The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1870-08-19

of the human race has received the
KEYS of the kingdom, lives, reigns
and judges even down to our times.
and forever, in his successors the
bishops of the Holy Roman See,
which was established by him and
consecrated by his blood. Is. Who
ever therefore, succeeds Peter in this
chair, receives, according to the in
stitution Of Christ himself, the pri-
macy ofPeter over the whole church.
The economy of truth therefore re-
mains. and the blessed Peter, always
retaining the frmness Of the rock,
which ha,, not relinquished the helm
of the church which had been given
to him. (7) For this reason 1t has
always been necessary that every
church, that-is t0-say, all the faith
ful, scattered in all places, should
put themselves in communion with
the Roman Church, because Of its
greater pre-eminenee, in order that
in this See, from which flow uDOn
all the rights of the venerable com
munion, they may all coalesce into
the structure of one body Isl. as the
limbs are united in the head.
If therefore, any one should say,
that the Blessed Peter had not bv
the institution of our Lord Jesus
Chris himself or by divine right,
perpetual successors in the primacy
over the whole church; or that the
Roman Pontif is not the successor
of the Blessed Peter in this same
primacy-let him be anathema.
CHAPTER III
OF THE NATURE AND CHARACTER OF
THE PRIMAcY OF THE ROMAN PoN-
TIFF.
Therefore, supported by the man
ifest testimony OF the Holy Scrip
lures, and adhering to the outspoken
and clear decress Of our predeces-
sors. The Roman Pontifs and the
General Councils, we renew the de
fnition of the Ecumenical Council
Of Florence, in virtue Of which all
the faithful of Christ are obliged to
believe that the Holy Apostolic Ses
and the Roman Pontiff have the pri-
macy over the whole world; that the
same Roman Pontiff is the success
sor of the Blessed Peter, the Prince
Of the Apostles the true Vicar of
Jesus Christ, the Chief of the whole
Church, the father-and teacher ofall
Christians, and that to Tim has been
entrusted by our Lord -Jesus Christ,
in the person of the Blessed Peter,
the full power toffeed, torule and to
govern the Universal 6burch, as Is
stated in the acts of the0Ecumeni-
cal Councils Of the Sacred Canons.
Therefore we teach and declare
that the Roman Church, by the in
stitution ofthe Lord, has the premi-
nence of ordinary Power over all the
other churches; and that this truly
episcopal power IS theziurisdicaon
of the Roman PohtiR is Immediate;
that the pastors and tlfe faithful,
both individually and taken together
whatever may be their rite and their
dignity, are subjected to him by the
duty of ,biearchical subordination
and of the true obedience; not only
in those things which concern the
faith and the morals, but also in
those which belong to the discipline
and the government of the church
scattered throughout the whole uni
verse; so that preserving the unity
both of communion and of profess
sion of the same faith with the Ro-
man Pontiff, the Church of Christ Is
one flock and under one Supreme
Pastor. Such is the doctrine Of the
Catholic Truth from which no one
can deyiate without loosing faith
and salvation.
The power Of the Supreme Pom
tiff is far from injuring that ordinary
and Immediate power OF episcopal
jurisdiction, by which the bishops,
who, instituted by the Holy Ghost,
have succeeded the Apostles (9b
feed and rule as true pastors, each
the particular flock which is assign
ed to him. Their episcopal power
is proclaimed, confirmed, and eoTob.
grated by the Supreme and Uni
7ersal Pastor. according TO the word
Of Saint Gregory the Great. Ny
honor is the honor ofthe Universal
Church. Ny honor is the solid
strength of my brethren. I am tru-
ly honored when the honor due to
every one is not refused to him (10).
From this Supreme Power of the
Roman POntif to govern the Uni
yersal Church results for him the
right to communicate freely in the
exercise of his functions with the
pastors and focks of the whole
Church, in order that they may have
the privilege of being instructed and
directed by him in the way Of salva-
tion. Therefore we condemn and
censure the opinion of those who say.
that this communication of the Su-
preme Head with the pastors and
flocks may lawfully be hindered, or
who make it subject to the secular
power, claiming that the things pro
vided by the Apostolic See, or t1
virtue Of his authority for the gov
ernment of the Church, have force
and authority only when they are
confirmed by the agreement Of the
secular power.
And as the Roman Pontif By the
divine right of the apostolic pri-
macy, is placed over the Universal
Church, we also teach and we declare
that he is the supreme judge of the
faithful (11), and that recourse may.
be had to his judgment in sll things
which belong to ecclesiastical juris-
diction (13, that on the contrary the
See, above which there
is no other authority, -canadE be
modified by any one, and that no
one is permitted to Judge its judg-
ment. (13). Those, therefore, de-
yiate from the right way Of truth
who assert that it is lawful to appeal
from the Supreme PontiGs to an
Eucumenical Counsel as an authority
superior to the Roman PUntifE sT
If any one, therefore, shall say
that the Roman Pontiff has only the
charge Of inspection and direction,
but not the universal and supreme
power Of Jurisdiction over the whole
Church, not only in things which
pertain to faith and morals, but also