ITALY AND THE POPE.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 420, 16 November 1889, Page 4

ITALY AND THE POPE.

SPEECH BY SIUNOR CIUSFI.

At a banquet given to Prime Minister Crispi at Palermo last night, says a Rome despatch of October 15th, he made a lengthy speech, in which he declared that it was necessary to combat all persons, high, or low, seeking to undermine the political edifice of Italy. The temporal power of the Pope, although it had existed tor centuries, had been only a transition period. Home existed before it and could continue to exist without it. Complaints or threats, either from home or abroad, would have no efrecb. He declared unassailable the utterance of King Humbert that Rome forms an integral part ok Italy, just as law foims a part of the modern world. After as&erting that the Pope po&scssed perlcct religious liberty, and was only restricted, and less harshly than in other Catholic States, from encroaching upon the sphere of reason, Crispi exclaimed, " Le*j the church, now iree, endeavour to frighten Prometheus, with the thunderbolts of heaven ; our task i& to tight in the cause of reason. " Cardinal Rampolla has issued a circular to all Roman Catholic powers of Europe in which he protests against Premier Crispi's attacks, and calls for the restriction of his utterances by these nations' moral influence. The " Civitta Cattolica " says the A T atican being weary of these attacks will shortly expose the double dealing of the Government with the rights of the Papacy.