The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1907-01-10


being 'f The whole chGl.h the harmony
omone its members. subject to The
universal pastor Th, direct mterfar-
ence of the popes Do ecclesiastical mate
tiers. even from the hr-. and second Gene
turtles, shows ON th. one hand how
convinced they were Of their power
and on the other hand, how sensible
both bishops and people were of their
allegiance TO them.
Consequently Che Roman Pont n is
the supreme judge of thc faithful and
I'm an questions of ecclesiastical nyes-
tigation appeal may me made t0 bis
Judgment; but the decision of tho 9pos-
tile see beyond whose authority there
is no higher can Doe invalid1tel by
no one, and no one IS competent to
pronounce Judgment on fits Cagraes.
Therefore they deviate from the right
path of truth who assert that it is ale
lowed TO appeal from the decisions OF
the Roman Pontims to a general coun-
eli as To a tribunal higher than that Of
the Roman Pontim.
TX PROPOSITION.
The bishops are the true successors of
the apostles; hence they, and not the
people, nor the state, have been IN
vested with the government of the
church.
As the threefold office Of the church
the teaching, pastoral, and sacerdotaI
may be reduced to two sourcts or
ders and jurisdiction, SO likewise the
episcopal power It is I'm virtue Of
the power Of orders that the bishops
administer the sacraments, also those
the administration Of which is reserved
to themselves Confirmation and orders)
In virtue Of the power Of Jurisdiction
they discharge the offices Of teacher and
pastor; yet only in union with and
subordinate to, their supreme head, the
pope. Just as the pope is the success
sor Of St. Peter, so the bishops, taken
collectively, are the successors Of the
apostles, who formed a body organized
under st. Peter as their head, for the
dispensation Of the means of grace and
the government Of the church.
That graduation, instituted by Christ
I'm the church, consisting Of bishops.
priests and inferior ministers is called
the ecclesiastical hierarchy the highest
grade of which are the bishops
That the apostles, according to the
institution Of Christ, should have their
successors is manifest from those words
in which he promised them, as His Ie-
gates His assistance to the end Of the
world (Math. XVIII 2O.) For, if these
words signify that the authority COM
mitted to them is to last to the con-
summation of the world they, conse-
quently imply that Il is to be handed
down to others even to the end Of time
since such authority necessarily sup
poses a subject in whom II resides. But
on whom has this authority deyolyed
If not on the bishops, who occupy the
highest place i'm the church's hierarchy ?
As matter Of fact the apostles
consecrated bishops, and appointed
them as their successors. Thus St
Paul writes to Timothy who as we learn
both from the letters addressed to him
q Tim. V l, @ and from the testimony
of antiquity, had been consecrated
bishop by the apostle BE thou vigilant,
do the work Of an evangelist fulfill thy
ministry; for l am even now ready to
be sacrificed and the time of my DISCO
luton is nigh q Tim. " 5, y. Timothy
is, therefore, after the death Of St.
Paul, to continue I'm that office IN which
he had been already placed as the apos-
ties fellow-worker CRom. XVI 2D so
likewise were others called by the apos-
ties to a share i'm the apostolic work.
Thus st. Paul left Titus I'm Crete, that
he might ordain priests I'm every city
Git. /, 81. Again he admonishes the
priests Of the church Of Ephesus: Take
heed to yourselves and to the whole
flock, wherein the Holy Ghost hath
placed you bishops, to rule the church
Of God, which He hath purchased with
His own blood" CActs Xxx PSI Finally
Christian antiquity unanimously tes-
titles that the bishops are the SUCCESSORS
of the apostles. The Council of Trent
(Sess. XIII c. - teaches that the
bishops have succeeded I'm the place Of
the apostles, and have been placed to
govern the church of Cod"
The bishops being the Successors OF
the apostles, cannot discharge their Of
flee independently of the pope. their
supreme head; for the apostles acknowl-
edged st. Peter as their supreme head.
1T has always been the unanimous
teaching Of Catholics and a dogma Of
faith" writes Pope Gregory XVI that
the pope holds not only the primacy
Of honor, but also Of Jurisdiction
throughout the entire church, and that
consequently also the bishops are sub
ject to him" Though the episcopal
conservation gives them the right to a
share I'm the administration of the
church yet this right is not indepen-
dent Of the head Of the church, since
he holds the supreme power In fact
the dependence Of the bishops upon the
pope is still greater than was that Of
the apostles upon Peter; for the apos-
ties having received the extraordinary
commission to preach the gospel TO the
whole world, received also extraOrdl-
nary power from Our Lord; which they
did not transmit to thelN successors,
who had been only placed over certain
portions Of the church. Hence the bish-
ops individually do not Inherit this ex-
fts1 a D..