The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-08-02

Tie following is the text OF the Papal
Al.ocution conyOking an Hcumenical Coun-
CT of the Bishops Of the Catholic Church
on the 9Th December, 1869, FESTIVAL Of the
Immaculate Conception y
Plus Bishop, Servant of the Servants OF God fu
Memory:
g The only begotten Son of the Eternal
Father, out of the great love which He bore
unto us, descended FROM His celestial throne,
it order to redeem i'll the fttiness, of time,
the whole human race from the yoke of sin
and bondage to Satan and the darkness of
tepror into which, by the fault of their first
parent, they had long since miserably fallen;
and He, not declining from the paternal
g,oly, was born of the immaculate and Most
Holy Virgin Mary, and manifested His doc
!. tfine and the rule OF life brought from
Heaven, attesting it with SO many excellent
works and giving Himself up as an Offering
fcr us and rs a victim to God in the odor Of
sanctity; and. having .,vanauished death,
upon the right hand of the Father, sent His
Apostles into the world to preach the Cos
pei to every creature, and gave TO them the
power of ruling the Church purchased by
His own blood, and thus constituted what
i, the column and armament Of truth aud,
enriched by celestial treasures, shows the
certain path OF salvation and the Light of
true doctrine to all people. In order, then,
that the government of the Church should
be ever maintained in O right and well o.
OSIcu GOuI6<o, sAHO tuII Jllo w nOlt SAklSVldu
world should uphold one sole faith, doc
tsiue, charity, and communion, He promised
His aid unto the end Of time, and chose
Peter, whom He had declared to be the
Prince of the Apostles, His Vicar on earth,
and head, foundation and centre Of the
Church, so that, invested with this rank
and honor, and with amplitude of chief and
full authority, power and jurisdiction, he
Should feed the sheep and the lambs, con-
f.m the brethren, rule the universal Church,
and be the gate keeper of Heaven. and ar
bitter to bind and to loose; the effect of his
Judgment remaining unalteled IN Heaven.
lS1. Leo, Serm. ~
8: And that the unity and integrity of the
Church and-f4ef- government might remain
pe:petmlly immutable, therefore the Re-
and possess in full yigor the very same SUI
pIcme authority, jurisdiction, and prmacy
ofPeter over the whole Church.
Hence, the Roman Pontitfs. using their
Pastoral care and authority over the whole
fool, of the Lord, tivineiy entrusted to
Blessed Peter. have spared no fatigue i'll
making every possible provision in order
tat. from the rising to the setting sun, all
PEOPLE and all nations should have knowl-
edge OF the evangelical doctrine, and by
walking in the way of truth and justice at
TIN eternal life.
-. 1t is known to all with what unwcary-
il. care the Roman Pontiffs have sought to
preserve the deposit OF the faith, the disci-
pine of the clergy and the holy and learned
teachings, and the sanctity and dignity of
matiimony, and to promote and extend the
education of the youth of both sexes, to fos-
ter the religion and piety of the people and
yirtuous manners, to defend justice, and to
assure the tranquility, order, prosperity,
and rights of civil society. Nor have the
Pontiffs omitted, when they have deemed it
useful, especially in times of great pertur-
baton and calamity for our most holy reli-
gion and civil society, to convoke general
councils, to the end that, by consulting
whom the Holy Ghost, has appointed to
rule the Lords Church, they might, by
their united strength, providentially aud
wisely oriiain all those things that would
chiefly serve to define the dogmas of the
faith, dispel errors already propagated, or
illustrate and elucidate doctrine, uphold
aud reform ecclesiastical discipline, and
correct the corrupt manners of peoples.
ut is already known and manifest to al
how horrible a tempest now agitates the
Church, and what griev0us ills atfiict civil
society. The Catholic Church, her salutary
doctrine, her yenerated power, and the SUI
preme authority of this Apostolic See, are
opposed and set at naught by the bitter en-
emies of God and man. All sacred things
are contemned,. ecclesiastical property is
plundered, bishops and honored men at
tached to the Divine ministry and men dis
tincuished for their Catholic sentiments are
troubled in every way, and religious fami-
lies suppressed Impious books of every
kind. pestilent journals, and multitudinous
AID most perncious sects are spread abroad
on all sides. The education of the unhappy
young is nearly everywhere withdrawn
from the clergy, and, what is worse, is in
many places contided to masters of impiety
and error.
Thus, to our poignant grief, and that
O. all good men, and with mischief to
souls that can never be sufficiently de-
plored, impiety and corruption of manners
have everywhere propa gated themselves;
and there prevails an unbridled license,
and contagion of depraved opinions of
all kinds, and of all vices and immoralities,
and so great violation of divine and
human laws that not only our most holy