Austria and Rome | AdventAI

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 18, 1868

Austria and Rome.

The full text of the Baron de Beust’s despatch in reply to the Papal Allocution more than confirms the report that Austria has given His Holiness to understand that he need not meddle in her affairs. The Emperor’s Minister protests that the language of the allocution, in regard to the Imperial Government, and the new institutions of Austria, is unjustifiably harsh, being such as might have been employed against spoilers and oppressors of the church, whereas the Catholic religion nowhere in Europe enjoys so many privileges, at this moment, as within the dominions of Francis Joseph. The reprimand of Pius IX, however meant, has had the unfortunate effect of deeply wounding the feelings of the Austrian people, and of damaging the interests of the Catholic church in the empire. It is not possible to permit the condemnation by Rome of the principles of the new legislation, adopted through a happy agreement between the people and the Emperor’s government; as they had been in more than one Catholic country without rebuke from the head of the church.

“Above all,” to quote the words of de Beust’s despatch, “there exists in Europe a grand and powerful empire (France) whose tendencies toward liberty and progress have always been allied with a most decided attachment to the Catholic faith, and which, governed by laws equally ‘abominable,’ yet has been fortunate enough, even up to the present time, to meet with the indulgent sympathies of the Holy See.” Furthermore, says de Beust, the Catholic faith has decidedly lost ground in the Austrian Empire by the Pope’s immoderate abuse of her people and government. Attacks, directed against the church, the clergy, and the Pope, are made now with redoubled energy and success. Particular offense has been justly taken at the attempt of the Pope to excite the Hungarian Bishops and clergy to take a part they had discreetly and loyally avoided, that of irritating and ineffectual opposition to the new laws. Such unwarrantable interference with the quiet and prosperity of the empire, cannot fail to raise a great storm, in de Beust’s opinion, against even the legitimate influence of the Court of Rome.

It is reported that the Papal Court is preparing a memorandum, in reply to the despatch of the Austrian Cabinet, disclaiming any further intention on the part of His Holiness than to advise and warn the Catholics of Austria not to accept the privileges offered them by the “abominable laws” recently enacted without violating their faith. If the Pope does thus disavow interference in State affairs, and explain his late allocution to mean nothing more than spiritual advice, it will be a plain proof that necessity is driving Rome from its last hope of temporal sway. Should the concession be withheld now, however, it must soon be made, and Austria will have the honor of having given the last definitive check to the once powerful pretension of the Holy See to a quasi-imperial influence in Europe.