rtin Luther: in
my inmost soul I was ready entirely ready, to submit to the judgment
of the Church. They had made me out a rebel and a radical to the Holy
Father, and when I saw him alone, after the usual salutations, and
while on my knees, I said: 'Look at me, Holy Father; see, my
shoulders are broad. Lay on the stripes. I will bear them. All I want
is justice. I want you to judge my case. I will submit.' The Pope's
eyes flled with tears at these words, and his manner was very kind."
The rest of the interview is given in a letter: "The Pope bade me
rise and told me he was informed all about my affairs. Then he asked
what was my desire. I replied that he might have the goodness to
examine the purpose of my coming to Rome, 'since it regarded the
conversion of the American people, a work which the most intelligent
and pious Catholics have at heart, among others Dr. Ives, whom you
know.' 'Yes,' he said; 'has his wife become a Catholic?' I replied in
the affirmative. 'But what can I do?' he said; 'the affair is being
examined by Archbishop Bizarri (Secretary of the Congregation of
Bishops and Regulars), and nothing can be done until he gives in his
report; then I will give my opinion and my decision.' 'Your decision,
most Holy Father, is God's decision, and whatever it may be willingly
and humbly will I submit to it.' While I was making this remark his
Holiness paid the greatest attention, and it seemed to satisfy and
please him. 'The American people,' he continued, 'are much engrossed
in worldly things and in the pursuit of wealth, and these are not
favorable to religion; it is not I who say so, but our Lord in the
Gospel.' 'The United States, your Holiness,' I replied, 'is in its
youth, and, like a young father of a family occupied in furnishing
his house, while this is going on he must be busy; but the American
people do not make money to hoard it, nor are they miserly.' 'No,
no,' he replied; 'they are willing to give when they possess riches.
The bishops tell me they are generous in aiding the building of
churches. You see,' he added, 'I know the bright side as well as the
dark side of the Americans; but in the United States there exists a
too unrestricted freedom, all the refugees and revolutionists gather
there and are in full liberty.' 'True, most Holy Father; but this has
a good side. Many of them, seeing in the United States that the
Church is self-subsisting and not necessarily connected with what
they call despot