| Show THE POPE AND BRAZIL THE pope has consented to recognize the republic of brazil on condition con litton that the latter shall accord to his holiness certain recognition in respect to legislation affecting the interests of catholicism it may seem strange str auge but it is nevertheless a s fact that catholicism has a better opportunity to advancement under unac r a republican than under a monarchial monarc bial form of government A monarch douan h in his hie sphere is supreme and may if he be so determines check the progress of catholicism in his bis domain to a greater or less extent but in a republic a catholic element when once formed is able to exert a certain sway and to add constantly to its strength by the patient but effective processes so well known to that church hence while republicanism and catholicism are antipodal to each other the former is favorable tavo rable to the spread of the latter at least in this age of the world tor for it continually holds out the prospect that the pope may in time becomes sufficiently strong to dictate religion being the dominating one in brazil there exists a strong I 1 ro babi lity that in addition to the remarkable political phenomena it has already exhibited to the world it will soon afford the spectacle of an absolute power that odthe of the pope seizing a free government modeled after afta r that of the united stated and making mailing it subservient to the interests of the grent catholic church mormonism Monnon ism has been accused of an ambition in the direction of absolute rule rule and ot of subverting the interests of the state to those of the church what is thus falsely charged of mormonism is strictly and literally true of catholicism which has recently defined a policy antagonistic to the religion of the latter day saints it is 18 not surprising that the religion of the pope should array army itself against that odthe of the latter day saints for in their essence the two systems are opposites the former utterly repudiates the doctrines that all just govern ment is based upon the consent of the governed and that society should be ruled on the principle of common consent while these tenets are vital to td the latter when the world sees the pope of rome borne recognize and encourage republicanism it witnesses an anomaly but in the present case of brazil the anomaly admits of an easy explanation which to is sufficiently suggested by the exchange of lecog admon proposed by his holiness catholicism is seeking to become more and more extensively entrenched in the new world both in the ani northern portion of it and while it is antagonized iu in parts of this vast field by an increasing spirit in flavor favor of religious toleration and political liberty it is en cou raged in other parts by a decadence of popular sentiment in regard to these vital features feature of a free government |
