Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1869-09-29
The Approaching Grand Catholic
Council.

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set apart for the meeting, and every
thing Is being done to make the plac'
worthy of the great occasion. Th'
rumor in circulation some weeks ag'
to the effect that, in consequence o
differing sentiments between thi
Church dignitaries and the tempOra
chiefs of the various Catholic States
the idea of a Council had for the pres
ent been abandoned, has been proved
to be without foundation. From al
the ends of the earth Roman Catholic
bishops have begun to wend their way
to the shrine of st. Peter, the centre Of
Catholic ChristendOm. 1t is calcula'
ted that not fewer than one thousand
titled representatives of the Church
will be present to claim seats on the
Sth Of December, the day fixed for the
opening of the Council. st. Peters
on the occasion will put on its best at
tire. The magnificent ceremonies OF
the Church will captivate eve and eaI
and touch many hearts. 1t will be q
great day in ROme-a true "Roman
holiday" suGh a holiday as has not
been witnessed in many centuries, and
which to every historical student who
takes part in il will call up scenes in
separably associated with the days OF
Rome's greatest splendor. There will
be no POmpey, no Cesar, no Antho-
ny seen marching to the Capitol in
| triumph; but the spectacle will be
grander and more attractive than any
Roman triumph in the ancient sense
suggestive of higher and nObleT
thoughts, and inspiring a sweeter and
holier joy.
1t is our conviction, however, that
the opening will be the best of the
/ Council. The spectacular demonstra-
| ton will be confined to the first day.
/ When the show is over and the eeele-
siastical dignitaries sit down to the
work prescribed for them the excite
ment will be over. The proceedings
will be conducted with closed Doors
The debates, if there be any debates,
will be carried on in bad Latin. The
stenOgraphie reporters who are being
specially trained for the work will re-
port, not to the public, through the
newspapers, but to the Council itself.
1t promises to be a stupid, old FASH
ioned medieval kind of thing which
will do the world no harm and which
viii certainly do it no good. 1t was
customary on the occasion of former
councils of the kind for the Catholic
monarchs to be represented by certain
great civil functionaries. At this ap-
preaching Council of the Vatican all
such representatives will be conspicu-
GUS by their absence. The princes of
the Holy Roman empire will be no
where. Austria, France, Bavaria,
Wirtemberg, Baden, Italy have each
refused to regard the Council in any
other light than that of an ecclesiasti-
cal assembly, and, OF course, have re-
fused to lend it any of that ecldt which
would result from the presence of
great State officials. What course
Spain and Portugal may follow we
know not; but with these two exeep-
tions it is already certain that no Cath
olic State or Catholic ruler will be
formally represented. The Protestant
Powers will, of course, take no part in
it. Greece will follow the example of
Russia, although the Greek govern
ment is not likely to go quite so far as
to forbid the Catholic bishops from at
tending the Council if they feel so
disposed. In positively instrueting
the Catholic bishops not to attend the
Council Russia has proved that she
still adheres to her hereditary policy;
but most men will be of opinion that
the policy is unnecessarily severe and
altogether unworthy Of a great Power
in this advanced and enlightened age.
We have not heard that any prelate of
the Greek Church intends to be pres
ent; nor, with the single exception of
DR.. John Cumming, of London, of
Millennium" and "TribulatiOn"
fame, are we aware that any promi-
nent Protestant divine has expressed
a desire to take part in the discussions
of the Council. DR.. Cumming has
written to the Pope stating the condi-
tions on which he is willing to accept
his invitation. The Holy Father has
not vet replied, but some of the POpe's
friends in London have written to the
doctor rather discouragingly. We are
sorry that the COvent Gardent divine
has been left so much alone. Had he
been Joined by such men as Spurgeon
and Henry Ward Beecher and Charles
B. Smyth he might have had greater
success. 1t must, however. be con-
soling to one and all of those gentle
men to reflect that the Vatican eccle-
siastics, not they, will be the lor7rs.
What does the Council mean 70 do?
During the last twelve months this
question has often been asked, and il
has often been answered to but little
purpose. 1t is evidently the intention
of the promoters of the Council to
keep the programme as much a secret
as possible. Wisely or unwisely, we
say. not which, the Catholic Church
makes it a special point at all times
and everywhere to keepits own cOun-
sci. In spite, however, of all the eau /
ton which has been manifested in this
matter, facts have oOzed out and have
so accumulated that it cannot any
longer be said that the world is igno- |
rant of the programme of ftheapprOach- |
ing assembly. What with the able |
papers which have recently appeared !
in the AHgemeine ZeitlEng, from the !
pen of DR.. Dollinger, the counsellor
of Prince Hohenlohe of Bavaria, and
one of the very first Catholic divines
in Germany, and from the replies
which have been made to those papers
in the POpe's acknowledged organ,
the CiUiltd Cdttolied, it is no longer
doubtful that the Syllabus which
the world in 1864 by its medi- I
8Val sentiment and its wholesale de-
of modern progress is the
real basis on which the Council has
been convened, and according to
which its proceedings will be regula- /
ted. The bishops, in fact, are already
compromised by their acceptance of
the Syllabus. They are still further
compromised by offering no objection
to the letters eOnvening the Council. |
The Jesuits are clearly masters Of the
Rius the Ninth IS their |
tool, and the proceedings of the solemn |
farce will be manipulated to suit their |
purposes. To q dead certainty the |
Council will be asked TO condemn |
whatever is not in or of the Catholic !
Church, and to pronounce a solemn
on all that which we call
progress and the spirit of the
age. We have no right to say that
the members of the Council will re-
fuse to do either the one or the other. |
1t is no longer doubted that the Coun- |
ell will be asked to declare that the in
which hitherto has been !
to belong only to the Church !
in Council is an attribute heneefor- |
ward of the Pope himself. 1t is gen. |
orally understood that this motion is |
to be made by DR.. Manning, the Car
dinal Archbishop of Westminster, 1t |
is not expected that any opposition |
will be offered. This point carried, no |
future Council of the Church will be |
The best informed CathO-
lies admit that the Bodily Assump- |
ton, as well as the Immaculate Con- |
ception Of the Virgin, is to receive the