THE POPE'S TEMPORAL DOMINIONS.

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 272, 29 May 1860, Page 2

THE POPE'S TEMPORAL DOMINIONS.

When the Church began to rise from the fir3t centuries of bloody persecution, and the Roman Empire, which had striven to strangle Christianity itself, lay prostrate and decaying, the Popes were seated, at Rome. For the first years of the fourth century, from the North came pouring into Italy the barbarian hordes of Alavic and his Goths. The Roman Emperor was unable to save the city of Rome. They took Rome and plundered it Time passed on, and again the fierce and devastating hordes from the north, under the terrible Attila, king of the Huns, enter Italy and threaten Rome. Who was to save the city ? The Emperor prepared to fly. The barbariansbesieged and captured Aquileia; they sacked the town, and put the people to the sword. The Roman Emperor and the people are dismayed at the approach of Attila. However, the city is saved by the Pope. Pope Leo, attired in his vestments, with his crozier in his hand and his mitre on his head, went forth and met Attila near Mantua. He demanded an audience, and received it; andthat barbarian, whom the arms of monarchy could not stay, was pacified and conquered morally before the saintly visage of the Pope. The Holy Father returned to Rome, and gave into the hands of the weak and unworthy Emperor the authority of the realms which he had saved from annihilation. And again there was an incursion into Italy of northern tribes. In the reign of Justin 11. the Lombards came over the Alps, plundering, devastating, and burning all before them. They menace Rome. The Emperor is at Constantinople. His power is growing still weaker. Once, more do

the people turn to their saviour, and that was Jiot the Emperor but the Pope. Once more the Pope (Gregory) went out; met the; King of the Lombards'; appealed to hirif by the religion even to which he was a stranger; awed him by the sanctity of his appearance. What was the result ? The Lombard king, who came to plunder, remained to pray. He entered the city, not as a conqueror —he entered it after that Pope : and, in token of Ills submission, restored all his plunder, and laid his sword, his mantle, and his cuirass on the tomb of the Apostle St. Peter. "; Right takes the place of Might." The Popes then might have accepted the temporal power,.buts they did not; although it might have been just and fair for tliem to have done so, as' they had so often-saved it from falling into the hands of the invaden They did not, however. (To be continued;) ]