The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-02-27

s,:.s ~ a. III AiaoE Az - tA1ar
Pope ST. Victor, however, lslt that the time
TOE compromise 49, passed, and the assertion
OF MA authofity necessary. He therefore pre-.
pared q sentence Of accommodation against
the Asiatic Bishops, whichE declared them
nenceiorth separated from The unity Of the
During the Pontiflcate Of ST. Leo. 4. D. AS
the Emperor valentinian forbade any step to
be taken In tho ecclesiastical government with.
out the authority of the Apostolic See. When
the Emperor Zeno upheld the cauae of Euty-
chi.nism, and appointed over the Pope's nomi-
nation an apostate monk (Peter the Fuller},
and at the same time called on all tho Bishops
and clergy to anathematize the Council OF
Pope ST. simplicius "a. D. 462) made every
effort to avert those troubles. He wrote to the
Emperor and all the Eastern Patriarchs, insist
ing upon the unity Of the faith, and thus con-
ing is ever the same in the SUCCESSORS of him to
whom our Lord left the care of His fold with
the promise Of His unfailing help even to the
contamination of the world"
One of the Greek Bishops (Acacus), however,
espoused the Emperors side, and after a sue
cession of scandalons acts, and O stubborn
continuance in his schism, in spite of p touch
ing and appealing letter from the Pope, the
Pontiff at length called solemn council, Of
siNty-seven Bishops, to depose him. After en-
umerating his heresies and sins, the edict thus
concludes: "Remain, then, hereafter associ-.
nted with the heretics whose interest you SO
readily embraced !; and know that by the pres
emit sentence You are deprived of your priestly
dignity and of Catholic communion; that you
are condemned by the Judgment or the Holy
Ghost and the authority of the Apostolic See.n
The scandals of Acacius in the See of Con-
tantinople, of Peter Magnus Mt Alexandria,
and of Peter the Fuller atNAhtioch, continued
Pope daily received letters detailing the tyran-
ny to which good Catholics were subjected by
these Eastern prelates. Accordingly st. Felix
called another council at Rome "a. ID. 4S3), in
order to discuss further this perplexing qnes-
ton. Acacus and his partisans had objected
to tho validity of his deposition, on the ground
The reply to this objection marks even more
forcibly than previous documents the faith
held even in that far-off day on the infalibility
of tho Holy See. Here arc the words of the
synodat letter, quoted by Darras, vol ii, D
81: "Whenever the Pontif1s of the Lord meet
together in Italy, to treat the cause and inter
esls OF the Church, it is d rule that the success
sor of st. Peter in the Apostolic See, in the
mifhom appeal, since he is charged
with the care of all the Churches. He is their
head; to him our Lord has said, in the person
of the Prince of the Apostles, sThou art Peter;
npon this rock l build my Church, and the
gates of hell shall never prevail against t.'D
Through all the strife and dissofutions of the
and Heruli-through all the wild
aud tunluituons passions of the opposite fac
tons, the authority and power of the Holy Sec
itself by its prudence, moderation
and justice.
Bishops, and to the Emperor Auastasus, also
iwells upon the primary authority of the
Apostolic See. although" he says to the
Emperor, yon sway the temporal destinies of
spiritual order to the ministers of religion. The
world is governed by two principles-the
sacred authority of the Pontifs and the royal
power" @4.Ef
When the claim of Odoacer, King of the
Herhli. to the right of confirming or annulling
the election of the Roman Pontif was juridi-
,ally examined ut the Council held at Rome in
A. u. sos, it was decided "that such doca-
nent never could bind Roman Pontiff, since
no one has right to make laws in the Church
the Pones CONSENT" (Darfas, vol. ii,
p Co., Again, the Church of Ganl protested |
against schism which sought to reduce the
Sovereign Pontiff to the judgment of his infe-
.iors. 1T behooves not the flock" says st.
Avitus, Bishop of Vienna, ito call it's pastor to
That power belongs alone to God"
Whep Athalaric succeeded the cruel Theo-
loric on the Gothic throHs of Italy, he made
he following law: Should any one wish to
# Rome, he shall first make application to the
Pope, who will hecide the case himself or by
leputy. Should the complainant fail to obtain
abstraction, he may apply to the civil power if
,e has proved the denial of justice on the part
If the ecclesiastical tribunal. But any one
coming before us without having previously
applied to the Holy See, shall forfeit his bond
o the poor by the hands of the Pope"
Not only does such law prove the supre-
macy which the Poptiffs had gained by their
ustice and moderation, but 1t also trenches
loosely upon the gift of temporal power, which
vas the ultimate sequence of the confusion
hat could only be brought to order through
UGH channel. Not by any will of their own
ot by the exercise of any arbitrary power did
hey assume that authority. But by scarce
perceptibfe degrees it was delegated to them
y the submission and respect of several of the
imperial potentates; as by Constantine, at the
,ouncil of Nice, Vallentinian, on various occa-
ions, and by Marcion at the Councils of Cha1-
ort in his history of the Popes Catholic,ty
nd the Papacy have hitherto appeared under
90 very opposite aspects. Deadly principles
dissolution were undermining society; the
Moral as well as the political world was crum-
ling Mt all points; in the midst of all the
eeay which forebode the fall of tottering en-
Tres new society is springing up into life;
'ower, binds together its various elements,
nd this power is the Papacy. Up to
he sixth century, it offers two different aspects.
rom tho days of st. Linus to those of st.
ielchades, the Popes discharge their Apostle
ic ministry only, in the words of the Apostle,
" resisting unto blood From st. Melchiades
o Gregory the Great they lay the foundation
'ereses that assail the great mystery of the
ian God. The former were Apostolic martyrs,
he latter Apostolic law -eivers, the turn tax
N by the political world corresponding to these
wo phases, the first witnessed the breaking up |
# Roman unity the second saw modern socie-
y begin the work of it's foundation" Vol g
}. 1872 Restriction of space prevents any
gees, of this mooted point of the Pope's infal-
Utility. But We have given instances enough
% prove the fact We must pass over the ages |
Ind events wherein the blending of the tempo