New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-04-05
JNF4LLIDILTTH.

INFALLIBILITY.
Considering how much the Gcumenlcal Couh-
ell has to do with Faith, it is curious how little
the news purportlDg to come from Its lmIne-
date neighborhoOd is worthy of belief. Paris,
London, and New-York, equally share the
justification of which Rome, If not the cause
furnishes the occasion. All the conjectural
winds and gales of human fallibility beat upon
the Vatican. All the currents of heretical
speculation, in the shape of Roman news, wan
der out of the Eternal City to the uttermost
parts of the Earth. 1t u.s. of course, impossible
to have infallible news-gatherers. Though
belief touching the doings of the Council may
be generally formulated "We do MT believe
some few grains of infallible truth are never
theless known to the world For instance, it IS
pretty certain that the Council has met, that
scheme of faith has been adopted or virtually
so, that great many bishops favor dogma OF
Infallblity while their minority do not, and
that the Pope is partial to the views or the
majority.
What else of Importance is positively, thor
oughly known we cannot pretend to state.
Infalibility rests in the secrecy of the Council
like a kernel in its shell, but no newsman has
been quite able to crack the whole nut. we
suspect that the Fathers are trying to approach
the discussion of this dogma but who will
dare to predict that they will ever reach it
at all events, reach decision Again. it is
undoubted that notes have passed between
Cardinal Antonelli and Count Daru, not to
mention Baron Beust but whO-after the Car
dinals explanation of the Twenty-one Canons
of Faith-cares to argue that the diplomats Oh
Austria and France will insist upon seats at
the Council, especially as the latter Power has
from the first affirmed that it has no business
to interferef Every few days we hear that
Count Daru has resolved upon bold measures
with Rome, and then we hear exactly the re-
verse and the rumOr of the threatened with
drawal of French troops has been more than
once cOntradcted. One fact, however, is very
remarkable. Spain has not asked for repre-
sentatOn at the COuncil-even French repre-
sentatOn-and we presume, therefore, France
has not.
After making every allowance, however, we
have decided conviction that Infallibility
itself has become an absorbing and formidable
question in the Roman Church. To those who
deny the prudence of such a dogma, 1nfalli-
bility at once proclaims itself fallble. and
error is implied in the arrOgatiOn of freedom
from error. But to q large majority of the
Council the extension of the practical working
of the Infallibity doctrine will seem but
perfection and sublimation of the old theory
of obedience-the fulfment of the gospel
promise claimed by the Roman Church that
the Holy Ghost should always be with it to
keep its general teachings spotlessy true.
The Pope and DR.. Manning are the most dis
A. Al
Gates of this latter side of doctrine. On the
other side, there is no moro eminent
and estimable prelate than Bishop Dupan-
loup. OF the American Fathers, Purcell
is said to favor the anti-Papal view of
the question, and Spalding the contrary with
o zeal which puzzles some of our English CO.
tempOraries. Rauscher and Strossmayer lead
the compact ranks of German dissidence, and
Archbishop DarbOy of Paris is supposed to be
still an embodiment of Gallcan doubt. To the
general cause of Anti Infallibity, the protests
of Father Hyacinthe, Father Gratry. and DR..
Dolinger, the great German thcologian, have
lent high interest and significance. But the
secuarizaton of Father Hyacinthe, and other
similar events, tend to show that the difference
in the Roman Church is not so radical or revo-
lutiOnary as has been supposed.
The earnestness of those who oppose the
doctrine of Papal Infallibity is manifested by
the letter which so eminent layman as Count
Montalembert wrote shortly before his death:
but probably the most remarkable expression
of the Anti -Infalbilists is contained in re-
cent brief letter of Dr. Newman, the famous
Anglican convert to Catholicism. AS one of
the ablest and most scholarly divines of
England, as q man of rare gifts of expression
and earnestness of conviction, the utterances of
DR.. Newman go far to explain the belief of
the most thoughtful class of Catholics. To
state his position in few words, he holds
that while some of the loudest advocates of
Papal Infaibility have done mischief, the final
united voice of the Council will be directed by
the Holy Spirit to the eternal good of the
Church. We presume that if Fathers Hya-
cinthe, Dupanloup, Gratry, and others of SINH
lar mind, were questioned, they would answer
in the spirit of DIR. Newman, and hence we see
no sufficient reason to believe that the Church
is about to enter upon its disintegration Such
objections as those of Newman, Dupanloup,
and DOinger, may procure in the Council
final agreement to disagree, which, under tho
circumstances, may prove as pi0us rs anything
else.