The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-01-25

swers q few queries which we put on
the source of the Papal infallibility,
il the Council shall declare it, as fol-
lows:
THE GAZETTE sREYoLVING QUESTIONS
AND LOGIC ON AVAILABILITY.
The Gdzette's education on the doc
trine Of iniallibility, in spite of its
intelligent Roman correspondent who
sees from a very wide distance the Sc
cret doings of the Council, is so sadly
deficient, that it asks the equally in
telligent world to answer the follow
ing very knotty difficulties into which
it has twisted the subject:
T" IF the Council, 1t says, should
vote the Pope infallible, does the
Council confer the infallibility on him,
or simply recognize that which already
exists2"
Simply the latter it recognizes 1t as
an article of faith, which all Catholics
must h~enceforth believe, under pain
of eternal damnation, because it has
always and everywhere been believed.
1t formulizes the tradition of ages,
and presents it to the world, which
the Catholic Church has been appoint
ed to teach. And he that b%elieveth
not after that dogmatic declaration,
shall be condemned. Again.
IF the Council eonfers intalllbility
upon the Pope, does the Council cease
TO be infallible2"
The Council does 0 confer any
thing on the Pope, nor add one iota
to his infallible prerogatiye. Jesus
Christ conferred it upon him as the
successor of st. Peter eighteen centu-
ries ago. Il have prayed for thee,
that. thy faith may not fail, and thou
being converted, confirm thy breth-
rem" Thou art Peter, and upon
this rock / will build my church, and
the gates Of hell shall not prevail
against It," In these words is the
divine origin Of Papal infallibility.
Does the Council then cease to be
infallible?"
This catechetical Socrates may, at
some distant day, comprehend that as
there can be no Ecumenical Council
without tie Pope, it must be ~infalli-
bic through his required presence and
Presidency.
How did the Council become in
fallible?"
In the very plain way that every ordi-
nary reader OF sacred Scripture knows
by the commission Of Jesus Christ
to his Apostles, Go teach all ma
tons; and behold I ON aGith yeu all
days, euen to the cOnsamnaatjon of the
acorId." As the assembled bishops,
holding the authority of the Apostles,
are the Ecclesia dozens" the
promise OF infallibility. attached by
Jesus Christ to their religious teach
ing, never fails. If the infallibility
be from God, how can it transfer to
one mar this gift which God con-
ferTod upon the church," AS God
gave to Peter, as a special sign of pre-
eminence, personal infallibility, the
traBsference is in the mind of the
GAZETTE only-it is merely the fool
ish expression Of imaginative igno-
rance.
And finally" says the Gasette, in
ponderouS objective subsumpti0D, If
the action Of the Council be simply to
recognize the infallibility of the Pope,
as previously existing, then the Pope
has already the infallible power, is the
only power that can declare himself
iniaIlible. If he be iDiallible, let him
so proclaim himself. Ii he be not in
fallible, no Council can make him So"
The action of the Council is not
10 recognize the infallibility, " al pre-
viously existing but to make the
certain dogma, previously existing,
an article of faith. a distinction
with a difference so very great, that
even the Gazette may understand it.
The Gazette must not grow inpatient.
When the Pope has received, through
the assistance of the holy Ghost,
guiding the deliberations of the
Council, and directing him, after due
examination. q prescribed preamble
for an infallible decision ep odthedrG,
then if it seem good to the Holy
Spirit and the Church, Pope Plus
TX, by the right invested in him as
the successor Of the lntalllble Prince
of the Apostles, will declare himself
infallible; not as the Gazette truly
adds, because the votes Of the bishops
made him so, but because having the
Gift. the efhcacious assistance of the
Holy Spirit, removing at that moment
all danger of error from the mind of
the Pontif, makes the declaration of
its possession infallible. He Will be
endowed with an lnfalliblllty of assist
ance, not of inspiration, and his word
will re-eche for the belief Of the world
the letter of Sergius of Cypress, on
the heresy Of the Monothelites-
" Christ Our God, has established
your Apostolic See, as the divine
foundation, safe and mistaken, and
as the acknowledged expression and
root of the truth of our faith" With
that wholesome Catholic doctrine of
Papal iufallibility, he will, in the
dignity and power Of St. Peter. feed
both sheep and lambs of the flock of
Christ.
RRMARKs.-FIom this it appears
that the Pope is now possessed Of
infallibility. The Council is required
to acknowledge it.. It seems to US
that they have nc choice that if they
do not they deny the infalIibile and
subject themselves to be cut off for
ever. The only question for the