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 because they  refused  to  rebel  against  God. The mighty army  of  Christian,  of  Catholic  martyrs  it ruthlessly  slaughtered,,  because,  rather  than  prove disloyal to  their  great  commander-in-chief,  Jesus Christ, they  preferred  to  disobey  His  subordinate officer, the  State. Brave youth  and  gentle  virgin, priest and  nun  and  aged  martyr,  let  the  godless  and uncatholic call  you  traitors  and  rebels  if  they  will, but we  venerate  you  as  the  heroes  of  the  world,  and yearn to  follow  your  glorious  example.. But who shall relate  all  the  Church  suffered  from  the  State! Let the  hills  and  caves  of  Ireland  and  the  catacombs of Rome  tell  the  story  of  her  sufferings  and  her wrongs. While prating  about  liberty,  the  State  refused liberty  of  conscience  to  the  Catholic. Incapable itself of  exercising  spiritual  authority,  it  forbade its exercise  by  the  Church. Nay, while  denying  to the  Church,  which  is  at  once  human  and  divine,  the least civil  power,  the  State — which  is  purely  human — dares to  usurp  spiritual  authority  by  establishing  national churches. Are not  King  Edward  VII. and the Czar of  Russia  two  worthy  claimants  to  the  honor of being  successor  to  St. Peter? But apart  from that, on  the  continent  of  Europe,  in  essentially  Catholic countries,  the  Pope  to-day  cannot  appoint  a bishop  without  permission  of  the  State;  no  marriage is valid  except  contracted  before  a  magistrate;  and only lately  the  Italian  and  French  parliaments  made it a  criminal  offence  for  any  priest  in  the  confessional or from  the  altar  to  object  to  any  government  ordinance, however  unjust  or  unholy. One hundred  and