The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-11-29

accepted until 1t was known whether its con-
tents had been correctly given in the public
journals. Being answered in the affirmative,
the Patriarch persisted in his refusal TO accept
1t, and emphatically stated that in the cir
cumstances an official reply was out Of the
question. 1t is further said that the Patriarch
referred to the Encyclical of 1913, and charged
the Pope with laying down principles to which
the Eastern Church could never assent, and
that, growing warm as he proceeded, he
denied the right of the Pope to assemble an
Ecumenical Council at all. How much more
was said and done we know not. This, how
ever, Is now certain that the Vicar Apostolic
altogether failed in his mission, and that in
the proceedings of the Ecumenical Council
of 1869 the Greeks will take no part. With
out pretending to go into the merits or
dement's of the case as between Rome and
Constantinople-a big and rather ticklish sub
ject at any time-it is safe at least to say that
alittle more of the wisdom of the serpent and
little more of the harmlessness of the dove
would have suggested to the Holy Father the
prOpriety Of not refusing to recognize titles
quite as ancient and quite as honored as his
own. To address the Patriarchs of Alexan-
dria, of Antioch, of Jerusalem, not to speak
of Constantinople, which, if it was not at one
time the first See in Christendom, has at least
for fifteen hundred years been the second-to
address them simply as "the bishops of the
Eastern rite was certainly far from compli-
mentary, and justified not little the indigna-
ton which was felt. The breach between the
which is as old as the eighth century, and which
has never had much tojustfy it's thus made
deeper and more impossible than ever.
1t does not appear as if the Pope were going
tons Of the Church than he has been with the
non Catholic divisions of the East. We have
not heard that any of our American wanderers
have made up their minds to go back, or, as
and Presbyterian prodigals have, we believe,
rather contemptuously given the Papal invita-
ton the go-by. Whether our Methodist and
Baptist friends have been or intend to be more
civil we know not. The signs are not promis-
ing. Ii is not otherwise on the other side of
the Atlantic. In England, in Scotland, in
Switzerland, and all the Protestant States
of the North, the sheep will not
hear, will not know the voice of the shepherd.
In this matter, too, schismatic Russia will
prove obedient to Constantinople. We have
heard that the Holy Father, discouraged by
the unpromising aspect of things, has resolved
to send formal invitation to the Council to
the Archbishop of Canterbury. We doubt
better; for the Archbishop elect, though an
elegant fellow, is stubborn Scot, half Pres
byterian, half Episcopaliau, and not at all
suspected of q hankering after Rome. 1t is
therefore by no means unreasonable to con
clude that ''all Professionals and other nom
Catholics" will be foolish enough to remain out
in the cold. The Great Council will, never
theless, be held all the same, and while it viii
be one of the grandest ecclesi-
astical demonstrations Witnessed in many cen
tuTlcs, III VIII also III certain iHpOFtlnL respects
be great success.
We cannot say we expect much from the
Council. Councils cannot perform impossi-
,ilities. II has been their mistake in the past
hat they have attempted the impossible. The
Jouncil Of 1869 may do some good if, in place
# proclaiming the Pope iafallible and giving
heir sanction to the dogma of the immaculate
Conception, as ii is rumored they intend to do
hey open their eyes to facts yield to the die
ates Of common sense, admit the existence OF
airoads of teegraphs, of the printing press
md the many other propclling forces of the
lines. If they adopt some such course, thus
placing the Church in harmony with the age
hey may prove themselves not only the bene-
actors Of party but the beneiactors Of man
Kind. Great Us is the Catholic world there il
greater world without and beyond it. This,
90, the Church must believe.