Cornell University Library The original of tinis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924029380536 By the same Author MODERNISM ITS BISE AND IMfORT, ITS CHIEF CHARACl'ERISTICS AND LEADERS IN COUNTRIES OTHER THAN ITALY , [in Preparation, MODBENISM IN ITALY ITS OKIGIN, ITS INCENTIVE, ITS LEADERS AND ITS AIMS BY LOUIS HENRY JORDAN, B.D. AUTHOR OF ' COMFAKATIVE BELiaiON : ITS GEinESI^ AND GROWTH ' 'COMPARATIVE RELIGION: ITS METHOD AND SCOPE ' •the STCDY OF REUOION IN THE ITALIAN UNIVERSITIES,' ETC. HENRY FROWDE OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS LONDON, EDINBURGH, NEW YORK, TORONTO AND MELBOURNE 1909 PREFACE The following Lecture was prepared early in the year 1908. It is published in response to the interest, strong and still increasing, which its theme everywhere awakens. Moreover, in particxilar, the subject is now engaging the serious attention of students and observers in English- speaking countries. As to contents, this Pamphlet furnishes a record, an appreciation, and an interpretation of a movement which, as yet, is commonly misunderstood. It is accordingly, in many quarters, misjudged and misrepresented. It is either underrated and belittled, or else it is feared and libelled. A few footnotes, designed to call attention to some useful books on the subject, have been added. A few revisions and transpositions of the text have been made. In the main, however, the original Lecture remains unaltered. It will be observed that the present exposition is con- fined exclusively to Italy. In a subsequent survey, as is fitting, the rise and progress of this movement in countries outside of Italy wiU be carefully reviewed and estimated. Oxford, July, 1909. CONTENTS SECTION PAaE I. Its Namk. The Meaning of Modernism. A Frank and Impartial Diagnosis 7 II. Its Origin. Its Pioneers in Italy. Rosmini. Gio- BERTI. MaRSILIO . 8 III. Its Incentive. Impulses Traceable to Modern Scientific Inquiry 10 IV, Its Mistakes. Its Critics. Modernists are not Rationalists 12 V. Its Antipathies. Its Dislike of Protestantism. ' There will be an End of Protestantism' ... 13 VI. Its Handicap. General Indifference. Ecclesiastical Pressure. Anonymity. 17 VII. Its Anonymous Publications. Three Important In- stances. The Ban op Excommunication . . 21 VIII. Its Periodicals. Rivista di CuUura. Battaglie d'Oggi. II Rinnovamento 23 IX. Its Leaders. Don Murri, Padre Semeria, Professor Minocchi, and Signor Fogazzaro ... 26 X. Its Aims. ' Back to Christ.' Impending Doctrinal and Practical Changes 35 XI. Its Status. Legal and Moral Considerations. Grave Issues at Stake 39 XII. Its Future. Present Numerical Strength. Its Forces Increasing 43 MODERNISM IN ITALY Modernism is the name applied to a movement that has played many parts, and on widely-separated stages. Certainly it is not a movement that is peculiar to the century in which it formulated and issued its challenge. It is not a movement that is peculiar to Italy. Nor yet is it a movement that is peculiar to the Church of Rome. At the same time, in the sense in which the designation is usually employed to-day, it represents not only a dis- tinctively Catholic movement, but possibly also a great turning-point in the history of a faith that has exercised age-long and world-wide sway. It is proverbially difl&cult, when describing an agita- tion which comprises a long series of occurrences (some incidental, some contrived, but all tending towards a common end), to accord fiill weight — and yet no undue amount of weight — to each circumstance that has exer- cised an influence of reaUy commanding importance. Various factors in the situation, admittedly of genuine moment, tend to rise into a quite unwarranted promi- nence in the historian's mind. It may be that the factors in question obtrude themselves so persistently that they hide the presence of others which likewise contributed their quota to the results ultimately obtained. Or it may be that these factors make insidious appeal- to the historian's personal bias, and thus his sounder judgment is unconsciously deflected and overborne. The task is never an easy one ; but unquestionably it be-? comes doubly difficult when one has to describe a crisis that is still in process of evolution, and especially if it is taking place within the theological arena. The neces- sity of preserving a strictly impartial attitude is insistent 8 MODERNISM IN ITALY and imperative. It will hardly be claimed that the Vatican, in its dealings with Modernism, has shown itself able to meet this test in a satisfactory manner. Perhaps it is not a possible achievement, that one should give a correct diagnosis of a movement which, unfolding itself very gradually and under conditions of a sternly repressive character, can be confidently esti- mated only after a still further lapse of time. An attempt, however, will now be made to present a truth- ful sketch of contemporary Modernism, special reference being made to its origin, its incentive, its leaders, and its aims. II When did this new religious revival begin ? And who were its chief heralds ? Modernism, as it is known in Italy to-day, began about the year 1850. Its representatives at that time were not called cattolici modernisti, but 'cattolici riformisti', i.e. Catholic Reformists. Its paternity is traceable to Rosmini and Gioberti, — men who, although they did not always see exactly eye to eye, were in the present connexion emphatically and enthusiastically at one. They longed for release from the thraldom of outgrown modes of thought, not less than from the tyranny of various material oppressions. Both were men occupying the rank of international scholars. Both were diligent and persuasive writers,^ and in this way exercised an immense influence not only among their own countrymen but also very widely elsewhere. Both had sought and obtained ordination to the priesthood, and both remained to the end unswervingly loyal to the person and authority of the Pope. No doubt other 1 Cp. Antonio Rosmini, Sietema fUosofico. Turin, 1845. Transkted into English, Rosmini's Philosophical System. London, 1882. Also, Giovanni Battista Fagani, The Life of Antonio Rosmini-Serbati. London, 1907. Vincenzo Gioberti, II Gesuita moderno (' The Modern Jesuit '). 5 vols., Lausanne, 1846-7. Also, his Dd Primato morale e civile degli italiani (' A Moral and Civil Primacy in Italy '). Paris, 1843. ITS ORIGIN 9 names might fitly be coupled with the two just men- tioned, — especially the name of Audisio ; but, for the purposes of the present outline, no leaders can be specified who, in the early stages of this movement, secured so conspicuous and commanding a relation to it in all its subsequent developments. Rosmini, least of aU men, would have coveted this distinction. Probably, had he foreseen what was so soon to follow, he would have shrunk back in horrified amazement. He has been described, more than once, as 'the last link in mediaeval theology'; and, beyond question, his attachment to the older order of things was strong and persistent. Nevertheless, just as Cardinal Newman in England is held by many Catholic theologians — ^to the great scandal of the faithful, yet with consider- able force of reasoning — ^to have been the real father of methods which others have merely worked out to their logical conclusions, so Rosmini — equally innocent of any such far-reaching purpose — promulgated a series of living germinating thoughts which are visibly bearing fruit to-day. The roots of Modernism, to be sure, run a good deal further back than to the middle of the nineteenth century. They can be traced without difficulty in the work done by MarsUio of Padua, — a reformer who, as early as the fourteenth century, distinctly anticipated much of the teaching with which Luther inaugurated his great Reform movement in Germany. The mention of this fact serves to remind one that, if the seeds of Modernism are now scattered aU over Europe and across the Atlantic in America, Italy has had not a little to do with this far- flung propaganda. Of the representatives of Modernism in Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, France, England, and the United States, nothing of course can be said in the present pamphlet ; ^ but it should not be ^ The author is to deal fully with this subject elsewhere, at an early date. 10 MODERNISM IN ITALY overlooked that all these leaders owe their inspiration, indirectly if not directly, to Italy. It is quite true that the nation from which the initiative of contemporary Modernism was derived could never, unaided from with- out, have supplied to the world that beneficent stimulus which is now making itself universally felt. Italy's strength has for centuries been divided, its energies fettered, and its intellectual and religious aspirations ruthlessly dwarfed. Nevertheless Italy (now united and progressive, and full of eager ardour for promoting reforms in a dozen different directions), furnished the pioneers — not less than some of the chief modern apostles — of a renewed and rejuvenated Catholicism. Ill Proceeding next to interpret the incentive which underlies contemporary Modernism, it is found to be practically the same in all countries within which this new spirit has manifested itself. What then, briefly stated, is the essence of this movement, as revealed in its beginnings ? Why did it ever emerge ? And what forces account for its vigorous and growing strength ? The real motive of Modernism may easily be ascer- tained by aU who make a study of its history. It originated in no sense of irritation, or in any brooding over visible or imaginary wrongs. It began — and its chief strength still remains — among the ranks of those who, sober-minded and thoroughly loyal to the old traditions of reverence and submission to authority, were busily fitting themselves for the ojB&ce of the priesthood. Quite incidentally, however, these men began to be aware of the complete transformation that has been wrought in human knowledge by the employ- ment of those methods which are characteristic of modern inquiry. With less opportunity than most young men enjoy for acquaintiug themselves with the momentous ITS INCENTIVE n changes that have been effected in this way, these students gradually learned what had actually been accomplished through the discoveries of physical science, the recognition of the law of evolution, and the new light thrown upon the Bible by the advance of Biblical Criticism. At first, the effect of this new knowledge proved confusing, then bewildering, and then startling. Nevertheless, the grounds upon which it was seen to rest stood firm and unshakable ; in many an instance there was positively no room for denial or doubt. Moreover, as these inquirers were gradually constrained to admit, there was nothing surprising in the fact that the twentieth century — with its elaborate apparatus of learning, and its magnificent triumphs in the field of physical science — should achieve like notable progress within the domain of theology. In a word : the great disintegrative and reconstructive process, all uncon- sciously started, had begun ; and there is now no force strong enough to counteract it, or even materially to deflect it from its purpose. It was in this way that contemporary Modernism began. It is due reaUy to the birth of a new Renaissance movement. Science had opened men's eyes to behold a practically new physical universe. But, as Italy's earlier Renaissance was followed by a great religious movement, — ^in which, unfortunately, Italy only very slightly participated — ^this later Renaissance likewise has begotten a wide-spread religious reform, in which happily the Italian peninsida does participate. The critical study of religion, though as yet only in its initial stages, has revealed to the astonished Modernist the possibilities of a totally new conception of the Church, its government, and the whole temporal administration of divine things. The process of enlightenment has of necessity been long delayed ; even yet its advance is painful and slow. Some, not pausing to count the obstacles that have had to be overcome, may pronounce the progress thus far made 12 MODERNISM IN ITALY to be disappointing, perhaps even disquieting; possibly they may regard it as being radical and even wrong. But the lessons which have been learned are not likely to be forgotten, or their disclosures despised or spurned. IV It need surprise no one that, as the outcome of un- govemed exuberance or of inexperience or of too hasty generaUzation, grave mistakes have been committed by some of the leaders of contemporary Modernism. Such results, however much they may be regretted, were in- evitable ; the greater reason for surprise lies in the fact that they have been so few. Some of these false steps have been taken during the heat and stress of contro- versy, but they have for the most part been quickly repented and recalled. Others, like the indiscreet critical aberrations of some whose names it is not needful to specify, have done the movement an infinite amount of harm. Modernists would do weU to take instant note of the consequences which have accrued in certain quarters from this source, and every possible precaution should be taken to minimize the risk of such occurrences in the future. Those likewise who are inclined to over-praise the reformatory agitation now in progress should re- member that, if all its representatives were as rash as are some who speak in its name, the attitude of the Church towards it wotild begin to win cordial com- mendation. It is a pity that a cause so admirable in its spirit and aims should ever needlessly incur reproach, and strengthen unduly the hands of its enemies. But whUe the welcome offered to Modernism should be prudent and discriminating, it is deeply regrettable that some critics, outside the Catholic Church, seem able to find in this religious revolt exceedingly little that they can reaUy approve. On the contrary, they warn aU over whom they exercise influence that no confidence should ITS CRITICS 13 be placed in the movement. What is one to say when a well-known religious journal voices its convictions in such words as the following : ' In the present conflict of the R6man Church with Modernism, our sympathies are almost whoUy with the Pope* The claims of mas- querading infidels, if granted, would end only in the destruction alike of morality and religion.' ^ And again : • Some of otir Continental correspondents appear to have a certain hope in Modernism. We do not possess it. ... So far as we have been able to follow it, the Modernist movement is essentially an infidel movement.' ^ It is deplorable that responsible publications should thus give currency to views which, however honestly reached, are chargeable with serious misrepresentation. Notwith- standing many weaknesses easily discoverable in the Modernist movement in its present unorganized form, its persistent incentive is in the highest degree commend- able. Modernism is not Rationalism, although individual Modernists may be Rationalists. On the contrary. Modernism is a profoundly religious movement.' Should its hopes some day become reahzed, the results accruing to Italy, to Catholicism, and to Christendom lie beyond aU human computation. Much traditionalism and mediae- valism still exist in Christianity, alike in its Catholic and Protestant forms ; and Modernism wiU render no small or inopportune service if it helps to disclose this fact, the peril of it, and the consequences that have already resulted from its unsuspected but baneful influence. While speaking of certain current misapprehensions and misrepresentations of Modernism, it will assist in reveaUng yet further the true incentive of the movement 1 Cp. The British Weekly. London, July 2, 1908. 2 Cp. The British Weekly, July 23, 1908. To the contrary effect, see p. 36. 3 Cp. pp. 37, 44, &c. 14 MODERNISM IN ITALY if we define its exact relation to Protestantism. It is often said that Modernism is a sort of duplication and continuation of the German Reformation. No more erroneous statement could possibly be made. The ideals of the two movements are entirely different. There are indeed resemblances which seem to Unk Modernism with Protestantism ; but these resemblances are superficial, not fimdamental. In both cases, it was the suppression of liberty of conscience that led to a revolt. Moreover, the constant appeal of the Church to the Bible led students of the Scriptures, ahke Protestants and Modernists, to imitate the action of the ancient Bereans, — who, when they had heard St. Paul's exposition of Christianity, ' searched the Scriptures daily ' in order to determine ' whether these things were so '.^ Thus it has come about that — ^just as, in the political arena. Kings have been made to understand that no theory of ' divine right ' wiU any longer be accepted as a sufficient ex- planation of the vagaries of an Autocrat — ^the Pope has been apprised, first by Protestants and then by Modernists, that his accession to the Vicariate of Christ carries with it no warrant to enslave the conscientious thinking of sober and pious men. Modernism has, indeed, its counterpart in certain features of Protestantism, — ^the Protestantism of the sixteenth century, and also the Protestantism of this twentieth century. Nevertheless, the two movements are essentially distinct. Lutheranism begged for freedom to beUeve ; Modernism begs for freedom to think. Lutheranism, judged by the standard of to-day, was in many respects — alike in faith and act — crude, hesitant, and narrow; Modernism, on the other hand, animated by the environments of an entirely different age, is educated, confident, and overwhelmingly CathoUc. This latter fact, as many are beginning to declare, is one of the chief weaknesses of Modernism; but of its existence there can be no possible doubt. 1 The Acts of the Apostles, xvii. 11. ITS ANTIPATHIES 15 Far from Modernism having any secret wish to transform Catholicism into ' a kind of picturesque Protestantism,' ^ such a vision never enters its dreams. As Father Tyrrell used to put it : ' We are Roman Catholics by in- eradicable conviction.' A recent startling publication, What We Want^ states at the very outset : ' For us, Christianity is the highest expression of genuine religion ; and of Christianity in its turn, we consider Roman Catholicism to be the amplest realization.' In the equally startling document, A Soul-Crisis in Catholicism,^ the same sentiment is repeated in a slightly fuUer form. It is a sheer misrepresentation — a misrepresentation which in Italy is quite frequently made, but usually with a sinister purpose — to declare that there is practically little difference between the two movements. There is a whole world of difference. Modernism is consciously at war with Protestantism. It is in revolt against certain features of Catholicism, but it is tenfold more in revolt against Protestantism. Again iand again it has taken pains to make this fact perfectly clear. This attitude is due, no doubt, to a misapprehension touching Pro- testantism, a misapprehension as profound and as imwarranted as any that could possibly be entertained concerning Modernism itself, whether on the part of its Catholic or Protestant critics ; * nevertheless, its present dislike of Protestantism is so manifest that the existence of this antipathy can not be denied by any who are in possession of reliable information. Modernism, ac- cordingly, has not the least intention of adopting and defending Protestant theology. It has not the least intention of preparing a new Confession of Faith. M. Marcel Hebert has frankly declared that ' a day wiU 1 Cp. The British Weekly. July 23, 1908. 2 QweHo che mgliamo, p. 6. Cp. p. 22. ^ TJna crisi d^ani/me nel caUolicismo. Cp. p. 21. * Modernism complains bitterly that it is very often wrongly inter- preted and misjudged. In this respect, it merely sufEers in common with its neighbours ! 16 MODERNISM IN ITALY come when Catholicism also will make its act of Pro- testantism, and then there will he an end of Protestantism.' If Modernists could only be brought to see it, they occupy ground and contemplate results which are to a far greater extent Protestant than they are essentially Catholic. It has been affirmed with emphasis — and quite truthfully — that Italy is ' politically Protestant' already ; and when Modernism comes to understand genuine Protestantism as a whole, it will estimate it more fairly and accurately. Unf ortimately, others besides Modernists are liable to fall into error in this connexion. In the meantime, however, there need be no further framing of overtures on the part of those who, a small and mistaken group, imagine they see in contemporary Modernists the prospect of an early addition to the grow- ing ranks of Protestants. Neither need there be any bestowment of superfluous compliments upon men who are sometimes described to-day as being ' the very flower of Catholicism ' ; though Modernists have sur- rendered some of the old foundations of their faith, they have at present no thought of joining themselves to those who are so vigorously applauding them. In connexion with this new movement, there have been positively no accessions to Protestantism from the side of Modernism.'^ ^ If it were not for the handicap of its unmistakable Protestantism, the Waldensian Church would grow very rapidly under the impulse of present conditions in Italy. It is a native Church, inspired and controlled by competent native leaders. It is in sympathetic touch with its sur- roundings. It thoroughly imderstands the people among whom it labours. Its reputed founder, moreover, Pierre Waldo — anticipating by centuries in France the hopes of Martin Luther in Germany — strove earnestly at the outset to reform the CathoUc Church from within. When this honest efEort failed and vigorous persecution began, the Waldensian community soon won the admiration and respect of thousands who never personally joined it. Italy began gradually to interpret aright its one supreme aim, and to-day many Catholics admit that Waldensian theology and worship have achieved a much closer approximation to primitive Cliristianity than they can hope to find in the Established Church of the nation. They mark also, and often envy, the conspicuous spiritual freedom which this evangelical communion enjoys. They honour it in their hearts for its ITS HANDICAP 17 VI There are three ways m which the spread of Modernism in Italy is being seriously handicapped. 1. The general indifference of the nation towards rehgion. During the Reformation, and in an increasing measure since that time, this sentiment — ^open and undisguised — ^has provoked the comment of aU interested observers. Paragraph after paragraph might be quoted from the writings of distinguished authorities who, although themselves Italians, reaffirm this judgment with the most absolute frankness. One well-known author has remarked that there is not faith enough in Italy to-day to make heresy, or a prosecution for heresy, possible. Numerous citations to the same effect might be taken, almost at random, from the books of notable University teachers who are fully qualified to offer evidence upon this point. Two brief excerpts wiH suffice. ' We do not hold religion in any serious and sincere esteem,' declares Professor Mariano.^ ' I have demonstrated in my Difficolta, and in other works of mine, how hurtful to our country is the [prevailing] apathy towards religious investigations, and above aU towards Christian and Catholic investigations,' affirms Professor Labanca.^ Not that the Italians at heart are otherwise than a religious people ; no visitor can make a lengthy sojourn in the peninsula without being more and more impressed with the fact that Italy's religion is everywhere, and that it is a profound reality. At the same time, as the traveller passes to and fro, he is often led to recall Mazzini's sagacious remark : ' Religious thought is asleep within the Italian people, waiting for the man who shall awake it ; and he who accomplishes courage, its persistency, its unwavering testimony, and its growing abundance in good works. Nevertheless, this Church makes but inefiec- tual appeal to the thorough- going Modernist. In the meantime, at least, its accessions must continue to come to it from quite another quarter. 1 Intorno alia storia della CMesa, p. 78. Florence, 1904. 2 Ricordi e giudizii sopra studi filosofici e religiosi, p. 10. See also p. 8. Rome, 1907. B 18 MODERNISM IN ITALY this task will do a hundredfold more for his country than aU its pohtical parties can achieve, though they were joined ia one.' ^ Every well- wisher of the Italian race, every one whose mind is free from prejudice and whose heart is large enough to make him wish to promote the supreme interests of Italy to-day, will joia Professor VUlari in his advocacy of the paramount claims of reUgion, — not the claims of ' this or that dogmatic religion, and (least of aU) the religion of the Syllabus or of the latest EncycUcal, but a belief in the Ideal, in human brotherhood, and in a man's duty to his neighbour. It is not for us to say how long it will be before Italy responds to the call ; but there are signs ' ^ that the dawn of a better day is approaching. 2. The tireless opposition of the Roman Catholic Church. In this fact one finds the chief present hindrance to the historical study of religion in Italy. The Ultra- montane party was simply overjoyed when it saw the Theological Faculties suppressed in all the Universities : for if it was imagined that mischief might arise from courses of religious instruction imparted under the older administration, much more was such trouble reasonably to be feared under the new regime. Moreover, the suggestion that laymen should be permitted to impart instruction in theological subjects has always been severely frowned upon, and that feeling has never been keener or more resolute than to-day. Yet further, the breach between the Universities and the Church has considerably widened of late. It is only natural that strong words on the part of the Church have evoked some very frank and forcible rejoinders : indeed nothing strikes one more, in glancing over the Italian Reviews^ than the exceeding freedom of speech which CathoUcs occupying prominent positions in the country are wont to employ when discussing the delinquencies of the Curia. ^ Giuseppe Mazzini's Doveri delV uomo (' The Duties of Man '). Genoa, 1851. [14tli ed., Florence, 1901.] 2 Cp. The Times. London. November 18, 1907. ITS HANDICAP 19 The Papal Encyclical of September, 1907, has added no ray of hope to a situation that was already sadly distraught. However earnestly that official Letter may be defended on some grounds, it is surely one of the most reactionary documents that has ever issued from the Vatican. It serves, however, directly to confirm our present contention. The Catholic Church, in all lands, is resolutely opposed to the introduction and pursuit of the critical study of religion. The recent Encyclical will hardly succeed in its effort to revive the mediaevalism of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, but its very appearance has brought more clearly into view one of the many forces with which modern scholarship in Italy has unfortunately to contend. 3. A persistent recoiirse to anonymous publications. This practice is a mistake. It must frankly be declared that, notwithstanding the penalties many authors would assuredly incur if their connexion with certain printed statements could be conclusively proved. Modernism will never command a large following in Italy until it is known who are personally backing it. Personality is a factor that counts tremendously in a struggle of this character, and the personality of a leader counts unques- tionably most of all. What would even the Monk of Wittenberg have achieved, if he and those who stood by him had not, bereft of aU disguise, come forward into the Ught ? Every reformer, as a matter of course, must expect to endure hardness ; yet how paltry are the risks that confront the innovator to-day, compared with the certainties that threatened those who lived in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries ! Modernism may be right, or it may be wrong, in the estimate of the individual onlookers who chance to be watching it ; but how much are its supporters willing to put in jeopardy for its sake ? That is the whole question in a nut-sheU. It may seem ungenerous to urge those who to-day are wUlingly facing immense hardships that they should prepare to shoulder additional and stUl heavier b2 20 MODERNISM IN ITALY burdens ; but there are some prizes which, no matter what sacrifices they involve, are worth much more than they cost. Moreover, if there is one thing more than another that has served to commend Modernism to Catholics throughout the world, if there is one thing more than another that has evoked the sympathy and aid of influential supporters, it has been the spectacle of the courage of those men who to-day ' suffer ' because their testimony has been fearless and uncon- cealed. Modernists are not slack in avowing their loyalty towards the Pope and the Church ; are they not moved often by the impulse of a stUl higher and more exacting loyalty ? A frank response to this prompting would lend an impetus to the movement, not only vigorous but electric, that would provide some genuine surprises both for its enemies and its friends. These words are neither rash nor unkind. It is not overlooked that the present line of procedure calU for, and has secured, its quota of truly heroic souls. Verily it is not easy for those who have espoused a great and pressing cause, and espoused it with all their heart, to remain patient and silent and submissive through the rapidly passing years. Many of these men plainly possess those passive virtues of endurance and faith which are none too common in this busy self-seeking age. Perchance these pioneers need no prompting, no advice, from those who are without. They have promised to hold their ground. But, dismayed by the thought of schism, they have also pledged themselves to remain within the Church. ' We feel it to be our duty,' one of them writes, ' to offer a loyal resistance, but at the same time, at any cost, to defend that Catholic tradition whereof the Church is guardian, — ^in a way which, for the moment, may merit the condemnation of authority, but which we are sure will, in the end, prevail to the Chiirch's advantage ! ' ^ May this hope be abtmdantly realized ! And yet, under present conditions, how can this hope be realized ? 1 The Programme of Modernism, p. 162. London, 1908. See p. 22. Cp. ako p. 43. ANONYMOUS PUBLICATIONS 21 VII If those who control the Modernist movement in Italy deem it wise to remain meanwhile in the background, their active employment of the press is one of the notable features of the situation. While the books and articles thus published would often carry immensely more weight if it were known that, in many instances, the writers of them are men who hold influential positions either in the Church or State, the effect they have already pro- duced is unmistakable, and it is rapidly spreading. There are three books however, Avritten with the ex- press purpose of furthering the interests of Modernism, which demand and will repay the attention of aU serious students of this question. The first anonymous publication calling for notice is entitled A Soul-Crisis in Catholicism.^ It contains a sad re- velation of the weaknesses, the abuses, and the fatally cor- rupting influences that have eaten their way into the very heart of Catholicism. It is, indeed, an appalling indictment. Professor Labanca thinks it may be accepted as ' a coura- geous demand on the part of the Catholic Modernists, a demand that has been compiled probably by priests of the Church '.* Beyond aU question it produced an immediate effect, one of its results being the weU-remembered AUoeu- tion pronounced by the Pope on AprU 17, 1907.* In this deliverance the Modernists were sternly rebuked, and their charges promptly and indignantly repudiated.* ^ Una crisi d'anime nel cattolicisnw. Florence, 1907. [This statement appeared originally in a Waldensian Review, viz. La Rivista Grisiiana of Florence. After an immense circulation in Italy, including a gratuitous distribution in aU the theological Seminaries, it was translated into English. London, 1908.] 2 ' Una coraggiosa requisitoria dei cattoKci modemisti, probabUmente compilata da sacerdoti della Chiesa.' ^ The writer was living in Roi^e at the time, and had the privilege of an audience with the Pope only three days afterwards. The authorship of the pamphlet was for the moment the chief topic on every Up. A photograph of His Holiness, now a valued souvenir of this visit, will often recall the winning face, the gracious bearing, and the unmistakable kindness of heart of this aged and devoted 'Servant of Christ'. * The Allocution is reproduced in the Appendix to the publication referred to in the next succeeding footnote. 22 MODERNISM IN ITALY A rejoinder to this action on the part of the Pope resulted in the immediate appearance of another anonymous book. It bore the title. To Pius X : What We Want. An Open Letter from a group of Priests} This publication undertook to refute the accusations that had been brought against Modernism. The very idea of hazarding such a step, as a direct counterblast to the procedure of the Vatican, indicated that Modernism was in no wise abashed by the reception which its philippic had met. Moreover, the general tenor of the response showed that the writers of it were men not lacking in coTU"age. Nor will it be denied that they were tremendously in earnest, open-minded, and sincere. It should not be difficult to lead such men! If they are mistaken, they ask to be set right. If they are not mistaken, are they not warranted in their belief that the time for action and reform has already fully come? 'From our hearts we implore you' is the pathetic cry with which this document concludes. But there has been no indication of forbearance or relenting on the part of the Church. All signs, on the contrary, point quite the other way. The third volume in this series is known as The Programme of Modernism. A Reply to the Encyclical of Pius X, ''Pascendi Dominici Gregis.'^ As its title indi- cates, it was called forth by the new Syllabus and the later Encyclical Letter, issued respectively on July 3 and September 8, 1907. These important historical docu- ments* were themselves a reply to the Quello che 1 A Pio X : Quello che vogliamo. Lettera a/perta di un grufpo di sacerdoti. [Published privately and very widely circulated. Translated into English, London, 1907.] 2 II programma dei modernisti. Risposta all' enoiclica di Pio X, ' Pascendi Dominici Gregis.' Eome» 1907. [Translated into English, London, 1908.] * The original text has been reprinted in an Appendix to the II Rinnovamento, Milan, in its issue for September-October, 1907. (Cp. p. 24.) Various translations into English have appeared on both sides of the Atlantic. A convenient ' official ' rendering may be obtained ia London (Messrs. Bums & Gates, Ltd., 28, Orchard Street) for twopence. ANONYMOUS PUBLICATIONS 23 vogliamo and other similar publications which had already been thrown off from the press. Both have been subjected to a brief but searching analysis by Professor Labanca in his Catholic Modernists and Catholic Traditionalists (subsequently referred to ^), and do not require to be dealt with here ; but they are also deliber- ately examined, and at length, in the book now under review. And the answer supplied has struck a sym- pathetic chord in the hearts of scores and hundreds of its readers. In its translated form, both in England and on the Continent, it has had an immense sale. Its authors are unknown to the great majority of those whom they have interested and informed, but they may be consoled by the reflection that they have framed an excellent summary of a situation which only very few can hope to study at first-hand. All these writers — and their readers hkewise — ^have been dtily banned. But when that day arrives in which authors in Italy shall be able to express themselves unambiguously in defence of new religious positions which they have whole-heartedly espoused, there wiU be offered to the public, not half a dozen books merely — and they for the most part anonymous — but a great stream of competent and authenticated volumes in which the spirit and aims of Modernism wUl be carefully formu'- lated and explained.^ VIII In addition to the occasional and more formal publica- tions in which Modernism expounds its views, there is another and equally effective channel through which it keeps itself in touch both with foreigners and with the people of Italy. It possesses a number of Reviews which 1 Cp. footnotes, pp. 27 and 34. See / cattolici modernisti, pp. 30-40. 2 See Giovanni Grille, La renaissance religieuse dans Vltalie contem- poraine. Paris, 1907. [Translated into English, London, 1908.] Also, Tony Andre, Modernisme et modernistes en Italie. Paris, 1908. Both of these writers are Waldensian pastors, who are labouring devotedly and uccessfully among their fellow-countrymen in Italy. 24 MODERNISM IN ITALY have been launched within the last year or two, — magazines which, though frowned upon by the Church, continue to be issued with remarkable regularity. It will Bufl&ce if one or two representative journals be singled out for special remark and examination. First on this list must be placed one of the journals foimded by Don Murri, viz. Social Culture.^ In order to escape certain penalties with which it was threatened, it afterwards changed its title to The Review of Culture.' It is safe to say that it has been the most outspoken of all its contemporaries ; and, now that it has been revived without change of name, its bi-monthly visits wiU continue to be eagerly awaited by a growing con- stituency of readers. Religious Studies ^ was the modest title of the aU too short-lived magazine which Don Minocchi ably edited for several years. It was never so pronounced in its Modernist tendencies as Don Murri' s radical journal, and so it was never regarded by the Church with anything like the same degree of disfavour. StiU its general lean- ing was unmistakable. If it was permitted to enjoy for a time a considerable measure of latitude, its worthy character as a Review, and the high standard of the articles it successfully attracted to its pages, furnish an abundant explanation. The Renotntion* having now completed its fifth volume and showing every evidence of substantial and growing support, must also be given a place in this catalogue. Its very name is significant and prophetic. It has gained already a most promising circulation in 1 La CuUura Sociale. Rome, 1898-1906. Cp. p. 28. ^ Rivista di Cultura. Rome, 1906-8. [Revived, January, 1909.] ' Rivista di Stvdi Rdigiosi. 7 vols. Florence, 1901-7. Cp. p. 31. * II Rinnovamento. Milan, 1907- . [In progress.] It is by no means easy to translate this title into English in a satisfactory manner. The idea for which the term ' Rinnovamento ' stands is perfectly clear, viz. reformation, restoration, revival, renewal, &c. ; but not one of these terms is altogether adequate as a suitable English equivalent. In like manner, as we shall see in a moment, the title of another magazine — the Caencbitim — does not readily reveal its meaning in a translation. Cp. footnote, p. 35. ITS PERIODICALS 25 English-speaking countries. The variety, timeUness, and scholarly character of its discussions are everywhere greatly admired. Its career, as might be expected, has not been free from storms. It has been quite sharply called to task by the highest ecclesiastical authorities. At the close of its initial year it ' submitted ', as in solemn duty bound ; but happily, after a slight re-adjust- ment in its editorial staff, it continued to appear as before. Its editors, publishers, and readers have been included in a very sweeping condemnation by the Vatican; but, although proclaiming its entirely respectful attitude towards the Church, II Rinnovamento has never ceased publication. No words of rash rejoinder have ever appeared in its pages, and in this policy of passive resistance it intends to persist to the end. It is, beyond question, the most influential organ of liberally-minded CathoUcs among the Modernists of Italy to-day. It is managed by young and aggressive men, and it is dis- tinctive in being (to a very large extent) a Catholic laymen's journal. The New and the Old,^ on the contrary, ^ Nova et Vetera. Rome, 1908. [Ceased publication same year.] This Review was promptly succeeded by La CuUura Contemporanea (Rome, 1909, still in progress) ; but the latter by no means restricts itself to the defence of Modernism. Among other Modernist journals that have recently suspended publication, one may mention La Vita Nova, Rome, 1894-1902; La Vita Religiosa (intended to continue the Rivista di Studi Rdigiosi, cp. p. 24), Florence, 1908, [died same year]; Le Pagine Buone, Rome, 1908, [died same year] ; La Libertct, Fermo, 1906-8 ; Savonarola, Florence, 1908, [died same year]. Among the survivors should be specified the Battaglie d'Oggi, Naples, 1904- . [Cp. Battaglie d'oggi, footnote, p. 28.] Among journals not imfriendly to the movement, take the Rivista Storico-Crittca delle Scienze Teologicke, Rome, 1905- , and the liberal Catholic Rassegna Nazionale (' Tie National Review '), Florence, 1879- . [In progress.] The CathoUcs likewise have their Reviews, of which two perhaps ought to be named. Of these, La CvviUd Cattolica ('The Catholic World'), Rome, 1850- , an imcompromising Jesuit organ, stands easily first. While professedly giving special attention to ' social and auxiliary sciences ', it pours continual contempt upon the laymen, and unceasing reproaches upon the clerics, who are seeking to advance the Modernist movement. It singles out II Rvnnovamento, its strongest opponent, for special satire and vindictive condemnation. It utterly refuses to recognize either its editors or contributors as being genuine Catholics. La Souola Cattolica ('The Catholic School'), Milan, 1873- , presents its subscribers with a varied table of very excellent contents, covering apologetics, history. 26 MODERNISM IN ITALY was the mouthpiece through which clerical Modernists usuaUy gave voice to their views. As for the general aims of II Rinnovamento, it stated its convictions thus in its opening number : ' Christianity is a life . . . By its very nature [far from it being possible to express and condfine Christianity within some dogmatic system], it is a continual growth ... It is an incessant movement of renovation.' ^ And again : ' II Rinnovamento desires to express the thought of an ever-increasing group of freemen, — of men who are entirely free, but who at the same time are believers, in so far as concerns all those questions of political, ethical, social, philosophic, and rehgious moment which dominate the present time. This group seeks to communicate to its readers the clearest, deepest, and most sincere experience of religious men, in direct opposition to that teaching which non- reUgious (or irreligious) persons are daily propounding amongst us.' IX Nothing has been said, thus far, concerning the leaders of contemporary Modernism. If one were to deal with this topic in a thorough and comprehensive manner, it would be necessary to enter upon a geographical survey that would extend far beyond the boundaries of Italy- All Catholic countries have felt the thrill arising from the unwonted intellectual activity which Modernism has unquestionably awakened; but, in view of the facts mentioned in an earlier part of this chapter,* it can evoke no surprise that Italy's response to this summons has proved comparatively half-hearted and meagre. Many of the active agents of the movement in Italy are citizens of other countries, whUe it is by the printing press rather than by means of the living voice that this work in the peninsula is at present being carried forward. Yet — even and criticism. L'Osservatore Romano ("Tlie Roman Observer'), Rome, 1861- , may also be added to this list. ^ Cp. vol. i, No. 1, p. i. 2 Cp. pp. 17-19. ITS LEADERS 27 omitting all reference to the more vigorous campaign that is being prosecuted in England, France, Germany, and the United States — ^there is much that is hopeful in the progress which Italy's silent yet persistent propa- ganda is effecting, even under conditions that are often extremely depressing. Professor Labanca, in^ a recent very interesting pamphlet, gives a sketch of Modernism and its chief representatives in the various countries of Europe ; but when, last of aU, he comes to deal with Italy, we find him writing these significant sentences : ' I shall mention no names. I fear I might overlook some who are Modernists, and who fully deserve that title. On the other hand, I fear I might include some who, while undoubtedly Modernists, have no wish to be publicly registered. I fear that, if I were to mention names, I would be supplying quite unnecessary information con- cerning honourable and studious priests, — men who love their Church, and who, in the present difficult crisis, have no wish to be considered lacking in sympathy towards it.' ^ Probably Professor Labanca' s caution is not iU- iadvised, and it wiU therefore be exemplified in the present pamphlet also. But while it seems desirable not to refer too directly to those who — as theologians, scientists, professional men, novelists, social reformers, &c. — are now definitely committed to the promotion of Modernism, an exception may be made in at least a few repre- sentative instances. It involves no breach of confidence to speak of at least three or four of those whose names are to-day household words in Italy. At the head of this list stands, in undisputed pre-^ eminence, Don Romolo Murri. Just as the names of Father Tyrrell and Professor Loisy instantly suggest themselves when one thinks of the present troubled ^ I cattolici modernisti e i cattolici tradizionalisli. II nuovo sillabo e r ultima enciclica di Pio X {' The Catholic Modernists and the Cathohc Traditionalists. The new Syllabus and the latest Encyclical Letter of Pope Pius X '), p. 23. Eome, 1907. 28 MODERNISM IN ITALY situation in England and France, so in Italy there is one name that stands out above all the others. An aggressive propagandist and writer/ Don Murri is most widely known as the leader of the Democristiani party. ^ As a man of the people and in constant touch with them, as a born leader and organizer, as the defender of freedom of speech, freedom of thought, and the advancement of every practicable social reform, Don Murri has become a power throughout the country, and immensely popular in Rome.* He has foimded several journals through which his opinions have gained rapid circulation.* He has long held that there is no reason why there should not be peace and co-operation between the Church and the State, and he has striven in this connexion to do aU he could to effect a possible reconciliation. As the most conspicuous leader of the Modernist movement, his action of late has disappointed ^ Take, for example, his Battaglie cPoggi (' The Contentions of To-day '), 4 vols., Rome, 1901-4 ; La vita religiosa nel cristianesimo (' The Spiritual Vitality of Christianity '), Rome, 1907 ; La fUosofia nuova e I'enoiclica contro il modernismo (' Modem Philosophy, and the Encyclical Letter against Modernism '), Rome, 1908 ; La politica dericale e la Democrazia (' Clerical Politics and the Democracy '), Rome, 1908. * The Lega democratica nazionale. A competent and wide-awake ob- server recently bore the following testimony to the value of this im- portant department of work, now unfortunately stopped by command of the Church : ' The Christian Democrats . . . are one of the most hopeful reUgious sjonptoms of modem Italy : for they are sincere earnest men, imbued with the desire to apply religion to Ufe. They wish to purge the slums, to raise the downtrodden, to educate the ignorant, to bring to the masses a helpful knowledge of the social and economic principles to which the world now looks for health, and to kindle among the Uite a sense of their responsibility. They saw the avowed Socialists doing, among the lower classes, the work that ought to be done by the followers of Jesus Christ ' (William R. Thayer, Italica, p, 339. Boston, 1908). The fourth volume of the ' Battaglie d'oggi ' is entitled Demo- crazia cristiana italiana, and contains a selection from the articles Don Murri contributed to La Cultura Sociale between 1901 and 1904. Its initial volume contains articles, by the same pen, that appeared in this journal between 1898 and 1901. * Don Murri lived in Rome until 1903, when he took up his residence at Gualdo di Macerata. In March, 1909, he was elected a Radical member of Parliament. * Take, for example. La Vita Nova. [Cp. footnote, p. 25.] Or La Cultura Sociale, Rome. [Cp. footnote, p. 24.] Or II Domani d'ltalia (' Italy's To-morrow '), Rome, 1901-5. ITS LEADERS 29 many of those who very sincerely esteem him. While he has long felt and exhibited a profound sympathy for this cause, and has certainly not spared himself in seeking to advance its interests, no sooner was he ' suspended ' than — ^like Signor Fogazzaro and so many others of his countrymen — he ' made his submission ' after the accustomed manner. As a conscientious ' Modernist,' — bound by the fundamental rule of that organization, viz. that he must in all things ' obey ' the Church, — what else could he do ? But he has done some- thing more : he has committed to writing various state- ments which the Church has sought to utilize for the purpose of directly discountenancing Modernism ! As a consequence. Professor Mariano has addressed to him an ' Open Letter ', which contains a good deal of plain speaking and blunt interrogation.'^ The end is not yet ; but the apparent instability of Don Murri's attitude, and equally that of his collaborators,* is a source of immeasurable weakness to those who have accepted their guidance. Suspicions — ^for the most part, entirely unjust suspicions — have arisen, and are multipljdng. Is it not plain that such a condition of affairs, especially during the incipient stages of a movement, must sap its strength and greatly endanger its future ? Stronger causes than Modernism claims to be to-day have been completely wrecked by the employment of expedients so equivocal and utterly indeterminate. It is a quite impossible performance to resist and obey, to advance and retreat, to attract followers and scatter them, at one and the same time. If the principles of contemporary Modernism actually demand of its members the execution of such a feat, then those principles stand in need of drastic revision ; and such revision ought to be begun without delay. Another name, widely known in this connexion, is that ^ E egli, don Romolo Murri, si o no, un Modernista ? ('Is Don Eomolo Murri a Modernist, or is ie not ? '). Florence, 1908. * In reality, their extreme patience ! 30 MODERNISM IN ITALY of Padre GiovAireri Sembbia. This leader represents a side of the movement that exalts ideals entirely different from those which have been so ardently espoused by Don Murri. He stands at the head of the more patient, thoughtful, and conservative wing. Belonging to the Order of the Barnabites,^ he is essentially a student. He likes the quiet places to which men go, — the church, the study, the dark and silent room where the solitary wrestle with and triumph over the doubts that beset the soul. Yet he is no recluse. In Genoa, where he lives, he has a wide circle of friends ; and, far beyond the limits of Italy, readers delight to scan those sober and penetra- tive articles which he publishes from time to time as Pamphlets, or in the current Reviews.^ It is probably not unfair to say that Padre Semeria is a disciple of Cardinal Newman. Indeed, he might be given a place of marked prominence among the followers of that great Englishman whose influence is undoubtedly gaining ground in Italy. He is a pronounced exponent of the old theology, exhibiting a decided preference for studying it after that dogmatic manner which has been followed in Italy for so many centuries. Accordingly, he has had to face no risk of a sudden rupture with the Church. Like the great majority of others who belong to the moderate party among the Modernists, he pm-sues his daUy round of duties conscientiously and quietly. He goes his way, and lives at peace among his fellows. But his thoughts are busy, meanwhile; and he is doubtless watching, with genuine but disciplined eagerness, for the slow unfolding of the future. Yet another member of the group now under con- sideration is Professor' Salvatore Minocchi, the 1 Pounded at Milan in 1530. The ' clerici regulares 8. Bamabae ' have always been able to attract, and count upon the services of, a number of scholarly men. 2 As a sample of his work, see his discussion of the question Chi ha scritto 'Imitazione di Crista ' ? (' Who wrote " The Imitation of dirist " ? ') It was printed in the Rivista di Studi Religiosi. Florence, 1906. Cp. p. 24. 3 ' Don ' — ^the usual title of honour used in addressing a priest (prete), ITS LEADERS 3i well-known teacher of Hebrew Language and Literature in the Royal Institute of Advanced Studies at Elorence. He has travelled extensively, read voluminously, and published many articles in the standard Reviews. In particular, he has prepared several new translations of selected Books of the Bible, in connexion with a series of Commentaries he has been writing ; and at this point, apart altogether from his pronounced Modernistic lean- ings, he has come into conflict with the ecclesiastical authorities. In many respects, his case recalls the experiences that had to be endured by the late Pro- fessor W. Robertson Smith. The latter would certainly not be spurned by the enlightened opinion of his fellow- countrymen in Scotland to-day ; indeed most of the teachings of Robertson Smith are now viewed as theological commonplaces. But, unfortunately for both of these learned and progressive thinkers, their utterances were premature. As teachers, they were ahead of their time ; and both, accordingly, have had to suffer the natural consequences. It was inevitable that, sooner or later, a clash would bring discomfort and discord. The special difficulty in Professor Minocchi's case arose in connexion with the view he holds, in common with the majority of scholars, relative to the historical value of the opening pages of Genesis. But his offence did not end there. A few years ago, in order to give form and stability to his work, he founded the bi-monthly Review, to which reference was made on a preceding page.-' It entered upon a most promising career, and soon began to attract an important group of writers and subscribers. Modernist opinions were freely voiced in its pages. It is not surprising therefore that the blow, foreseen and often threatened, presently descended. Towards the as 'Signer' is used in addressing a layman, or 'Padre' is used when speaking to a monk or friar (frate) — is no longer applied to Professor Minoccti, as te has withdrawn from the priesthood. Strictly speaking, this title should invariably precede the Christian (not the Family) name : but ordinary usage does not enforce this rule. ^ Rivistd di Studi Rdigiosi. Cp. p. 24. 32 MODERNISM IN ITALY close of the year 1907, Don Minocclii was suspended, and he dutifully ' submitted '. In the same spirit of obedience he immediately stopped the publication of his Review, which the Vatican had come to regard as being a dangerous disseminator of ultra -liberal doctrines. Finally, one must not omit to mention SiGNOE Antonio Fogazzabo, the eminent poet and novelist, who also is a leader among contemporary Modernists. The representative circle in which he is here placed would not be complete without him, for he stands for still another side of the movement. He does not speak, as the majority of his colleagues do, from the ranks of the clergy : he is a layman, and so he deals with the various theological questions at issue from the layman's point of view. Besides being a devout and earnest Catholic, he is a man of affairs. He is also a trusted man : he has been thoroughly tested, and his sterling worth has become patent to all. In the course of his public career, he has enjoyed most of the honours that the State is in a position to bestow; while, in the literary field Ukewise, he has won both reward and renown. His skill as a psychologist, not less than his felicitous diction, has ensured a welcome for his books in practically every land. In view of this fact, and especially in view of his prominence among the Modernists, it is not surprising that the first place in the initial number of II Rinnova- mento ^ was reserved for an article from his pen. His personal convictions — and, not least, his religious con- victions — are frank and sincere ; and they constantly find expression in various forms in his writings. It is not strange therefore that, directly and indirectly, he is continually referring in his books to the current phenomenon of Modernism. Those who have read his epoch-making volume. The Saint,^ need not go elsewhere in search of illustrations of the truth of this statement. 1 Cp. p. 24. 2 II Santo. Mikn, 1906. [Translated into English, London, 1906.] ITS LEADERS 33 Moreover, that book reminds one how, by means of special Conferences, Signor Fogazzaro has rendered incal- culable assistance to the Modernist cause. At one of these meetings, he introduced the chief speaker of the occasion with these significant words : ' The importance of the reUgious question is pre-eminent. Indifference in the matter of religion is unworthy of civilized people, and yet it is an old infirmity of our nation.^ It is a good work to combat it.' Still further ; while holding the rank of a Senator, Signor Fogazzaro has been an active promoter of the Christian Democracy movement.^ In due course, as was to have been expected, an official rebuke was sent to him, and it in turn evoked the usual ' submission ' ; but the circulation of II Santo, at least outside of Italy, continues. And, as it passes through multipljring editions and translations, it is not likely to fail in the accomplishment of its mission. The four leaders who have just been named are to be regarded, let it be borne in mind, as four selected types. They represent different ideals^ different methods, dif^ ferent groups. They show the present preponderating strength of the clergy in the Modernist movement,' although the lay element in it is neither small nor inefficient. But, in one particular at least, all these men agree : they are all of them students,* and that fact constitutes a very significant phase of the situation. All alike are fully conscious of the difficulties of the problem that confronts them, and aU are honestly striving to find an adequate solution. Yet, even combined in one, are the actual constituents of Modernism competent, under the present theory of administration, to accomplish the end in view ? Some are beginning to ;be depressed by serious doubts. Like the waves which dash themselves against the granite cliffs, and then fall back into the sea in disintegrated par- ticles of spray, it sometimes seems as though Modernism ^ For dramatic descriptions of some of these Conferences, see II Santo. 2 Cp. p. 28. » Cp. p. 44. 4 Cp. pp. 37fi., 44ff., &c. C 34 MODERNISM IN ITALY were expending its strength in vain. Professor Labanca is not altogether hopeful as to the immediate result.^ So long as the Modernists remain within the Church under present conditions, their aims are being constantly checked and their eager voices stifled. Moreover, not- withstanding their solemn and repeated declaration that they are unswervingly subject to the Pope, the authority of the Vatican is often in effect denied ; and it has become a question whether those who adopt this re- actionary attitude have any further right to use the Catholic name.^ A weU-known Review bluntly declares that, if the Modernists are ' veri cattohci ', then the rest of the Church are not CathoHcs ! * Professor Labanca holds that Modernists ought to declare themselves, with- out further hesitation, to be ' "Hberi cristiani ", in order that now at last every equivocation with respect to CathoUcism may come to an end.' * Be that as it may, many are becoming desirous, both within Italy and beyond it, that some more intelligible — some more overt and positive — ^line of action may soon be inaugurated.® Not only are the conditions that now prevail favourable to a bolder and more aggressive course, but the method of invisibility — whether in the way of private Con- ferences, furtive correspondence, anonymous books and pamphlets, &c. — seems to have been pursued suflficiently long. The exigencies of the moment, and the demands of the very near future, are likely to be better met by the adoption of an entirely different policy.* 1 Cp. his article on ' Italia religiosa ' in Die Religion in Vergangenheit und Gegenwart (' Religion in the Past and ia the Present '). Tubingen, 1908- . [In progress.] See also his I caUolici modernisti e i eaUolici tradizionalisti. ^ Cp. p. 39. 3 Coenobium, vol. ii, p. 148. Lugano, February 1908. Cp. footnote, p. 35. * I cattolici modernisti, p. 39. ® Cp. pp. 19-20. * The majority of foreign publications — ^including not a few English journals — exhibit a singular proneness to error when dealing with the progress of the Modernist movement. They are excusable in part, seeing that reliable information on this subject is not always easily obtainable ; nevertheless, owing to these unfortunate mistakes, several prominent Italians have frequently been associated with Modernism when, as a matter of fact, they have had nothing whatever to do with it. Any ITS AIMS 35 X Having 'indicated with sufficient fullness the chief active factors in Modernism, and the causes that account for their existence, what precisely is the task to which this new alliance is consciously addressing itself ? In a word : what are the specific aims of contemporary Modernism ? In an article found in a new German Encyclopaedia,^ Professor Labanca frames a summary statement of the doctrinal and practical changes which Modernism seeks to effect in the ruhng Church of Italy, With regard to doctrinal alterations, he holds that ' Catholic dog- matism, at present unchangeable, must be made more elastic, i. e. it must be permitted some expansion instead of remaining completely crystallized ; that biblical exegesis must be made conformable to the new historical criticism of the sacred documents ; and that the theology and action which these leadeis might possibly feel constrained to take in connexion with the present agitation — should they yield to some sudden impulse — would certainly not be either sympathetic or friendly. To single out one name from many, take the case of Signor Roberto Aidigo, professor of the History of Philosophy in the University of Padua. No greater blunder could be made than to af5rm that Signor Ardigb is a Modernist ! Far from his being identified with this movement in its endeavour to maintain unbroken its historic connexion with the Church, he is completely and irreconcilably opposed to CathoUcism. He holds, on the contrary, that religions of every name wiU one day be sup- planted by the contradictory yet demonstrable teachings of science. Others whose names are much too famiUarly exploited in this connexion, while not so radical in their views as Professor Aidigd, are quite of one mind with bim in their estimate of Modernism. In like manner, Caenobium is not infrequently referred to as if it were a Modernist magazine ! Those who so speak are certainly not included among its regular readers (cp. p. 34). Caenobium, as its sub- title explains, is ' an international review of independent studies '. It holds no special brief for Modernism. It is perfectly free and untrammelled in its utterances. On July 26, 1907, when it had been only a Uttle more than six months in existence, it was placed indeed upon the Index of Prohibited Publica- tions ; but it was not thus pilloried because it was a Modernist Journal. And it has made no ' submission '. It does not refuse to ' absorb ' Modernist Reviews, if it can arrange a satisfactory commercial basis for incorporation, — as when it acquired the La Nuova Parola (of Rome), last year ; but it is very far indeed from merely absorbing and proclaiming and propagating what are everywhere known as dis- tinctively Modernistic doctrines. 1 Die Religion in Vergangenheit und Gegenwart. c2 36 MODERNISM IN ITALY philosophy of Catholicism must no longer be limited to the scholastic methods of St. Thomas Aquinas.' With regard to the practical changes that have become neces- sary. Professor Labanca thinks that ' the ecclesiastical authority must surrender its inordinate desire for spiritual and temporal power ; it must abandon the use of pompous functions, which are to-day completely emptied of their old religious significance; and it must abandon its acquiescent attitude towards aU those silly superstitions which, among Cathohc peoples everywhere, envelop the genuine worship of Christ.' For, he adds, reformers desire to see ' the Church of Rome become once more the true moderator of souls, viz. through its fostering a reUgious spirit, by its reducing the exercises of external worship within weU-defined limits, and by its surrendering those tenaciously political habits which are so pernicious in themselves, and so contrary to the teachings of Christianity.' It is plain therefore that, while there is no desire on the part of the Modernists to forsake or destroy existing CathoUcism,^ they do entertain an ardent longing that the Church should recover the beauty and power of its original purity. This amounts to the proclamation of the need of a return to those sources of strength that revealed themselves, not so much at the beginning of the sixteenth century as at the commencement of the ApostoUc Age. Men are hearing afresh to-day the cry ' Back to Christ ' ; but — and the fact is profoundly significant — ^that cry is now coming from a new and unexpected quarter. Unlike those iconoclasts, Catholic or Protestant, who seek to uproot and extirpate what- ever they abhor, these leaders initiate no fierce attack upon either persons or offices that enjoy a questionable authority. They insist that he who resists the Church and is defeated, and who then deserts the Church, is guilty of schism. They believe that, if the forces of modem knowledge are only allowed free play, time will 1 Cp. pp. 13-16. ITS AIMS 37 bring about the necessiary transformations much more gently, and more abidingly, than they could possibly be effected in any other way. They are very far indeed from being men who seek, by the employment of critical methods, to demonstrate the ultimate reconciliation of reason and faith. Such a temptation is one which Modernists generally view with suspicion ; and it is one which many of the wisest friends of the movement are strongly urging it to resist. What it does desire to do, above all else, is ' to spread the Kingdom of Christ, and to secure for it an ampler, more living, more conspicuous triumph upon earth. . . . What appeals to us, and cheers us on, is the ideal of a Church restored to her true office, the guide of souls that press on in their pilgrimage to that distant goal towards which they are impelled by the Spirit of God. What we long for is a spirit of brotherhood and peace \^ Although a book bearing the title The Programme of Modernism has already more than once been referred to in these pages. Modernism (strictly speaking) has no programme. This lack is undoubtedly another of its sources of weakness. Nevertheless, in the absence of a definitely framed hst of specific objects for which it is perseveringly laboTU-ing, there are one or two features of the movement which clearly enough reveal its aspirations, and the direction in which it is carrying the majority of its numerous sympathizers and adherents. 1. Modernism claims the right to pursue its present preliminary studies. It asks for greater intellectual freedom. It asks for evidences of a more sympathetic attitude on the part of the Church towards the whole wide domain of modern learning. In particular, it asks for liberty to study the origins of Christianity. It desires to investigate the actual beginnings of Catholicism. It seeks to interpret the present ecclesiastical situation in the light of its past, maintaining that existing problems 1 The Programme of Modernism, pp. 170 and 172. 38 MODERNISM IN ITALY will never be rightly understood until they have been traced, step by step, along the course of their gradual historical development. 2. Modernism claims to-day the right to think for itself. It is striving to assimilate its restless and conflicting thoughts, to get accustomed to its unfamiliar surroundings, and thus to prepare itself to make a new advance. What the ultimate result of its investigations may chance to be, it does not pause to ask. There he in store for it, no doubt, some surprises ; possibly there may arise considerable anxiety, and even alarm, at times ; but the way of the competent investigator is the way that leads to the Ught. Modernism is fortified by the assurance that the outcome of honest inquiry, however distiu-bing it may be for the moment, is no sufficient cause for disquiet ; the real ground for fear is that one may unwittingly accept and disseminate error. Modernism seeks only to exalt and re-establish the truth. Accordingly, all that science has discovered and verified, it frankly accepts and defends ; and it asks that official permission be granted it, without equivocation or delay, to obey the clear teaching of reason alike in the domains of nature, of criticism, of rehgion, and of every other sphere. 3. Modernism claims the right to be recognized as one of the true lineal successors of that teacher who is so often summoned to refute it. ' The great artificer in this labour of harmonization [viz. between one's inherited faith and the current thought of the day] was St. Thomas Aquinas, — distrusted at first by his colleagues and superiors, on account of his Aristo- telian sympathies ; authorized later, by special papal permission, to study that philosophy ; ultimately triumphant in his Summa Theohgicce, that perfect synthesis' of dogma with Aristotelian method and metaphysic' -^ And Modernism likewise affirms the necessity of restating some fundamental theological ^ The Programme of Modernism, p. 168. ITS AIMS 39 conceptions. The Church, while it reverences the past, cannot live in the past ; it must seek to get into vital and visible contact with the spiritual life of to-day. ' Un- doubtedly a crisis has arisen in the very centre of Catholic thought, — a crisis that affects no one particular dogma, but extends to the whole general attitude to be taken as to the traditional idea of revelation and of the supernatural, and as to the whole complexus of ■ data presented to us by Catholicism. One who sets out with the idea that Christianity and its scholastic interpretation are one and the same thing may well see in Modernism (which is essentially critical and anti-scholastic) a very grave danger to the integrity of the Christian tradition.' ^ Putting away dead beliefs and a great mass of over- elaborate ceremonial observances, contemporary Catho- Ucism must recognize and appropriate and propagate the progressive spirit of to-day. It must more carefully than hitherto distinguish between the shell and its kernel, between the accidental and the essential. It cannot afford any longer to maintain ' an arbitrary aloofness from the rest of knowledge. . . . The twentieth centtiry will be unable to apprehend Christian truth at aU, save through those categories of growth and development which it is learning to apply to aU the objects of its knowledge.' ^ XI The question may quite reasonably be raised : Is the position occupied by the Modernists legally — or even morally — tenable ? They have ceased to believe in the historicity of many venerated traditions ; they claim the right of investigation into the validity of the argu- ments urged in support of ecclesiastical dogmas ; they venture to re-interpret the Bible in the light of modern knowledge ; they even challenge the authority of the ^ The Programme of Modernism, p. 153. 2 A. Leslie Lilley, Modernism. A Record and Review, p. 21. London, 1908. 40 MODERNISM IN ITALY Pope to settle finally any given issue, affirming that the subjection of the soul can be made with absolute un- reserve unto Grod only. It is all very weU to declare ' we believe we have full rights of citizenship in the Catholic Church ; we believe that we are its most devoted and loving sons ' ; ^ but what if the Pope thinks otherwise ? What if the Pope, as the authoritative spokesman of the Church affirms — as he has affirmed — ' Rebels indeed they are . . . sowers of tares . . . who profess and spread abroad, under artful forms, monstrous errors on the evolution of dogma, on the return to the Gospel ... on the emancipation of the Church . . . and finally on adaptation in aU respects to the times'.'' In the En- cyclical, Modernists are further labelled as ' enemies of the Cross of Christ, who labour for the downfall of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ' ! It is beyond denial that these Modernist pioneers are no longer Catholics in the current meaning of that name ; they stand to-day in a distinctly altered relation to the Church, to its head, and to its creed. The Pope has rejected and condemned them, — sometimes, as has just been shown, in language of the very greatest severity. He has sought to show that Modernism means the negation not only of traditional Catholicism, but of the principles of Christianity itself. He sees in it a de- cidedly rationalistic tendency, and consequently regards it as one of the greatest dangers that could threaten the Church. In a word, he holds most emphatically that it is impossible to remain a Catholic if one has become a Modernist.^ In re^y it is affirmed that, although Modernists may no longer be Roman Catholics, they are unquestionably Catholics stiU ; and it is added that they are not tm willing to accept this wider historic name. Meantime, they declare that they have not abandoned the communion of their earlier faith, and that they do not intend to abandon it. So Luther ^ The Programme of Modernism, p. 171. 2 PafcH AUocMion. April 17, 1907. ^ Cp. Caenobium, quoted on p. 34. ITS STATUS 41 likewise felt at the outset of his reformatory career ! Possibly history is once again to repeat itself. Still another question is being raised. It is this : What would become of the authority of the Holy See, if the claims of Modernism were conceded ? If Modern- ism were permitted to remain undisturbed, operating within Catholicism as a sort of secret leaven, might not the whole modern theory of the Papacy be gradually disintegrated ? The only rational answer to this query is an answer in the aflfirmative. Hence it is very easy to under- stand why the one party dxiring this crisis is so anxious to remain within the Church, while the other is equally determined to cast it out. But what if the existing ecclesiastical theory of Catholicism ought to be dis- integrated ! The Vatican utters an immediate, emphatic, and uncompromising ' No ' ; but those who are obviously interested in maintaining the status quo are scarcely in a position to offer an impartial verdict. At the same time the Scriptures, to which appeal is uniformly made by the Church, certainly do not bar the quest in which Modernists everywhere are now eagerly engaged. It is written in the Bible : ' Prove all things ; hold fast that which is good.' ^ And again : ' Try the spirits, whether they be of God.' ^ And yet once more : ' By their fruits ye shall know them.' * Such are the tests which Heaven applies j and every organization known among men, sooner or later, must submit itself to them. Such tests, however, reveal not a few weak places in the foundations supporting many of the accepted theories of the hierarchy ; and it is surely the sheerest folly to continue to keep in one's creed statements of belief which a ripened knowledge has discredited. The historical explanation of the de- velopment of Catholicism, viz. that it is a growth con- ditioned inevitably by its secular environment, does not 1 1 Thessalonians v. 21. 2 i John iv. 1. 3 Matthew vii. 20. 42 MODERNISM IN ITALY harmonize with the teaching that a supernatural inter- vention commenced, continued, and superintended at all points the upbuUding of this vast articulated structure. Erroneous conceptions, in every other sphere, are wil- lingly disowned and discarded as soon as they are out- grown : how then can the Church, declaring that it alone is unchanged and unchanging, hope to maintain its exclusive and incredible contentions ? Semper eadem, once an ecclesiastical boast, is the radical defect of CathoHcism to-day ; it is steadily aUenating those whom the Church can ill afford to lose. ' To exist is to change. Whence it is clear that it is impossible to impose reUgious experience on the modern mind in the forms which were adapted to the utterly different mediaeval mind. The Church cannot — and ought not to — pretend that the Summa of Aquinas answers to the exigencies of religious thought in the twentieth century.' ^ The appeal which the anonymous authors of the book just quoted have conjointly framed makes pathetic and significant reading. WhUe frankly affirming that ' authority which loses sight of its proper limits and its true function . . . transforms itself into an absolutism, inconsistent with that reasonable spiritual government instituted by Christ, in whom we have passed from servitude to freedom',* they go on : ' We have girt our- selves to the task of spreading to those round us this new experience of CathoUcism whose possibilities of success we have discerned. Do not repulse us. Holy Father ! Our efforts may fail, but our purpose is vital ; nor is there any other way for the Church to succeed. . . . Before you reject us, before you solemnly bury yourself away in mediaeval dreams of a poUtical and intellectual theocracy, think for a moment on your responsibility to God, to society, to history ; and consider carefully whether yoiir pohcy of a retvim to the past may not end in sterilizing the Church of which you are in charge.' ^ 1 The Programme of Modernism, pp. 6-7. 2 Ibid., pp. 9 and 13. ITS FUTURE 43 The implication is plain, and it has more than once been glowingly expressed, viz. that, far from Modernism tending to weaken the Church, the acceptance and guidance of it by the Church would result in establishing the whole ecclesiastical fabric on broader and securer foundations. XII Of the probable future of Modernism in Italy, of the almost certain issue of the procedure which has been adopted towards it by the Vatican, of the uses to which its energies might eflfectively be turned by the Church, of its growth and leaders and aims in lands contiguous to Italy, — these and a score of kindred topics invite discussion and forecast ; but they cannot be dealt with in the present connexion.-^ Yet, to the first at least of these queries, a few words ought to be given, although something has already been said on a preceding page.^ It is remarkable that a movement which is so wide-spread should as yet have practically no visibility, no programme, no coherence. It has no recognized centre. It is continually being hampered and checked by its nominal allegiance to the Pope. Nevertheless, while there are many symptoms of religious unrest in Italy, no one of them begets in equal measure the hopes and apprehensions with which the friends and enemies of Modernism are looking towards the future. In a word : the issue that has been raised constitutes probably the most interesting problem which the whole theological world presents to us to-day. The numerical strength to which the movement has already attained in Italy is as yet unknown. It cannot be computed with any degree of accuracy. Nevertheless, one who is in an excellent position to judge has estimated that ' perhaps half of the younger clergy, and the half 1 Cp. p. 9. See Professor William R. Inge on ' The Meaning of Modernism ' in the Quarterly Review. London, April 1908. 2 Cp. pp. 33-4 44 MODERNISM IN ITALY which (morally and physically) is most important '/ have already allied themselves with this cause. 'It is very difficult,' he continues, 'to give even approximate figures. In certain dioceses of Prance and Italy, almost all the younger priesthood have been won over to the new ideas, while in neighbouring dioceses the proportion may be no more than a sixth, and sometimes even less.' There is Uttle doubt that — if the Itahan people generally knew how large a percentage of the priesthood, with an even larger percentage of the educated laity, had actually given some measure of endorsement to the new propa- ganda — the present strength of the movement would begin to be rapidly recruited.^ Be that as it may, it is at least evident that Modernism can no longer be com- pared to a passing summer breeze. Professor Labanca has testified, over and over again, that Italy has shoAvn itself strangely yet inveterately indifferent towards questions of religion, whether theoretical or practical ; ' hence a considerable number of onlookers have reached the conviction that the present agitation is a mere flash in the pan. They take it to be a startled cry that wiU speedily lapse into silence. But observers who gather their information in Italy itself are of quite a different opinion. They base their conclusions, for the most part, upon the following considerations : — 1. There has at last been aroused in Italy the spirit of rehgious inquiry. It has been shown that contem- porary Modernism found its incentive in the vista it gained of the expanding horizons of science,* Outside the confines of the Church, the disclosures effected by the 1 M. Paul Sabatier. See his article on ' Modernism ' in the CorUem- porary Review, pp. 301 and 303. London, March 1908. See also his Jowett Lectures bearing the same title, published in London at the close of the same year. Cardinal Mercier, Lettre pastorale au cUrgi et aux fidHes du diocese de Malines. Malines, 1908. [Reprinted, with additional matter, in Le modernisme. Paris, 1909.] George Tyrrell, Medievalism. London, 1908. [A formal reply to Cardinal Mercier.] Nicola R. D' Alfonso, II ccOtolidsmo e la fUosofia a proposito deW enciclica di Pio X. Rome 1908. » Cp. pp. 33-4. ' For Signer Fogazzaro'a opinion, see p. 33. * Cp. pp. lOff. ITS FUTURE 45 new knowledge had already been widely accepted ; but in many an academic grove, priests and monks con- tinued their duties and their prayers, quite oblivious of the strange impulses that had been quickened into life in the breasts of the majority of their neighbours. Then came the Modernist revival. Inquirers, made anxious by the rumours that reached them from without and that often disturbed their peace, became eager to look beyond the high encircling walls that enclosed them. In part, at least, this wish has been gratified. At the same time, the steadily growing ardour of these ecclesias- tics and laymen — ^whether professors, priests or monks, or attached to other callings — ^has not separated them from the Church. Theirs is a quest entirely different from that of the professional scientists. It was linked with religion in its inception, and it is linked with religion stUl. 2. This process of inqiiiry is already beginning to be fostered in a systematic way. The publication by the Modernists of several important Reviews has already been alluded to.^ The contents of many of these journals are of a high order, and compare favourably with the matter furnished by similar publications in any part of Europe. Moreover, although their right to exist has been challenged, these Beviews are not now in much danger of being crushed ; and their influence is visibly increasing every year. Another significant fact is that Modernism has openly espoused the study of Compara- tive Religion. It wiU be remembered that, when the aboUtion of the Theological Faculties in the Royal Universities was under consideration, it was suggested that Chairs for giving instruction in ' The Comparative History of Religions ' should be substituted for some of the Chairs that were doomed to disappear.^ This recom- mendation, unfortunately, was not acted upon ; but the Modernists show a pronounced disposition to lend it due 1 Cp. pp. 23 fi. ^ pp. Jordan and Labanca, The Study of Religion in ike Italian Universities, pp. 177, 182, and 288. London, 1909. 46 MODERNISM IN ITALY and hearty support. The Encyclical draws special atten- tion to this purpose on their part when it says : ' Modern- ists do not deny — on the contrary they admit, some openly and others covertly — that all religions are true.' It is extremely to be regretted that in the present instance, as elsewhere, this papal Letter fails to state with accuracy the positions which it antagonizes. The Modernists have no difficulty in showing that the charge here levelled against them is unfair. While desirous of studying in particular the origins of Christianity,^ they distinctly recognize that factors of truth are inherent in all religions. Nay more, they recognize that many non- Christian faiths have been in contact with Christianity, and have imparted to it either benefits or blemishes which survive to this day; they favour, therefore, a strict inquiry into the soiu-ce and measure of those influences by which CathoHc Christianity has thus been coloured in the course of its eventful career. In adopting this attitude, they are taking after all no very radical or dangerous step ; for they find themselves able to appeal to the authority of Justin Martyr, Clement of Alexandria, Augustine, Anselm, and others, whose names are rightly revered.^ Mr. LUley has done well to call attention to this characteristic feature of Modernism, — a feature of it which many have overlooked, but one which is peculiarly pertinent in the present connexion. These new investigators, he states, ' have welcomed the results of the modem comparative study of rehgions, — not grudgingly as of embarrassing knowledge, but gratefidly as of knowledge which serves to illustrate and confirm the assertions of faith. They see in these alien religions yet other revelations of God. . . . But they see in them also the same revelation, the same power of God working through so many difiEerent types of racial character . . . the Eternal Word dispensing His Light wherever light is found." ^ Cp. p. 37. 2 Cp. The Programme of Modernism, pp. 144-6. 3 Modernism : A Record and Review, p. 17. See also his Introduction to The Programme of Modernism, pp. xii-xix. ITS FUTURE 47 3. The scope of the inquiry is steadily widening. When Rosmini spoke some stern words of reproof to the Catholic Church,^ he still entertained towards it a feeUng of almost mediaeval devotion. The Modernist strictly so called, i. e. the Modernist of to-day, uses the same language as Rosmini, but his inner sentiment of reverence has become materially changed. The Modernist of to-morrow wiU unquestionably enjoy the advantage of a still wider outlook. Not Romanism, not Protes- tantism, not Catholicism, not the philosophical systems of the greater ethnic faiths, nor yet the disclosures secured through comparisons of one religion with another, will be allowed to determine for him the boundaries beyond which he may not go. More and more Modernism wiU make truth its iiltimate quest and goal. It will insist that the authority inherent in well-authenticated f diets must always rise superior to every other authority, and that no contingency whatever — not even the con- ceivable condemnation of truth by either Church or State — can alter for a moment its absolute and inviolable character. Modernism is at least an immense improvement upon that invincible religious apathy which Professor Labanca so often deplores. If it be wisely and courageously guided, it may yet work a complete revolution in Cathohcism. One cannot but recall Luther's confident prophecy, pronounced nearly four centuries ago : ' I shall die ; but my name wiU follow you until you either become reformed or perish.' The present uprising among so many thoughtful and earnest men may greatly con- tribute towards making the Catholic Church more catholic in its spirit. It may even help to open up the way, as Father Tjnrrell once fondly dreamed,^ for effecting the reunion of Christendom. But Modernism, if permitted to follow the Hne of its natural development, might 1 See Ms Delh cinque jdaghe Mia Santa Ghiesa (' The Five Wounds of "Holy Ghurcli '). Bruasels, 1848. [Translated into English, London, 1883.] 2 Cp. The Times. London, September 30 and October 1, 1907. 48 MODERNISM IN ITALY certainly lend services of the very highest value towards fostering the interests of the study of religion in the Italian Universities. The conventional type of Catho- hcism ' mistrusts democracy and culture, — ^favouring on the one hand a poUcy frankly conservative, and fearing on the other hand liberal studies and the logical conclu- sions drawn from them ; therefore it retards the spread of positive methods in the studies of the clergy, when- ever it is possible so to do '.^ Catholicism was highly pleased when the Theological Faculties were suppressed in the Universities. There is Uttle encouragement in the outlook when one views it from the standpoint of the ' cattolici tradizionalisti '. But even Professor La- banca, who is far from being wholly optimistic in this connexion, thinks that a good deal may be done if the laity — now happily becoming re-aUied with the more progressive clergy — ^wiU begin to support, loyally and unceasingly, those brave leaders who to-day crave and deserve their assistance. Whether within the next decade this latest hope shall be fulfilled, — prominent and competent laymen showing themselves equal to the sacrifices which such action on their part wiU be sure to involve, — only time can tell. ^ VtM crisi d'anime nel cattolicismo, p. 25. oxroBi^: apRAcx hart Cornell University Library BX1396 .J82 Modernism in italy;^,);;,,, c>j;Ki,,j?,%,,i^^^^ oiin 3 1924 029 380 536