The faith of our fathers - Carmel Apologetics

"TEMPORAL POWER OF THE POPES. 171mels of civil government. But he has higherinterests to subserve. He must vindicate the eternal laws of justice, which have been violated inhis own person.As the Popes were not actuated by a love of gainin possessing temporal dominion, neither had theyany desire to enlarge their territory, small as it hadbeen. The Temporalities of the Pope were not muchlarger than the State of Maryland, before he wasdeprived of them by Victor Emmanuel a few yearaagoȦnd this is the little slice of land which VictorEmmanuel wrested from the Holy Father.This isthe vineyard which the modern King Achab wrungfrom the unoffending Naboth. But the Pontiff answers, like Naboth of old: "The Lord be mercifulto me, and not let me give thee the inheritance ofmy fathers." lThis is the little ewe-lamb which the modernDavid has snatched from its legitimate owner,Uriah. The royal shepherd of Piedmont had already seized all the other lambs and sheep of hisneighbors but he was not satisfied till he added;to his fold the solitary, tender lamb of the Pope.Let him take care, however, that the prophecydenounced by Nathan against David fall not uponhimself and his posterity:Why, therefore, hastthou despised the word of the Lord, to do evil in1 IIT. Kings xii. 3.