The Pope in his reply to the address showed pretty
clearly for what purposes the temporal authority would be used were it ever restored. "Under our eyes," he told the pilgrims, "in this holy city, which should be the inviolate centre of Catholicism, it is permitted to associations for religious propagation to take advantage of the sad economic con- ditions of the country to corrupt the faith of our children in the name of the specious doctrine of judgment which pretends to leave each the right of interpreting in his own fashion the doctrine of Christ. You are right in pro- testing against this state of things, which enables you better to understand the grievous circumstances in which we have lived during the twenty-five years of our Pontificate." In other words, temporal power is needed to prevent liberty of worship and of conscience in Rome, and to cleanse Rome from the defilements of Protestant teaching. Yet the Pope praises the British nation because it allows full liberty of conscience. Fortunately, there is little fear of the Papacy recovering the temporal power. And, in truth, all good Roman Catholics should rejoice that this is so. Nothing could result therefrom but spiritual injury.
Previous page
