The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-07-20
The Ecmmenicai Council

[From the London Day News July IL
The secrecy of the COMMISSIONS winch are engaged
In preparing the subjects OF discussion for the
Ecumenicai Council seems to be admirably kept
There Is probably not an ecclesiastical dightafy III
or out of Rome VINO knows more about their abors
than the 1nerest Protestant divine. Rumor- OF
course, grows buster as the months run on and the
time for the meeting OF the Council approaches
Correspondents, without the sghtest authority
pretend TO announce the new dogmas which, are to
be promulgated and the doctrines which are to be
developed by the Council. Nor do they hesitate to
assign to that paramount inhuence winch has
called the Council together deliberate de-
sign to force the ultramontane theory OF
Church government to lis extreme conclusions,
and to compel forma! and Una. REMUNERATION OF all
systems Incompatible with the autocraCy OF the
successor OF st. Peter. In short, the principal
tive for converting the Ecumen.cal Council and. the
principal work Tor the Ecumeutcal Council TO do
would, according to these reports, be to declare
general councils henCeforth inconsistent with the
supreme and absolute, the sole and indlvsibe pre-
rogative OF the Holy Father ASSUMING, however,
as we have rlghtto do that even an Ecnmenicai
Council viii enjoy partial inspiration OF common
sense, we should take leave TO doubt whether tue
more wisely taken for granted. instead OF
being embodied IN solemn ACT OF faith; AMI
whether the sanctity OF the temporal power
as q pOStuiate superior 10 controversy though
liable, as fact to earthly accidents. Then, as
regards the famous Encycllcal and the Syllabus.
Those documents, 1t IS true, anahematze all the
civil and religious liberties which form the frame
work of the political and social civilization OF the
most powerful and prosperous States In the modern
world But even the kncycical ana the syllabus,
acknowledge the occasional necessity OF yielding to
the "msfortunes OF the times" and making the
best OF bad conditions Which cannot be changed.
To what purpose would Roman Catholic arch
bishops and bishops from Italy, Fraace Austria,
Spain, Southern Germany, Great Britain or the
United States Of America, concur in an authorita-
political and social principles which are becOm-
ing the common patrimony OF the popuia.
nre over WHOSE st nossSe or ponnc
to divorce the Church from all the facts anu
tendencies Of existing civilization without IN
Hicting the most serious vital injury on Its own
proper interests without qualification, at all
events for IN these days perhaps there Is scarcely
faith enough to provoke schism. 1t Is difficult to
imagine that among the many eminent and
learned ecclesastics who. will come IRON all
countries to assist at the Council there VIII
not be found sufficient number of men
wise IN their generation, experienced, discerning,
and clear sighted. who Will decline to commit them
selves to the chmerca precautions OF the Church OF
Rome or to justify policy OF perpetual naluclna-
ton. If the Council were ocontrovert ali the ex-
pcctations OF its enemies ana boldly 10 proclaim an
alliance With the great moving moral forces OF the
aye there Is no saying what new era OF Christian
emancipation might not date from this eXtraordl-
nary event. But this. we apprehend. must be pro-
nounccd dream and IL Is much more IN accord
with the probabilities OF the case to anticipate
that the Council Will meet and part amid the com
passionate curiosity and the knocking indifference oil
mankind.
what will it represent? Certainly not the Church
universal. For neither the Greek Church nor the
Protestant communions will have any part or lot in
| Its proceedings. Not the lay populations OF the
Roman communion, or they, TOO, Will not be repre-.
scented az st. Peters. Not the governments or
| Roman Catholic states for there Is now no Roman
| Catholic state, and in the States where the Roman
Church predomnates, religious liberty Is the funda-
| mental law. Besides, neither the Court OF Rome
| nor the presiding influences In tins Ecnmenicat
Council admit the principle OF State Churches in the
Gaiiican sense. Even concordat is to them an
Church they acknowledge Is the state Church at
Rome; but tnat is the Church 10 which the state Is
o ess n W1at an sy Is
trine as odious to Rome as to Lambeth-but tho
| supremacy OF the Church over the state HOW lar
| the 'm.siortupes OF the times" have drifted the
Church away from this ideal every State in Europe
| abundantly bears witness. A..
1t would be an error, indeed, to suppose that tne
| approaching Ecumenical Council Is regarded with
| equal Indifference by Roman Cathoiic ana py pio-
testan. communities on TINS pUsno Of nnr
Paris contemporary lie Temps, supplies some inter-
estne nomaton appears sna pnce 70
cali Inc attention Of the governments OF South Ger.
mauy 10 the presumptve interference OF the Council
with the laws that regulate the civil ana religious
heries OF their subjects aud has even invited some
| sort OF concurrent diplomatic action on their part
| received from headquarters set OF questions con-
corning the operation OF the prevailing Sivm anu re-
or tse for orsan me
Of the Council. On the other hand, In South
GERMANY notably IN Baden and Bavaria
| OF liberal Catholic Iaymen TO protest In advance
| against any sanction to be given by the council TO
the declarations OF the Syllabus, and to demand Ger.
tain reforms-such as the participation OF Iaymen III
| synod5 and iii parochat Church governments; and,
among other things the abolition OF the censorship
OF books by the Congregation OF the Index, as being
opposed TO the progress or scientific investigation.
MOI Is tbisiipera movement confined TO laymen 1t
Is said to engage the sympahes Of several distin-
gushed members Of the hierarchy and OF q consider.
able proportion Of the lower clergy, who can always
carry with them the conscences and ieelpgs Of the
rural populations without exaggerating me sipold
canoe OF this agitation we may fairly es;lsate II IA
one OF the unexpected good results OF the Council,
which, IN stirring up such questions MAJ perhaps
MY IIl.rul