Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-11-08
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LECTURE 81 biahor hnSh"" oeND@N-
Rev. Biuhop Becker delivered a very
Interesting aud elaborate. lecture Sunday
evening before large number OF people,
at st. Peters Catholic Church, upon
ne subject OF " Iufalllhillty," a subject,
the reverend lecturer remarked, which Is
nut little understood. 1nfallibility, he
raid, did not mean impeccabillty, but It
was prerogative vested In ~. feier
by reason Of the Scrlptural phrase ap'
liied to him by our Saviour, "Thou art
Peter, Dieter meaning a rock) and upon
ihis rock | will build my Church, and the
.ates of hell shall not prevail against it,"
and further, 81 will give to thee the keys
Of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whntso-
,,ver thou shalt bind upon earth shall
be bound in Heaven, and whatsoever
thou shalt loose upon earth shall be loosed
t,lso in Heaven
The Catholic church, in view of the
iufalllbilliy of the Pope Che being the
lawful successor Of 81. Peter) in matters
uf faith and morality, does not look upon
] i'm as a.creature incapable OF SHINING.
che divine perogative is attached TO the
flee by reason Of the commission given
- Peter. A Pope may have faults, and
by reason of his Office, possess this dis
tnctive character. Moses committed sin,
ut he was gifted by God with a knowl-
edge of future events he was prophet.
David, the royal psalmist, slnned griev-
uusly, aud yet he was called man
"after Gods own heart" BALKAN, who
l rophesied the destruction OF Jeru' allen,
committed sin. They had been chosen
siustruments by God for the performance
Of divine commission.
The church, speaking through the Pope,
Is iufallible in her judgment In matters
of faith and doctrine concerning morals !
whether she be assembled in the person
of her head and pastors, the pope and
bishops, or be not assembled, she uEiver-
sally holds one and the same doctrine.
Christ has promised that "the gates of
hell shall not prevail against it,"-His
church, from whence IL follows, that
she never either fell or ever will fall into
abe least error in points Of faith, she
being "the pillar and ground Of the
truth" This only true church acknowl-
edges the Pope for her visible head, whom
Jesus Christ has appointed TO govern her
aud to be the source and centre of her unity
here on earth. Heresies and schisms
spring from hence that some will not
acknowledge in the church one whom
Jesus Christ constituted head over the
rest, in those words which he spoke to
Peter. "Thou art Peter and upon this
rock / will build my church." etc. and
in another place, Feed my Sheep
Upon one man he builds his church and
gives him charge TO feed his flock Aut
although, He bestowed an equal authority
upon the Apostles, as far as the remis
sion of sin, yet, that the unity of TIT
church might more clearly appear HI
founded one chair and 1t was Ills vii
that the unity should take It's beginning
from one man. The primary was givei
10 81. Peter to show that the Church o
Christ.and the Chair was enc. 81. Pete
was preferred before the othe
apostles, to be the head OF
The church to the end, that the head be
ing once appointed, all occasions Of di
ision In the church might be removed
This Is no new doctrine, but 1t Is as oil
as the church itself. Councils are hell
now and then to combat the errors of tn
times and to set more clearly before tn
members of the church what they are 4
believe and practice. No new doctrine
has been promulgated by the declaration
of the infallibility, lor the Scriptures them
selves clearly point to the fact that th
church is infallible in her judgment
being ''the pillar and ground OF the truth.
So you said the speaker, that the Pop
is not exempt from the possibility of sin
though be it said to his honor that he ha
led a blameless'and spotless life no on
can lay stain upon his character.
The reverend speaker concluded b.
thanking those present for their generost
IN contributing so literally towards tn
alienation of the sufierings Of the pool
and said that even a cup Of cold waite
given In the name Of Christ would ne
10 unrewarded, The lecture was lislene
10 througboutwiJh breathless attention