When Washington, D.C., Gave the Pope a Truly Rocky Reception

Three years after setting Washington monument is a memorialIn 1848, Pope Pius and the ninth of the Vatican answered an invitation to help build an obelisk of honoring the first American president by announcing plans to donate a group of marble that was harvested from the ruins of the old Roman Romanian Temple. But their contribution sparked a lower response than stars.

1. Beware with KNOW-Nothes
2. “Rome to America”, take two

Beware with KNOW-Nothes

When the pending papal contribution news arrived in the United States in early 1852, the anti -Catholicin was the anti -Catholicin. A violent reaction fell in Philadelphia, where the demonstrators called Washington National Memorial Association Either refuse to donate or install the “protest stone” with a suitable inscription directly above the papal rock. “This gift is from the tyrant, if placed inside these walls, it cannot be seen by the real Americans, but with the feelings of death and disgust,” Read, read One petition in New Jersey. A brochure I published by the Temoor John F. Yahmbeel A ghost sparked that the stone was a sign from the Pope to launch an immigrant uprising to control America. “The effects of this mass, if placed in the memorial, will be a comfort for every American Protestant that is seen almost, and its impact on supporters of the Roman hierarchy will be huge – especially with foreigners.”

Despite the protests, the papal stone, which was included in “Rome to America”, finally reached Washington, DC, during the following months, where the ranks of poor Catholic immigrants from Ireland and Germany have grown, as well as with the anti -immigration forces, anti -migrants, who called it “knowledge” of secret practices).

In the early morning hours of March 6, 1854, a group of nine knowledge in the country’s capital decided that it was not limited to restoring their country, but would have taken the marble slab that Pope Pius donated as well. While Knight Wachman was guarding the Washington monument site, which was read by the lamp light, the conspirators wrapped a wire around his hut and stones stacked at the door, and it would take two hours before the alarm guard was wrapped. Then they loaded the “Pope’s Stone” in a handcra and carried out wheels a quarter of miles on a waiting boat.

Notegs sailed into the Potomac River and used a heavy margin to remove chips from the old mass as souvenirs. After monitoring concentrated on the long bridge, the red lantern swings as a medium signal, the men raised the deformed stone on the plane, sprayed to the bottom of the river.

The Washington National Memorial Association offered $ 500 to anyone with information about theft, but Noteing lived to their title and remained tight for nearly three decades. It is not until an unknown salon breeder narrated that it is part of the theft his story to Washington Post In 1883 the story was revealed. “If the bells at the work in Potomac hit the right place, they will hunt something that will create a feeling,” the perpetrator promised the crime without a name, and this is exactly what happened in 1892 when the diver discovered a beautiful polished piece of pink and white marble engraved with most of Rome’s messages to America “on the bed of the muddy river. It is similar again.

“Rome to America”, take two

Today, the 555 -foot obelisk is still carrying the huge fanaticism of The Knowings. Not only did the secret group destroy the Pope’s gift in 1854, but its members were also controlling the Board of Directors of the Washington National Memorial Association itself. Along with the economic recession, knowledge actions of donations, especially members of the Catholic Church, caused to dry. The construction of the Washington monument stopped. For two decades, it remained an ugly trunk, and 153 feet Marc Tyin called “An unlimited old chimney.” When the work was finally resumed in 1878, the marble stones used to complete the obelisk were cut off from a varying flying from the original copies, causing a precise, but noticeable color change, in two -thirds of the upper memorial.

Ironically, Robert’s stone actions were likely to bother the man who was honored by the memorial. As commander of the continental army, Washington Prohibited The annual practice of burning the blood of the Pope on Gay Fox DayAnd described it as “a ridiculous and childish habit.” Washington – who was born on the banks of Virginia Pops Kreik banks: “The insulting of their religion is so brutal that it cannot suffer or exempt,” wrote Washington – who was born on the banks of Virginia Pops Crick’s banks.

A Catholic contribution was finally included in the Washington monument in 1982 when a priest was assigned to Spokan and Washington, alternative to the Pope’s stone. Latin translation of “Rome to America”, the marble mass was placed in a drawing wall at the monument level of 340 feet (Pdf).

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