The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-10-23

The following Pastoral has been issued
conformity ~ the German Archbishops and

oonloiqntiy ~ the German Archbishops and
Bishops: 9og - .-....,.i - 49, y
i Having returned to our respective die.
ceses from the Holy Ecumenical Y aticanic
I Gopncii, we. as well as some other German
II bishops, who had been prevented attendino
the General meeting Of the Church. deem
ls our pastoral duty to address to You.
cnerished In the Lord, a few words of en-.
plenaacn and advice. Our doing this con-
Joinciy Is occasioned by the many erroneous
LIQUORS. which, for several months, have
oeen prevalent with regard to the Council.
ana are even now unduly advocated in cor
1 tainquarters, =.
TO preserve in their original purity and
| genqineness the divine truths which Christ
| tbe Lord has taught aankind, and to pro-
gece them from alteration and distortion,
ne provided infalHble teaching for His
molly Church, and gave and beq1eathed to
ner the protection and assistance Of the
holy Ghost for all future ages. On this
| i y teaching Of the Church is based
the certainty and assurance of our faith.
w nenever; in the course of time, the doc
trines OF the Church were misunderstood OF
attacked, this infailible teaching of. the
Church went forth, either by means Of &C.
ciesiastlcai meetings OF without them Il
detected and repealed error, and explained
and established truth. The most solemn
norm %ene o. these utteranees was Through Gcu-
grand assemblies in which the head and.
the menbers of the 6ae body appointed for
the teaching OF the Church cooperate to
decide doubts and disputes relative to mat
tiers of faith. 2----.- -. ..
In accordance with tlle unanimous and
lndubitable tradition Of the Church, the de-
cisions have been always held to be such
which by supernatural Divine assistance
are exempt from error. For this reason
the faithful of all times have submitted to
these decislons as infanible DEGREES of the
T. 49, l. Al. -. =
tainty Of 6eiief, deemed to be true. Thev
nave done this not because the bishops are
men OF varied and mature experience. nor
because many Oftheir number were deeply
conpersant with human lore, ner because
they met from all parts of the world and
thus united in their body the combined
wisdom of the whole earth, nor because.
having studied and proclaimed the Word
OF Sod through long life, they might be
regarded as classic witnesses of it's con-
tents. All this might have given their ut
serances a high, and Indeed, perhaps, the |
highest possible degree of human creSli. |
ollity. Yet lt.wO1ld not suffice to justify |
us In regarding their decisions as revealing |
supernatural truth. However trustw ortby
the witnesses, however unanimous all man
KIND as represented by it's best and noblest |
opponents, supernatural things can never |
IN supernatural things is founded on the |
veracity of God Almighty alone. If the |
children of the Church believingly accent |
the DEGREES of the Ecumenical Councils, |
they do SO under the conviction that God. |
who is eternal truth and of himself infalli-
ole, has systematically inspired those in
functions, and prevent their being liable |
to error
Such an EcumeRical Council q the pres
ent one, which Our Holy father} Pope Pho
Mono, has convened at Rome, and which
mas been more numerously attended than
ever before by the successors of the Apos-
lies from every part of the world. Thew
oil came to guard, CONFORMITY with the sue
cessor OF st. Peter, and under his direction,
5he great interests of the Church in the
present time. After many and earnest dis
;ussions the Holy Father, by virtue of the
apostolic power of teaching vested in him,
md with the consent of the Holy Council,
~ the gath of April and the 18th of july.
olemnly proclaimed sundny DEGREES con
.ern1ng the doctrines of faith and the
;hurch and its head. We have, therefore,
lew lnfallible decisions of IKE institution r
,ppointed to teack the Church. Through
lie representative eff Christ and the Epis-
opacy united with him the Holy Ghost
as spoken. ALI ct US, bishops, priests
nd believers, must accept these decisions
s dlvlnely-revealed truths, and must low
aily receive and profess them, if we really
,lsh to be and remain members of the one !
loly, Catholic and Apostolic Church.
II you, cherished in the Lord, should
ear these decisions objected to ON the 81
round that the Vatican Assembly is not
"a! oEcumenfcal Council, and cannot claim p
aldity for it's votes. you ought not, by L
rose cavilings, allow yourselves to be L
iaken in your devotion to the Church,
ID in your acceptance of it's DEGREES. o.
IL such objections are totally unfounded ~
United with the Pope in common faith -
Id charity, the assembled bishops-no IF
after whether administering the old do
ses in Christian countries, or called upon
extend the kingdom of God among tue
.athen in apostolic poverty, no matter
neither their focks are large or small
we, as rightful successors of >the Apos- :.
IS, and with equal authority, taken part L
the Council and deliberately weighed De
cry thing submitted to them.
While the deliberations we're going on,
q bishops, as conviction and duty de- "
anded, have frankly, and with perfect :
seldom, avowed their opinions. AS was j.
have been expected of an assembly of
arly 800 members, they were not always an
reed. But this discrepancy does not in
y way interfere with the validity of the -
ties taken. 1t would not do SO even if IT
ose dissentients who maintained their
position in the public sitting had not
arly all refrained from voting.
After this to assert that this or that doc
ne taught by the Gcumenical Council is r
contained in Holy Writ, or in ecclesi- y +.
ical tradition-the two sources of the
thor is at variance with them, is in
npatible with the principles of the Catho- ST.
-1s