King and Pope

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXI, Issue 15, 9 April 1903, Page 1

King and Pope

King Edward VII. is about to visit the Grand Old Man of the Vatican— the spiritual ruler of even a wider domain than that far-extending Empire on which the sun never sets. In the far-off Saxon days — when travel was slower and more toilsome and perilous than we of the era of steamers can well imagine— eight English l.ings (Caedwalla, Ina, Offa, Caenred, Offa, Sine, Ethelwulf, and Canute) went in devout pilgi image to venerate St. Peter in his tomb, and his successor in his ch.ur of authority Cordial greetings passed back and forth between Leo XIII. and the late Queen Victoria on the day that she reached the longest reign in English history. The present Queen and her son (now Prince of Wales) were received with great honor at the Vatican some years ago. But the present august and broad-minded occupant of the Throne will be the first reigning British Sovereign since the Reformation to personally meet and greet the visible Head of the Catholic Church on earth.

# Leo's love for the English people is well known, and his tender and fatherly feeling found beautiful and touching expression in the apostolic letter which he addressed to them in the early spring of J89."3. Not one of all his predecessors since the great schism of the sixteenth century, has won so much sympathy and kindly feeling from the Protestant public of Great Britain. In his life of Leo XIII., Justin McCarthy says : ' Never since the Reformation was there a time when the public heart of England was filled with a more general kindliness and cordiality towards the head of the Roman Church than that which prevails here now. The Pope has shown himself a lo\er of all men, and he has won in return the regard, the confidence, and the affection of all men who, •whatever their creed, are open to the claims of statesmanship and a common philanthropy.' It will be a historic meeting between the venerable old Pontiff and the royal friend of Manning, a Sovereign whose broad symsympathies are not maried by the narrowest streak of bigotry. May Edward see the days and shaie the best blessings of Leo !