New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-04-26
FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE IN THE CATH
0LIn nHURnH.


0LI0 OHURCH,
A very remarkable and significant event
occurred at Paris, in February, which pos
sesses additional interest when it is taken
in connection with the fact that it makes
manifest state of feeling among the Roman
Catholic clergy el France, which has its
exact parallel among their brethTen in the
United States. France is the eldest daugh-
ter of the church and the head of Latin
christianity, and the action or utterance Of
her prelates is never without its influence
upon the mind Of the Catholic priesthood
in America. The Archbishop of Paris has
for some time been restiag under the shad-
ow of the displeasure of the court Of Rome.
By all the rules of precedence, and the long
established customs OF the church, this pre-
late was entitled 10 become one of the new
IL created cardinals So clear was his title
to this promotion that when Prince Lucien
Bonaparte was notified of his own promo.
ton to the cardinalship, he ventured to say
that he would decline the honor unless the
Archbishop shared it with him. The scru-
pies Of The Prince was oVerpowered, how
ever, and he became cardinal in order,
perhaps, that he might next become the
Pope and soon afterward the event oc-
CURED to which we have alluded. and
which throws no little light upon the
causes Of the GOODNESS with which the Pope
and his advisers regard the primate of the
church in France, and which leads them to
refuse to him the honors to which his rank
and service have entitled him.
The clergy of Paris have a quarterly
meeting, at which the Archbishop pre-
sides. At these conferences, among other
things, cases Of conscience are discussed
and decided, with a view to the guidance of
the priests in the confessional. Sometimes
these conferences are held with closed
doors; on other occasions they are open to
the public, and when this is the case the
discussions that take place are reported
with great minuteness in the French jour
nails both religious and secular Our
readers will no doubt remember the IA
nous encyclieal letter and syllabus Of
1864 in regard to the liberty of the press
and of worship. In this proclamation Pic
Nino unequivocally and with all the au-
thority vested in him as the Vicar of God
upon earth condemned these inestimable
privileges and commanded the faithful
everywhere to abjure them and to refrain
from communion with those lost or endan-
gered souls who sought to exercise them.
At the February meeting of the Paris
priests II was determined to take the prac-
teal application Of these injunctions as the
subject of discussion; the conference was
held in public, and the archbishop presided.
If the reader will now pause to remember
what an infringement even this resolution
to discuss an ediot of the head of the
church is upon the doctrine of implicit
obedience, which has been the distinguish
ing Characteristic of the Catholic
priesthood for centuries past, he will
see in it a token of progress
none the less significant because it was Gov
cred with the veil of protested anxiety to
obey, 1t is as if the officers Of an army
should meet to discuss an order of their
commanding general, instead of preparing
to execute it without troubling their heads
about its prepriety or justice. The par
ticular point that the conference resolved
to discuss was whether a confessor is bound
to require the acceptance of this latest
Papal utterance as condition Of absolu-
ton; in other words, whether the new and
startling doctrine propounded to the faith
ful four years ago are to be made a test of
church membership. This really raises the
question Of the authority of the Pope to
promulgate dOgmas, and to declare what is
necessary to be believed or disbelieYed in
order to attain salvation. To refuse abso-
luton TO a Catholic is virtually to excom-
municate him, and il has long been held BY
Cisalpine Catholics that no differences Of
opinion short Of positive helesy can justify
a confessOr In refusing absolution to a pen
itent. But it is evident that If every utter
anoe of the Pope in encyelical letters
prOclamations, or bulls is to be elevated to
the position of dogma, to be accepted by
the faithful everywhere as a condition of
their absolution, the whole body Of liberal
Catholics-and by this term may be under
stood no small portion of the Catholic
church in France and America would be
brought 10 the dilemma Of choosing be-
tween the abandonment Of their conscien-
tiously entertained liberal opinion, political
and social, or accommodation from
the church. The late encyclical letter
has not failed to produce an effect
among the American Catholics which has
found expression in the ereformp of which
Father Heeker is the leader; and 1t is like
y that this revolt would have assumed
sdll greater proportions than it has yet at
tanned had the acceptance Of these new
doctrines concerning personal freedom
been pressed by the American priests upon
the conscience OF their focln. In France
It has never been accepted. When the
encyeIical frat appeared Che Bishop Of
Orleans, who had vainiy sought 70 diasuade
the Pope from proniuigating Il, published
pastoral in which ali the resources Of the
most subtle Of Enropean languages were
expended IL he task Of explaiaing 1t away.