The New York herald., 1870-01-05
THE POPE AND HIS CLERGY.

THE POPE AND EIS CLERGY.
Interesting Correspondence Between the Sow
creien PontiT nnd the Clergy OF the Diocese
of New York.
The following highly interesting correspondence
has recently passed between his Holiness Pope Plus
ana the clergy OF this diocese, md will be found OF
deep significance and Importance
LETTER OF THE CLERGY OF TIE DIOCESE OF NEW
YORK TO HIS HOLINESS POPE Plus TX.
HoIY EATHEg-As. our reverend and beloved
ArchD shop, In 0beuience TO your conyocation of a
general council Is about to journey 10 the tomb5 OF
the Apostles, we, priests OF this diocese OF New
York, have eagerly seized the occasion OF sending,
BY MS hand, letter, to tell you Ol the reverence and
affection which we cherish for the see Of Blessed
authority OF Your See we ackpowlcage the pulwark
OF our ialth; to " we look AS TO the venerable
teacner OF Catholic truth ana our hearts are drawn
aud bound 10 IT, as to the very centre Of unity and
Christian charity. And III AL this we know that we
are out fulfilling what Christ himself foreordaned,
when alter st. Peter had confessed the true Ialth.
lie made nm the foundation OF HIS church, the
holder VI the Keys OF the heavenly kingdom; when,
again; after requiring OF nlm y love greater Than
that OF the other Apostles, lie appointed him snep-
herd and ruler Of his whole dock; when finally, lie
commanded nm, alter ne should have risen supe-
rlor to MS own human weakness, TO confirm even
ms brethren the Apostles.
Nor should we omit Holy Father what is so pleasant
for us TO av0w, tnat We are drawn with great ana
special reverence and arectOn towards your own
person on account or that conspicuous piety aud
charity which certainly must have been The cause
for winch Christ chose you, among so many Of your
brethren, to be elevated 10 this sublime dignity or
the chief apostlesnlp
We rejoice also, Holy Father. with the whole
Church OF CErlsi, at the naDy signal benefits ana
triunphs OF your pontifcate; the propagation Of the
faith among many distant nations, which has
been so largely increased and promoted by your
zeal; tnc great increase OF pey ana cnarity, which
you nave ever stimulated by word ana oy example;
the unprecedented numDer OF servants OF God
whose names you have been permitted to iuscripe
on the roll OF the Blessed and OF the saints; the Mus
trious gatherings oil bishops in great number, which
you have several times cOnvoked, ana. particularly
the calling OF q general council, for whose happy
Issue We pray Increasingly, in the hope tnat COG,
who knows the hearts Oh men, may enllghten the
minds OF the fathers with HIS lgnt and strengthen
them with lis strength, That they may enact wnat-
ever may be most necessary or useful lor tie
welfare OF the word.
Especially 10 we rejoice, Holy Father at the pecu.
liar glory WHICH God reserved to you OF defining,
Of Catholic iaitn, the immaculate Conception oi
The Virgin mother OF God VINO Is also our Inother.
We grleve with you holy rather, HI your aIiic-
lions. winch have been neither few light, aud
We ierventy pray God vindicate and preserve un-
impaired the iree exercise OF all your rights and
those OF your See, particularly the Possession OF the
Holy CITY and The other territories OF ST. Peter which
Lie present condition VI things, we pelIeve to pe
useful and IN some sense even necessary ~ the
dignity ad sui more TO tue ilberty OF your sacred
once.
We give thanks to God, Holy Father, for having
preserved you 10 ior many years. and lor hay-
ing permitted yon recently TO celebrate, amid The
cong snStons OF the world the tieth anniversary
OF your priesthood, and we pray that yet for nlaly
years, and beyond .'lhe years Petern he may con-
tnue 10 preserve and project you; ana we beg your
Holiness to permit us TO minge poor gift, wnicn
Will be presented oy the hand OF our archbishop,
among the many sgnal mcmentocs OF that great
leSLvity.
IL is very pleasant for be able TO bear witness
Holy Father 10 universal reverence and affection
for your person aud Tor Inc Holy See, which obtains
among the Catholics OI this country 10 cherish
the hope that II faith or charity should grow less
die OUT among Gny oi the people OF Europe you may
have granted 10 you the consolation and compensa-
uon oI seeing renewed the eiories of other days
more than proporrUnaEe increase OF taltn ana
charity III Tins aud otner distant lands.
Finally, PROSTATE ~ the feet OF your Holiness we
devoutly and numbly Deg for ourselves and for the
faithful, Tor whose welfare we are laO0rng, your
Apostolic blessing.
NEW YORK, July Z. 1859,
THE poPEs REPLY.
TO lis Beloved Children the Vicar General and the
Clergy Secuar and Regular OF tue Diocese VI Aew
BELOVED CnILDRES-Health ana the Apostolic
DeneuctOn.
Your letter to us, beloved children, 10 indeed OF
thai nature TO assuage. as you hoped the grief
which Lne deiection OF SO many children has op-
pressed heart. For therein IS made manifest
your affection towards this sacred See OF Peter that
your hearts are saddened by tue injuries brought
upon G; tnat you filed with JOY the acts wnlcn
nave illustrated 1t With new splendor; that you pre-
dict the success OF the Council about 70 open, and
with reryor suppl'cate tnis from God for US, and
cherish towards us those feelings OF ardent devo-
ton and tllaI piety which abundantly show that
the love OF God Is shed abroad IN your hearts. In
deed we mad learned this from conversation wlth
your esteemed prelate, whom j0yfuliy we nave EN-
braced; aud we nave seen your affection still fur.
tier confirmed Dy your splendid git which we have
received at his hands. TO your onerlng You nave
been pleased 10 add no slight ornament III the beau
tiGl symbol OF iish, formerly most familiar 10 the
faithful For tns skiliul work made OF the richest
gold and bearing the purest OF gems in its mouth,
acems 10 graphically, and with evident
appropriateness to the coming Council OF the whole
Church, 10 signify The words OF eternal ie which
low from the mouth or Onrist. But although these
gifts liao sufficiently made manifest the sentiments
OF your minds towards us, still were we filled with
new Joy Oh reading the words OF your letter. There
s nothing lerg 10 us to deSre but that the number
OF Catholics who OF heart with you may 80
Increased that the same consolation may Ill your
souls WIN which Tie noly Gregory Thaumaturgus
went eyultah9 10 hls reward. when IL was announced
10 him that oDly seventeen unbeliever5 remained In
Neocasarea, where at ms first coming he found but
seventeen converted 10 Christ. We know not how
to predict for you more excellent reward nor one
more worthy Ol tne nobility OF your sentiments
towards us. This therefore, with all our heart, zeal
anu labor we beseech Of God for you, while as
OF the Divine Iavor, and pledge OF our paternal
beney0lence and grateful mind, we lovingly lmpart
10 you ana all the people committed to your care the
Apostolic benedicti0n.
Given at Rome, at st. Peters, the 2oth OF Novem-
Der, A. u 1862 The tweDty-tourth yOar OF our toa-
unCate. Plus Pr. N.