The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-07-01
REFORM BY MEANS OF COUNCILS.
The Vatican Council and the Postu-
lata of the Bishops.
THE COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE.
New and Improved Method OF
Electing the Pope.
RoAx, May rs, 1878.

the NEW YORK HERALD to the con sheraton Of tho
subject OF my former letter-viz, "Rsform IN the
Catholic Church, Al the same time that quote
from some eminent authorities OF the Old World
hope may prove interesting to the readers Of
Journal by tho evidence relating 10 my subject which
4 find your side of the Atlantic and which does not
escape our observation here In Europe.
JOSEPH DE MAIsrRE
Joseph de Maistre has said that q Council may be.
come representative by sending to IL
bishops from each province Of the Christian world
Hero are his words according to tue text:"I am al
most inclined to think that II general asssm bly,
of the Church come to thought necessary might
DO possible. according to the prevailing ideas OF tho
day, which always certain influence tho world
to be made representative assembly. Asthe meeting
of ,the universal episcopate Is morally physically
and geographically impossible, why should not each
Catholic province send deputies to the States Gen.
eral? The episcopate being IN our day TOO dis
persed to mako respectable appearance in num-
bers what imagine better than Episcopal
representation? After all 1t would DO but form
already received and increased, for IN all coun.
ellis fuil powers from abssntces have been
ceivsd." Tho Council OF Trent did not receive the
tulI powers OF those absensecs, whose agents could
obtain tho right 70 vote the agents OF Germany
perhaps, excepted. Joseph do Ma's,rc's remark 10
true, consequently, only in regard ancient coun-
ellis In The second General Council and first Of Con-
stantnople held in $751; each province sent depu.
In 430 odict for the conversation ofthe Coun
Gil OF Ephesus stated that every metropolitan bishop
should De accompanied Dy soma of his most dstin-
gushed sufrragans All tho bishops present accepted
tho commission OF thor absent brethren. At the
time of tho Council OF Trent the Pope, wish
Ing TO attract the greatest possible num-
Der OF bishops, prescribed personal attendance.
In tho system OF commission or appointment one or
two bishops have uon au thority in council as
thirty or forty bishops. In tho Counsii Of Trent
when the Emperor Ferdinand asked the vote by ma
tion, as at Constance, tho cardinal legatcs replied
at Is not just that one two bishops OF England
Ireland should havsas authority In the Councl
as thirty Spaniards or French men not to speak Of
Italians This reason would DO pcrsmptory II an
equilibrium could not be established aud tho way
that Is grant the right to all the pro
OF the Christian world. 1t Us unjust for bishop
ranted simply by a commission given him by his
brethren dispose OF thirty forty votes
Gil TO the prejudice of bishops assisting In person
the sessions. 1t Is evident however, that where
bishops assembled in provincial councils or
two may DO designated to represent the province at
an Economical Council This Is what Joseph do
Maisire when no foresoss the possible ap2lica.
ton Of the representative system In the Church
Two representatives from each province convey to
the Ecumcuical Council the traditions, the and
Z the wishes OF Cbris,endom. Representation 10
petc. Geographical imp0sslpilty Is lessoned since
the time Joseph dc Masre for most OF the bishops
met in Rome 1854, In 1862. In 1857 and in 1870
Bishops, however, can DO absent simultaneously but
for very snort time II Is impossible iorcsee that
the work OF a council be wound up q few weeks
more especially IL dificult points Of doctrine
under consideration. Tho system OF the personal
couvocatiou oil all the bishops Of Christendom TO
council prssupposes that tho council will be very
Short that The European element will prcponderaie
BISHOP PADERBoRS AND THE VATICAN COUNCIL.
AT the Vatican Council IN 1870 many bishops asked
tho frequent convocaton Of general councils. The
request displeasing Pus IX for he ordered
tho publication Of The episcopal postu'ata, amount
ing 10 oriy. Mgr Martin, Bishop of Pade,boro,
IN Germany, wishing TO publish edition OF the
the Council thought with good reason tina, the post,
idtd were most important, and, as he declared in the
preface oil his work, he asked and Obtained express
permiss from Pope lay them before the pub
lie. Notwithstanding the secret laid upon the bishops
rbis ID how have come TO know these forty postu-
lafd OF bishops In regard 10 doctrine or disciplinary
reform.
CODES o.. DIFFERENT rorgsL
Many PERSONS arc asking Tor an edition OF new
code OF ecclcsiasticai law The ius which comprises
the dccretas OF Pope Clement ", was promulgated by
John KILL, Ia 1916 Since that tme-that u.s. nearly
SIX hundred years ago-the Holy See has not deemed
II necessary TO publish code. Undor Clement XIII.
and Paul ", NJ the opening oil the seventeenth cen.
fury, a commission OF eminent jurisconsulls was
engaged upon new code that would have bsea
10 be issued order commanding It's suppression
Two or three copies, however, have been preserved
oc as ' eeon 81 their po AND ns Mo-
man buarium Is OF no Official impor.snec,
bularium of Benedict XIV. This learned Pope
took care TO autnenticate hrs bulIs BY a document
printed In form. 1t is therefore, certain that tho
Roman bullarum (iucluding the confirmation IRON
Clement KILL down TO our day not beng al official
Of controversies and cccics,asticai anairs / must
add, however, that lately some Roman congregations
have undertaken to get ny ohciai editions Of thor
deci a. q ca lnW
obscure and so rare that the ancient codes
coming uown IRON the Middle Ages have fallen into
dsuss a great many points, or nave been revoked
by hubs Of which II IS difficult to Ind the official
copy, very we'll understand how the bishops
at the Vatican may have ssked for the publication OF
code The concerns mat occupied the attention OF
the bishops were reform OF the Roman Court the slow
OF the nfty-ninc congregations, the I'm portance
OF taxing cardinals from he different quarters Of the
globe; they also spoke Of ,ho Modification Of the lit
urry and OF the Index; OF the care necessary in
to questions OF dogma OF the freedom reirning
IN the world to-day Of laws relative TO MARRIAGE and
know whether All have been pubiisnco), are with
out question tho most important thing done in tho
Vatican Council Mgr. Martin likewise published the
schematd prepared by tho congregations that Plus X
invi,sd 10 Rome before the opening OF tho Counc'l,
bat they by any means ms interesting as the
requests made by the bishops
IMPORTANCE or INK yREQUsSr CoSvocArIoN OF GEN.
BRAL COUNCILS.
I como back TO tue qu, stiou OF The frequent
convention Of general councils The pesfufdfo OF
ms s ssmeS M Win s"oa rsasoa ,Sy
what happened at Trent +-"Many bIshops, es.
pecaliy those OF Italy, having asked that gen
eral councils be assembled oitensr, tho cardinal
leeates referred the matter to the Pope. Plus Nv.
allowed a decree to BIO published to assemble general
uncils every ten years Tho legatws, however, dd
submit the question to the deliberations OF tho
fathers OF the Council IL ia therefore, asked that
through the condensation aud wisdom OF Pas H..
decree this very important question be examined
M the Vatican Council" The postcta OF the bishops
have been lately republished IN Paris In supple
mcniary volume OF BIparrs Theology.
MGR. sAnEr's WORK
A short timo before the opening OF the Vatican
Council Mgr. Msrct bishop Of sura, Dean oil the
PARIS Serbonne, published . work ~ two volumes,
eDtIcd ~ General Council aud Religious Peace
The Constitution OF the Church ana tue Pcriodicity
OF General CouDcs" lie appealed iorcibly Tor
return decree OF Constance ordsinng general
from his work. rs they seem TO me peremptorily to
establish the OF councils In tue actual state
OF society and religion.
Tho sovereign Pouun alone cannot bear the weeht
Of TINS general sopchuuc. He needs co.opcrators
aln LIZ ham, iraIn