 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Fighting for the Pope |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
As Christ is the Prince of Peace, the Vicar of Christ has always been opposed to warfare as a means of solving problems. However, since we do live in a world of sinners with free will, sometimes the strong will attempt to prey on the weak and the righteous must defend themselves with deadly force if necessary. Such was the case, starting in the 1860's, when the liberal, revolutionary nationalist forces in Italy began to attack the most ancient of all the nations in Europe: the Papal States. Blessed Pope Pius IX had originally incurred the wrath of the nationalists for refusing to bless their war against Austria. Now, however, Pope Pius IX was forced to defend himself against the forces of the "Risorgimento".
The Papal States had, in the past, a modest army, but after so many years of peace it had dwindled further and so Pius IX called upon the Catholic faithful of the world to come to the defense of the Patrimony of St Peter. The temporal powers may have been reluctant, but volunteers came from France, Austria, Switzerland, Ireland and even as far away as Canada to defend the sovereignty of the Pope. Command was given to the talented French officer General Christophe Leon Louis Juchault de Lamoriciere. The most famous troops were the Papal Zouaves from France and Canada commanded by a member of the Charette clan whose most famous ancestor had fought in the Vendee Uprising against the French Revolution. There were other famous names in the Pope's army, even an exiled Prince of the Mexican Imperial Family. Those who could not fight helped with words such as the illustrious English convert Cardinal Manning who upheld the Pope's struggle as a modern day Crusade. The Italian liberals called the Pope's army criminals and mercenaries, but when one considers how ill-equiped they were and how little the Pope had to pay them it is easy to see that they were fighting for devotion to the Church and nothing more. |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
General Lamoriciere, Papal Army Commander |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Coat of Arms of Pius IX |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bl. Pio Nono, the last Pope-King of Rome |
|
|
|
|
On their own, it soon became clear that the battle was futile so heavily outmatched were the Papal forces, but nonetheless they fought superbly and proved to the world that this was an invasion and conquest and no amount of liberal propaganda could change that. The first major defeat, though glorious, came at Castelfidaro on September 18, 1860. The Pope's territory was reduced to Rome itself as the Kingdom of Italy was declared under the House of Savoy. By 1866 the Italians had determined to take Rome as well. Emperor Napoleon III of France, who had earlier abandoned the Pope, sent troops back in to hold the city. The French and Papal armies defeated the liberals near Mentana in 1867 but when the Franco-Prussian War erupted in 1870 Napoleon III withdrew all forces from Italy. The Pope ordered his army to make only a symbolic defense, but nevertheless the fought bravely, sending a signal to the world about the injustice which was taking place. The Papal Army went out in a blaze of glory and Italian forces entered Rome on September 20, 1870, bringing an end to the era of temporal sovereignty for the Roman Pontiff. |
|
|
|
|
|
Canadian volunteer of the elite Papal Zouaves |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
More about the Pope at War |
|
|
|
|
|
Official Site of the Swiss Guard |
|
|
|
|
|
The Pontifical Zouaves |
|
|
|
|
|
The faithful Papal Army kneels to receive the Apostolic Blessing of Pope Pius IX before marching into battle to defend the Papal States. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Canadian Volunteers of the Pope |
|
|
|
|