The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-07-03

no had n srped renewed in zeal, renewed
His reS6E651tnA to labor more faithfully, and
he hoped With more strength to perform his
xesaaxks-3ew remarks because Of the heat of
tho day and the length of the oeremonies-and
these remarks would contain some reflections
Holy Council ' aSg one 's Should R have s aid
eos q the greatest events, perhaps the great.
Council of the Cat6oiie Church in the city Of
Rome, such man would have been regarded
- m idle dreamer or = religious enthusiast.
Wss tziumphant in the Holy City. The Pope
was in exile, scctarian ministers were pre-
dieting tho downfall of tho whole Church and
her enemies had begun to sing the song of
cism. Bpt the fact now stared one in the face
that NO event Of this day had SO taken hold of
the public attention, absorbed its interest, as
opened by Plus TX. on the 9Th December, 1859.
And was this to be wondered at . He thought
not when the limits that constituted it were
sonsidersd Some ne Inn imagined they could
thing insignificant. Nations dreamed that it
was of no Importance /; but somehow they had
entirely changed their tactics. Even Protest
Significance that they had even ventured to
t6reaten the Council, in case it should under
take TO abridge the liberty of the Holy Church.
going ON in the Holy City than the Prime
ministers of Protestant nations, and especially
the one Of England. Had they considered the
limits of the Council they would not have been
her of the Council, if they looked at their
education, surprising they had Q common
anonnt of intelligence; if they looked at the
Eepresented-if they regarded the number of
persons and the extent Of territory they repre-
sented-it must be acknowledged that the
Vatican Council was 8he most august assem-
hlA@0 fhat there kpnu1efufss in bo
history of men. No other assemblage in the
present century could bear any comparison
Whit Consider, then, the elements of tho
it's members were engaged. Putting those mat
ters together, the Council had done already q
very great and important work in removing
cupying every avenue of imparting knowledge
70 the world. The press was teeming with
books and pamphlets discussing, questions
cables acruss tho Atlantic, the newspapers, the
pnlptts. all the avenues of imparting knowl-
edge were in good measure occupied with
other effect on the outside world than that,
he augured from it o happy conclusion. And
whyf because mems intelligence was made
for truth: Once get mans mind turned
that recognition would bring the aspiration to |
his. will and the affection 20 his heart, and
might it not be hoped that one of the great /
questa outside the fold of the holy Church |
Again,swhen the great work that was doing
was considered, the great fruits borne to the
the Gpeatast works before it was to discover,
30 divine and to disclose those truths which
the divine Lord once for all had given to His
Church and left in her keeping. Now for that I
whyf Kirst to find out whether the truth was
an the written word of God, and
secondly whether it was confirmed by the
helief OF, all the faithful during all times and
Now imagine for moment
,even hundred men of education, their whole
directed to and absorbed in this
smount Of intellectual activity and nd what what
amount of light must all food on those uues-
ions before them. What had they to do
They read, they studied the Holy Scriptures.
own personal experience that the Holy Scrip |
tures were read, were studied with care and
with tho greatest earnestness and sincerity by
the Fathers of the Council; and if there were
my Protestant friends now present in the
church. they would at least approve of the fact |
If the Council reading the Bible as q most
sarly writer's of the Church, all the Fathers
Ehey studied the.doctriues of the Church, the
'heologians of the Church. And whyf Be
,ause they all had their light from God. They
III had t6eir intelligence, and, living as some
II them did, nearer to the beginning of the
Church, these works were consulted as aids in
rider that the tTue meaning of the Holy Scrip
ures might be ascertained. They took testi-
neny of Churches concerning every belief.
They; were not, however, finding out what this
me and that ONE fancied. They were not find
Dg o0t what might be their various convic- l.
ions, but tho divine truth revealed by the r
blessed Saviour, communicated to his Church
rom the beginning and from all time. Con-
idering the great intellect involved in the in
he thought he was safe in predict
Dg AMONG the results of the Council would be
new era in theological science. Some COM
lained that the Church had lost its grasp
pom the.aetive intellect of the age. But the
erv contrary was the trnth, since the Church
'as the very centre of progress. Again there j
Iere those who asked were there no disputes
/ che COaacil-was there no opposition
Vhy, of course there was, and none for a mo- | !
lent should heTe imagined otherwise. Con-
der that the fathers came from different | q
ationalities. They had been accustomed to !
iferent ways of thinking, and many of them !
ad been accustomed to think their own way. | =
hey had different interests, different habits.
here were seven hundred of those men to :
ether, aud could &c be imagined that all at q
nee there should be harmony and unanimity 7 | 4
was most absurd. No one for moment
'nld think that once n man became Catholic
at once lost his human nature. 1t WIS no :
Ss true in regard to the hierarchy. 1t WAS ;
ne in Regard 10 the priest. the bishop, the 8
rdinal or the Pope-all carried their weak II
sseo and impeI1ections. There were some y
,ubfless whose faith was little tried when ii
ey Discovered that those to whom they had q
Dked mp disputed with each other on the
eat questions before the Council. But there
is nO other waytO ascertain the truth S"ine r.
d their faith shnkeu, but men passed from "a =
ate OF infancy TO manhood la their faith. He
lsE confess, even il II were o fault, that
len be heard those disputes and those dis ~