The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-06-21
The Proposed Ecumenical Council.

The Proposed Ecumenical Council.
Last year Rome was the centre Of attraction
to the Christian world, on account Of the cele
bration of the eighteen hundredth anniversary
of the martyrdom of St. Peter Never before
had St. Peters Day been 80 grandly cele-
brated. On Sunday, June 80, St. Peters
church, the monument of Michael Angelo and
one of the glories of the Christian religion,
shone with q splendor and was filed with
congregation such as, perhaps, were never
witnessed in any religious temple in the pre-
vious history of the world. The glory of the
Lord seemed to shine in the sacred place, and
thousands, representing the genius, the learn
ing and the devotion of all lands, bowed down
and worshipped. It was a triumph to the
Catholic Church. 1t was more-it was
triumph to Christianity.
At convocation of church dignitaries held
during that festival season it was announced
by the Holy Father that he intended on an
early day to convoke an assembly or council of
bishops, to deliberate and decide on the best
means to be adopted to put an end to the evils
which now aff1ict the Church" 1t was advised
by some at the time that his Holiness ought
to take advantage of the bishops then around
him and hold such a council. The laws which
regulate such assemblages rendered such a
course impossible. 1t now appears, from a
variety of sources, that the Holy Father has
not abandoned his purpose, and that, if not this
sv foo1
Council will be convened. If such council is
held, and if it acts wisely in the circumstances,
1t cannot fail to mark an epoch in modern his
tory and cast halo Of glory around the latter
days of Plus the Ninth. Ecumenical Councils
have played important parts in the history of
the Christian Church and in the history of the
modern world The first of these councils was
held at Nice in Bithynia, in the year of our
Lord 1926. On that occasion three hundred
and eighteen bishops assembled at the request
of the Emperor Constantine, and in the persons
and costumes of the different ecclesastics were
to be seen exempliied the more than semi-bar-
barism of the West, the North and the East,
as well as the polish and refinement of the
more central portions of the empire. The last
council Of the kind was that of Trent, the sit
tings of which commenced in 1916 and were
not formally concluded till 1868. Eoumenical
Councils, which are supposed to be possessed
of that infallible authority which belongs not
to the Pope personally nor to the Church in
any other form of convention, have seldom
been particularly agreeable to the incumbent
for the time being of the Holy Chair. 1t is
not in human nature to desire to call into ex-
istence power which is greater than ones
own, and il Plus the Ninth remains true to his
purpose he will show not only more personal
bravery but nobler spirit of self-sacrifce
than has been revealed by any of his prede-
cessors since the days of Pope Paul the Third,
more than three hundred and twenty years ago.
There are many reasons why an Ecumencal
Council is now desirable. The world has
passed completely away from its ancient moor
ings. Christianity Is not less but rather more
power than it ever was. 1t Is not however,
the dogmas of Christianity which now rule the
times. It is the spirit of Christianity which
now rules, and between that spirit and those
dogmas it is pretty generally felt there is both
conflict and contradiction. Men have moi
ceased to believe. Il is their nature to
believe. They cannot help believing. If no,
satisfied with one religion or one form Of reli
gion they are certain to find another. But
men are now more disposed than ever to find a
reason for the faith that Is in them. Where is
the thinking and rejecting mind which now
believes that infallibiity resides in any of the
separate voices of the Church, or even in the
collective voice of the Church, whatever that
may mean? Where is the thinking and reflect
ing mind which accepts the dogma that in the
sacred Scriptures we have q complete reveia-
ton of the mind and will of the Deity, or that
we have even perfect and unmixed revela-
ton, so far as 1t goes? The nfallibility of the
Church and the verbal inspiration of Scripture
are dogmas which have little force in this
living present world. The Strausses, the
Colensos, the Remains, the Bunsens, the Essay
lists and Reviewers, much as they have been
malgned, have nevertheless produced revo-
luton in the religious sentiment Of the Chris
tan world regarding which II Is 40 longer safe