The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1870-08-19
THE JOURNAL.


since IN the Apostollc see the CaJn-
olic religion has always been kept
Immaculate, and the sacred doctrine
spread abroad. Wishing, therefore,
to depart as little as possible from
his faith aud doctrine, we hope to
merit being in the unity of commu-
Mon which the Apostolic See preach
es. in which is the unbloken and
real solidity Of the Christian rei-
gion. (I5) With the appreciation of
the Second Council of Lyons, the
Craol,s have declared that the sacred
Roman Church has the sovereign
and complete primaey and pre-emi-
nence over the Catholic Church Uni
versal-pre- -eminence which she tru-
" and humbly acknowledges having
received in the person of the blessed
Peter, the head or chief of the Apos-
ties, Of whom the Roman Pontifr is
the successor: And, inasmuch as
he is bound more than others to de-
fend the truth of the faith, when
any questions of faith are raised,
these questions ought to be decided
by his Judgment. Finally, the Coun-
Gil of Florence has determined ethat
the Roman Pontiff stands forth as
the true Vicar of Christ, the head of
the whole Church, and the father
and teacher of al Christians, and
that to him, in the person Of the
blessed Peter, the full power of nour-
isbing, ruling, and governing the
Church Universal, has been trans
mitted from our Lord Jesus Christ.
(16.) To fulfill the pastoral function
our predecessors have always labor
ed unweariedly, that the doctrine of
Christ's salvation might be propaga-
ted among all the nations oS the
earth, and they have watched with
equal care that wherever it was once
received it might be preserved in
sincerity and purity. Wherefore
the bishops Of the whole world, sing
II and in synods, following the long
custom of the Church end the form
of the ancient rule, have referred to
this Apostolic See those dangerous |
questions which arose in matters of |
faith, that the injuries suffered by |
faith might be especially made good |
there, where faith cannot experience
diminution. On the other hand, the |
Roman Pontiffs, as they were ad-
monished by the condition of the |
times and Of affairs, have declared, |
now in conv oking Ecumenical Coun-
ellis, now in asking the opinion of |
the Church dispersed throughout |
the world, sometimes by particular
synods, at others when employing |
the other aids furnished by Divine |
Providence, tnat those things must
be preserved which, by the aid of
God they have found to be conform
able TO the Sacred Scripture and the
Apostolic traditions. The Holy |
Spirit has not, in effect, been pro
missed to the successors of Peter, to
publish a new doctrine, according to
his revelations, but with His assis-
tance to sacredly preserve them, and
faithfully expound the revelation
transmitted by the Apostles, that is
to say, the deposit Of faith. All the
venerable fathers have embraced,
and all the holy orthodox doctors
have venerated and followed their
apostolic doctrine, knowing clearly
that this See of Peter remains al
ways exempt from error, according
to the divine promise of our Saw
our, made to the Prince of His dis
ciples: 81 have prayed for thee, in
order that thy faith fail not; and
thee, when thou art converted, con-
firm thy brothers"
This gift Of the truth and of the
faith which fails not has therefore
been divinely accorded to Peter and
to his successors in the chair; in
order that sequitting themselves of
their eminent charge for the saliva
ton of all: in order that the flock
drawn by them from the baneful pas
forage Of error, TO be nourished by
heavenly doctrines; and in order !
that all cause of schism being re-
moved the Church may be conserved
in unity and sustained by
her foundation, she may maintain
herself finvulnerable against the gates
Of hell.
Now, at the epoch we are in, there
Is more need than ever Of the salu-
AIRY efficiency of the apostolic
charge, and as many men are found
Who seek to reduce its authority, we
5hink that it is entirely necessary to
affirm the prerogatiYe that I
he Only Son of God has designed
o join TO the supreme pastoral Of
Ice. =
It is because we, holding faithful =
= to the tradition which ascends to 4
he commencement of the Christian
aith, for the glory of God, Our Sa- :
iour, for the exaltation Of the Cath =
lie religion and the salvation of =
Jhristian peoples, we teach and de- !,
inc, with the appreciation Of the :
Holy Council, that it is dogma di- y
-inelv revealed-that the Roman
7ontif when speaking er cathedra, !
hat is to say, when fulfilling the I
barge of pastor and doctor as all :
christians, in virtue of his supreme Z
authority, he defines d q
hat a doctrine regarding faith or :!
norals ought to be held by the Uui- =
-ersal Church; enjoys fully, by the !"
Divine assistance which has been L I
iroinised him in the person Of the Z
,lessed Peter, that infallibility I
rhich the Divine Redeemer wished ',
is Church to have, in defining his !, !,
octrine touching faith or morals, .
nd consequently such definitions = d
f the Roman Pontiff are nnchange- q
BILE in themselves, and not in vir-
le of the approval of the Church.
If then any one, which may God
,rbid, have the temerity to contra
let our definition, let him he ana a
lena. y