OCR Text |
Show By.W. U Telegraph. fclB OPE FKBMKNTIAG. New York, 15. A Washington special says a prominent government officer, traveling in Europe, writes from Rome to a friend in this city as follows : Speaking of the Pope, J must confess that 1 was astonished to find his authority here so completely ignored. ignor-ed. The people here hate the priests and have seconded all the movements of the King of Italy against the papal power. 1 can tell you as a matter of personal knowledge that the V atican is all that the Pope has left. The Cjuirinal and his other palaces have been taken from him. Many of the churches have been seized and converted convert-ed into offices or millitary barracks. Monasteries and conventa have been broken up and other church buildings closed. The papal troops have been disbanded, and the household g :ard, who are not permitted ouuide the Vatican in uniform, 1 learn will also be broken up. Of seventy-two Cardinals Cardi-nals the number has been reduced to about 45. Politically Europe is in a critical condition. Toe meeting of the emperors at Berlin is considered a hypocritical thing goUcn up for effect to quiet the political and social fermentation fermen-tation going on among the masses. |