CHAP. Develop hierarchi CHAPTER XXIII. THE SYLLABUS AND THE VATICAN COUNCIL. Papal War against Civil Power-Pius IX.'s Alliance with the Jesuits-Their Exaltation of the Papacy-Programme of the Syllabus-First Proposals of a General Council-Allocution of 1867 to the Bishops at Rome-The Council convened-Counter-movement in Germany and France-Address of Coblentz Catholics-Bavaria consults the Universities-Declaration of German Bishops at Fulda-Dupanloup's Warning Pastoral-Circular of Prince Hohenlohe-Passive Attitude of the Governments-Count Bismarck's Instructions to Count Arnim-Opening of the Council-Papal Restrictions on Freedom of Debate-Composition of the Council-Disproportion of Numbers and Intelligence-Divisions in the MinorityCount Daru's Attempt at Intervention-Consistent Neutrality of Count Bismarck-Arbitrary Conduct of the Majority-Timid Opposition of the Minority-Close of the General Debate-The Constitution voted— Withdrawal of the Minority-The Dogma of Infallibility proclaimed. THE Constant endeavour to rule the consciences and through these the temporal affairs of mankind has characment of the terised and determined the whole development of the cal system. Roman Catholic hierarchy. The necessary postulates for this were the divine origin of its constitution and the secular independence of its head. The Reformation, which denied the first, stripped the Roman Church of a large province of authority, but over the territory which she still retained her sway was all the more secure, and the temporal rule of the pope remained untouched. The philosophy of the eighteenth century weakened the Church internally, but from the ordeal of the revolution she came forth with fresh strength and vigour, and understood how to utilise every stage of that grand progress, which began PIUS IX.'S ALLIANCE WITH THE JESUITS. with 1789, to re-establish and extend her shattered power. If, after the lapse of fifty years, she looked back upon what she had gained, she had every reason to contemplate her progress with satisfaction. 295 CHAP. warfare civil power. In a clear sky, however, broke out the storm, which Papal in its rapid course threatened the very centre of Church against authority more seriously than had been the case since the times of Aistulph. The Italian kingdom was not merely a transitory danger, but the embodiment of those modern ideas, which are arrayed in irreconcilable hostility to the principles on which the hierarchy reposes. Rome had incessantly combated this foe wherever it had appeared; now she found herself attacked by it in her own home, and vainly did the Vatican look out for a Pepin, who should put a stop to the first profligate attempts of the heir of the policy of the Longobards. Precisely because the Curia felt, with the instinct of self-preservation, that a vital blow was struck when its temporal rule was assailed, it prepared itself for a life-and-death struggle with all the resources and appliances still remaining in its power. For this purpose the so-called liberal Catholicism was manifestly useless. However readily it renounced its favourite principles with regard to the Roman question, and branded as a crime on the other side of the Alps what on this side it defended, the leadership in the contest could devolve on that institution alone which, by its organisation, ever ready for the fray, had already once saved the power of Rome. The Society of Jesus was The Pope's the sole and fitting instrument to fight the battle of the with the Papacy. Its influence already up to this time had been Jesuits. predominant, it now obtained the dictatorship. The pope was to the Order what Louis XIII. was to Richelieu. He continued to exercise in the Vatican the monarchical representation of the Church as Antonelli exercised it in alliance CHAP. Their plan of the field of diplomacy. Henceforth the government of the Catholic world was centred in the Jesuits.1 The plan of campaign chosen by the Order embraced campaign. the temporal as well as the ecclesiastical territory. With regard to the first, they calculated carefully the possibility of mutual conflicts amongst the various Powers themselves, and cautiously nurtured all germs of dissension and discontent, since the situation appeared such, that the Curia had as little to lose by a general war as by a revolution. The former might overthrow the still loose and unstable structure of the Italian kingdom, and, on the other hand, the inevitable revulsion, which follows every revolution, offered a broad basis for their hopes. The result has certainly proved how egregiously they miscalculated on important points. The venerable fathers, with all their cunning and astuteness, have often been biassed by narrow Italian views; repeatedly, in spite of all their spies, have they been falsely informed, while for those moral agencies which decide great issues, but of which they themselves know nothing, every standard or means of guidance is wanting. There can be no doubt, however, as to the fact of clerical influence upon the Polish rebellion of 1862, the Mexican tragedy, the wars of 1866 and 1870; and when the Nuncio Meglia openly expressed at Munich his hopes of a revolution, the avowal indeed was very imprudent, but can only seem strange to the simple-minded, who are not aware that Rome had favoured every revolution which promised advantage to her interests. 1 It was not so much the general himself, who conducted the campaign (Berkx has, on the contrary, disapproved of many measures, as, for instance, the plan of an official review, the 'Civiltà Cattolica ') as individual conspicuous members of the Order, who exercised especial influence over Pius IX., and with his assistance overthrew all opposition. Amongst these may be named Tarquini, Curci, Piccerillo, and Liberatore. THEIR EXALTATION OF THE PAPACY. 297 XXIII. Their Рарасу. On ecclesiastical territory the plan of operations aimed CHAP. at exalting the spiritual power of the Papacy to its highest pinnacle, and thereby restoring at once, in its original exaltation extent, its necessary foundation, the temporal rule. The of the latter could not be erected, indeed, into a dogma, since the logic of facts presented to such a course the immediate prospect of far too bitter a discomfiture. The proper aim should rather be, on the one side, to withdraw from the collective civilisation of the age, which had abandoned the Papacy, its fundamental groundwork, and on the other side, to follow out the Ultramontane doctrine to its utmost consequences, to exalt the absolute monarchy of the Church into a universal and compulsory form of faith, and to bring Catholicism, thus united, in a compact line of battle, into the field against modern ideas. The instruments to execute this scheme were at hand. Pius IX. himself offered a support all the more effectual, since with scanty training in theology, he still clung with genuine fervour to his Ultramontane convictions, and thus purified the machinations of the Jesuits in the fire of his piety.'1 The machinery of the Order and the Society was organised with consummate skill, and zealously elaborated, no effective opposition was to be expected from the bishops, and where any sign of hostility was manifested, it was relentlessly beaten down.2 6 The first decisive attack resulted in the Encyclical of 1 Pressensé, 'Le Concile du Vatican': Paris, 1872. P. 149. 2 See the letter of Pius IX. of October 6, 1865, to M. Darboy, archbishop of Paris, who defended himself with energy against the immediate power claimed by the Roman See over the episcopal dioceses, and was therefore summarily called to account. The prelate was sharply censured in particular for having been present at the funeral of Marshal Magnan, who had been notoriously a Freemason ('Officielle Aktenstücke zum Concil,' i. p. 95). Freemasonry is to Pius IX. the sum and substance of ungodliness. See his allocution of October 25, 1865, Multiplices inter Machinationes' in Rohrbacher ad ann. CHAP. The Dec. 8, 1864. 8th December, 1864, and the Syllabus1 appended to it, in which all the errors condemned by the Papal See were Syllabus, collectively enunciated. In a motley crowd this catalogue comprehends not only those doctrines which contradict beyond all dispute the Christian revelation and civil order, but those also which form the very pith and marrow of our modern civilisation. In Article IV. are condemned not only Socialism, Communism, and Secret Societies, but even Bible Societies, and all associations of clerical liberals. Article VII. places perjury and rebellion on a par with the principles of non-intervention. But the main attack is directed against those doctrines which impugn the independent dominion of the Church as against the State, society, and learning. As such heresies are specified, for example Prop. xxiii. To maintain that Roman pontiffs and Ecumenical councils have transgressed the limits of their power, usurped the rights of princes, or erred in the establishment of the rules of faith and morals.2 Prop. xxiv. Or that the Church may not employ force, nor exercise, directly or indirectly, any temporal power. Prop. xxvii. Or that the ministers of the Church and the Roman pontiff ought to be excluded from all care and dominion of things temporal. Prop. xxx. Or that the civil immunity (immunitas) of the Church and its ministers depends upon civil right. Prop. xxxiv. The doctrine of those who compare the Roman pontiff to a prince free and supreme over the whole Church, is a doctrine of the middle ages. 1 Compiled by the Barnabite monk, afterwards Cardinal Bilio. 2 Gregory VII., however, had declared at the seventh Roman Council, Agite nunc, quæso, Patres ac Principes sanctissimi, ut omnis mundus intelligat et cognoscat quia, si potestis in cælo ligare et solvere, potestis in terrâ Imperia, Regna, Principatus, Ducatus, Marchios, Comitatus et omnium hominum possessione tollere unicuique et concedere.' Was this solemn declaration ever revoked? |