Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-09-07
.Thc Popo's Inst syllabus.
BY REV. NARCISsE CYR.

What is a Syllabus Webster tells Us
that it is compendium containing the
heads of discourse and the like ; an alb
strlct" This word, however, which is
purely Latin ard means in that language
an index or table Of contents, has acquir-
ed of late new import, thanks to Plus
TX In 1864, when through the breadth
and length of the loyal States the friends
of liberty were re-clecting Abraham Lin
coin and by this very act were hailing
with applause the establishment Of 81 new
era on THE continent, the Pope, in the
dark rccesses Of the Vatican wa4 plot
ting against the birth-rights Of man and
issuing his celebrated manifesto against
what he considered the errors II modern
times, which he summed up in docu-
ment ne called syllabus.
Well it was really "eilly buss," the
fit foreruuner Of the dogma of iuftllibili-
ty. Without entering into the details Of
thiy document, let it suffice to say here
that the conquests Of modern times, such
az the independence of the State from the
Church and religious liberty for all were
denounced as pestilential errors worthy
Of eternal elimination.
The pepacy by this act pronounced its
sentence OF DEATH sentence which ii
we'll nigh executed last year by the pro-
mitigation Of the Pope's infallibility, de-
oidedly the "sillicst buss" that mankind
ever received.
The last syllabus, issued on the occa-
sion Of the taking possession of Rome by
Victor Emmanuel as the Capitol of Italy,
is of piece with the former documents of
this kind, and shows that the papacy is
infalibly incapable of learning nything
Taking for its starting point the infalli.
biiity Of the Pope, this new manifesto de-
olares that al temporal powers are Great
ed by Providence with the sole view of
serving the Interests Of the church that
consequently the church has the right OF
confirming or repeating those powers at
her WI and any power opposing itself to
ecclesiastical DEGREES ceases ipSo .fitct0 lby
the very act to be legitimate.
Although such a doctrine is not new,
the professors Of the Roman University
were somewhat stirred up at its promul-
cation at that time, and sent an address
to the Holy Father" representing to
him that these doctrines arc contrary to
the laws of the church and to the spirit
Of modern times, that it is dangerous to
claim for the papacy an unlimited power
over the temporal kingdoms of the world,
and that the present age does not allow ~
to 90 back to the period of Gregory VII,
Innocent III, and Boniface VIII, when
the popes exercised an undisputed con.
troll over nations and sovereigns. The
professors ended their address by asking
the Pontff to give a tranquillizing inter
probation of the spirit of the syllabus.
The Pope. in answer, while maintain
ing the right claimed by the syllabus, has
not the intention at present of using this
right to dispossess sovereigns, nor of TAX
ing control Of the temporal affairs of ma
tions, as was done in the past
This declaration is certainly tranquil
lizipg, but only to a certain extent for
the words at present are very limited, and
there is no saying when the present may
be past and Plus TX shall claim his right
over nations. We feel interested in this
matter, and we should like to know when
the selfappointed ruler of the world i.
going to WELD bis sceptre over these limi
ted states.
The Question has already been an.
swered. The Pope will claim "his rights
as soon as there is any prospect of success
and what has happened this year in New
York is kind of .feeler. The Bishops
must observe for time a prudent econ.
omy, and must so far take account Of cir.
cumstances and accomplished facts. They
must endure the lesser evil az long as
open resistance would lead to worse cir
cumstances, and prejudice the interests o,
the Church. But this submission, or rath
err silence and endurance, is only provis
ional, and simply means that the Jesse,
evil must be chosen in preference to a con
test with no present prospect of success
SO has declared James and the book, "Th'
Pope and the Council"
To sober-minded people, to Christian
especially, the pretensions of the Papacy
seem go outrageously absurd that most o
them are slow to believe that they will
ever be put forth in this country, and ye
the dangers arising from them are becom
Ing greater and greater. The conflict
may not be as distant as we may think
for there are hot-headed men less prudent
than the Bishops, who may soon bring
things to a crisis. 1t is better that tn,
struggle should take place now than tel
years hence, and since another battle fo
liberty is likely to be fought in this coun
try, let us be fully prepared for the emer
gency.