The faith of our fathers - Carmel Apologetics

TEMPORAL POWER OI THE POPES. 169II.THE VALIDITY AND JUSTICE OF THEIR TITLE.There are three titles which render the tenureof a Prince honest and incontestable, viz., long possession, legitimate acquisition, and a just use of theoriginal grant confided to him. The Bishop of Romepossessed his temporality by all these titles.1. The temporal dominion of the Popeis mostancient in point of time. He commenced, as wehave seen, to enjoy full sovereignty about the middle of the eighth century. The Pope was, consequently, a temporal ruler for upwards of 1,100years. The Papal dynastyis therefore the oldestin Europe, and probably in the world. The Popewas the temporal ruler of Rome four hundred yearsbefore England subjugated Ireland, and seven hundred years before the firstEuropean pressed his footon the American continent.2. His civil authority was established not by thesword of conquest nor the violence of usurpation.He did not mount the throne upon the ruins of outraged liberties or violated treaties but he was called;to rule by the unanimous voice of a grateful people.Always the devoted spiritual Father of Rome, heprovidentially became its civil defender; and thetemporal power he had possessed already by popular suffrage, was ratified and sanctioned by thesovereign act of the French monarch. In a word,the ship of state was threatened with being engulfed15