The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-12-25
PAPAL INFALLIBILITT.
A Record Of the Popss of Rome.

In the French journal, Li5erte.
some letters have appeared from NJ.
Petruccelli, an Italian writer, on the
coming General Council at Rome. In
one of these letters are some very full
statistics IN regard to the Popes,
which IN view of the proposed dogma
Of papal infallibility are of especial
interest. We have, to be sure. tele-
gram from Paris that the doctrine will
not be forced upon the Council by
the Pope, but this does not make 1t
sure By any means, that 1t will not be
PROMULGATED as an article of faith.
Mr.. Petruccelli aims to show what
most Of our readers are fully per-
suaded of, that the dogma of infalli-
bility cannot be based upon the fact.
According to bis historical review,
since the days Of st. Peter. there
have been, including Plus TX, two
hundred and ninety rulers who aave
been known as Popes. Of this num-
Der, thirty enc ale known as usurpers
or anti-Popes. OF the two hundred
and sixty-tEo known as legitimate,
seventy mine have met death by vi0-
leuee, and, says Mr.. Petruccelli,
none enjoy the same precise title to
the name of martyr that would
Mazzini had he been taken and hung
after his Savoy expedition, or GarTi-
baldi, after his debarkation at
MARSHA" Thirty-fve other Popes
have also met violent deaths. as fol-
lows: Ten by poison, four by assassi-
nation, and thirteen others by a
variety Of means. Stephen VI.
was strangled; Leon III. and
John ". were mutilated; John
x. was strangled; Benoit vi. was
throttled; John XIV. and Gregory
XVI. were stoned to death; Lucian
XII. was stoned to death; Gregory
VIII. was imprisoned IN an iron cage;
| Celestian " had a nail driven IN his
temple; Bouiface VIII. committed su-
ieide; Clement V. was burned to
death; Urban VI. was killed by be-
ing thrown from his horse. 1t is as.
serted by Petruccelli, that Plus "
died of excess in the arms Of wo.
man. But these thirty five Papes
who have died violent deaths are moi
all who have come to their death 9TH
er than In q peaceful manner Some
sixty four IN all have persisted from
extraordinary causes, without count
ing some twenty others who died from
chagrin and other mental causes
produced by their being unseated
Not less than twenty six of the Pope;
have been exiled, deposed or expelled
without including the Popes of Avig
non. Mr.. Petruccelli says that thirty
five of the Popes were heretics, o
whom thirteen deaied the divinity Of
Christ, while the remainder were
guilty Of some kind Of heresy Ht
states several of the others were guilty
| OF murder, and reiterates the state
ment that Leo ". was woman.
Mr.. Putruccelli concludes his
lengthy letter In regard TO the 2opes
by a summary, to-wit: Ninety PopeS
have died violently. been deposed. ex.
PEELED or e1iled thirty-five meritet
the same fate by being heretical
twenty eight others would have me-
the same fate had they not called il
the assistance Of foreign powers. = Ii
all" says the writer, of the two
hundred and sixty-two Popes, one
hundred and fifty-three have been un.
worthy their exalted position" Ger
tainly very unsubstantial basis on
which to found the doctrine of human
infallibility. We could make a mucf
better showing with cur Presidents a
/ far as they go.