The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1872-06-02

SPOKE and said: :" Let this be done so ; let such
thlngs De omitted ; such things be enforced ~
sH IN; moment every man in the Assembly held
very echo of the Invisible Head Of the Church,
VINO spoke in him, by and through him. In all
~ sae succeeding ages, the nations bowed down
as tney received the words of the Gospel. The
nations bowed down and accepted that mes-
sage on the authority and on the testimony of
the rope of Rome! Where amongst the ma
Tons who have embraced the Cross,-where is
us Gospel message. on the message and on the
testimony of the Pope of Romei From the
very first ages, whilst they yet lay hid in the
ca ais we read of sanity mis- ,ionsries
going forth from under the Pope's bands to
spread the message of Divine Truth through
out the lands. Scarcely had the church
emerged from the catacombs and burst into
tence than we find one of the early Popes of
Rome laying his hand upon the head of q holy
youth that knelt before him, consecrating that
and sending him strais ht from Rome to a
mission. the grandest and most frnitfnl--the
most glorious of any in the Church. That
Pope was Celestine Of Rome; and the man
order, wendell his way to Ireland. From the
Pope of Rome did he (Patrick) receive his
mission and his message. From the Pope Of
Rome did he receive his authority and his
Ireland was attached to the Gospel itself. 1t
was the testimony of the Church Of Christ.
countersfgued by Celestine, who derived his
authority from Peter, who derived his from
Christ. And when, in his old age, he had
evangelical the whole island; when he had
brought Ireland into the full light Of the
Christian faith, and into the full blaze of her
dropping into years, called tie bishops and the
priests of Ireland around him and, amongst
his last words to them were these: elf ever
d a. arises amongst you-if ever a donbt
trine of the Church's law - or of anything
touching the Church of God or the salvation Of
the souls of your people.-if ever any doubt
mother of the nstions-and Peter will instruct
you thereonw Well and faithfully did the
mind and heart of Ireland take in tho words of
its sanity apostle Never-through good re-
port or evil report-never has Ireland swerved
for one instaut-never has she turned to look
with a favoring or q reverential eye upon this
authority, or upon that, but straight to Peter.
SO as to mistake for Peter any pretender, or
any antelope! Never, for an instant, has she
allowed her heart or her hand to be separated
from Peter!, 1t is q long story. It is story
preserved her faith through her devotion to
Peter, and to the Pope of Rome, Peters sue
cessor j; and she has seen every nation during
that ever separated from Peter-she has seen
them, one and all, languish and die, until the
sap of divine knowledge-uutil the sap of di-
vine grace-was dried up in them and they
utterly persisted, because they were separated
from the Rock Of Ages, the Pope of Rome.
Just as the people, in all ages. and in all
times, bowed down before their supreme pas
tor, so, also, has the Episcopate in the Church
of the Pope of Rome and, at all times, bowed
before the second crown that encircles his
glorious tiara. Never did the Episcopacy of
the Catholic Church meet in council except
upon the invocation of the Pope of Rome.
Never did they promulgate o decree until
they first sent it to the Pope of Rome to ask
him If it was according to the truth, and to
f, that it might have the authority of the
Church of God before their people: From
time to time, in the history of the Episcopate,
| there may have been rebellious men that rose
up aginst the authority, and disputed the
power of the Church Of Rome. But, just as
the nations that separated from Peter, separ-
| ated themselves thereby from the unity of the
| trine, and of Christian morality, SO. in like
manner, the Bishop who, at any time, in any
place. or in any age, disputed Peters power,
Peters authority, and separated from him, was
cut off from Peter aud from the Church the
nitro fell, dishonored, from his head, and he
became q useless member, Topped off from the
Church of God, without power, without juris-
diction, without the veneration, or the respect,
or the love of his people. Thus has it ever
been in times gone by. The Pope of Rome
commands the Church through the Episcopate.
The Pope of Rome speaks and testifies to the
Church's doctrine through the Episcopate.
Whenever any grave, important question,
| touching doctrine, has to be decided. the Pope
of Rome has always called the Episcopaee
about him. not that he could not decide, but
that he might surround his decision with oil
| that careful and prudent examination, with
| all that weight of universal authority over the
world which would bring that decision, when
he pronounced it, more clearly and more di.
rectly home to every Catholic mind. And
| faithful has that Episcopate been,-since the
day that eleven Bishops met Peter, the Pope,
| in Jerusalem, in the first Couucil,-down to
the day when, three years ago, eight hundred
Catholic Archbishops and Bishops met Peter
successor in the halls of the Vatican, and
bowed down before the word of truth upon his
lips.
Such, in the past history attests-such
were the two circles of the supreme pastorate
and supreme jurisdiction in the Church.
The Roman empire, as you all know, was
utterly destroyed by the incursions of the Bar
barians, in the fifth century. A king, at the
head of his terocious army, marched on Rome.
The Pope was applied to by the terrified citi-
zens; and Leo the Great went forth to meet
Attila, the Scourge of God" He found him
in the midst of his rude barbarian warriors, on
the banks of the Minco. He found him exult-
ing in the strength and power of his irresistible
army. He found him surging and sweeping on
towards Rome, with the apparent force of newt
able destiny, and with his outspread wings of
destruction. He found him, in the pride and in
the supreme passion of his lustful and barbaric