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Show THE "OSSERVATORE ROMANO." And so, after all, it appears that the "Osservatore Romano" is not the official of-ficial organ of the Holy See. This will be a bit of surprising news tp the Catholic Cath-olic world, which has long looked upon this publication as the official organ of the Holy Father. Heretofore anything that appeared in its columns was taken unhesitatingly as the official pronouncement pronounce-ment of the Vatican. Recently, however, this supposed official of-ficial organ voiced some sentiments which were naturally taken to be expressive ex-pressive of the Pope's attitude toward Great Britain and the British Catholics in regard of the war which England is now waging. At a meeting of the British Catholic Union, held last week, the President, the Duke of Norfolk, read some correspondence corre-spondence exchanged between himself and Cardinal Rampolla, Papal Secretary Secre-tary of State. The Union had requested the Duke of Norfolk to interrogate the Holy See in relation to the anti-British tone taken by the Osservatore Romano in commenting on the Boer war. The paper is supposed to be the Pope's official of-ficial organ, receiving a financial subsidy sub-sidy from him. The Duke of Norfolk wrote: To ug it seems very grievous that any opportunity should be given to any one to persuade the British people that the Holy See regards them with hostility hos-tility or dislike. I cannot deny that an impression of this 6ecret is creeping into the public mind. When it is remembered re-membered that Catholics are in the minority in Great Britain, it will, we think, be admitted that in the freedom of our religion, in the great question of education and in matters of religious re-ligious ministrations to soldiers and sailors we need not fear comparison with other countries in which Catholics form the great majority." To which Cardinal Rampolla cordially replied that the Osservatore Romano only printed one column which was official, of-ficial, and this was devoted to religious news, adding his refusal to accept responsibility re-sponsibility for any political views it might txpress, and' declaring that the "Holy Father always cherishes for England that lively special interest which he has already found many occasions oc-casions of displaying," and that "as vicar of the God of peace, he desires nothing more earnestly than a cessation cessa-tion of the actual state of things which costs the English nation so many victims." vic-tims." In future, therefore, the "Osservatore Romano,' when spoken of as the "official" "offi-cial" organ of the Vatican must be considered con-sidered so only in a Pickwickian sense. As the Cardinal Secretary of State points out, one column alone is to be official. We presume that is the column col-umn which corresponds to the column in some of the official organs in America, Amer-ica, which scrupulously announce to the faithful that the 9 o'clock Mass on Sunday will take place at 9 o'clock and that Sunday school occurs on Sunday. Sun-day. The poor "Osservatore Romano"! No longer shall it glory in diplomatic mystery! . |