The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-10-07
THE GCUMENICAL COUNCIL.
Text of the Pope's Answerto the Apple
cation OF the Rev. DIR. Cumming to be
Heard In the Council.

The English papers publish the following
translation Of the reply of the Pope to the let
ter Of theRev. DR.. Cumming, already briefly
noticed in our cable kilograms: .. - 80
POPE Plus TX TO OUR VENERABLE BROTHER
HENRY EDWARD ARCHBISHOP OF wEsTMIN-
sTER. Hi''' ."'" ::
Venerable Il Brother, Health and the ApoS7
tolic BleSsing-We have seen from the. news
papers that DR.. Cumming, of Scotland, has In
aulred of you whether leave will be given at
the approaching Council to those who dissent
from the Catholic Church, to put forward the
arguments which they think can be advanced
in support of their own opinions; and that, on
your replying that this Is matter to be deter
mined by the Holy See, he has written to us
upon the subject.
Now, If the inquirer knows what Is the be-
lief of Catholics with respect to the teaching
authority which has been given by our Divine
Saviour to His Church, and therefore with re-
spect to its infallibflity in deciding questions
which belong to dogma or to morals, he must
know that the Church cannot permit errors
which 1t has carefully considered, judged and
condemned, to be again brought under discus
sion This, too, is what has already been
made known by our letters. (Yiz: The Let.
ters Apostolic Of September l3, 1868, addressed
ITO all Protestants and other non-Catholics.O
For, when we said, sit cannot be denied or
doubted that Jesus Christ Himself, in order
that he might apply to all generations OF men
the fruits of His redemption, built here on
earth upon Peter His only Church, that is, the
one, holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church,
and gave to him all power that was necessary
deposit of faith and for: delivering the
same faith to all peoples, and tribes
and nations" we thereby signifed that
the primacy both Of honor and Of ju-
risdictiOn, which was conferred upon Pe-
ter and his successors by the Founder of the
Church. is placed beyond the hazard Of dispu-
tation. This, indeed, is the hinge upon which
the whole question between Catholics and all
who dissent from them turns, and from this
dissent, as from O fountain, all the errors or
Catholics flow. "For inasmuch as such
bodies of men are destitute Of that living and
divinely-established authority which teaches
mankind especially the things of faith and the
rule of morals, and which also directs and gov
erns them in whatever relates to eternal saliva
ton, so these same bodies OF men have ever
varied in their teaching, and their cnange ana
instability never cease" If, therefore, your m
ouirer will consider either the opinion which
is held by the church as to the infallibility OF
It's Judgment in defining whatever belongs to
faith or morals, or what we ourselves have
written respecting the primacy and teaching
authority of Peter, he will at once perceive that
no room can be given at tne COuncn ior the ue-
fence of errors which have already been con-
demned; and that we could not have Invited
non-C Catholics to q discussion. but have only
urged them ITO avail themselves of the oppor-
tunity afforded by this Council, In which the
Catholic Church, to which their fOrefathers be-
longed, gives new proof Of its close unity
and invincible vitality, and to satisfy the wants
of their souls by withdrawing from gState IN
which they cannot be sure Of their salvation. "
If, by the inspiration Of Divine grace, they
shall seek God with their whole heart, they
will easily cast away all preconceived and ad-
verse opinions; and, laying aside all desire Of
disputation, they will return to the Father
from whom they have long unhappily. gone as
tray. We, on our part, will joyfully run to
meet them; and embracing them with a fathers
charity, we shall rejoice, and the Church will
rejoice with u.s. 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, venera
BILE brother, join your prayers to ours.
In the meanwhile, Us q token OF the Divine
favor and of our own especial benevolence, We
most lovingly give to you and to your diocese
our Apostolic blessing.
Given at st. Peters, in Rome, this 4th day o
September, 1869, in the twenty-fourth year
our Pontifcate POPE Plus TX.