State and Church by William Warren Prescott

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jul 18, 1912

State and Church

By William Warren Prescott

Reports, Notes, and Comments Pertaining to the Current History of Religious Freedom, and the Campaign "to Make America Catholic."

Conducted by the Religious Liberty Association.

W. W. PRESCOTT - - - - - SECRETARY

Portugal, Germany, and the Vatican

THERE are constantly recurring evidences that the Papacy is a political power, and that the Roman pontiff knows how "to play the game" on the same plane as the professional politician. Some recent developments in the Old World bear witness to this. Under the heading "New Pact With Pope to Check Germany," there was printed in the New York Times of July 7, 1912, the following despatch from Rome, giving an inside view of European politics:—

"What has taken place between the Vatican and the republic of Portugal is most interesting and instructive, as showing the trend of European politics.

"When the house of Braganza was dethroned and the republic proclaimed in Lisbon in October, 1910, complete separation was also decreed between church and state, and the Portuguese embassy of the Vatican—the only embassy which the Lusitanian kingdom had, as all other representations were legations—was suppressed.

"It was a remarkable decision, as among the many anomalies caused by the unification of Italy in 1870 and the simultaneous presence in Rome of a pope and a king, there was that of Portugal's having to maintain an embassy accredited to the Holy See and having only a legation to the Quirinal, although the then queen of Portugal, Maria Pia, was the daughter of the Italian sovereign.

"The republic immediately after its formation broke off diplomatic relations with the Vatican, and as, in Latin countries, the Freemasons are reputed to have as the chief object of their program to fight all the influences of church life, there was great rejoicing at their headquarters in Rome.

"About a year and a half have now passed, and without any move on the part of the Vatican, both the senate and the chamber of the Portuguese republic have voted for the reestablishment of diplomatic relations with the pontiff.

"This would be inexplicable without knowing what has been going on behind the scenes. The men who are in power at Lisbon are not converted to clericalism, but have come to understand the great danger that their country is facing, and the necessity of not creating more enemies.

"It has come out that one of Germany's greatest aspirations is to seize the Portuguese colonies, and that England, notwithstanding her traditional friendship for Portugal, which at the time of the halcyon days of the Marquis de Soveral as minister at the court of St. James's had assumed the aspect of an alliance, would not have sufficient interest in the question to prevent the seizure.

"Of course Germany, before making the coup, would have to prepare the ground, and one of the many ways to reach her object would have been that of taking advantage of the broken relations between church and state in Portugal. Considering the way the republic was treating the Vatican, the former could not expect that the church, having acquired complete liberty of action, would send to the Portuguese colonies patriotic Portuguese clergy. On the other hand, it was to be expected that the church would gradually substitute for them German-speaking Portuguese.

"Steps to gain this end had already been taken by the German government, whose relations with the Vatican have been constantly improving, when the politicians woke up in Lisbon and saw the risk they were running. They now think they have avoided the danger by deciding to send, if not an ambassador, at least a minister to the Holy See."