The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-12-04


tholic Church, to which their forefathcrs be-
longed, gives new proof of its close unity and
inyinciblo vitality, and to satisfy the wants of
their souls by Withdrawing from state in
which they cannot DO sure of their salvation
If, 10y the Inspiration of Divine grace, they shall
seek God with their whole heart, they will
easily cast away all preconceivcd and adverse
opinions; and, laying aside all desire of disputa-
I ton, they will return TO the Father from whom
F, they have long unhappIly gone astray. We, on
our part, viii joyfully run to meet them; and
embracing them with fathers charity, we
shall rejoice, and the Church will rejoice with
us that our children who were dead have come
to life again, and that they who were lost have
been found. This, indeed, we earnestly ask of
! God; and do you, venerable brother, join your
prayers to ours.
In the meanwhile. MS token of the Divine
favor aud of our own especial beneyolcnce, We
most lovingly give to you and to your diocese
our Apostolic blessing.
Given Mt st. Peters, in Rome, this fourth day
OF September, 1869, in the oath year c sur Pom
tfcatc. Pore %s TX.
views of the ArGhsi;hgP ,lsaas1I of Pnri' on the
The following selection is from tho PASTORAL
letter of the Archbishop of PaIis dated Nov. Z,
1860. 1t is supposed to have been inspired by
the Emperor
"Finally, my dear brethren, the statement re-
specting the ardor with which certain dogmas
would be carried by acclamation by the majority
of the bishops thus suppressing the liberty of
their colleagues whose conscience may not be
penetrated with the same irresistible light
hardly merit stopping to rcfute it, Good sense
aud history protest against these evil and idle
insinuntions. If for the graycst reasons the
Church judges it necessary to impose under the
pain of eternal damnation an Obligation to
believe in the future what she has not asked you
| to believe up to the present, she will not in
manner, bring her act into disrepute by depriv
| ing it of the conditions which will recommend
| ii to your favor. She will not pronounce from
| enthusiasm, penalty SO terrible as anathema,
| nor would it be proper for five or six hundred
| bishops assembled to deliberate on such grave
| interests, to decide by force Of numbers, dis
| dainng to hear and satisfy scrupes modestly
presented, if there should be any entertained.
| The Church has never treated souls in this man
| ner, and will she commence to do so now?
'In the Council of Jerusalem, which was the
| first and has served as a model, deliberations
were held, although all the members of that
august assembly were personally infalliblc, and
| could decide from their opinion based upon the
| highest authority. An Ecumenical Council is
held three centuries later to define and formally
| specify the faith of the Church respecting the
| Incarnation of the Word. or, in other terms the
| Divinity of Jesus Christ-thG fundamental
dogma Of Christianity, for which millions of
martyrs had died, and which had overturned all
| ancient religions and conquered the world, de-
spite the Roman legions and laws of the empire.
| Certainly, if any dogma could escape dclibcra-
tion, it was this; il there was ever an error
glaring and absurd, from " Christian point of
view, it was that of Arius get it was upon such
matters the Council of Nice dcliberated, and
heard, weak as they were, the reasons Of the Op-
ponents-they did not vote by acclamation
This precedcnt-not to speak of the other
ought, dear brethren, to reassure you; there will
| not be less freedom at Rome than fifteen cen.
turies ago at Nice; and the approaching council
will not tarnish its labors by suppressing dis
| cussiOn.
you see, therefore, there is nothing seriou:
| nor reliable in the alarms which you have con-
| ceived on the subject of the council from tn,
words of speculative or irrcflectye and evil
nlnocd persons. Inc OBJECT OF TINS assembly
| is elevated and of supreme Importance; its labor;
| will be conducted with the wisdom which the
| presidency of the Holy Father guarantees; tho
| bishops will carry there an equal anxiety for
| their dignity and your interests and rights. Let
you did them by prayers and good works, and,
in order that they be more meritorous and eni-
cacious, profit by the grace which the Soye-
reign Pontff accords under the form of plenary
indulgence
The Manifesto of the Gcrmun Bishops.
The Romish bishops of Germany have united
in issuing manifesto against the new dogmas
which are to be submitted to the council for
approval. writer in the AuJSbtTger AHge-
meine Zeit'nlg thus cOngratulates the German
prelates on the stand they have tallen:--
| although the German bishops are too few in
number to exercise prepondorating influence
in the council (there being but % in alb, still,
should these 20 prelatcs remain firm in their
resolution, the fact that they are the religious
| representatives OF q great nation, with popula-
ton comprising nearly 5000, 600 of Catholics, is
| q sufficient guarantee that none of the obnoxious
| dogmas will be carried triumphantly through
| the council, the more especially as At is conf
IDENTIFY believed that o considerable number
| both of the French and Austrian episcopacy
present at the council will unite with theil
German brethren in resisting to the utmost the
| Introduction of any new doctrines into the RO
man Catholic religion
The Austrian Manifesto.
Directly opposed in spirit TO the manifesto o
the German bishops, to which it is partly al
answer is the manifesto sf the Austrian bishops
at Fulda, counselling faith in the inspiration o
the Hcumenical Council, showing the German
brethren that no help can be had from thii
quarter. The following is an cXtract-
; 1--WE cannot, however, conceal from oursclve.
the fact that many earnest and devoted mem
bers of the Church entertain misgivings regard
ing the approaching council which are Calcu
These misgivings have arisen from the accusa
tlOns Of the enemies of the Church, who have
attempted both to excite suspicion against anC
dislike to the council, and even to awaken the
distrust Of existing governments. Fears have
been entertained by some that the council /,
about to promulgatc new dOctnes contrary tC
: the revelation of God and the tenets of the
Church-opp0scd to the rights of government
: | civilization, and science and subversve o
: liberty and the happiness of the people. Other
90 still further and maintain that the Holy
? Father himself, under the influence of party, ha
5 the intention of employing the council rs
means Of increasing, out of all measure, che
power of the Apostolic Chair, and OF establish
l ! ing religious sovereignty incompatible with al
t Christian liberty.
t "Again, many have expressed the fear tina
l the bishops themselves will be found wanting II
, | the requisite hrmncss and requirements ncces
sary 10 the complete fulllmCnt Of their duty il
e | the council, Whatever NAV have given rise Il