ITALY AND THE VATICAN.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 223, 8 October 1887, Page 2

ITALY AND THE VATICAN.

In Diplomatic circles in Europe it i& generally believed that some arrangement* will be concluded between the Holy See and the Italian Government before the final ari'angements are made to celebrate the Papal Jubilee. This ai-rangement may only assume a somewhat temporary ana restricted character, but it will certainly lead to negotiations, with mutual concessions, which will be far preferable to the present total deadlock. It is known that the Pope now never leaves the Vatican, but it is proposed that on the occasion of his jubilee Leo XIII shall celebrate high mass at the tomb of the Apostles. A strong party of the Cardinals favour this step, which they say will add splendour to the festival and cannot compromise the Papacy. Roman Catholic pilgrims from all parts would certainly look forward with pleasure go the magnificent ritual of a Papal mass, and it would probably be for these that the Pope might consent to go back, for once at least, to the old state of things. In any case, it is believed that a special dispensation will be given to one of the Cardinals to celebrate at the papal altar with all the honours reserved to the sovereign pontiff. It is stated at Rome that on the same occasion King Humbert will offer congratulations to Leo XIII. , and will pay the spiritual homage of a Catholic King to the Sovereign Pontiff. The Archbishops of Milan and Naples will be asked to convey to the Pope the King's wish to fire a salute and otherwise honour the jubilee fetes. The hope, of course^ exists that by this filial act the holy father may be induced to hasten diplomatic action and bring down the territorial claims of the Papacy to their smallest expression. Except amongst the [old-fash-ioned reactionary Cardinals it is believed that the actual possession of Rome may be yielded in return for a territorial principality with a nominal seaboard guaranteed •by Italy nnd countersigned by the other Powers in the interests of their Catholic fellow-subjects. To any such arrangement the French Government is likely to offer the most strenuous objections, as in giving her signature to such a document, would virtually deprive her of her lay primacy in Christendom, and would make Italy the chief Catholic power and the central point of modern Catholcism.