Crowding the Pope by Editor

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Dec 14, 1882

Crowding the Pope.

By Editor

The pope has received another blow; not directly but in such a manner that its import cannot be mis taken. The case is this: An artist had been employed to do some work in the Vatican. As his pay was not forthcoming, he sued the pope's chief steward, in one of the lower courts, and won his case. The steward pro tested that the State Court had no jurisdiction in a matter arising within the Vatican. The court rejected his plea, and the higher court, although it awarded the case to the steward on the merits, affirmed the principle asserted by the lower court, that the jurisdiction of the civil court does extend into the Vatican. Of course if it extends over the pope's household, and his chief offi cials, the conclusion is unavoidable that it extends over the pope himself.

What a change from the time when the pope made and dethroned kings at his pleasure. Then nobody dared call him to account for his acts; now he is amenable to a petty court, the same as the clergy of Protestant denominations. This is something like ret ributive justice; and it is more. It is in the line of the fulfillment of the prophecy that "they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end."

-At a meeting of the Ministerial Union in San Francisco, recently, the matter of advertising Sunday services in the Sunday papers was discussed at some length. The prevailing opinion seemed to be that it is wrong. Dr. Jewell said that some of the Methodist clergy had resolved not to advertise any day in papers that publish a Sunday edition. Even the late election has not taught them tolerance. We will not quote the proverb which this conduct brings to our mind.