The Pope, the Kings and the People: A History of the Movement to Make the Pope Governor of the World by a Universal Reconstruction of Society from the Issue of the Syllabus to the Close of the Vatican CouncilArthur, William
History
The Pope, the Kings and the People: A History of the Movement to Make the Pope Governor of the World by a Universal Reconstruction of Society from the Issue of the Syllabus to the Close of the Vatican Council
Arthur, William
Catholic Church -- History -- 19th century; Papacy -- History -- 1799-1870; Pius IX, Pope, 1792-1878; Popes -- Infallibility; Popes -- Temporal power; Vatican Council (1st : 1869-1870 : Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano)
It was eight years after the Syllabus had been formally confirmed
by the Pope, and after its ratification by the collective hierarchy
had been officially communicated to the Papal clergy in England by
Archbishop Manning, that Dr. Newman treated of it in his letter to the
Duke of Norfolk, in reply to the "Expostulation" of Mr. Gladstone. The
assertions in that reply are among the most unaccountable known to the
history of our literature. Still, such as they are, they have been made
in a pamphlet bearing the name of an English duke on its title-page,
and that of an English gentleman at its end. Moreover, they were
received by our Press--and the fact is known throughout Europe--with
perfect gravity.
Dr. Newman (p. 78) asks and answers an important question as follows--
"Who gathered the propositions out of these Papal documents, and
put them together in one? We do not know." After no more than three
sentences he adds: "The Pope has had the errors, which at one time
or other he therein condemned, brought together into one, and that
for the use of the bishops." On the next page he asks: "Who is its
author? Some select theologian or high official, doubtless; can it be
Cardinal Antonelli himself? No, surely; anyhow, it is not the Pope."
First he tells us that we do not know who put it together, then that
the Pope has done it, or has had it done. Again, in the same manner,
he first tells us that it is not Cardinal Antonelli's, and then more
than once calls it Cardinal Antonelli's (p. 91), as if his authorship
of the document was an established point on which arguments might be
grounded. Dr. Newman in this manner procures for himself a double set
of premises, which he employs throughout, with frequent shifting. His
argument now assumes the affirmative, namely, that the Syllabus is the
work of the Pope; and now it assumes the negative, that the Syllabus is
not the work of the Pope; and this is what the English Press with, so
far as we know, unanimity agrees to call logical.
"But," asserts Dr. Newman, "the Syllabus makes no claim to be
acknowledged as the word of the Pope" (p. 80). The very heading of
the Syllabus sets up the claim to be accounted the word of the Pope;
ay, and his word in official, public, and teaching acts. The heading
is, "The Syllabus of the Principal Errors of our Time set forth in
Consistorial Allocutions, Encyclicals, and other Letters Apostolic, by
our most holy lord, Pope Pius IX." This claim is not incidental, but
formal and capital, incapable of being either overlooked or put aside.
No man's judgments are here introduced but those of Pope Pius IX, and
of his judgments not one here recited is less official than are Letters
Apostolic.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account