THE POPE AND THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 81, 3 September 1874, Page 3

THE POPE AND THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT.

The Pall HI all Gavxttc says • —An interesting account of the recent attempts made to bring about a reconciliation between the Italian Government and the Vatican is given by the Roman correspondent of the Cologne Gazette. There are still many people in Italy, he says, who, though sincere patriots, have remained true to the Catholic Church, and who deplore as much in the interest of their country as in that of the Church the policy of non possumvs to which the Curia professes to adhere. Indeed, the necessity of a reconciliation for both parties is daily becoming more apparent, and is being to a certain extent recognised even by the Vatican. It seemed at first that nothing could be more uncompromising than the attitude of the Curia in the matter of the appointment of new bishops. To submit such appointments to the civil authorities, would, it declared, amount to a “recognition of the Sub-Alpine State,” and rather than do this it would risk the confiscation of the bishops’ salaries and compensate them out of its own funds. But the salaries paid out of Peter’s pence did not exceed 4000 lire in any case, and the bishops, with Monsignor Celesia, of Palermo, at their head, urged the Vatican to withdraw this prohibition. This it ostensibly refused to do, but it is known that several of the newly appointed bishops, including those of Bobbio and Fossano, have since applied for and obtained the Royal exequator with the tacit concurrence of the Vatican. On other points, however, the Curia still remains obdurate, as was proved by the recent mission of Dom Bosco. This eminent clergyman of Turin, who is equally attached to his country and his Church, went to Rome to ascertain what concessions it would be necessary for the Italian Government to make in order to establish a modus vivendi between it and the Vatican. After much trouble he succeeded in obtaining the four following stipulations from the Pope as the bases of a settlement: — 1, the Pope’s civil list, amounting to 3,250.000 lire, to be paid by the Italian Government, without requiring the signature of Cardinal Antonelli. as this would be regarded as a recognition of the status quo; 2, the Royal exequator to be abolished, and the right of the Holy See to appoint bishops to be admitted without restriction ; 3, absolute freedom of education— i.e., removal of the schools from State control; and 4, withdrawal of the Government bill under which no marriage ceremony is to be performed by a priest unless the marriage has first taken

place before a civil authority. These points were submitted by Dom Bosco to the Ministers Minghftti, Visconti-Vonosta, and Vig liani. They seemed not u willing to give up the first and fourth; bin to m ike any concession as to the others--the third especially—was out of the question, as Parliament would never sanction the withdrawal of the exequator, slid l-ss of State control over education. The Pope, however, adhered to hisdemands, declaring that il was ridiculous to require the sanction of Parliament in such matters; and as the Ministers were not disposed to commit what would be equivalent to an act of political suicide, the negotiations were abruptly broken off.