The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-11-07
GhNQmtelliqerrer
The Proposed Catholic Council.

will be read with interest by the whole
Christian world. II was to tho effect
that the chief authorities Of the Catholic
Church have decided to hold a great In
ternational Catholic Congress In London
with tho object oI maintaining the
doctrine Of PapAl intallibillty, reassert.
ing the Pope's right to temporal as
we'll as spiritual power, and proclaiming
1t tho bounden duty Of all Christians to
return to the allegiance Of Rome. 1t is
stated that this determination Is the result
OF direct instructions from the Vatican,
and come OF the highest dignitaries Of the
Church will attend tho Congress.
1t is further announced in the dispatch.
esthat Archbishop MANNING, Of London,
had made speech in the course Of which
he said that the spiritual influence OF the
Pope had greatly increased since the loss
Of his temporalities. He further stated
that the Catholic world was threatened
with controversy on all the DEGREES OF
the Ecumenical Council. Also that
there was undoubtedly approaching
one of the mightiest contests Of
religion the world had ever seen. There.
lore 1t was necessary to lesrlessly assert
through the free press Of England the
PopG's rights and his pretensions TO
world wide allegiance"
Apropos to the call Tor this interna.
tiOpal congress Of the Church, we notice
in the New York Catholic ReuleU an allo.
cutlon recently delivered by the Pope be.
fore the "Romsn Society OF Catholic
Young Men," 1t opens as follows:
The temporal power is indispensable
to the sovereign pontitfS for the iree exer.
else Of their spiritual authority. Tho
Chie OF the Church has need OF tenn
p1ral authority in order to exercise that
freedom Of action which is necessary to
him, Assuredly, il instead Of the tenn
poral power the successors Of st. Peter
had received that possessed by the Prince
oil Apostles, and Of which we see so stSrt.
ling an illustration in the deaths Of An.
auias and Sapphira, he would possess so
great an authority that, he would easily
dispense with any temporal power in or.
der TO govern freely the Church OF God.
Bot since God has disposed otherwise,
and we have not this power which be-
longed to Peter, it is absolutely necessary
that the sovereign pontiils should, for
the better directing Of the Church, Of
Christ, be subject 10 no human authority.
1t Is essential, therefore, that they
should have temporal power. God has
willed that the Church shall be constantly
prosecuted, and VIC must submit to His
holy will; but we must, nevertheless, al
ways do our part in maintaining religion
and justice. But to fight Is the oCcupa-
ton OF our lives, for do we not sec written
in the Scriptures, Militia est UitG homints
super terrain? This has been the case
through many centuries, and will be go to
the end oil time. II is but too true that
we have 10 sustain an inward combat
Yet we must not only struggle with our
inner nature, but also with external enc
mics, and this battle has become more
necessary to-day than ever. 1t is oil the
more essential now, when, by means OF
the rspidity oi transit and communication,
the whole world is transformed into one
battlefield. Two armies face each other;
you form 8 part Of the Catholic army; op.
posed TO you is the revolutionary army,
which reCkons many recruits, always
ready TO fight. Therefore mnst we be
constantly prepared to resist its attacks
and to repulse them. You have opposite
you the army oI the revolution-that is TO
say, oI impiety, incredulity and irrellgion.
A few weeks ago Mr.. DIsRAELI made
speech in Parliament, which attracted
some attention at the time, and will at
tract still more now, in which he protessed
to ioresee some such conflict impending
as Is spoken OF by the Pope. His utter
ances on this point were made In con-
nectioniwith the Rltuslislic discussion.
Most people, in this country ct least, laid
very little stress on them, remembering
that the British Premier wNs the author
Of Lothian" and very AntiCatholic in
his feelings and apprehensions' This
call Tor an International Catholic Con.
gress, however, In connection with Arch
bishop MANNNG's speech, will re-attract
attention to DIsRAELI's remarks, and
very many people who heretofore
attached no importance to them will now
regard them as having serious import.
There is great deal Of feeling on this
question in England-much more than in
this country. England Is on intensely
Protestant country, and. her feeling, al
ways strong, has Of late years been much
Intensified by the detection Of prominent
persons 10 the Church Of Rome. The
London Times, cosmopolitan as it is on
most subjects, had a very bitter article
lately on the detection Of Lord Ripon. 1t
went so far as to declare that Englishmen
had no respect for the intelligence and
intellect oi man who at this late day
abiured Professionalism for Catholicism,
It's remarks on this subject will no doubt
10 now followed up afresh In regard to
this proposed International Congress.
Strange as It may seem the increase ot
Catholicism in England within the last
quarter Of century has been quite decid'
Cd. The statesman's Year Book for 1874
usually regarded as reliable authority
says that "the number OF Roman Catholics
in England is estimated at 100000" and
adds, as regards Scotland, "the Roman
Catholics have Increased largely OF late
years, chiefly from the influx OF Irish
population" It is not however, We ap'
prehend the mere matter Of numbers