The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1908-07-25
Renewed Interest Being Manifested Every
where in These Historic Institutions
Of the Church.
Origin and Scope Of the Various Ecclesiastical
Bodies Outlined, With Value of
Decisions.

The new legislation of Plus x with
regard to the Roman tribunals and
congregations creates in the public
mind at the present time a new inter-
est in these historic institutions of the
Church. A word about their history.
the scope and character of each, their
general form and the specific place
which they occupy in the councils of
the Church may prove interesting to
the general reader, says the Boston
Pilot of July 1s.
First in order of procedure comes
the Congregation of the Holy Once,
sometimes called the Congregation of
Supreme and Universal Inquisition.
Inquisitors against heresy were ap-
pointed as far back as the twelfth CEN
tury to combat the inroads OF hereti-
cal teaching. When the Albigensian
heresy was in progress in the south of
France, Innocent III, acting under the
advice. of ST. Dominic. established q
tribunal of Inquisition. The duty OF
inquisition. first confided to the Do
minicans by Gregory TX. was extended
to the Franciscans by Innocent Nv.
Congregation Of the Holy Office.
But it was at the outbreak Of the
Lutheran heresy, when all other
means had failed. that, in 1872, Paul
III instituted the Congregation Of the
Holy Office. 1t received it's name from
the nature of the crime against which
it was established. Heresy is iese ma
jesty against God and consequently the
extirpation of it is a most holy Office.
1t is the first of the Roman congre-
cations in order Of time. 1t received
its present ample form from S!xtus V,
who gave it full power against the
crimes Of heresy, schism, apostasy.
abuse Of sacraments,. and all other
crimes which seem to connote the
taint of heresy. He also gave it the
first rank among the fifteen Roman
Congregations and decreed that the
Pope himself should be its Prefec7.
All other inquisitorial tribunals .e-
pend upon this Supreme Tribunal. ard
for this reason it is styled the Uni
versal 1nquisition. On this 'congrega-
ton there are eight cardinals. The
secretary is always a member of tie
Dominican Order.
Congregation Of the Council.
Second in order Of time is the Sa-
cred Congregation Of the Council, es-
tablished to interpret the decrees OF
the Council of Trent by Plus ~ in
1863. Eight cardinals composed Its
first membership, among. whom was
st. Charles Borromeo. ETheir office
was to enforce and execute the DEGREES
of the Council Of Trent.
The members of that council had
foreseen the difficulty of executing its
DEGREES and doubts that might arise
concerning their Interpretation. and
had remitted the whole matter to the
Roman Pontiff. Plus w met this de-
sire by establishing the Sacred Con-
gregation Of the Council:
sixtus v gave this congregation on
cial authority to interpret the Gisci-
plinary DEGREES Of the Council OF
Trent, reserving to the Roman Pontiff
the Interpretation of the dogn.atic de-
crees and canons.. BY virtue Of this
Pontifical disposition the decisions Of
the Sacred Congregation Of the Coun-
ell establishing the Interpretation Of
the disciplinary DEGREES of the Council
of Trent constitute law as II coming
from the Pope himself.
One observation must be made with
regard to the decisions Of this congre-
cation. 1t does not undertake to de-
termine the truth Of fact submitted
to it. but supposing. the fact to be as
sated, it determines the law with re-
gard to it in accordance with the Tri-
dentine DEGREES. A part of its work
Is the revision of the DEGREES Of Pr2-
vincial Councils.