The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-01-21

|
the question of the ecumenical char
acter of the General Councils of the
Church held since the ninth century
might be waived; and that, as con-
sequence, the dogmas promulgated
since then-such as the "Filioque,"
the Immaculate Conception, and the
Infallibility of the Pope, need not be
too rigidly insisted upon should the
Greeks evince a desire to return to
their former allegiance to the Church
of Rome
Such radical and erroneous views
could not be countenanced for moment,
much less could they be permitted to
go before the world uncontradicted. To
do as he suggests would be tantamount
to denial of the Pope's authority, as
we'll as of the doctrinal perpetuity and
indefectibility of the Church of Christ.
Nor can it be asserted, with any show
of reason, that the dogmatic definitions
of the Church since the ninth century
are not as binding on all the faithful,
without exception, as are the dogmas
of faith promulgated prior to the date
of the Eighth General Council. What
the Church, subsequent to the Greek
Schism, declares part of the deposit
| VI lolLu luuSL US US1I0NOu NY dl1 uS1
children as firmly as what she taught
prior to the lamentable detection of
so many of her followers in the East.
The Vatican could not be expected
to tolerate such a heretical and un-
historical presentation of the case on
| behalf of the Church as that given
publicity in the Princes article, espe-
cially as the publication in which it
appeared enjoys no inconsiderable
amount of prestige in Rome. To pass
it over in silence, without placing on
| it the stamp of official disapproval,
would undoubtedly have misled the
Greeks into believing that they could
return to the Church of their fore
fathers without accepting her dogmas
in their entirety and without giving
more than halfhearted submission to
her authority.
1t was evident, as soon as the article
appeared, that Prince Max would be
called to a strict accounting for his
unorthodox views. Without delay he
was summoned to Rome; and, to his
credit be it said, he made a complete
retractation of the offending article
and an unqualified submission to the
Holy See. Some thought that, on ac-
count of his connection with the royal
house of Saxony, he would be dealt
with more leniently than If he did not
bear such an honored name and hold
such a high rank among the nobility.
But when there is question of doc
trine, when the rights of the Church
are at stake, the Vatican makes no
compromise with error, and pays no
heed to personages however exalted
the position they occupy in the eyes of
the world.
At this juncture the Abbot Pelle-
grini, of the Monastery of Grottafer-
rata, on behalf of the publishers of
Rome and the Orient" made a sim
cere and humble apology for having
given publicity to the views of Prince
Max through the medium of their
publication. He admitted that they
were aware of the unorthodox nature
of the article and, in palliation of their
offence, offered an explanation,
through the columns of the Osserva-
tore Romano, to the effect that the
publishers of the Review accepted no
responsibility for the opinions ex-
pressed in the signed articles appear
ing in it's pages; that they had given
space to Prince Max's article without
passing any judgment on it or making
any criticism of it; that, meanwhile,
reply to and refutation of it had been
prepared for publication in subse
quent issue. Rome and the Orient"
he declared, did not share the views
expressed in the paper, for it's sole
purpose is to labor for the return to
the Catholic Church of those who
have strayed away from the center of
unity established by Jesus Christ. This
| it hopes to accomplish" not by false
and oblique paths, but by the royal
and safe road of historical and re-
| Iigious truth"
Finally, the Holy Father issued a
letter to the Hierarchy of the Eastern
Churches in communion with Rome in
which he recalls the efforts made by
his predecessors and himself on be-
half of reunion of the Latin and the
Oriental Churches. He points out in
detail the errors in Prince Max's treat
ment of historical questions and in his
exposition of the dogmas of the an
cient Church He enumerates the
doctrines which, according to the
Prince, might be waived in order to
| facilitate the reunion of the Eastern
the utter impossibility of such course
in view of the fact that dogma is an
expression of truth and truth cannot
be minimized to meet the exigencies of
given situation.
The case is now definitely settled.
Rome has spoken. Prince Max has
returned to his PROFESSIONAL duties
sadder but, let us hope, a wiser man.
No one accuses him of bad faith or of
being actuated by any but the most
praiseworthy motives. It was simply
a case of mistaken judgment which
Rome was not slow to correct in such
a way as to give assurance that the
Holy Spirit still watches over the
destiny of the Church and safeguards
her against error, no matter how Sc
ductive the garb under which it mas
querades.
The incident brings home to us in a
forcible manner the conviction that,
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