The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-11-20

WHAT VIII the Council DO 1.-THE Causes and
Work of Former Assemble Ges-InfalIibiily-
French Episcopal Views-The Temporal
Power and SyIiabus-Pontificai Mechanism
md the Aids Of the Pope-I4ate Arrivals.
ROME, Nov. ?, 1859.
What will be done and what will be said at the
approaching Vatican Councils These are the points
upon which shall endeavor IN the present letter TO
Offer your readers as much information as has been
hitherto obtanable. Judging merely by the general
expressions made use OF by the Pope in his bull
convocation, the Council which Is to be
opened on the Sth OF December, has no
distinctly specified object. In that document his
Holiness announced as follows:-.'In this general
council, them there must be examined with the
greatest care, ana established, whatever above all
especially regards In these most difficult times the
greater glory OF God the integrity OF the faith the
dignity OF divine worship, the eternal salvation OF
souls, the discipline CT the secular and regular
clergy, the salutary and solid instruction of the
clergy, the observation of ecclesiastical laws, the
correction OF morals, the Christian education OF
youth, and universal peace and concord among all
classes. 1t must also be endeavored, with the most
active zeal, that with Gods help, all evils may be
kept away from the Church and civil society. and
that unhappy wanderers may be called back TO the
right path Of truth, justice and salvation. and that
vices and errors being for all extirpated our
august religion and its salutary doctrine may
in the whole world spreading and governing IN ore
and more, that piety honor proDity justice char
ity and all Christian virtues may acquire vigor and
flourish 10 the greatest advantage of human society,"
IL would be puzKling for any one unacquainted
with the intentions or aspirations OF the court OF
Rome to detect any precise object In these express
sions. They are very general terms, and a Pontin
who felt sufficient reliance on his own authority TO
go n ri fhat M he m
late Conception, without other concurrence on the
part OF the Catholic Episcopacy than q simple circu
Ter letter Of consultation, would hardly require,
would think, TO summons all the bishops Of Chtisten-
dom from the Iarthest parts OF the earth TO define
questions which have not the importance OF
dogma, a schsm or heresy. In former ages OF
the Church the motives for convokng general
council were explicitly specined by the supreme
Pontiff. Eighteen OF these solemn assemblies have
preceded the approaching one, or twenty, II we in
Guide two whose ecumenical character is not ad-
mitted by all eccles iastical historians.
Thus, the OBJECT OF the Council OF Nice was Ariau-
ism; that OF Constantinople the Macedonians; that
OF Ephesus, the HISTORIANS; that OF Chalcedona the
Eutychians; the second Constantinople, the affair
OF the Three Chapters; the third OF Constantinople
the Monothetes; the second OF Nice, the 1cono-
casts the fourth OF Constantinople Phous; that OF
the Lateran, held in the Basica OF that name in
Rome. the question OF invesriures; the second OF
the Lateran, the schsm; the third OF the Lateran,
the peace OF the Church, the fourth OF the Lateran
discipline; that OF Lyons, the dispute between the
Holy See and Frederick IL; the second OF Lyons the
reunion OF the Greeks and Latns; that OF vienne in
France the trial OF the Templars; that Of Constance,
schism and the heresy OF John Huss; that of Flor
snce the reunion OF the Greeks and Latins; that Of
Trent the heresy OF Luther should any such serious
reasons AZ these have been adduced for the con-
A4s4nn l4 Var fua rynIp nfI
IA. 10 that effect would have caused no surprise.
In our times, however no new scnisms or heresIes
call for the general condemnation OF the Church.
All Catholics now beong either 10 the oriental
Bchsm anu the Protestant heresy or 10 naturaiism,
which IS the denlai DTtOFt Of all revealed religion,
and lndliterentism, which Is systematic ndiffer-
ence towards the various positive religions. We
know that the oriental schlsn and the Protestant
heres} nave already been superabundantiy anathe-
matiLeqt and, on the other hand, IL would be
illogical to condemn naturalism, which proceeds by
O pure and simple negative form OF argument
Affirming nothing, or indlf1erentism, winch Ii q
system, but n mere nuctuat0n between ali other
systems Without the energy or the desire to EN-
brace any.
Such being the case doubt arises whether thou.
sand bishops nave been really ordered to undertake
such long aud expensive Journeys merely to discuss
In the presence OF the head OF the Church questions
OF discipline OF very Inferior interest aud impor.
lance. Common sense torbds the suppositon, and
oDiges TO infer that the programme OF the Coun-
ell us contained IN the Pope's Dull is incomplete,
although very WIDE Interpretation may be given
To such underlined expressions as "Ihe greater
glory Of God; the integrity Of tue fath the eternal
salvation or souls; the MarGinQ on evils from tine
Church ana civl sOclety.n VINO can assure us that
In order TO promote "tnc greater glory or God' the
court OF Rome may not propose 70 the assembled
bishops TO erect into new dogma the peilef
IN the personal nfalbllltT OF the Pope, that IL 70
say, his supremacy even over ecunenlcal councns.
Tbis credence, which Id not yet matter OF lalth,
but only bordering upon IT, pTOIt7Itd Udei nardy
oates from beyond the foundation OF the order OF
JesuIts, VINO have been and are still its principal
champions; so much so that IN the month OF June,
1857, on the OCCASION OF ST. Peters centenary the
Ctpiltd CdHOtca proposed the organization OF a
lesser Church within the pae OF the Catnoc Chufch
whose members should engage by 0atn 10 defenu,
even by the shedding Of their blood. their Dele1 Ia
the Pope's personal infalltbty. In ike manner,
long before the definition VI the dogma or the ImIla
cuiate conception, whole school OF the latin
ful, with the order OF Franciscans at their head,
formerly prOiessed their belief In the doc
uihe OF the Immaculate Conception. IL Is
not Difficult TO comprehend the overwhelming
interest which the Court OF Rome must take
IN eneclng the proclamation OF the Pope's personal
lnlalnDllty and superiority to general councils OF
the Church The tendency Of Rome towards abso-
lutlsm IN the government OF the Church has long
been oDserNablei but she ls BY no mea ms ignorant
that Tue dOgmatlc definition thus asplred to would
awaken the jealous susCeptlDllties OF several gov
ernments and especially that Of France, which does
not yet consider as dead letter the celebrated
Declaration du cierge GaH0dn In 1881 on the In.
gerior,ty OF tue Pope TO the Ecumenlcal Councll a
declaration against wnich the CiUuta Cattolicg Ia
now publishing series Of very significant articles
No government can be expected 10 look on with
Indifference while the Pope Is being Invested with n
spiritual authority beyond limit and control and
which II made an mprudent use OF, might at some
future and perhaps not distant period, produce
serious disturbances among the populations. A
French bishop IN DdTfous. mons9neur haret who