THE VATICAN DECREES.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4363, 15 March 1875, Page 3

THE VATICAN DECREES.

[advertisement.]

10 THE EDITOR. Sin, —The peace of the great and indivisible Christian Church is truly the peace of God, which passeth all understanding. Of course every one is still discussing Mr. Gladstone’s pamphlet on the “ Vatican Decrees.” The Liberal Leader’s break with the Roman Catholic party has in it a political promise which quite merits the attention that has been directed to it. Monsignor Capel has spoken out with commendable frankness, and has avowed that the “ecclesiastical power is superior to the civil,” from which we may fairly deduce the conclusion that, if the Church and the State arc in opposition, the faithful Roman Catholic must obey. It is a fact that in every country where the Roman Catholic Church is powerful, the State and the Church do verv often come into collision, and much clanger Is caused* to the State by the divided allegiance of its citizens. This very danger is now converting Germany, and a weaker man than Bismarck at the head of affairs the Church would in all probability break in pieces the new Empire. One most painful characteristic inevitably marks such a conflict as that between Church and State—the Church at once arises the cry of persecution, and weak kneed Liberals are deceived into a belief that the warfare is one of creed; but. what if treason to the State is hid under the cowl of the monk? and what if religious societies turn into hot-beds of conspiracy? The German Government is said to persecute a creed because it strikes at traitors, who, under the mask of religion, are sapping the foundations of the State. Archbishop Manning, the English Pope of Catholicism, who with the fanatical zeal of a convert or pervert, is more Ultramontane than the Ultramontancs themselves, for be has with great promptitude condemned the conduct of those of the “ faithful,” who have dared to express their own opinions on the “ Vatican decrees.” On Sunday, 29th November, 187-4, a circular by him was read in the chapels of his archdiocese, declaring that “whosoever does not in his heart receive and believe the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, and the doctrine of the Infallibility of the Vicar of Jesus Christ, as they have been defined by the Supreme Authority of the Church, does by that very fact cease to bo a Catholic.” This is an attempt to enforce the doctrine of authority with a vengeance, and, as the Globe says, shows how entirely the more bigoted section of the Roman Catholic Church has separated itself from the noblest and most progressive element of the modern age. Mr. Gladstone's pamphlet has had the effect of showing that the Catholic Church, like all other religious organisations, is not without divisions within its precints. Lord Acton, not denying that the ecclesiastical does in theory ovoride the civil allegiance, is confident that in an actual conflict the bulk of his Church would bo loyal to their country rather than their creed, reversing the declaration of Lord Dcnbcigh, “First a Catholic and then an Englishman.” One of his periods is too suggestive to pass over. “ I think you will admit that your Catholic countrymen cannot fairly bo called on to account for every particle of a system which has never come before them in its integrity, or for opinions whoso existence among divines they would be exceedingly reluctant to believe.” To the dissent of Lords Acton and Camoys from certain Vatican decrees can now be added that of Mr. Petrie, “a Catholic of Catholics” who writes, “The Archbishop of Westminster, able and powerful logician as ho is, may fence as he will with the meaning and Import of words, but the stubborn fact must stare him in the face that whatever may have been the individual and responsible opinions of theologians in times gone by, still the dogmas of the immaculate conception and the personal infallibility of the Pope have been recently promulgated to the “faithful ” for their acceptance as articles of faith, and as such, arc additions to ancient doctrine. The claims of the Vatican to supreme and infallible authority overall things pertaining to faith and morals, the limits of which the Vatican alone is to decide, embrace so vast and immense a range, entering into every relation and branch of human life, that we may easily contemplate the power of the Church clashing with the civil authority. Under such circumstances, the only reply a loyal subject could possibly make to Mr. Gladstone's appeal would be, “ an Englishman first, a Catholic after.” Taking an historical retrospect, did not English Liberals grant Catholic emancipation under the belief that the doctrine of Papal Infallibility was virtually obsolete, and would not have granted it otherwise. In this Lord Camoys agrees with Mr. Gladstone. Some fresh information on the subject is supplied by Mr. M. A. Sheo, in a letter to The Times. In 1788, an English Catholic committee, at that time agitating for a relaxation of Catholic disabilities, sent a pamphlet to Mr. Pitt, as a printed summary of their tenets, which they were persuaded every Catholic would sign. It was signed by the Vicar-Apostolic of the London district, and affirmed distinctly that “it was no matter of faith to believe that the Pope is himself infallible, separated from the Church oven In expounding the faith.” And at a meeting of the Catholic committee, in the same year, an unqualified declaration was made that “ we acknowledge no infallibility In the Pope,” It is not possible for the Roman Catholic Church, without doing violence to the plain meaning of words, to vindicate the boast of Semper Jfadem, at least as regards its proceedings in England. The Times observes that a letter it publishes from Romo will perhaps tell the public more of the real character of the influence from which Mr. Gladstone has exhorted Roman Catholics to deliver themselves, than many columns of correspondence and pastorals. The divine principles which the Pope calls on his follower to vindicate at all hazards, consist in an unreserved repudiation of the whole of modern civilisation. The Obscrvatorc Romano avows that If Roman Catholics “do not seek to dethrone their oppressors,” it is due only to their “heroic patience.” A man who puts his country before his church puts the world before God. and men like Lord Acton, Lord Camoys, and Mr. Henry Pctro have absolutely ceased to bo Catholics. Mr. Gladstone has associated himself with reptiles, and the most polite thing that can bo said of him la that he “ Is not h Jew scribbler.” What are we to make {The Times says) of his amazing ferocity T

To Mr. Gladstone’s pamphlet on the Vatican decrees Archbishop Manning lost no time In giving ‘‘the lie direct" to the Liberal leader, saying, ‘I should be wanting in duty to the Catholics of this country ana to myself if I did not give a prompt contradiction to this statement” —the statement that Roman Catholics cannot render undivided allegiance to the civil power. The Archbishop, however, admits that the civil allegiance of man is limited by conscience; and as we know that Catholic consciences are, or ought to bo, governed by the Pope, we cannot but see that Dr. Manning astutely leaves a loophole through which every disloyal Roman Catholic may creep by pleading conscience as his excuse for treason. Meanwhile the civil, or rather the uncivil war between the factions of the Church of Christy as represented by Protestaniam and Catholicism, is becoming so fierce that even bishops foresee a sclusm ** humanly ’* inevitable, and if it is inevitable humanly it is to be feared the divine element will not do much to prevent it, and the furious retorts which the factions of the Old Catholics and the Ultramontanes are flinging at each other, are a scandal to Christendom, and an occasion of malicious rejoicings to the enemies of Rome. How long can the House of God, thus divided against itself, continue to stand ? Ajax. February 22nd, 1875. fThis letter appears as an advertisement, the correspondence on the subject having been closed. —Ed N.Z.T.]