The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-12-06

ST. PETERS CATHEDRAL,
RICHMOND, Va, Nov. 25, 1874.
To the Editor of the Herald
You ask me what my views ara on the Glad
stone Manning controversy, and though this
| subject has been ably discussed by the Arch.
oishoP OF Baltimore 1 cannot refuse to comply
| with your courteous communication in the very
| few moments at my disposal
| - attended each and all the sessions at the
| Ecumenical Council in Rome bearing on the
question OF Papal infallibility. To the best OF
| my recollection there were twenty-five sessions
| devoted to the infallibility subject at which
l2S prelates spoke, besides 100 other bishops
who declined to speak in public, but handed
| III their written observations.
While some of the speakers were opposed to
the definition as being, in their estimation,
ne1pedient or unnecessary, not one of the
| that it would in the slightest degree alter the
spiritual power.
| Whatever Mr.. Gladstone NAV saw to the
contrary, the very wording OF the definition
| strictly confines the Papal prerogative to
faith and morals. The Pope does not WELD in
1874 one jot more power than he did in 1774
exercised the prerogative of infallibiIity. Pope
InnocentI. exercised itin the 9th century IN
condemning the Pelagian heresy, and so did
Innocent Y. in the seventeenth and the present
Pontf in 1854, when he defined the dogma of
the Immaculate Conception.
Hence the Council of the Vatican in pro-
mitigating in 1870 the Pope's infallibility. did
net create new doctrine, but confirmed an
old one. In proclaimipg this dogma the Ceun-
Gil gives the sanction Of law to q principle
always existing as . matter of fact.
may illustrate this by referring to our
Supreme Court at Washington. When it de-
cides a constitutional question, its decision,
cannot be called a new doctrine, because the
Judgment is based on the letter and spirit of
the constitution. So when the Church issues a
new dogma of faith, that decree is nothing
tnr nfu atr,nx II \
doctrine, because the decision mnst be drawn
from the Revealed word of God, and based
upon the constant tradition of the Church.
The course pursued by the Church regarding
Papal infalibility was practiced by her 1 500
years ago in reference to the divinity of Jesus
Christ. Oar Saviour WAS acknowledged to be |
God from the beginning of the Church. Yet |
His divinity was rot formally defined till the |
Council of Nice in the fourth century; and it |
would not have been defined then had it not |
been denied by Arms Nor would she have
defined the infallihiiity of Peters Successor in |
1870 if that truth had not been called in uues-
tion by modern Gallicaps.
AS the Council of Nice added nothing to the
power of Christ, neither did the Council of the
Vatican add anything to the pre1ogatives of
the Pope.
As to whether religious and civil liberty will
suffer any detriment from the Catholic Church,
we can appeal with confidence to the past,
especially to the history of our own country.
Inc same spirit still animates and always
will animate the Catholic Church that dictat-
the General Assembly of Catholics (Maryland)
IN 1649 NO person whatsoever within this |
province, protesting to believe in Jesus Christ,
shall from henceforth be anyways troubled or
nolested for his or her religion, or in the free
exercise thereof, or any way compelled to the
belief or exercise of any other religion against
lis or her consent"
They love a cause best who suffer for it most
We have suffered too much in the sacred
'ause OF liberty to raise our bands against it.
t is for the principle of religious liberty that
% ia in Ia 81,
ps of Germany are languishing in prison. 9
1t is very singular that while Mr. Gladstone :
las not word to say in condemnation of the :
ctua1 tyranny of Bismarck, he is trembling /;
It the imaginary tyranny of the Pope. 1t is .
qually strange that the ex.Premier did not q
iscover the fatal tendency of the Vatican de- .
rec for four years after it was framed, and r
ot until after hisMnistrial defeat, and had he =
emained in Office the world would never have n
zen his famous pamphlet. Faithfully your n
bedient servant. JAMES GIBBONS
ishop of Richmond and Vicar Apostolic of h
North Carolina. =