THE DOWNFALL OF POPERY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 206, 16 March 1877, Page 3

THE DOWNFALL OF POPERY.

The 'Saturday Keview,' in an article on "The Pope and the Spanish Pilgrims," mentions ho/r far the persecution of the Church have led to her downfall, as desired by her persecutors: — "The Pope is for more outspoken and sweeping in his censures on offending Governments and, above all, on the Italian, than ever he ventured to be in the days of his temporal sovereignty. Nor is there any way of restraining his action unless by direct violence, winch, if not a crime, would cercainly prove to be a blunder, and is not at all likely to be attempted. How far this result was foreseen by such statesmen as Cavour it is impossible to say ; even the ablest statesmen, if they are statesmen and nothing more, are apt to overlook or greatly depreciate the weight of moral forces. But, whether foreseen or not, it could not have been provided against. The Italians were resolved to achieve national unity, and make Rome their capital ; whether the spiritual influence of Some would be strengthened or weakened in the process was a subordinate, if not irrelevant, consideration, whicli they hardly cared to entertain. Protestants at a distance, especially Protestants of the Exeter Hall type, who loved Italy less than • they hated Borne, vrxxad eloquent over the approaching downfall of the great Bab j lon; but they have onl> themselves to thank if they are disappointed. And so, again, with the religious orders in Italy. In name, f:ej are abolished ; in fact, they are reviving everywhere, with nmcli of their old wealth even restored to them, through the zeal of pious benefactors — who in the old days would never hare dreamt of help* ing them — and far more than their old activity."