As regards unity and central authority, I must first make the general observation that they exist and must be preserved, not however in that shape which we may fancy or which approves itself to our reason, but as Jesus Christ our Lord ordained and as our fathers have maintained it. For it is no business of ours to arrange the Church according to our good pleasure and to alter the foundation of the work of G.o.d. The necessary unity in faith and that of the common central authority under fatherly guidance exists and has always existed among Catholics, or else one would have to say that there had been some essential defect in the Church of the past, which all will certainly deny.
The unity of doctrine and Church communion and the central authority of the Pope remain then unshaken, as they always flourished and flourish still without any dogmatic definition of infallibility.
Let it not be said that this unity will hereafter be closer when the central authority is stronger, for this inference is fallacious. Mere unity is not enough, but we must have that unity and that measure of it which the nature and scope of the thing, as well as the law and the necessity of life, demand. Else the thing itself might lamentably perish by being forced into too rigid an unity, from its inward vitality being cramped, disturbed and broken through the external pressure. Thus even in civil matters the unity of freemen, who act for themselves under the law, is indeed looser but more honourable than the unity of slaves tormented under an arbitrary tyranny. Permit us to retain that unity which belongs to us by the ordinance of Christ, and that means of unity-viz., the central authority of the Pope-which our forefathers acknowledged and honoured, who neither separated the Bishops from the Pope nor the Pope from the Bishops. Let us loyally hold fast to the ancient rule of faith and the statutes of the Fathers, and the more so since the proposed definition is open to many grave objections.
And again we can hardly doubt that this expedient would be powerless for healing the evils of our time, and it must be feared would rather tend to the injury of many. The matter must not be regarded only from a theological standpoint, but also in its bearings on civil society. For we in this place are not mere head-sacristans or superiors of a monastery, but men called to share with the Pope his care for the whole Church; allow us therefore to take the state of the world into our prudent consideration.
Will personal and independent infallibility serve to rouse from their grave those perished Churches on the African coast, or to wake the slumbers of the East, which once bloomed with such flowers of intellect and virtue? Will it be easier for our brethren, the Vicars-Apostolic, to bring the heathen, Mahometans, and schismatics to the Catholic faith, if they preach the doctrine of the Pope"s sole infallibility? Or will the proposed definition perhaps infuse spirit and strength into Protestants and other heretics to return to the Roman Church and lay aside all prejudices and hatred against it? And now, first, for Europe! I say it with pain,-the Church is everywhere under ban. She is excluded from those congresses where nations discuss war and peace, and where once the authority of the Holy See was so powerful, whereas now it is bidden not even to proclaim its views. The Church is shut out in several European countries from the Chambers, and if some prelates or clergymen here and there belong to them, this appears a rare occurrence. The Church is shut out from the school, where grievous errors advance unchecked; from legislation, which manifests a secular and therefore irreligious tendency; and lastly, from the family, where civil marriage corrupts morals. All those who preside over the public affairs of Europe avoid us or hold us in check.
And what sort of remedy do you offer the world, which is diseased with so many uncertainties about the Church? On all those who are seeking to shake off from their indocile shoulders even the burdens imposed on them from of old and reverently accepted by their fathers, you would now lay a new, and therefore difficult and odious, burden. All those who are of weak faith are to be crushed by a new and inopportune dogma, a doctrine never hitherto defined, and which, without any amends being made for the injurious manner of its introduction, is to be defined by a Council of which many say that its freedom is insufficiently attested. And yet you hope to remedy everything by this definition of personal and exclusive infallibility, to strengthen the faith and improve the morals of all. Your hopes are vain. The world either remains sick or perishes, not from ignorance of the truth and its teachers, but because it avoids it and will not accept its guidance. But if it now rejects the truth, when proclaimed by the whole teaching body of the Church, the 800 Bishops dispersed over the world and infallible in union with the Pope, how much more will it do so, when the truth is proclaimed by one single infallible teacher, who has only just been declared infallible? For an authority to be strong and effective, it is not enough for it to be claimed; it must also be accepted. And thus it is not enough to declare that the Pope is infallible, personally and apart from the Bishops, but he must be acknowledged as such by all, if his office is to be a reality. What is the use, _e.g._, of an anathema, if the authority which p.r.o.nounces it is not respected? The Syllabus circulated through Europe, but what evils could it cure even where it was received as an infallible oracle? There were only two large countries where religion ruled, not in fact but _de jure_-Austria and Spain. In both of them this Catholic order fell to the ground though commanded by the infallible authority; perhaps indeed in Austria on that very account.
Let us take things as they are. Not only will the independent infallibility of the Pope not destroy these prejudices and objections which draw away so many from the faith, but it will increase and intensify them. There are many who in heart are not alienated from the Catholic Church, but who yet think of what they term a separation of Church and State. It is certain that several of the leaders of public opinion are on this side, and will take occasion from the proposed definition to effect their object. The example of France will soon be copied more or less all over Europe, and to the greatest injury of the clergy and the Church herself. The compilers of the _Schema_, whether they desire it or not, are introducing a new era of mischief, if the subject-matter of papal infallibility is not accurately defined, or if it can be supposed that under the head of morals the Pope will give decisions on the civil and political acts of sovereigns and nations, laws and rights, to which a public authority will be attributed.(159) Every one of any political cultivation knows what seeds of discord are contained in our _Schema_, and to what perils it exposes even the temporal power of the Holy See.
To explain this more minutely in detail would take too long and might be indiscreet, for were I to say all, I might easily bring forward things it is more prudent to suppress. However, I have delivered my conscience, so far as is allowed me, and so let my words be taken in good part. I know well that everything in the world has its difficulties, and one must not always shrink from action because greater evil may follow. But I put the matter before the reverend fathers, not that they may instantly conform to my opinion, but in order that they may give a full and ripe consideration to the arguments of all parties. I know too that we must not childishly quail before public opinion, but neither should we obstinately resist it; it is wiser and more prudent often to reconcile one"s-self with it, and in every case to take it into account. I know, lastly, that the Church needs no arm of flesh, yet she does not reject the approval and aid of civil society, and did not, I think, look back with regret from the time of Constantine to the time of Nero. So much for the practical consequences of the _Schema_.
Finally, my desire is (1.) that the _Schema_ should be deferred for a later discussion, because it has not been introduced into the Council in a sufficiently worthy manner; (2.) that it should meanwhile be revised, and the limits of infallibility more accurately marked out, so as to leave no handle for future sophistries and attacks; (3.) but, best of all, that the question of infallibility should be let drop altogether on account of its manifold inconveniences.
APPENDIX II.
LETTERS ON THE COUNCIL FROM FRENCH BISHOPS.(160)
I.
Votre judicieuse dissertation est pleine de sens et de la meilleure critique; mais c"est bien de cela qu"il s"agit aujourd"hui! On veut se tromper et tromper; le reste importe peu. Ce qui importe le plus, ce qui nous sauvera, je l"espere, mieux que toutes discussions avec des gens de mauvaise foi ou de parti pris, c"est d"etablir des bases incontestables et de faire que la saine opinion publique soutienne les vrais interets de l"eglise.
1. Le Gallicanisme n"est pas une doctrine, pas meme une opinion, c"est une simple negation de pretentions nees au onzieme siecle, et une resistance a ces pretentions, au nom de la tradition ancienne et constante des eglises.
L"ultramontanisme, au contraire, est une doctrine, une opinion qui est venue s"entre sur le vieux tronc et qui a pousse des jets de croyances positives. Muselee au Concile de Florence, ecartee au Concile de Trente, cette opinion reparait furieuse au Concile du Vatican.
2. Le Gallicanisme est improprement nomme. Son _veto_ appartient a toutes les nations Catholiques. L"Espagne en soutenait la force antique, Saint Francois de Sales en vengeait les droits au nom des privileges de la maison de Savoie, et aujourd"hui, nous autres Francais, nous l"avons trouve faible chez nous, en comparaison de sa vitalite en Allemagne, en Autriche, en Hongrie, en Portugal, en Amerique, et jusqu"au fond de l"Orient.
3. Notre faiblesse, en ce moment, ne vient ni des ecritures, ni de la tradition des Peres, ni des monumens des Conciles Generaux et de l"histoire. Elle vient de notre defaut de liberte, qui est radical. Une minorite imposante qui represente la foi de plus de 100 millions de Catholiques, c"est-a-dire de presque la moitie de l"Eglise universelle, est ecrasee par le joug impose de reglemens restrictifs et contraires aux traditions conciliaires. Par des deputations que nous n"avons pas reellement choisies et qui osent introduire dans le texte discute des paragraphes non discutes, par une commission pour les interpellations imposee par l"autorite; par le defaut absolu de discussion, replique, objection, interpellation; par des journaux que l"on encourage pour la traquer, pour soulever contre elle le clerge des dioceses; par les nonciatures qui viennent a la rescousse, quand les journaux ne suffisent pas pour tout bouleverser, c"est-a-dire pour eriger en temoins de la foi les pretres contre les eveques, et ne plus laisser a ces juges divins que le role de deputes du clerge secondaire avec mandat imperatif, et blame si on ne repond pas au mandat. La minorite est ecrasee surtout par tout le poids de la supreme autorite qui fait peser sur elle les eloges et encouragemens qu"elle adresse, _par brefs_, aux pretres, et par toutes les manifestations a Dom Gueranger contre M. de Montalembert et autres.
4. La majorite n"est pas libre; car elle se produit par un appoint considerable de prelats qui ne sauraient etre temoins de la foi d"eglises naissantes ou mourantes. Or, cet appoint, qui se compose du chiffre enorme de tous les vicaires apostoliques, du chiffre relativement trop fort des eveques Italiens et des etats Pontificaux, cet appoint n"est pas libre.
C"est une armee toute faite, toute acquise, endoctrinee, enregimentee, disciplinee, que l"on menace, si elle bronche, de la famine ou de la _disponibilite_, et l"on a ete jusqu"a donner de l"argent pour ramener quelques transfuges. Donc, il est evident qu"il n"y a pas de liberte suffisante.-La conclusion ulterieure est qu"il n"y a pas _c.u.menicite nette et plausible_. Et ceci n"infirme en rien les vrais principes: l"eglise est et reste infaillible dans les Conciles Generaux; seulement il faut que les conciles presentent tous les caracteres d"c.u.menicite; convocation legitime, liberte pleine pour les jugemens, confirmation par le Pape. Si une seule de ces conditions manque, tout peut etre revoque en doute. On a eu le Brigandage d"Ephese, ce qui n"a pas empeche d"avoir eu ensuite un vrai Concile de ce nom. On pourrait avoir _Ludibrium Vaticanum_; ce qui n"empecherait pas de tout reparer dans de nouvelles et serieuses a.s.sises....
Vous pourrez repandre ces reflexions, je crois que le grand remede aujourd"hui nous doit venir du dehors ...
II.
Je n"ai point parle une seule fois, je ne parlerai pas davantage dans la suite. Je n"aime ni les gens qui posent, ni les choses completement inutiles. _J"agis_ depuis quatre mois, et je crois avoir rendu quelques services par ce moyen qui en depit de toutes les entraves, nous a donne trois representations, une commission internationale, des commissions de nations et 137 signataires(161) qui succomberont avec honneur et horions, si l"on continue a nous traiter aussi mal.
Je crois inutiles tous efforts pour resister a l"aveuglement de l"orgueil moyen-age, toutes Notes diplomatiques, toutes menaces qui ne sauraient aboutir, et dont je deplorerais le premier l"execution, si elle etait possible. Le remede n"est pas la; on se jouera de tout, et on ira triomphalement aux abimes.
Quand on a affaire a des gens qui ne craignent qu"une chose, il faut se servir de cette chose,-c"est-a-dire de l"opinion publique.
Il faut par ce moyen etablir ce qui est vrai-point d"autorite parceque point de liberte. Le defaut de liberte. Le defaut de liberte, gros comme des montagnes, creve les yeux; il repose sur des faits notoires, appreciables pour tous, et sa constatation publique est la seule planche de salut dans la tourmente inoue que subit l"eglise.
A notre arrivee, tout etait fait sans nous. Toutes les mailles du reseau etaient serrees, et les jesuites qui out monte le traquenard ne doutaient pas un instant que nous y serions pris. Ils voulaient nous faire poser par enchantement la pierre angulaire de leur fronton, et se seraient charges ensuite, sans nous, de batir le portail de leur edifice en un clin d"il.
Nous avons donc trouve un reglement tout fait,-c"est-a-dire des menottes.
Pour faire droit a nos plaintes, on a serre de plus belle, et nous jouissons de l"ancien brodequin que Louis XVI. a supprime. Pour etre vrai, il faut dire que les tourmenteurs out fait la chose avec toute la grace imaginable. Nous avons trouve une majorite toute faite, tres compacte, plus que suffisante en nombre, parfaitement disciplinee et qui a recu au besoin instructions, injonctions, menaces, prison, argent. Le systeme des candidatures officielles est distance de 100 kilometres.
Une commission, la plus utile, celle ou l"on peut adresser ses reclamations, a ete creee et imposee d"office.
Mais il faut dire a sa louange qu"elle ne fonctionne pas, parce qu"elle ne repond jamais ou qu"elle ne repond qu"aux membres de la majorite. Nous avons ete libres de nommer les autres commissions, c"est-a-dire que la majorite fictive a pu les creer a l"aide de listes dressees et lithographiees.
Restait la parole; mais a quelles conditions? Defense de repliquer un mot, de discuter, d"eclairer. Si on voulait parler, il fallait se faire inscrire, et le lendemain, ou deux jours apres, quand tout etait refroidi, on pouvait venir ennuyer l"a.s.semblee par un discours. Defense alors de sortir du theme donne aux ecoliers (excepte pour MM. de la majorite) et quand on a tente de parler de liberte, de reglement, de commission, d"acoustique, de decentralisation, de desitalianisation, on a vu se produire les scenes tumultueuses qui ont demoli les Cardinaux Rauscher et Schwarzenberg, les eveques de Colocza, de Bosnie, d"Halifax, tandis qu"on trouvait bon que Moulins, Belley et d"autres introduisissent de force la grande question a propos de la vie des clercs.
La pauvre pet.i.te minorite est en b.u.t.te aux injures, aux calomnies, et traquee par la _Civilta_, _l"Univers_, _le Monde_, _l"Union_, _l"Osservatore_ et _la Correspondance de Rome_. Ces journaux sont autorises et encourages. Ils soulevent contre nous le clerge de nos dioceses, et ce clerge applaudi. Un de nous a ose ecrire contre son collegue, est il n"a pas recu un blame officiel.
Mais voici ce qui acheve d"opprimer notre liberte: elle est ecrasee de tout le poids du respect que nous portons a notre chef.
La question est pendante; elle n"est pas meme a l"ordre du jour, les juges de droit divin sont reunis et attendent pour la traiter. Or, en pleines a.s.sises, le chef se sert de sa haute et divine autorite pour blamer devant les pretres qui lui sont presentes _leurs_ eveques _mineurs_. Il fait l"eloge funebre de M. de Montalembert devant 400 personnes; il ecrit a Dom Gueranger, a l"Abbe de Cabrieres de Nimes, qui s"est dresse devant l"eveque d"Orleans, aux dioceses dont les pretres font des Adresses pour forcer la main a _leurs mandataires_; et il fait tout cela en termes tels que _la Gazette du Midi_ et _tutti quanti_ declarent qu"il n"est plus permis ni aux eveques ni a personne de soutenir le contraire; et on appelle cela de la liberte!
On nous menace de pa.s.ser par-dessus une minorite imposante, contrairement a toute la tradition, de fouler aux pieds la regle supreme de saint Vincent de Lerins: _Quod ubique, quod semper, quod ab omnibus_. On preche que l"unanimite morale n"est pas necessaire, que le chef est maitre de tout, et que nous devons rendre des services et non point des sentences, faire de l"affection quand il s"agit de la foi. Voila notre liberte! Un Cardinal me disait pour conclusion: "Mon cher, nous allons aux abimes."
Tout cela est capable d"ebranler les faibles, de desagreger ce qui tient a si peu.
Je crois vous avoir peint la position ce qu"elle est. Priez pour nous, faites valoir la chose, parce qu"elle est _vraie_, parce que je crois servir l"Eglise en vous la revelant.
Apres mes souffrances de cet hiver, je ne pense pas pouvoir affronter les chaleurs.... D"ailleurs, Dieu seul peut nous sauver.
APPENDIX III.
DIFFICULTeS DE LA SITUATION A ROME.(162)
I.