The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1855-01-22
DAILY JOU r NAL.
The immaculate Conceptions.

The addition Of new dogma TO the tenets
Of the most numerous of the religious denom-
nations OF Christie ndom is one Of the remark
able events eff the day. The Pope-has thought
ut to cell. CT the opinions OF the Bishops of
the Catholic Church on the question of the
immaculate conception OF Mary, the mother
Of Jesus, and a large majority of their..voices
being in the affirmative, he has proclaimed,
as the doctrine of the Church, that the blcs-
sej Virgin was conceived without any stain
of original sin. What was heretofore
. matter CT doubt and dispute, is now TO be
matter of faith. A dogma which the councils
OF the Church hitherto had left open TO
question, which was not regarded as settled
by the Scriptures, of the fathers, or tradition,
is now inserted in the Catholic creed, and
all whoido not accept il are 10 be considered
as heretics. Of the Bishops of the Latin
Church thErty-two only gave their voices,
against the proceedings unreasonable,
and four objected TO adopting a tenet OF
religion without holding General Council,
in which il could be first discussed. All
Rome is represented rejoicing that the
list of inconlrovertible points Of doctrine has
received this important addition. .-fr..4
OF course, this declaration of the sinless-
ness OF the Virgin from the beginning of her
existence, is not made without regard TO its
bearing upon the doctrines and practices of
the church which adopts it. To the odora
ton Of the Son il is not in any manner nec-
essary, or even auxiliary. The character
nscribed to him by the church, as one Of the
persons Of the Godhead, is too exalted to
admit of any addition Of eminence or honor.
of purity or sanctity.
The Latin Church, however, prescribes
a.. II, al IF
her character by which it is exalted and
brought nearer to the divine, would of
course, increase her claims to reverence, and
so far lessen the difficulty which some ofthe
faithful might ee in Offering prayers to
human being. This doctrine OF her immac-
ulatc conception places her Identification far
above that of any of the saints in the calen
dor. 1t places her in state of exemption
from III human frailtics, from oil liability TO
sin and error Throughout the course of her life,
aud elevates her 10 a height OF sanctity which
no other Of the children OF men ever occupi-
ed. The new dogma is, therefore, auxiliary
to the alteration OF the Virgin. Henceforlh
II is not permitted TO any member OF the Latin
Church to admit the possibility of her having
fallen into sin by any procliyiiy or infirmity
inherited from her progenItors. III any man
hereafter shall seek to lessen her claims TO
the reverence in which she is held, BY speak
ing of her aS liable, by original constitution,
To the defects of our common nature, he
blasphemes, and renders himself subject
to the censures of the church. In this
manner the new dogma aids and fortifies the
practice of praying TO the Virgin.
Among the PreIates who objected that the
doctrine of the immaculate conception
should not be made tenet OF the Latin
Church without the Intervention of Gcner-
al Council, the Archbishop Of i'aris is men,
toned. The Gallican Church has hitherto
shown itself somewhat intractuble in The re-
lations which it has maintained with the
Pope, and from letter written at Paris.
which we cory to day, it appears that there
Is some dissatisfaction with the late proceed
ing among the French Catholics. Ii would
be rash, however, 10 predict anything but
eventual suhmission to the Papal authority
in regard 10 this question.
[Neu York Zee. Post.