The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-08-07


sers of the Church forming one body with
heir Head, whether in Council or other
wise. Our Lord did not promise infallibil-
ny to teach separately and independently
bnt to the Church's Pastors united in one
body with their Head. Hence the Pope is
Hine the peOplein all places and from all
limos have been familiar. They have WV
iGly realized, through the constant pres
sncs OF their Bishops amongst them, that
heir Bishops are the teachers and judges
Of the faith; and that their teaching is in
hllible when identical with the &c catAedra
teaching Of the Pope. But here an obser-
Of the Pope and Bishops, teaching, as they
say, per MEDIUM ssnius, or, as one man, does
net depend upon the personal sanctity, nor
upon the combined learning and wisdom of
any or Of all of them. Infallibility belongs
ID God alone, and its exercise is an effect
depend upon the number of Bishops who
firm ono body with their Head. The mum
Der Of Bishops in the Church is not of di-
vine institution, but of human appoint
nent; and no divine promise was made to
4sambers, but only to those Bishops who
are united as one teaching body with their
Head. Thus, one Council is not more in
iallible than another because more numer-
ously attended. And the Vatican Council
would not be more infallible if every
Bishop held with the Pope than if only q
minority should do SO. The other and Or
binary mode whereby the infallible nsagis-
teu-iun of the Church is exercised is through
the Pope personally as Head of the Church.
a this mode has not been realized in all
places as q revealed dogma with the same
vivid distinctness as the infallibility of
Pope and Bishops speaking as one man,
shisa may be easily accounted for by the
fact, that whereas the Pope is not univer-
sally present, the Bishops are; and from
she further fact that the people ordinarily
come into direct contact with their Bishops
and only into indirect contact with the
Pope. But it is also certain that the teaching
of the Church has always, as F. Bottalla
proves beyond doubt, been practically
dependent upon the personal Infallibility
Of the Pope. Wherever the doctrine of his
piicitly taught, it has been held in prac-
ice, and contained, as it were, in solution.
We shall be able to make our meaning
clearer if we glance at some of the objections
which Protestants constantly urge against
Papal Infallibility. They commonly imagine
that when the Council shall have defined the
Ropes infallibility, it will have invested
and arbitrary powers. They imagine
taes the Pope will then be able to make
or Rnmake doctrines at will, and that he
will not be subject to any law but that of
his own caprice or private judgment. Such
objections, we need hardly say, arise from
doctrine and constitution of the Catholic
Church. First, then, let us say distinctly,
that the Pope is, and always must be,
beund by the divine conditions and laws
laid down by God Himself He can have
no doctrine of his own to deliver, but is
Under an obligation and necessity to teach
tate doctrine of Christ, as contained in the
ard hofo
tsaehing er cathedra he is bound to ascer-
tain the doctrine of Scripture and tradition:
from which he cannot depart. But it may
Do asked: How are we to know that the
Pope has taken the necessary precautions
70 ascertain the teachings of Scripture and
tradition, and that he has not been deceiy-
s&f And what if he should in his private
hfs be wanting in sanctity or in learning
Two answers may be chiefly indicated.
The first is, that Che first objection might
be urged against the decisions of even q
General Council. But the second and real
answer is founded upon the promise Of Di-
N9pe Assistance to the Head of His Church.
no Catholic believes in infallibility merely
rs the result of the learning, wisdom, pru-
aence or sanctity of the Pope, or of all the
bishops put together. If we held it to be
dependent upon these, or upon any human
qualities whatever, we should indeed de-
seiye che Protestant contempt, which at
present is but the offspring of mere igno-
rance and Misunderstanding. So for as
learning, study, or any other qualification
may be necessary, in order to enable
The Pope to ascertain and know the truth
and to define it, we may be perfectly Ger
Tain THAT these will not be wanting. To
anyons who believes that God has promis-
ed tho cad, the objection that human acct
dents D9ght intervene to Illustrate that end
~ simply worthless and trivial. To believe
In the power of an obstacle to bring to
1ought o divine promise is to disbelieve in
GAO. We may further illustrate our mean
ing by an example. If God wete solemnly
70 promise that next year there would be
an abuRaaDt harvest, we should assuredly
saw tiiA,lhAaRers tilling the earth and SOW
ing the as0d, but because of the divine
pTo1sS6aa We should also know that He
would take care in effect that the farmer
3@oat6 sew his seed in sufficient quantity;
and that alb the other circumstances need
fnl 70 attain she end should be forthcoming.
IN like manner He who has promised that
the Head of the Church shall not err when
speaking eS cathedrG, pledges Himself to
provide all such assistance as shall secure
The realization of His promise. Protestants
are IN the habit of conjuring up another
phantom. They picture to themselves the
Pope as separated from the bishops, and
,tanding in an attitude of opposition to
hair teaching. This is also a favorite Gal
loan delusiOn. The supposition, however,
os the Pope being separated from the
Church is an idea, in The abstract indeed
and possible; but in the con-
'TeeeS rs Fr. Castrop1anio observes, abso-
lutely impossible and simply absurd. And
This for the following reason. Christ has
guaranteed the indefectibility of the