LEO XIII. AND PROTESTANT PROPAGANDA.
[TO THE EDITOlt OR THE "SPECTATOR."J
Sin,—Father Gerard's letter, originally addressed to the Spectator, appeared in the Tablet of 14th inst. I sent a letter to the editor of the last-named publication pointing out the fact that the present " enlightened " Pope, Leo XIII., was elected on February 20th, 1878, and that in March, 1879, he wrote a letter to the Cardinal Vicar of Rome in which he asserted—I quote the Times—" that he understands the liberty and dignity of the Roman Pontiff to signify removing from Rome the means of practising and propagating whatever in the opinion of the Roman Church is heretical; and that if he possessed the liberty he claims he would employ it to close all Protestant schools and places of worship at Rome." Was " soup " ladled out in Rome in 1879 ? Or was the Pope's reason for protest due to some other cause My communication was relegated to the waste-paper basket. Pius IX. was equally unfavour- ably disposed towards Protestants. In his "Speeches," French edition, Vol. I., p. 135, the Pope says that it is praise- worthy to help them, but that it is wrong to be present at the funeral of a Protestant. Pio Nono told an Alsatian Catholic deputation in June, 1871, that it was "certainly better to be governed by a Catholic King, though not an ideal ruler, than by Emperors of another religion; but since the Lord has permitted it for you, resign yourselves to your fate and await the day of His mercy." 'Tis the old spirit. Two years ago a French Dominican priest in London, in a • See, for the ter= of the Treaty, Holland's European Concert on the Eastern Question, p.301.
sermon, "plunged into an apology for the Inquisition." No " souperism " with him ! The attitude of the Church of Rome towards dissentients is summed up in a few terse sentences from Monsignor Croke-Robinson. "How," he asks, "could the Catholic State allow this so-called Liberty of Conscience ? As well might you ask a person to allow poison to be introduced in his body. Do you say, What a cruel and bigoted thing for the Catholic Church and State to put down heresy? We only ask you to allow the Catholic State the right no man will deny himself or his. neighbour, to reject poison from his system."—(" Liberty of Conscience," p. 22. The pamphlet is published by the Catholic Truth Society, of which Cardinal Vaughan is president.) The facts of history
are before us.—I am, Sir, &c., A. LE LIEWItE,
Secretary Protestant Press Agency. 132 Wanstead Park Road, Ilford.
[We have not verified our correspondent's quotations, but if they can be shown to be inaccurate they will no doubt be corrected.—En. Spectator.]
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