportion as confiscations multiply, lished the authority of the father of the advisers and assistants in the general collections made by the Bishops, which government of the Church. Three or and the struggle against the evil befamily, respect for women, the liberty of are frequently insufficient because they four of theta are engaged in the direc- comes more arduous. the citizen and the labourer ; and it is tion of the Roman Congregations, attract too little attention, the Catholics corn " We have here a number of objects still the champion of these principles of posed of councillors and assistants, among which the Holy See is obliged to should open a subscription list in the true civilisation. Ir its voice were no corresponding to the various needs of apportion its resources, and whose field, hands of their priest, and inscribe therelonger heard, we should fall back into Christianity. One is the Congregation wide as the world itself, would daily in the proportion of their yearly charities of the Propaganda, charged with every- extend if the offerings of the faithful which they desire to give to the Peter's barbarism. thing that concerns missions and the became more abundant. How " We are told that the Popo is a propagation of the Faith in infidel pain the heart of a Father to it must Pence. Let everyone consult his own be unable countries ; another, the Congregation foreign prince. But the truth is that to give to all his children whose heart and his means, and fix upon a of the Holy Office, whose duty it is to necessities force them to hold out their sum which he can easily pay with he is not dependent upon any party, examine and decide questions of docLet everyone encourage upon any Government, upon any nation ; trine, in order to preserve intact the hands to him, and too often to see the regularity. reign of Faith limited by a miserable his friends and neighbours to do likehe is the Father of the great Catholic purity of the faith ; a third, the Congrequestion of money ! The amount of the family, of which France is the eldest gation of the Sacred Penitentiary, whose Peter's Pence which we contribute is wise, and procure their signatures. Let mission is to resolve questions of morals the limit of the good which we will be every individual and every parish do daughter. He is the representative of and of conscience, propounded to it by its duty, and let no one neglect a good God, and he is only a stranger in the the faithful, and more especially by con- able to effect. eyes of those who know not, or who fessors ; a fourth, the Congregation of " If now we cast a glance upon all work which concerns the salvation of Rites, occupied in the regulation of the those who take part in the Government all. love not, God. ceremonies of divine worship, &c. of the Universal Church, Cardinals, " Thus, with the assistance of the " Those who, under the pretext cf prelates, priests, nuncios, legates, vicars " It is easy to understand that a apostolic, persecuted Bishops or priests, laity and clergy, we shall have no making him snore free and relieving large staff of employes is requited to missioners throughout the world ; and difficulty in providing for the wants of him from distracting cares, have destransact so great a variety of business if we add to them the professors and the Holy See, and we shall find means poiled him of his States, now betray brought to Rome from all parts of the masters of the schools, the young to do honour to the name, the position their insincerity by doing all iu their world, and to maintain and instruct the ecclesiastics of all countries who are and the traditions of France. It is for missioners %vim carry the torch of truth, gratuitously instructed ; and, lastly, power to restrain and paralyse the alike in the deserts of Central Africa, the caretakers, servants and workmen her once more to lead the way, and it exercise of his spiritual power. By a and the inhospitable regions of the of the Vatican and o' St. Peter's we is for all Ctitholic peoples to unite their series of attacks and confiscations, re- Corea, Japan, or Oceanica. We may, shall arrive at a total of about 5,000 efforts to secure the independence of the corded in the memorable Allocution of however, state that this staff, upon persons, a number by no means exspiritual power of the Pope, in the Pius IX., dated 12th March, 187i, they whom rests the burden of these heavy cessive for such a task. However labours, are remunerated on a far lower modestly they may be supported, and midst of the difficulties of the present have successively deprived the Religious scale than the employtls of temporal however economically affairs may be times. And this is the object of Peter's Orders, who were his necessary Goverumeuts. managed, the annual expenses reach at Pence." .
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