The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1869-12-18
EcumenIcnl Council.

BIZ tie celebration Of high mass at the Catholic
Cathedral. and the granting Of an = indulgence
To the faithful. This last, rs we understand it,
IL n remission of the punishment due TO SINS
granted by the Pope or church, and supposed 10
save the sinner from purgatory. absolution from
the ensures OF the church, and from all trans
gres-ions.
The Catholic powers Of Europe in particular,
and the civilized world in general, are greatly IN
tcrested in the matters pertaining to this Council,
and il has excited no little political as well as re-
ligious agitation. 4 general Council oil the
Romish Church has never been called except to
discuss and to decide grave questions OF dogma,
and the decisions of such n Council are impera-
lively binding upon all professed Catholics, for, rep
resenting NJ il claims to do, the church OF Christ,
with which by his promise. he is ever present, 1t
must be infalliblc. 1t Is in view of this fact, that
the Catholic powers of Europe have been 30 desir-
Gus of ascertaining what attitude will be assumed
by this body Of priests now in solemn conclave Of
Rome, and direct appeals have been made by
French and other diplomatists to Cardinal Antonelli
for explanations, which have been met with the
reserve for which that prelate is 50 celebrated.
But in October last, the Ciriha Canoioa, an ul-
traInontane paper published in Rome, and justly
considered as a semi-oficial journal. stated that
the bishops have been summoned to the Ecumeni-
cal Council, not to deliberate ON and decide the
questions by tie vote Of the majority, but to ratify
decisions already resolved upon by the sovereign
and infalliblc Pontiff. Here, then, is the grand
difficulty, for there is in the Catholic Church n
large body Of true believers, who, while looking
to the Pope MS their Bishop and the head OF the
Church ON earth, refuse to consider him as their
temporal lord. OF as an infallible guide, entitled to
promulgate new articles of faith. Father Hya-
cinthe, the eloquent preacher OF Notre Dame,
Paris, now i'm the United States, is a noted in
stance of these 10Th century . Protestants, who.
while he declares against the Council, and breaks
with abuses, emphatically asserts that he has not
broken wilh the church. am a Catholic" he
says, 80 and intend To remain one"
IL will be well, in this connection to look back,
and see what are : the decisions already resolved
upon by the sovereign and infallible Pontiff," to
rass upon which Us matters of faith the present
Council has been called.
Five years ago, in December, 1864, the Pope
issued an encyclicl letter, in which he took a
very respondent view Of the political, social and
religious condition of the whole world. Accom-
panying the letter, was a syllabus, or abstract, of
charges aud specifications. This famous paper,
which the present Council is called together to
ratify as a rule Of faith and action, is a systematic
and sweeping condemnation of everything CON-
pretended in the modern idea of civil liberty
the entire civilization of the 10Th century. Some
of our readers may remember the encyciical letter
of which We speak, and It's syllabus of 9 damna-
BILE heresies,' 1--WE use Pho Nono's own words.)
Here are grouped together some of the salient
ideas and facts of modern life, which are directly
and unequivocally pronounced TO be "damnable
and sinful, and contrary to faith:"
The freedom of the press.
Bible Societies.
Liberal clerical associations
The independence OF Church and State.
The civil contract Of marriage.
Education outside of the control IF the Roman
Catholic Church.
The objects and functions Of Legislation.
The relations Of clergy and laity.
The modern ideas of sound government, and the
relations of the government to the governing.
The views held by I early all educated men rs to
the functions and limits Of human reason and
The objects, powers and results Of scientific inves-
tigation.
Thus it will be seen ut a glance, that the indict-
ment of the syllabus, ut which sall the world
wondered - and liberals smiled incredulously five
1 years ago. cOScIc ~ WuDic vi
society. In short, the Pope arraigns the life of
the nineteenth century, and proposes by n pre-
judged verdict Of the Council, to hurl humanity
back into the darkness of the medieval ages.
The ultnmontane party announces through it's
journals. that those whom they style true Catho-
lics, wish to see the doctrine Of the syllabus
maintained. and they hope to see the dogma OF
the Popc's infallibility proclaimed by reclamation.
This vote by acclamation is considered n direct
inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 1t is significantly
announced, that for many reasons il is desirable
that this Council have but n short session, AMI it
is desired that the bishops be prepared beforehand
with their votes, that tho minority may be unable
to arrest their action.
From Germany will come the most determined
opposition to the will of the ~ultramontane party.
The influence Of Professionalism is strong in that
country, where the battle Of religious freedom
was fought b long ago. The Germans are indie
pendent thinkers, and will not be apt to receive
n doctrine which obliges them to accept or reject
articles Of faith according to the will Of one man,
Pope though he be. There are sixty Catholic
bishops in Germany, and it is reported that the
majority Of them arc prepared to present liberal
views to the Council.
As to Austria, the Pope has declared the late
laws passed in that empire with regard to civil
marriage. education, and religious federation, to
be null and void. Yet those laws are enforced,
and the Emperor was obliged to yield to the will
of tie people and the spirit of the age. Every
attempt at Cancellation has failed, and the govern
ment, SO long the willing slave of Rome, remains
in direct opposition to the Vatican and the
Prince Hobcnlobc of Bavaria, in a remarkable
diplomatic note, advises that the bishops should
be informed that interference with the civil laws
cannot be allowed, and that government desires
to know to whom the bishops owe allegiance
should the Council cause the syllabus, the infalli-
bility of the Pope. and the immunity Of the
clergy. to become binding articles of Christian
faith. This is indeed significant language. and
might well cause Rome to pause.
The French bishops, as a general thing, may