SCENE AT THE CECUMENICAL COUNCIL.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 690, 21 June 1870, Page 4

SCENE AT THE CECUMENICAL COUNCIL.

. We are informed by way of Augsburg* under date March 26, that, on Dr Strossmayer declaring at a Bitting of the (Ecumenical Council that a new dogma of faith could not be established without a moral unanimity of the Fathers, he was ordered by the President of the Council to leave the Council. The incident gave rise to a most tumultuous scene in the assembly. It appears, that Dr Strossmayer, the Croatian bishop, in speaking upon the errors of modern philosophy, maintained that Protestantism was not the logical source of Atheism, Pantheism, and Materialism, and cited in support of his views the works of Leibnitz and Guizot. He also maintained that many of the Protestants of France, England, and America were sincere in the opinions . they held. The speaker then approached the most serious part of the subject, the question whether the Council 'should vote decrees of faith by a mere numerical majority, or by the moral unanimity of Ihe suffrages. The speaker had several times: been disturbed . in a very violent manner by the meeting j but at this point the tumult became so great that he was compelled to cease and leave his speech unfinished.—- On March 28, in the Florence Chamber of Deputies, replying to a question from Signor Deboni as to the intentions of the Government with reference to the (Ecumenical Council, Signor , Visoonti Venpsta, ■ j the Minuter fop| £ foreign i Affairl^ explainea that the'Cat)in ; e 3 t, trust- ' ing to the. authority of the law and to the

established principles of religious liberty, would adhere to its first resolution of abstaining from all intervention in the doings of the Council. The Government confined itself to approving the conciliatory efforts of Italian bishops, but in conformity with the principle of separation of Church and State, it would allow the Church freely to lay down what dogmas it choose. Advices from Rome state that the Pope and the TJltramontanes appear to have abandoned all idea of conciliation. It was stated on gdod authority* that there would be a public session on April llr-thatis, on the Monday before Easter— and, it was grimly added, Infallibility cannot come on. till June. On April 12, in the General Congregation of the 'OEcumenical Council, the voting on the remaining amendments to the Schema de Fide terminated. Subsequently the entire text of the Constitutio de Fide was put to the vote, when 615 bishops unreservedly, and 83 conditionally, voted for the measure as it stands, making altogether 598 ayes. Not a single contrary vote was gfren. A certain number of the fathers were absent on April 13 from the general congregation in which the schema against heterodox opinions were voted. Several other fathers accompanied the vote by written declarations stating that it should not be inferred from their approbation that they approved the conciliatory regulations under which the scheme was discussed.