The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-12-06

were followed by its reception in some
chapters and dioceses by the Anglo
Norman clergy. But the attempts to
introduce it officially provoked con-
tradiction and theoretical discussion,
bearing upon it's legitimacy and it's
meaning, which were continued for
centuries and were not definitely set
tied before 1854.
The first definite and reliable
knowledge of the feast in the West
comes from England; it is found in a
calendar of Old Minister, Winchester,
dating from about 1880, and in an
other calendar of New Minister, Win
chester, written between 1895 and
1859. A pontifcal of Exeter of the
eleventh century assigned to 1916
1922 contains 'benedictio in Con-
ceptione st. Mariae" similar bene-
diction is found in Canterbury pom
tifical written probably in the first
half of the eleventh century, certainly
before the Norman Conquest These
episcopal benedictions show that the
feast not only commended itself to
the devotion of individuals, but that
it was recognized by authority and
was observed by the Saxon monks
with considerable solemnity. The ex-
listing evidence goes to show that the
establishment of the feast in England
was due to the monks of Winchester
before the Conquest (1066).
.soI.
ciscan Duns Scotus, not only did the
doctrine become the common opinion
at the universities, but the feast
spread widely to those countries
where it had not been previously
adopted. With the exception of the
Dominicans, all or nearly all, of the
religious orders took it up. The
Franciscans at the general chapter
at Pisa in 1868 adopted the Feast of
the Conception of Mary for the entire
order. This, however, does not mean
that they professed at that time the
doctrine of the Immaculate Concep-
ton. Following in the footsteps of
their own Duns Scotus, the learned
Petrus Aureolus and Franciscus de
Mayronis became the most fervent
champions of the doctrine, although
their older teachers had been opposed
to it.
By a Decree of Feb. %, 1476, Sixtus
w at last adopted the feast for the
entire Latin Church and granted an
indulgence to all who would assist at
fIO % +Io0
Theological Discussions.
Whilst disputes went on, the great
universities and almost all the great
orders had become so many bulwarks
| for the defense of the dogma. In
1897 the University of Paris decreed
that henceforward no one should be
admitted a member of the university
who did not swear that he would do
the utmost to defend and assert the
Immaculate Conception of Mary.
Toulouse followed the example; in
Italy, Bologna and Naples; in the
German Empire, Cologne, Mainz, and
Vienna; in Belgium, Louvain; in
England, before the Reformation, Ok
ford and Cambridge; in Spain, Sala
manca, Toledo, Seville, and Valencia;
in America, Mexico and Lima. The
Friars Minor confirmed in 1921 the
election of the Immaculate Mother as
patron of the order, and bound them
selves by oath to teach the mystery
in public and in private. The Do
minicans, however, were under spe
cial obligation to follow the doctrines
of ST. Thomas, and the common con
clusion was that St. Thomas was op
posed to the Immaculate Conception
Therefore the Dominicans asserted
that the doctrine was an error against
faith; although they adopted the
feast, they termed it persistently
"Sanctificatio' not "Conceptio," until
in 1922 Gregory v abolished the term
"sanctificatio." Paul v (1617) de
I creed that no one should dare to
teach publicly that Mary was con
ceived in original sin, and Gregory
(1622) imposed absolute silence upon
the adversaries of the doctrine unit
the Holy See should define the ques
ton.
Dogmatic Definitions.
To put an end to all further cavil
ling, Alexander VII promulgated OF
December 8, 1861, the famous con
stitution "Sollicitudo omnium Eccle
siarum," defining the true sense O.
the word "Conceptio," and forbiddins
all further discussion against the
common and pious sentiment of the
Church. He declared that the i'm
munity of Mary from original sin il
Tho fret roopoont Of tho creation n