ULTRAMONTANISM.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 41, 7 February 1874, Page 8

ULTRAMONTANISM.

a?O TBK EDITOIJ OF THE ' TABLET.'

Sib, — Seeing numerous allusions to ultramontauism in the journal* of the day, and not clearly understanding what was meant by the term, I wrote to one of these journals for an explanation. His replr was that it was applied to a section of Catholics, on account, not of their religion, but of the hostile attitude they maintained under the name of religion, towards modern society. "In erery Kingdom in Europe they insist upon govjrnment for themselves ;ipart from the civil government ; they profess to be under a system of law administered by a chief who is invested with both temporal and spiritual power, they claim, in short, to be an imperium in imperio, and consequently they come into collision w.ith society at every point." This explanation is not sufficiently clear., or defiuite, to give me a correct iiea of the aim and objects of ultramontanism, and I therefore apply to you, and trust that you will be kind enough to furnish me with the desired information, and you will much oblige. Sir, yours truly,, Enquires. [In tho Catholic Church there is really no such thing as ultramontanism.. The term as used at present is one of reproach, intended to give expression to insult and calumny, aa regards the Catholic Church. Ed. N Z.T.]