The Daily Nashville true Whig. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1851-1855, 1855-07-09
The Powers and Prerogatives Of the Pope.


fort (Ky) Commonwealth, is showing from RO.
man Catholic authorities, the extraordinary
powers and prerogatives claimed by the Pope
and conceded TO him by Roman Catholics
Though he writes over an anonymous sigma.
ture, the specifications of book and page &C.
compsnying his quotations from Roman Cath
Ole authorities, obviate this objection to the
validity of his argument. Take for instance
the following:
1.-THE power with which the priests of the new
law are invested "a not simply to declare that sins
are forgiven, but as the minister Of God, really 10
dbSOlUe from sin )"
'In the minister of God, who sits in the tribunal
of penance as his legitimate Judge, HE vENERATEs
THE Po%ER AND PERSON Of our Lord Jesus Christ;
for in the administration Of this, in any of the
oth,r sacraments The priest reDresets the character
and discharges The fteac'iOTS of Jesus CHTin."
However sCtcked and RcgifiOus it is certain that
they It'll belong 10 the church; and of this the
faithful are frequently TO be reminded, in order to
be convinced that pere even Ae lives of her ministry
10 be debdsed By crime they still within her pale
and therefore, lose part Of the pOWer with which
her ministry invest them."-See cat. council of
Trent. Bait Ed. 1888, pages "a, 95, and 242
How blasphemous the declarations here made
that priest, though he gets drunk, swears. lies,
cheats robs and murders, represents the character
and discharges the functions of the 0mnipOtent Je
hovah, when in the tribunal Of penance. This,
however, is in perfect correspondence with the
dict, that the secrets of the confessional are sa
cred and inviolsble-nOt to be disclosed under any
circumstances, even in a court of justice, although
the object may be TO ferret out against the
commonwealth, and prevent its consummation.-
And why is the priest so bound! Because he
ceives these confessions not as man, but God,
and hence he is authorized by the church, if in
court Of justice, categorical ia required of
him By the court, TO deny and swear that he knows
nothing of the matter, his denial and oath being
relersble to his knowledge a man, and not to his
kno Sledge as God. In the latter character-the
one he sustained in the tribunal Of the confessional
no earthly tribunal can take cognizance Of him
or his actions. Cardinal Bellarmine in his work on
the Roman Pontiff, Paris Ed. 1908, vol. I, pages
sO4, ss7, sss, $50, speaks as follows:
"This may be the third proposition; the
chief Pontiff is infalible, not Orly in decree of
faith, but also in moral precepts, which are enoined
on the whole church. and which regard matters
essential to salvation, or those things, which IN
themselves, are good or bad
"But 70 elucidate the whole matter by examples;
it is impossible that he could err in enjoinng the
practice OF any particular vice such usury or in
preventing the observance OF virtue, such res-
titution, because these good or bad in them
selves; nor is il possible that he could in enjoy.
ing anything contrary TO salvation, circumcision
or the sabbath, or in preventing the observance
Of any thing necessary TO the salvation, baptism
or the eucharist; hut should he order saything ca
sentialy good or bad, nor contrary TO salvation,
but still is uscles or enjoned under heavy penal
~, il is not absurd TO say that il Is possible,
though it is not the privilege of subjects to judge
Of this matter but simply TO obey"
SNOW to the proof Of the proposition; and first
that the Pope connot err in moral precepts neces
sary TO salvation, because then the whole church
would be grlevously injured, and might err in es.
sentials which Is contrary 90 the promises Of our
Lord. John XVI when the Spirit Of truth shall
come; he will teach you ell things" which is under
stood Of truths necessary to salvation.
Secondly Because God would then be wanting
to, or negg ent OF his church in essentials. since
he enoined on her to obey the Pope. and still per.
mtted the Pope 10 err in essentially but indeed il
God be not wanting TO any matter in essentials,
how much less 70 his church.
But that the Pontiff cannot In morals in them.
selves good or bad is proved; for then the church
could not be called holy it Is called in the apostles
creed she is chiefly called holy on account Of her
holy profession, a. we have elsewhere shown, be-
cause truly she holds out holy profession, which
teaches nothing false, which iuioins nothing bad
SECONDLY, because the church would then neces.
sarily err even regarding faith; for the Catholic
filth teaches all vitues TO be good all vices 10 be
bad:-but II the Pope should err In euiolninR the
practice OF vice, or preventing the Observance oil
virtue, still the church is bound 20 believe vice %
be virtue aud virtue vice unless che should wish "a
ain against conscience: for the church IL bound Ia
matters OF doubt TO acQuesce in the iundRement al
the chief PontiR, and TO observe what ever be en-.
joins, avoid doing whatever he prohibits;-and
under pain of mortal sin she s bound TO believe tbs,
whatever he enjons Is virtue whatever he prohibits
is vice"
Although the Pope, has no direct temporal DOW.
err, yet for the spiritual good he has the power Of
dsposing Of the temporal goods Of Nl Christians.
1.-THE Pope, as Pope, cannot ordinarily deposs
temporal princes although there be just cause in the
same manner IN which he deposes Bishops-.hat is
az an ordinary Judge; YET he may change kingdoms
and take away from one and bestoW upon another
a. sup enc spiritual prince u II be necessary 10 the
eRlvation Of sous"
'The Pope, az Pope, eanno. ordinarily make
civil laws. or confirm or annu the laws OF princes
because he is not political head OF the church; ye
he can do all this, If any civil law may be necessary
20 the salvation OF souls, and Kings are unwilling
10 enact OF II any CtfH taN se'
salvation Of souls, and Kings will not a6'ogste it.
1.-THE Pope cannot, as Pope, ordinarily Judge u
temporal things nevertheless In any case, IN which
it Il necessary 10 the salvation Of souls the Pope
can assume also temporal judgment; for instance
when there IL no one who can act as judge 90 wheT
two independent Kings contend, or when those vhC
can and ought 10 judge are unwilling 10 give thei'
opinion"
Al the theological writings Of Cardinal Bellsr
mine, are high authority in the Catholic Church,
but being some little tnetured with gallicanism hs
did not 50 lar enough ior his holiness, and henes
his work on the Roman POntR, was condemned
snd pet In the IndeE,- not for granting that the
Pope possesses indirect temporal Authority, bot loi
not eOntending that he possessed temporal powsr
directly and Internationally.
Ia the April number 1854 Of RScxnsOn's Review,
he says, 30 author vas ever placed Ia the Iadsz
for asserting the indirect temporal possr Of the
POpes," and yet Sextus QuIatos placed ewes BeIlar-
mipe on the Index for denying their direct ana
maintaining oaly their indirect temporal aushoritv