New-York tribune., 1870-01-07

truv wonderful manner in " hich has been gatDeicu
together this solemn Council of bishops from every
part of Chrstendom. Who docs not perceive that
in this event so auspcl0usly lnangurateu III
the midst of all sorts OF difficulties, oou has
given us n foretaste Of what we may hope
for, provided do not oppose the stream vi
instice and truth which is soon TO flow from
the rock of the Vatican. The discourse next touches
upon the "sublimo sufierings" which the Holy
Father and his children are called 10 endure from
the troubles of the times Received, as into place
of refuge beneath the sacred Shadow of the vatican
we marvel at the widespread ruins which satan mas
heaped around us we marvel at the raging waves OF
impiety which daily increase and threaten oven thls
peaceful asylum; wherefore, all of us trembling ana
Qroaning and smitten with paleness, imagine even,
that sitting around the broken ruins Of the Tempe,
we shall have to spend our breath IN the moufhIul
exclamation of the lover of his brethren, How does
the City sit solitary that full of people the queen
of the nations has become a widow, the mistress
of provinces is brought under tribute" But Dehoid
raw of purest light penetrates the thick darkness
and revives our almost dying hopes. For in the
mind of our Supreme Hierarch, who guides the helm
of the ship arises the thought to convoke the Mas
ters of the new Israel and the judges OF falth IN
order that with one consent help may pro-
vided at the earliest moment, for the holy
recesses by such hosts of terrible foes Behold us
now assembled, from every region Of the earth, in
this vast Basilca the wonder of Christian art be-
hold us az the sepuchre of the Prince Of the Apostles
whence even now the perennial air of Episcopal VIZ
tues still breathes and lives behold us at the tombs
of Leo. of both the GregOrys, of Chrysostom, from
which, after the lapse of SO many ages the 1resh
stream of eloquence flows forth to refresh the eds
of the Catholic Church. The speaker then gives
sundry exhortations to the Fathers 'of the Council,
and concludes his Discourse as follows:
"Our expectations will not be frustrated II we dl-
gently apply our minds TO- the pop0ieG oefE @ Oh oaS
Of God and the salvation OF souls II We chiefly strive
that this Council among SO many gems winch pns sba
prove the most splendid OF all; II, hhaIly, lne
annals Of the Church could once hand dOWn IL
golden letters, to the memory OF future ages,
that the minds and hearts OF the venerable tatneIS
were so governed by guienefs OF sprit uy 0 aontg
of Judgment, and wisdom OF counsel, that When tGj
doors which closed upon deliberations shal
again open to announce to the world, Ii has seemed
good to the Holy Ghost and to us the whole earth ay
feel the impulse OF the Creating Spirit and acknowledge
a complete renovation according to the words, Thou
sendest forth thy spirit and they are created ana thOu
tercesson especially OF the Blessed and Glorious ever
Virgin Mary, the mystery Of whose immaculate Concep-
tOn is celebrated to-day with universal JOY, may the
Eternal Son Of God yOuchsafe TO grant TO us all. our
Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ. who with the fhther
and the Holy Ghost lives and reigns forever Amen
Some of the English newspapers, see, are COM
menting pretty severely an expression III tho
Popes AllOcuton that the Church is even stronger
than Heaven ITSELF" if His Holiness had claimed
something more than Divine power for Rome, One
of them saws that this colossal dictum, which is
enough TO take ones breath away, must be an ex-
plot of trades unonism performed the interests Of
the excluded reporters. and that in selfdefense Plus
will find it necessary to place himself in the hands
of tbo no 10 N bp 81 msrQuTqsputalO IN Rut
whatever sins of presumption may be laid at the
the door of the Pope he is not accountable for the
astounding proposition The phrase in question is
a quotation from st. Chrysostom, and its meaning is
sufficiently plain from the context. Nothing" says
the golden-mouthed Doctor, "is more powerful than
the Church. The Church is stronger than Heaven
itsen forifyiDghis position by the saying of Christ
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words
shall not pass away" sufficient authority, it
would SEEM for the forcible rhetoric Of the sacred
orator. 1t is true that the Pope takes for granted
that the words which shall not pass away" the
words appointing Peter as the Head of the Church,
but it was far from being his assertion or ntimaon
that the Papal Chair was stronger than the Divine
Throne The criticism. moreover, is quashed at once
by the fact that the word Heaven" is not used here
TO denote the Divine abode OF the power of God but
the starry armament, illustrating the idea, that re-
ligion, OF truth and holiness, is more durable than
the material universe, position which perhaps not
even the literal English journalists will deny.
Several popular demonstrations against the COun-
Gil have taken place in Naples, Florence, Milan and
believe, in some other Italian cities but they ap-
pear to have been of too little consequence TO demand
notice. The most important of them was probably
the movement in Florence on the day of the opening
collection of the wOTking-men of the city, and
other revoutionsts to the amount of three or four
hundred assembled III the public squares, and
marched through the principal streets with music
and banners. The inscriptions the banners were
Of the most radical character. One was as follows
Repeal of the first article of the Constitution de
carng the Catholic rel gon to be the religion of the
State). Science the only religion of the future"
A black banner had the following inscription
in white letters: The day that the Gcumenical
Council begins in Rome, let it be remembered that
here by command of Pope Alexander VI. the father
of Cesar Borgia, Girolamo SavonarOla was burnt
because he wished to reform the Roman Church
which must be destroyed" i am told that the pro-
cessiOn was quiet and orderly, the police had
cason to interfere, and i'll spite of several high
wrought inhammatOry speeches, denouncing the
tyranny of the priests IS the worst foes of mental
progress, the meeting broke mp without disturbance
The friends of freedom in Italy evidently watch
ing the proceedings of the Council with keen interest
and sensitive jealousy although in this City of the
Dead it is necessary to observe great caution, and
few expressions of feeling opinion find utterance.
The Pope and the Council, on the other hand, are
not without devoted adherents in most of the Ita-
ian cities. whose zeal, TO Protestant eyes, would
seem to amount to blind infatuation. curious in
stance of this took place in Turin the other day.
showing the abject submission of a portion of the
press to the authority of His Holiness. This
article in the "Unita Cattolca" prominent journal
of that city, in which the editors, Margotti and
Emanuelli, made an act of profound humiliation for
some passages in their columns which might be con-
sidered ndiscreet and promising for the future the