THE POPE ON MR GLADSTONE.

Waikato Times, Volume VIII, Issue 416, 14 January 1875, Page 2

THE POPE ON MR GLADSTONE.

The correspondent of the Daily News at Rome telegraphs the following report of a speech addressed by the Pope on Tuesday morning to some English Catholics who waited upon him : — " A former Minister of your country, whom I had believed rather moderate, and who, to say the truth, had never while in office manifested arrogance or violence towards the Catholic Church \ intoxicated by the proceedings of another Minister 5 " in another State, has suddenly come forward, like a viper, assailing this barque of St Peter. I have not read the book, and I have no great desire to read Blasphemies, but from what I understand, the Minister whom they . call Liberal flatters the Catholics of that nation and leads them to believe that I wish those subjects to become disloyal to their Sovereign and the laws of their country. Puzzled at beholding the vast progress made by that nation in the path of the true faith, the fallen Minister hopes to arrest the luminous triumph of the Church, by interpreting after his own fashion, the will of this poor Vicar of Christ. A great King (Charlemagne) said that even should the Church impose heavy burdens on the conscience of the population, the Catholics should bear them from their interest in the communion of the Church ; but our dogmas, far from being burdens, are light. Those who will walk astray are not Catholics, they are worse than infidels and Protestants, because calling themselves Catholics, they daily rebel against God and the laws of the Church.