Year: 1869

The Ecumenical Council.


| Our readers will remember that few Sun


days ago we published some facts which made
| it appear doubtful whether after all the Gene


raj Council convened by his Holiness the
| Pope and to meet in Rome on the 9th of
December next would ever become fact of
| history. 1t appears that inside the Catholic
Church the wisdom of the step taken by his
Holiness is very seriously questioned. Every
where by those who are not in perfect sym
pathy with the Pope and who are more to
blame, if blame there be, than the Pope him
self for the steps already taken, the questions
| are put, ''What good can come of it"
'Affairs are going on well enough; why risk
discussions the results of which are so doubt
full and which may prove 80 disastrous ?"
Again, it has been asked with much pertinency


and propriety, ''What does the Council intend


to do What are the questions which it


means to discuss ?" On this point the Papal
bull was so vague that it is not wonderful
that good Catholics and the world generally
desiderate information. Even the Bishop of
Orleans, whose letter to the clergy of his
diocese which appeared recently in the Catto-
Tic World, and which has since been published
in separate form, can give us no better


answer than this that SITS objects are two
fold-the good of the Church and the welfare
of human society" This programme is GER
tainly wide and indefinite enough. Some
there are who tell us that the Council is to


proclaim the Pope infallible, to confirm the


decision given in regard to the Immaculate


Conception, to take into consideration the


ceibacy of the clergy, to deliberate
upon and, If possible, finally to settle the


future relations of Church and State. On each
of those questions, however, $50 much diff
ference Of opinion exists even among Church
dignitaries themseves-and on some of them
Rome is so completely divided from France
that fears have been loudly expressed whether
in the event of the Council assembling it


would be found possible to proceed with busi-


ness.


For ourselves we have no doubt at all that


the Council will be held To halt now, after


having gone so far, would argue an inherent


weakness which would be damaging to the


prestige of the Catholic Church. The hand has


been put to the plough, and we have no fear that
the Pope or his adviser will look back. The
Pope, in fact, regards this as the pet project Of
his life, and his heart is set on its success.


Everything that can be done will be done to
make it q landmark Of history as well as q
crown of triumph to Pope Plus the Ninth.
Should any serious difficulty arise after the
Council has been formally opened it will not be


x, &bo stu IF o1,,tsN


Following the precedents established by the
Council of Trent and previous Councils the
Council of Rome, 1869, may be adjourned in
definitely.


Taking it for granted, however, that the
Council will meet, and that business will be
done, it is natural and pertinent inquiry,
what will the Council do, and what is likely
to be the result of its deliberationsp It
appears from variety of sources that the
proceedings will be largely determined by
three events which have taken place in Europe
since 1851. These events are the promulga-
ton of the Immaculate Conception, 1854;
the Italian revolution and the Encyclical.
The promulgation of the Immaculate Concep-
tion, important enough, no doubt, on Its own
account, derives a larger Importance from the
fact that il involves the question OF the Popes


nfaibity. This dogma in its present state
rests on the ipse dirit of his Holiness. 1t isa
question of some Importance to the Catholic
Church and to the outside world generally
how far some one hundred and fifty millions
of Christians are entitled to accept a dogma
on the word of the Bishop of Rome. The pro-
clamation by the Council of the infallibility OF
the Pope will establish the dogma Of the I'm
maculate Conception. On the other hand,
the confirmation by tn, Council of the dogma
of the Immaculate Conception will be virtual
proclamation Of the infallibilty of the Pope.
As the Holy Father himself is known to be
firm believer in his own infallibility IL Is
scarcely to be doubted that he will insist on
the Council committing itself in some way to
both those dogmas. On both, however, there
is much difference of opinion, and from one or
other, or both, trouble may arise. The Italian
revolution has given prominence to the whole
question of political liberalism. In Italy, in
France. In Austria, In Southern Germany gen.
erally, in the United States there are many
GOOD Catholics who are the devoted and
uncompromsing disciples of political liberty.
It is notorious that absoutism is a sacred prn-
ciple at Rome. How can the disciples Of
liberty come to terms with the absolutsts3
what are the relations of Church and State?
should the temporal Papacy be abolished?
are questions which must be grappled
with but by minds so conflicting how
can they be settled? The Encyclical
and Syllabus, which appeared in 1864,