Smyrna times., 1873-11-05

THE CATHOLIC BISHOP OF DELAWARE ON
INFALLIBILITY.-Bish Becker Of Whining |
ton delivered a lecture on Infallibility' in
one of the Catholic Churches of that city Sun
day evening. The EUery Erening gives the
following synopsis:
InfalIibility, he said, did not mean i'm
peccabity, but it was prcrogative vested in
St. Peter by reason of the Seriptural phrase
applied to him by our Saviour, Thou art
Peter, tPeter meaning rOck) aud upon this
rock will build my Church, and the gates OF
hell shall not prevail against it and further,
Il will give to thee the keys OF the Kingdom
of Heaven, and whatsoever thou shs4 bind
upon earth shall be bound in Eeavea, and
whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth shall
be loosed also in Heaven" The Catholic
church, in view OF the infalibility Of the Pope,
(he Being the lawful successor OF St Peter i'll
matters Of faith and morality does not look
upon him as a creature incapable ct SHINING.
The divine preTogative is attached to the 0tice
by reason of the commission given to Peter.
A Pope may have faults, and yVt, by reason
Of his office, possess this distinctive character.
aloses committed sin, but he was gifted by
God with knowledge of future events; he
was a prophet. David, the royal psalmist,
sinDed grievously, and yet he was called man
" after Gods own heart" BALKAN, who pro-
phesied the destruction of Jerusalem commit
by God for the performance of divine com
mission. The church, speaking through the
Pope, is intallible in her juGgmeAt in matters
OF faith and doctrine concerning morals wheth-
eT she be assembled in the person of her head
and pastor-the pope and bishops-Or be not
assembled, she universally holds ore and the
! same doctrine. Christ has promised that she
gates of hell shall not prevail against it,
, His church-from whence it follows, that she
| all f,l f,l into Rl
/ error in points of faith, she being the plal
and ground ct the truth" This only trnt
church acknowledges the Pope for her visible
head, whom Jesus Christ has appointed tC
govern her and to be the source aud centre o.
her unity here on earth. Upon one man b,
builds his church and gives him charge to feeC
his flock. And although He bestowed al
5 equal authority upon the Apostles, as far a
the remission Of sin, yet, that the unity of thu
!, church might more clearly appear, He founded
;. one chair and it was His will that the unit,
}. should take its beginning from one maFA Thl
!. primacy was given to st. Peter to show tha
! the Church Of Christ and the Chair was one
), st. Peter was preferred before the other apos
, ties, to be the head Of the church, to the eDt
that the head being once appointed, all eccs
h siOLs Of division iD church might be removed
r. This is no new doctrine, but it is aS Old Il
q the church itself Councils are held now an
d then tO conoat Tue erfOrS OF the times anu
,. set more clearly before the members OF tn
Is church what they are to believe and practice
,e No new doctrine has been promulgated by th
/. declaration of the infallibility, for the SclE
N lures themselves clearly point to the fact tina
a the church is infallible in her judgments bein
n " the pillar and ground of the truth" so 20
i see, said the speaker, that the Pope is not e,
e. empt from the possibility of sin, though be
70 said to his honor that he has led blamee,
il and spoIless life no one can lay stain upo
his character