The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-23 00:00:00

Pope Pius on the Study of Science,

TO OUR VENERABLE FATHER GREGORY, ARCH.

BISHOP OF MUNICH .AND OF FRISINGUE.
PIUS THE NINTH, POPE.

Venerable Brother, health and apostolic bent,.
diction !—We have received with pleasure your
letter dated the 7th of October last, a letter by
which you inform us what passed in the Congress
at Munich in the preceding month of September,
among some theologians and learned Catholics of
Germany, who were occupied with divers questions
relating principally to the teaching of theology and
of philosophy. The letter which, by our order was
written to you by our venerab'e brother Mathieu,
Archbishop of Neoceseree, and Nuncio of the Apos-
tolic See Of the Court of Bavaria, hes already
apprised you, venerable brother, with what senti-
ments we had received the first news of the pro-
jected Congress, and afterwards learnt how the said
theologians and other Catholics had been invited to
and assembled at that Congress. We certainly did
not wish to doubt the praiseworthy end which the
authors and abettors of the assembly proposed to
themselves. Doubtless, they expected from the
Congress of so many Catholics, remarkable for their
science, from their common deliberations and the
unitedtree
scienceforces,in
that
the a new impulse would be given to
Catholic Church in Germany,
and hoped that it would thus be avenged and de-
fended against the opinions and the perverse and
very pernicious efforts of so many adversaries. But
placed, though unworthy, in the sublime chair of
the Prince of the Apostles, in times so difficult, when
the authority of the bishops is more necessary than
ever to secure the unity
and integrity of the Catholic
doctrine, and when it is important to preserve it in
all its force, we could not help being extraordinarily
astonished at seeing the Convocation of the above
mentioned Congress
.made and published in the
name of some individuals in such a manner that
nothing is to be found which came from the impul-
sion, and from the mission of
theecfmcrloesiastthiecalapuothwoertyri,;o which alone it belongs,
by proper and natural right to watch over and
direct doctrine, particularly in matters relating to
theological questions. Certainly this is a thing,
and you know it, quite new, and altogether
unusual in the Church.

This is the reason, venerable brother, why we
have wished to make you acquainted with our senti-
ments, in order that you and your venerable
brothers, the bishops of Germany, may exactly judge
whether the end indicated in the programme of the
Congress was of a nature to prove useful to the
Church. We were at the same time certain, vener-
able brother, that in your pastoral solicitude you
would employ all the counsels and the efforts of
your zeal to prevent any damage from being occa-
sioned in this Congress, whether to the integrity of
the faith and the Catholic deetrine, or to the full
obedience which Catholics of every order and of
every condition owe to the authority of the Church,
and the mission which she has received to teach.

For the rest we cannot conceal that we have suf-
fered considerable uneasiness ; for we fear lest the
example of this Congress, assembled without eccle-
siastical authority,
degrees to bring
ght to the Roman
Pontiff about an attack on oftmhearyigshertve 3
spiritual tritu al government
and of legitimate teaching, which, in virtue of the
Divine institution,
ainhadtittouttihoen,hbisehloonpgaswohf
Who are in union and in
that in the
feared
We also accord with the successor of St. Peter, and that by
reason of this trouble thus introduced into the go.
fPrinciple of unity and
ovferonbrneednietno:ethin me Cha
ut
zt
ce
h th r
s
ofe
weakened among mon'.one day be
same Congress there might Come to be uttered and
sustained opinions and systems Which, especially by
the publicity
which would be given to them, might
place in peril the purity of Catholic doctrine and
the duty of submission. For we recalled with
brother,
pro-
found grief, venerable that the Apostolic
See, in order to fulfil the heavy duty which is im-
posed on it, has been compelled in late times to
censure and to interdict the works of some German
writers, who, knowing not how
or method of a false how m
to separate the-
selves from a certain principle
science, or from the decettfalphilosophy of the day,
have been led without wishing it, as we delight to
think, to propound and teach doctrines which
depart from the true senso and the legitimate in-
terpretation of many dogmas of our holy faith. It
ie thus that they have revived errors already
conduened- by the Church, etnd -have explained,
in a sense entirely wee, the ar,tura andthe pro,