The Virgin Mary and the Pope.—The ex-Jesuit priest, G. Tyrrel, in his book Medievalism, says, “I find Mary and the Pope twice put side by side, Gloria alla Madre Immaculata: Gloria al Santo Padre. I have seen one of the crosses sold to the faithful of Rome on which the figure of Christ is replaced by that of the Pope.” The ex-Jesuit asks, “Can you wonder if Protestants speak of ‘Papolatry’ or of the Pope as the anti-Christ who sets himself up as God in the temple of God?”
“Above all that is called God.”—The terrible depths of Satan revealed in Roman Catholic theology is strikingly brought out in the following sentences from Liguori’s Dignity and Duties of the Priest:—“The power of the priest surpasses that of the Blessed Virgin Mary, for, although this divine mother can pray for us, and by her prayers obtain whatsoever she wishes, yet she cannot absolve a Christian from even the smallest sin! ‘The Blessed Virgin was eminently more perfect than the Apostles!’ says Innocent III., ‘it was, however, not to her, but only to the Apostles, that the Lord intrusted the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven!’ As in creating the world it was sufficient for God to have said, ‘Let it be made,’ and it was created—‘He spoke, and they were made’—so it is sufficient for the priest to say, ‘Hoc est corpus meum,’ and behold the bread is no longer bread, but the body of Jesus Christ.”
The Pope and the Earthquake in Sicily.—The Rev. Alexander Robertson, D.D., of Venice, writing to the Protestant Woman says:—“The Pope has received a vast sum of money for the alleviation of the earthquake distress. Will it be used for that purpose? Let us see. First and foremost, and always, the interests of the Church must be consulted. How can relief of the sufferers—real or apparent relief—be combined with advancing the interests of the Church? That is the question. A solution has been found. The seminaries of the Church are empty. What Italian father, who respects himself or cares for the future of his son, would hand him over to a Church, the enemy of his country, to make a priest of him? Not one. And so the Pope has resolved to devote part of his quarter of a million pounds sterling to taking orphan boys to bring them up as priests. The Press of the country instantly took arms against him. The Government of the country at once took action against him. A decree was promulgated declaring that all the orphans were the property of the State. Then a society was formed, under the high patronage of Queen Elena, called the Patronato Regina Elena, to which all orphans have been confided. Instantly, too, the Government sent police into the stricken regions to stop the emissaries of the Vatican who were carrying off the orphans. Thus the Pope can get no more, except through the Patronato Regina Elena. But
this Patronato has resolved to keep all the orphans, or as many as possible, in the earthquake region, in their native places, and bring them up to agricultural and commercial pursuits. When the Patronato gives orphans, it gives money for their up-bringing, and therefore it asks that all money given for that purpose be sent to Queen Elena.”
Romish Disloyalty in Canada.—It looks very much as though there were a project in the Province of Quebec (which is mainly under Roman Catholic and French control) to sever Canada from England, and set up a Canadian Republic instead; and all this in the interests of the Church of Rome. The Toronto Sentinel, of 15th April, calls attention to this matter, and reprints the review of a new book which recently appeared in a paper entitled the Huntingdon Gleaner. The book in question is a political novel, and its importance is shown by the fact that the Legislature of Quebec has voted money “to buy five hundred copies of it for distribution as a prize among the schools.” This book is entitled Pour la Patrie, and its author is a Mr. J. P. Tardival. The Huntingdon Gleaner asserts that it “teaches in every page that the duty of French Canadians is to cut the tie that binds them to Britain and to the [Canadian] Confederation, and to set up a French Catholic Republic on the banks of the St. Lawrence.” The Sentinel says that the book contains “the germ of an agitation for secession which may easily lead to civil war in Canada.” We thus see Rome in her true colours—as the bitter enemy of British rule, however much she may smile on it for a time when it suits her selfish purpose.—Protestant Observer.