What the Pope Is Thinking.
By John Nevins Andrews
The thoughts which crowd into the mind of Pius IX. would be of peculiar interest to us, could we know them. He belongs to a very ancient line of sovereigns. Though the power of the popes grew up from nothing, the time has been when they were able to humble the mightiest monarchs of Europe. But that day has passed away. Their dominion is taken away. The States of the Church which they held so long as the patrimony of St. Peter has become a part of the kingdom of Italy. Even Rome, their ancient seat, is lost to them, and now constitutes the capital of the new kingdom of Italy. The pope is bishop of Rome and head of the Catholic church, as the Romanists style themselves. But he is shorn of every vestige of civil power, though he is far from acquiescing in the changed condition of affairs. Does he ever read the seventh chapter of Daniel? It certainly ought to do him good. In the four great beasts he can see the Babylonian, Persian, Grecian, and Roman empires. In the ten horns of the fourth beast he may discern the divided form of the Roman empire. In the little horn he may see the faithful likeness of the long line of sovereigns to which he belongs—the popes of Rome. He well knows how mighty they once were among the ten kings of Papal Europe. He does not know that this was predicted by Daniel. He bitterly regrets the loss of this power, without once thinking that this also is according to the prophet. He knows what power his predecessors once had to deal with heretics, and we fear that he regrets his own lack of it. He does not lay to heart the prophet's words respecting the wearing out of the saints of the Most High. He does not believe that those who fell by sword, by flame, by captivity, and by spoil many days, were God's mighty and holy people. He regrets not the cruel deaths which they suffered, but that a clean riddance was not made of them from the earth. He takes back no one of the great words which his predecessors have spoken. He even asserts that he is infallible and compels his bishops to establish it as a dogma of the church. He has no thought of undoing what evil the former popes have wrought concerning the law of God. He only wonders that his power is gone, and that he cannot do what his venerable brethren of happier days have done with such eminent success. Like Pharaoh king of Egypt he “is but a noise; he hath passed the time appointed.” Jer. 46:17. The 1260 years of papal dominion are past. His dominion is taken away to be consumed, and destroyed unto the end. This prophecy is fulfilled to the letter. And it is at the very point in the history of the little horn that Daniel has placed the sitting of the Ancient of Days in judgment. Does the pope ever think of this wonderful prophecy? Perhaps not. But it is worthy of our most attentive study. The Boston Daily News, in a recent issue, speaks thus of the pope:— “Pius IX. is said to cherish the confident hope of restoration to the temporal power. In conversation with a diplomatist the other day, he said, “I eat, drink, and digest my food as well as when I was forty years of age; I walk as well; and do you not think my mind as strong as at forty years of age?” He is said to be much interested just now in the prophecies of one Mary Ann Taigi, who died in 1837, and is now being canonized. Her prophecies seem to have pertained chiefly to Pius IX., and many of them have been fulfilled. She declares that he will live beyond the age of ninety, and will see himself reinstated in the temporal power.”
These are the thoughts which fill the mind of this aged man. How much like those of aged sinners in general. He regrets the loss of his dominions. He hopes for the recovery of his power. He is unwilling to think that he is growing old. But how full of encouragement to the waiting people of God is the present condition of the popedom! The day of deliverance is hastening greatly! Let us see that we have our work done.