It is stated that Cardinal Lavigerie said at Lyons on
Wed- nesday :—" If the Pope thinks we have reached an epoch when democracy is becoming more important, and the principle of the Republic is daily making progress, and if he thinks that in the interest of religion we ought to follow the movement, he must be obeyed. The time has come to fight for religion, and if the Pope tells us that for this end it is necessary to enter the Republic, we should obey him." We do not suppose that Leo XIII. inclines in the least to the notion that good Catholics should become propagandist Republicans. The Roman Catholic doctrine has always been, that in any given crisis it may be expedient, and therefore right, to acquiesce in and support any political constitution, Monarchical or Repub- lican, which promises the calmest and firmest social order and the steadiest progress; but it has never been regarded as need- ful for a good Catholic, quel Catholic, to throw himself ardently into any special political party. No doubt the present Pope has done his best to detach Catholics from vehement anti- Republican views ; but that is quite a different matter from insisting on attaching them to vehement pro-Republican views.. It would be against the permanent policy of the Catholic Church to insist on anything of the sort.
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