FRANCE. LETTER FROM THE POPE TO MARSHAL MACMAHON.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 19, 6 September 1873, Page 12

FRANCE. LETTER FROM THE POPE TO MARSHAL MACMAHON.

Makshax MaoMaho* has been signally honoured by the Holy Father The ' Bombay Catholic Examiner ' says on the subject :— "Marshal MacMabon has received a mo<=t gracious letter of congratulation from the Holy Father." So says the Paris < Union' of the 3rd June, and the «Unita Cattolica,' commenting on the news aptly remarks that the illustrious Marshal well deserved such reward and encouragement at the outset, of his new qareer. The Holy Father rejoices at the election of the Marshal to the Presidentship of the irench Government, not only because the impious throughout Euro De are greatly mdignaut at the event, but because the character of MacMahon is one of those which cannot but be pleasiug to Pius IX Not long ago the « Revue des Deux-Mondea ' told us how the Duke of Magenta voted m 1858 against a certain measure proposed by Napoleon ill. Jlo voted agamet it, because his conscience, " which was that of an honest man, did not permit him to act otherwise. And he aaid on that occasion: "I remember the saying of our ancestors, 'Do what thou oughtest, come what may.' " If wo compare these noble words with the ".Ao»i>flWH»n»" with which Pius IX. always meets every proposal made to him to betray his duties towards God, the Church and his conscience can we wonder why he looks upon the present Euler of France with special favour ? Pius IX., too, has always fulfilled Ins duties of a Pontiff and a King without giving a thought to the persecutions he would have to endure in consequence. How often did not Napoleon 111. remind him that unless he yielded to the Revolution he wou dbo crushed by it ? But Pius IX., the great Pontiff. King, never allowed himself to bo frightened by any of these gloomy predictions ; he did his duty and calmly awaited events. A»ain how many were persuaded that the Encyclical and the Syllabus, tlfe Vatican Council and the dogma of infallibility were just so many ways of unchaining the furies of Hell, and letting them loose against the Church ? But Pius IX. never gave all this a thought. We find him always doing his duty, speaking, teaching, and acting like a Pope "come what may" It would be well indeed for all governments to adopt with Pius IX. and Marshal MacMahon, as their Ruidinc uriaciplo the maxim, "Do tohat thou oughtett, come tohat ma-u." For the society of our day shall not have peace, until peoples and Kings learn to value the observance of their duties above all things else, without calculating on the temporal disadvantage or advantage likely to result