And, in point of fact, the Holy Father is under this power, which holds him in its hands, being sub hostilem potestatem redactus, as he himself lately expressed it again in the Encyclical of May 15, 1871, in which he formally repudiates the Guarantees offered him in exchange for his principality. He who is under is dependent, and can do only that to which he who is above consents. Thus the liberty of the Pope is subject to the limits which the inimical power, his oppressor, pleases to impose on him. And this same law of the Guarantees is the proof of the fact, inasmuch as it contains only a concession of hypothetical privileges. But he who
concedes accounts himself superior to him to whom the concession is granted. Whence the true measure of the liberty of Pius IX. as Pope, is now simply the arbitrary will of Italian Masonry, governed by the Subalpinists. This is a certain fact as to matters in general.
With regard to particulars, the Holy Father uses such liberty as he owes to his own courage and diligence, and the inimical power, his jailer, cannot hinder him, though it would willingly do so, because a power stronger than itself, or certain human respects, forbid such opposition. As, for example, the Subalpine patrons would gladly hinder his Holiness from publishing bulls or encyclicals, in condemnation of their lofty enterprises against God, religion, and the Apostolic See. His Holiness, not being at liberty to publish them in Rome under their very nose, sends them out of Italy to be printed, and in this way publishes them.
Now, what can these very liberal gentlemen do in a case like this? Drag the Pope before the courts, and imprison him in the Castle of St. Angelo? Most willingly would they do this; but the rulers of Europe would oppose it. There is, then, no course left to them except to interdict the publication of them within the state by sequestrating the papers which reprint these acts of the Pope; and this they did with the Encyclical of November 1, 1870. If for others of later appearance they have shut their eyes and left them to their course, it has been because they have at last been obliged to pay some regard to public opinion, and have found their account in putting on a semblance of toleration.
In a similar manner, the Holy Father, finding that the Subalpine masters trumpeted forth loudly to
the world that he was left at liberty in the creation of bishops throughout Italy, embraced the opportunity to exercise his right and to fulfil his duty. With prudence certainly, but yet with boldness, he addressed himself to the work. The matter was very displeasing to our gentlemen. But how were they to hinder it? They wanted to give the Christian world to understand that they are honorable men, not only in the modern sense of the word, but also somewhat in the ancient sense: they wanted to prove that they knew how to keep their word without being compelled by cannons so to do. So for this time it does not appear that they will refuse entrance into their dioceses to the new pastors.
But thieves and loyalists as they are, they have taken advantage of this act of the Holy Father, turning it to their own interest by cowardly proclaiming in every direction that the Holy Father, by thus using the privileges comprised in the law of the Guarantees respecting the induction of bishops into their sees, has, ipso facto, accepted their law, and thus retracted his refusal of the 15th of May, 1871, and thus (according to them) the conciliation between themselves and the Holy See is in good progress; and it will not be long before the august Pontiff will give up his kingly crown into the hands of John Lanza: and in this manner the Italy of the Subalpinists will enjoy the distinguished honor of having the supreme head of the church for the court-chaplain, and most humble servant of his ministers: an honor certainly due to their merits as against faith, morality, and Catholic worship.
This attempt at imposition is the more senseless in that it supposes that the Holy Father had no other right to nominate the bishops than
as a state privilege; while the contrary is the case: the insertion of the state in these nominations is merely a privilege granted by the Pope: and the fact that the Pope has not thus recognized the Subalpine gentlemen outside of their own territory proves that he, far from accepting their Guarantees, does not even recognize them as juridically masters of the district in which they compiled the documents.
But the senselessness of the attempted imposition serves to prove how determined they are to prevent the Holy Father from exercising any true liberty.