The faith of our fathers - Carmel Apologetics

"^EMPORAL POWER OF THE POPES. 175they so desired, had no right to transfer, by theirsuffrage, the Patrimony of St. Peter to Victor Emmanuel. They could not give what did not belongto them. The Papal territory was granted to thePopes in trust, for the use and benefit of the Church,that is, for the use and benefit of the Catholics ofChristendom. And therefore the Catholic world,and not merely a handful of Roman subjects, mustgive its consent before such a transfer can be declared legitimate.Home is to Catholic Christendomwhat Washingtonis to the United States. As thecitizens of Washington have no power, without theconcurrence of the United States, to annex theircity to Maryland or Virginia, neither can the citizensof Rome hand over their city to the Kingdom ofPiedmont without the acquiescence of the faithfuldispersed throughout the world.Therefore we protest against the occupation ofRome by foreign troops as a high-handed act of injustice, and a gross violation of the Commandmentwhich says: Thou shalt not steal."We protest against it as a royal outrage, calculatedto shock the public sense of honesty, and to weakenthe sacred right of public and private property.We protest against it as an unjustifiable violationof solemn treaties.We protest,in fine, against the spoliation as animpious sacrilege, because it is an unholy seizureof ecclesiastical property, and an attempt, as far ashuman agencies can accomplish it, to trammel andembarrass the free action of the Head of the Church.