The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-06-02
lNFALLIBILITT.

Daru, the late French Minister of Foreign
Affairs, which received the perfect concur
renee of Germany, Austria, Bavaria, Italy,
and Spain, has just been made public,
although it dates back to the 10th of March.
1t was addressed to Monsignor Chigi, the
Apostolic Nuncio at Paris, and is very lengthy
and elaborate We select the following para
graphs
1t results from these principles that. if the
infalibility of the Church embrace-but not
in the sense indicated by the French despatch
all that is necessary to the preservation of
the integrity of the faith, no prejudice can
accrue therefrom to science, history, or poll
tics. The prerogative of infallibility is not
an unknown fact in the Catholic world. AT
all times the supreme magistracy of the
Church has dictated the rules OF faith without
the internal arrangements of States being in
terfered with, and without their princes see
ing just cause for alarm. They, indeed,
wisely apprecating the influence of these
regulations in the light of good order and
civilized society, often constituted themselves
the avengers and defenders of the doctrines
defined, and obtained the full and respectful
observance of the same by means of their
royal concurrence.
Does it not again follow from this that, if
the Church was instituted by its divine
Founder as a true and perfect society, distinct
from and independent of the civil power in
vested with full and triple authority-legis-
lative, judiciary, and coercive-no confusion
should arise therefrom in the progress of
human society and the exercise of the rights
of both powers. The competency of the one
and of the other is clearly distinct and de-
termined by the respective aim which they
pursue by virtue of its authority the Church
does not interfere ia any direct and absolute
manner in the consttutive principles of gov
ernments, in the forms of different civil
regimes, i'll the political rights of citizens,
in their duties with respect to the State, and
other matters pointed out in the Minis
ter's note. But no society can exist without
supreme principle as regulator of the morality
of its actions and its laws. Such is the sub
lime mission confided by God to the Church.
with view to the happiness of nations and
without requiring for the accomplishment of
this ministry interference with the free and
prompt action of governments. 1t is, in fact,
the Church that, in inculcating the principle
of rendering 70 God the things that belong to
God and to Caesar the things that are Caesars,
imposes at the same time upon her children
the obligation to obey conscientiously the
authority of princes. But these should in
their turn remember that, if they issue laws
contrary to the principles of eternal justice,
to obey them would not be to render unto
Caesar the things that are Caesars, but to pur-
loin from God the things that are His.
l say anew, for, as have already remarked,
the doctrines contained in the above named
document, far from being new and unheard
of, are not, as whole, other than the Catholic
teachings professed in all ages by the whole
Church, as all the pastors Of Catholicism
summoned by the supreme head of the
hierarchy to render authentic testimony in
the bosom of the council to the faith and ira
dltion of the Universal Church solemnly
attest. On the other hand, we must hope
that Catholic doctrine, receiving new and
solemn confirmation from the fathers of the
Council of the Vatican, will be received by
faithful people as the rainbow of peace and
dawn of better future.
The sole aim of the confirmation of these
doctrines is, in fact, to recall to modern So
ciety the principles of justice and honesty,
and thus to restore to the world that peace
and prosperity which the perfect observance
of the Divine laws alone can produce. Such
is the steady hope of all the worthy people
who hailed with Joy the announcement of a
council such is the conviction of the fathers
of the Church, fastening hither rejoicing at
the voice OF the supreme pastor; such is the
prayer that the vicar of Jesus Christ continu-
ally addresses to God in the midst of the
troubles and difficulties of his pontifcats.
Then one does not comprehend wherefore
the bishops should have to renounce their
episcopal authority as a consequence of the
definition of Papal infallibility.
By an analogous motive-the authority of
bishops being strengthened by the solemn
confirmation of the Papal infallibility-that of
princes, and of Catholic princes particularly,
will become no less so. The prosperity of
the Church and the tranquility of the State
depend upon the strict and intimate union of
the two supreme powers. Who does not per-
ceive from this that not only the authority of
princes will suffer no diminution from the
supremacy of the Pontiff, but that it will,
on the contrary, find therein a support?
What obedience, what respect, what protec-
tion do not the sons of the Church owe to
the authority established by God to direct
princes and people to the supreme end OF
eternal salvation! These monarchs cannot
ignore that the royal power has been given
them for the defense and patronage of Chris
tian society. But precisely because the principle
of authority shall have been confirmed in the
Church and her head a new force and ina.
pulse will be communicated to the sovereign
power which has the same divine origin and
common interest. Thus, if the perversity OF
the period has separated these two powers
and placed the one and the other in difficult
and painful position, to the great prejudice
Of human society, relations of the closest ma
ture shall come to unite both by an indis
soluble tie for the defense of the great reli
gious and social interests, and the path bt
opened up leading to a more joyful and pros
porous future.
From the preceding considerations, it ooze'
out that the council is not summoned to dis
cuss political interests, as the despatch of NJ
Daru would appear to indicate. The French
Government would scarcely, therefore, fine
sufficient motive for deviating from the line