The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-06-24
THE QUESTION OF COUNCILS.

THE CUES IIoN OF COUNCILS.
ROME, May is. 1878.
TO EDITOR THE HERALD:-
New dogmas impossible in the Catholic religion,
She Church having from the very beginning received
the complete deposit OF Christian truth Her mission
IS TO faithfully preserve the deposit confded TO her.
Freedom OPINION which leaves dogmas intact, has
always been carefully guarded by popes and councils
For period OF nineteen centuries attempts at denn-
ing new dogmas have beeh extremely rare ana have
always failed In the bull IMAM Sanctam Bonface WILL
seemed inclined decide the political supremacy OF
the PontiHcal Soc; tho bun was. however, eliminated
from the Official codes tho official
whore TO be found. Every knows what dificui-
bsset Pope John XXIL when the question camo up
regard the beatinc VISION In previous letters TO
the NEW YoRK HERALD spoke OF the new articles OF
iailh which Plus TX. thought we'll TO define. deter
mined tho legal value and the degree Of authority OF
Ihe Syllabus, Of ponticai aocutons aud encyclicas
Sphere REFORM.
Reform, then, not concern dogma nor doctrine.
independent, however, of matters necessary to be
believed where reedom OF opinion Is allowed inde-
pendent OF fundamen tai principles governing morals
or maintaining sacrsd the essential constitution Of
tho Church-independent of all this, the discipline
established by purely human laws oilers wide field
for reform Many times during bor career the Church
has effected important disciplinary reforms. After
the of prosecutions, about tho fourth century,
there a wonderful decline In this matter OF DIS
riplne. This evolution received It's complement 200
years later. In the twelfth and during tho two fol
lowing centuries jnrsconsuts and univ srsities rcgu
lated that reform Tor which the general councils OF
Lateran OF Lyons aud Vienna formulated rules. This
sum OF reform is mapped out in the three official
CODES OF corpus jlris canonici the only now In
possession OF the Church.
REFORM by MEASs OF COUNCILS.
II is well just here to observe that at all times the
work Of reform has beer brought about only by
OF frequent councils After the great schism Of the
West great cry raised on all sides for radical
reform OF the head the members capite et
bsthat is. ethe Pope and the pontfcal court and all
the ranks Of the hierarchy. Tho Council Of Constance
already In session Jour years, could not commence
the great work. Tho Council knew well that disorder
could be prevented only by frequent assembling Of
councils In the thirty-ninth sesson--that ID, when
the two separate bodies came TO understanding
and when, by universal consent, the Council was i'm
contestably considered ecumenicalthe following de-
cree was issued: -
COUNCIL CONSTANCE.
"The frequent assembling Of councils is the rest
way cultivate the Lords vineyard; by this means
weeds torn up, thorns removed, heresy error
and schism are extirpated, abuses are corrected.
things that defective reformed and tho Lords
Nesecting to convoke councils is to propagate and
preserve all the excuses all the vices we pointed
cut. Remembrance OF the past and observation OF
the present render all these things plainly visible to
eyes. On this account, by this perpetual decree,
We prescribe, decree and ordain that henceforth
general councils shall convokcd In such a way that
the FIRST shall take place five years after the end OF
This one the second years after the closing OF
The preceding and aferward every ten years without
Interruption. The Pope, with the approval and consent
sf the Council shall be held to designate, one month
before the close each Of these the place OF meeting
Of the next Council In the absence 0! the Pope tho
Council snail itself determine the place, that by
non interrupted succession council shall always be
going on, or shall be fixed Tor definite period The
time appointed may in unforeseen cases, be antici-
pated by the Pope with the advice Of his brethren,
the cardinals of the Holy Roman Church; but in no
way may he put It OF or adjourn II. Let him not
change without rigorous necessity the place agreed
upon for the assembling OF the future Council. II,
however, some urgent necessity should require
> change oil place, such as siege, war, a pesti-
lence. or some similar circumstance, In that case
Tho Pope, by the consent. and having obtained the
signature OF, his brethren above mentioned, or OF
lwo-thirds OF them might designate another suit
lbic place, uear the one previously fixed upon the
places, however. must belong to the same nation,
unless like obstacles are met all over the land In
this tho Council may be convoked In place be-
longing TO ncighboring nation, with suitable con-
ditions. Preates and all those who usually are sum-
moned win he held TO attend the Council IT the
place had been fixed upon from tho beginning. The
Pope will DO held to publish and legitimatey and
solemniy make known, one year in advance OF the
time appointed the change OF place tho essening
OF tho time, so that the aforementioned persons
may assemble at the appointed for the holding
OF the CounciLr This OF tho Council received
tue most formal approval OF Pope Martin ", since
he put IL In execution. Here the Pope's Words
"Deng desirious and wishing TO execute The decree
Of the present General Council, which, among other
clauses, ordains tho holding OF general councils IN
Tho place appoin by the Sovereign Pontn, by tho
consent and with the approval Of tho Holy Council
one month before tho end Of the Council, by tho
present letters and with the approval OF the Council
wo designate the City al Pava as the place OF the
next Council" Eugcnius w held the Council con-
voKed by Martin ", and by tho holding Of such Coun
eli gave u fresh approval TO the decree Frequens
THIS Decree issued by General Council promu gated,
sanctioned and executed BY two popes, was invested
with all the authority, all the authenticity an eccicsi-
astical law obtain II Is deserving OF the most pro-
found respect attention Of the Catholic
world. IL contains the whole rcormatory and pro-
rrcssive policy that tho Church conceived and made
known IN enc OF tho most important periods Of nor
history
STUDYING prcREE
We may, therefore, studv this decree With becoming
respect, and eudcavor far as possible, to under
stand lis disciplinary import at the time II appeared
port to-day. Pcriodicty and tho req uiarity
Of holding councils every ten years We nd established
by Council OF Constance, by Popcs Martin v. and
kugenius W., and by their regularity was cnnsd-
beniting culture the vineyard OF the Lord;
uas considered. 100, most efcacious means Of COM
batting aud vice, Of correcting abuses aud OF m-
parting to the Lords vine uincss OF strength ana
beauty. disciplinary rulo OF tbis KIND, so strongly
Recommended by the highest anu boliesi authority Ia
the Church, al once respects white determining the
rights OF all, and at the same time affords ample means
for the tnofough accomplishment OF the apostolic mis-.
son Indeed under the guidance vf THIS well ordered