of the successor of
that king, and to defend against his usurpation the Church and her
inalienable rights. The proclamation of King Humbert was met by a protest
addressed to all the Powers from the Cardinal-Secretary of State, and Pius
IX. himself raised his voice in order to vindicate publicly those writers
who had spoken the truth concerning the deceased prince. The whole world
was moved by the solicitude of the Holy Father in laboring so as that
Victor Emmanuel should die as became a Christian, and in providing that
his funeral should be conducted according to the consoling ceremonial of
the Church. It now became his duty to take care lest the irreconcilable
enemies of religion should succeed in availing themselves of these
circumstances in order to deceive and induce mankind to believe that the
Godless revolution was in sympathy with Pius IX. and the Church. The
venerable Pontiff was still able to take to task the indiscreet writers
who, from mistaken zeal, maintained that such an incongruous coalition had
taken place or was possible.

A very great number of people of all ranks conceived the happy idea of
celebrating the seventy-fifth anniversary of Pius the Ninth's first
communion. This afforded another great occasion for uniting in prayer all
over the wide extent of the Catholic Church. The _fete_ occurred on the
2nd of February, "Candlemas day," or the purification of the Blessed
Virgin. The Holy Father was able, all exhausted as he was, to leave his
couch, celebrate Mass, and even repair to the throne-room of the Vatican,
where he performed the ceremony of distributing blessed tapers to the
cardinals, bishops and heads of religious orders. He spoke also with his
accustomed eloquence to those whom it gave him so much pleasure to see
gathered around him. He addressed himself particularly to the parish
priests of Rome, recommending above all things to their pastoral
solicitude, the children of the city who bore so important a part in the
celebration of the anniversary. He expatiated on the value of Christian
education, and exhorted the pastors to stir up the zeal of parents. His
apostolate had begun with children in the happy days of _Tata Giovanni_.
It was only fitting that his last exhortation should be all in their
interest and for their happiness.

All, in expressing his gratitude for the prayers that were offered in his
behalf, he asked was that they should be continued, hoping always "that He
who had commenc