The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-01-12

this perfectly immaterial circumstance and
fights furio0sly ut 1t through number OF
editorials, as though it had any thing to do
with the subject. In tho meantime, sAe
dozens Of other citations to the same et1ect,
it says nothing about. This again We call
leaving untouched the main grounds OF
our argument, and fighting on the out
| skirts.
Again. We have cited the incOntrO-
vertiblo authority of the eight frat general
councils, plainly, unequivocally. pointediy
admitting the authority of the Pope to de-
eide all questions Of faith and morals with
out appeal. To all this our neighbor has
not single word to say but talks Of the
tho immortality Of the Popes. This again
is avoiding the real issue of battle and
blinking of to keep up the appearance Of q
contest at safe distance.
Again. We take up our neighbor's
charges that the Popes have sinned, and
even that they have erred in certain cases.
We show it the difference between impeccs-
bility and Infallibility, and give arguments
| TO prove that there 10 no necessary con-
nection whatever between the two gifts.
These arguments are not even noticed
while our neighbor to escape conviction of
it's error, continues to shout "wickedness"
more frantically than ever. We explain
to it, 30 that o child must understand, that
the errors of Popes referred to by it, if or
rors there were, were not in their official
capacity as Popes, but while acting in
some other character. 1t neither notices
the arguments nor admits its error. This
again is diminishing and not lighting.
As another instance of the same triaing,
what on earth have the quotations from
Suarez and other theologians, to do with
tho question of Infallibility. 1t is but an
other frantic effort to draw us off the trail.
But it can't succeed. We have our fox
nearly run down.
We shall therefore now leave Suarez to
to take care of himself, and proceed in the
most cold blooded manner to see what all
the great Doctors and Universities have
taught, and all princes and potentates ad-
nitted as to Papal Infallibility.
The list of Fathers of the Church closing
Whilst. Bernard, that of the great Doctors
of Divinity commences with the illustrious
names of st. Thomas and st. Bonaventure.
st. Thomas of Acquin, known as the An
gelic Doctor, is considered the most bril-
liant luminary of the Christian Church af-
ter st. Augustine. He maintains, in Lis
Summa Iheolog@, that the right of making
a Symbol of Faith belongs exclusively to tho
Popes, the Successors of St. Peter for whom
the Lord prayed that his faith fail not, and
in support of this assertion he argues from
the text of St. Paul, "I beseech you breth-
rem that you all speak the same thing.,,
He says: "It were impossible to comply
with the injunction of the Apostle if, when
difference arises concerning. doctrinal
matters, the controversy were not settled
by him who was constituted the head of
the Church, that SO the whole Church
might unhesitatingly receive his decis-
ions."
In another place of the Same work, p. 8.
q. 25, art. g, he says: "The Church can
not err"-that certainly means the Church
Is infallible. But why can it not err 2
Because" he continues, Z" He that was
heard on account of his dignity said to
Peter I have prayed for thee that thy
faith fail not" That is, the Church
cannot err because Peters faith, in the per-
son Of his successors, cannot fail, or in
other words, the Church cannot err because
the Popes are infallible.
St. Bonaventure, the Seraphic Doctor,
says, "the chief Pontif, like the sun
among planets, has alone the plentitude of
power over all the Churches" Not like
tho sun among the fixed stars which shine
by their own light, bnt like the sun among
planets which have no light except what
they reflect from it. In his Summan I.
Art. 3, D. g., he asserts that the Pope can
not err, provided he teaches as tho head of
of the Church, with the intention of oblig-
ing the faithful to believe.
But it is impossible to quote at large
from them all. We merely append a list Of
prominent doctors and theologians who all