The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-08-21

Republic and those of New Spain were
present, and SO (if am not in error) was
duct during the Council it is only just to
render testimony as contrasting with the
miserable intrigues of too many of his
regularly appointed colleagues of the Corps
Diplomatique in Rome. The various groups
of bishops were watched with great inter-
est as they passed into the Aula, and the
greatest Joy was evinced when one who had
position was seen to enter. The Archbish-
op of Rheims arrival was greeted with the
greatest delight by all the French Catho-
lies in the crowd. Ineed scarcely say with
what pride and hope for England's future
as Catholic nation we watched the Fa-
theirs of our beloved churches of Beverley,
Plymouth, Hexham and Birmingham ); the
"perfect wreath" of the Scottish Wears
Apostolic, not one of whom has faltered in
his allegiance to Rome /; the faithful Irish
Episcopate, and that of the English-speak-
ing colonies at they successfully took their
places. Many were absent, too, whose
hearts were with their brethren in the Aula.
duties, had recalled many, but they were
united in prayer and act with those who
remained. The Hungarian Bishops were
absent, with one or two exceptions, as
wese Cardinals Swartzenberg, Rauscher,
Hohenlohe and Matthew; Cardinal Rsus-
t.
and Mgr. Ketteler of Mayence, have de-
elared their adhesion to the decisions of the
Council, and their example will be extern
sively, we may hope universally, followed,
on the return of the bishops to their do
ceses. The Pope entered from the Gregg
rian chapel where he had previously vest
ed. He wore the crimson cope and white
and was surrounded by his household, by
the great officers of State, and the Swiss
and Noble Guard. He ascended the throne
placed in the apse of the Aula and exactly
opposite the Altar where the Mass of the
Holy Ghost was celebrated by Cardinal
Barili before the Pope's arrival. The Holy
Father having assumed his seat, Mgr. Fes-
sler performed the opening ceremony of
the Public Session, that of placing the holy
Gospels on the desk erected for that pur-
pose on the Altar. The ambone was also
restored to it's place in the centre of the
Aula. The invocatpry prayers wero then
recited by the Holy Father, the Cantors of
the Sixtine choir chanting the antiphons.
Then followed the Litany of the Saints, in
which all joined, the responses being taken
up by the dense crowd without with mag
nifcent effect. When the invocations on
the Estates of the Church and on the Holy
Synod occurred, the Pope rose to his feet
assembly, holding his pastoral cross, and
reciting the concluding prayers and re-
sponses. The Gospel according to St. Mat
thew, chap. 16, which treats of the confess
sion of the Divinity of our Lord made by
st. Peter, was then solemnly chanted by
Cardinal Capalti, and the Veni Creator was
intoned, and the entire assembly, both
within the Anla and in the Basilica, joining
in the chant with wonderful power and
correctness. Mgr. Fessler having then
placed the decree about to be promulgated
in the hands of the Pope, his Holiness con-
signed it to Mgr. Valenziari, Bishop of
Fabriano, who, ascending the ambone, read
the first dogmatic constitution, " De Eccle-
sia,n which has been transmitted to you
several days since, and then Intercepted
the Fathers in the following terms =" Rev
erendissimi Patres, placentne vobis Deere
ia ct Canones qui in hac Constitutions con-
tinentur 7" During this, the most solemn
heavy clouds which had been hanging over
Rome since morning, broke in most aw-
fnl tempest of thunder, hail and lightning
close to the Vatican. Nothing could
surpass the terrible grandeur of the
scene. The dim cupolas, the darken-
ing Aula, lighted up at intervals by
the vivid lightning that flashed athwart
it's mass of windows, and brought into
temporary relief its majestic groups OF
priestly figures, their flowing crimson robes
and snowy mitres and, above all, the one
stately figure pre- eminent above the crowd,
round whose venerable head the lightning
seemed to play with renewed vigor, light
ing up it's fixed and beautiful expression of
caimness and courage. None who saw Plus
TX. that day and at that moment can ever
forget his face! None whe heard the fury
of the storm but recalled the first coming
of the Holy Ghost in the sound of mighty
wind rushing through the Cenacle and pre-
ceding the great calm that fell upon the
Apostles. Placet after Placet succeeded each
other till about sixty votes were taken,
when a Non PLacet was given, that of Mgr.
Riccio, Bishop of Cajazzo, Sicily. Then
followed another long succession of at1irma-
tive votes, which was closed by Non
Placet proceeding from Mgr. Fitzgerald,
Bishop of Little Rock, U. S., making the
second on vote of 535 Fathers present. 1t
was now the moment for the Holy Father
to give his sanction and confirmation of the
decree, without which it could have no
force as part Of the dogmatioa teaching of
the Church, and he did SO in the following
form " Decreta ct canones, qui in consti-
tutione modo lecta continentur, placuerunt
omnibus Patribus, duobus exceptis: Nos
one. sacro approximate concilio, lila ct illOs
tia MT lecta stunt, defnimus ct Apostolica
auctoritate copfrmamus." A tremendous
flash lighted up the Basilica as the Pope
concluded, and fell, as we afterwards heard,
in Via MonserratG; a peal of thunder, loud
"a if the heavens aud earth had come to-
pether, shook st. Peters, and supplied all
need of the salvoes of St. Angelo. And
when as it seemed the powers of the ar had
fho rAa nF