Mustering, and Preparatory Stimuli--Pope's Hospitality--Alleged Political Intent--Friedrich's First Notes--The Nations cited to Judgment--New War of the Rosary--Tarquini's Doctrine of the Sword--A New Guardian of the Capitol--November and December, 1869 239 CHAPTER XIII Great Ceremony of Executive Spectacle, called a Pro-Synodal Congregation, to forestall Attempts at Self-Organization on the Part of the Council--The Scene--The Allocution--Officers appointed by Royal Proclamation--Oath of Secrecy--Papers Distributed--How the Nine had foreseen and forestalled all Questions of Self-Organization--The Assembly made into a Conclave, not a General Council--Cecconi's Apology for the Rules 249 CHAPTER XIV The Eve of the Council--Rejoicings--Rome the Universal Fatherland--Veuillot's Joy--Processions--Symbolic Sunbeams--The Joy bells--The Vision of St. Ambrose--The Disfranchisement of Kings 262 BOOK III FROM THE OPENING OF THE COUNCIL TO THE INTRODUCTION OF THE QUESTION OF INFALLIBILITY CHAPTER I The First Session, December 8, 1869, or Opening Ceremony--Mustering--Robing--The Procession--The Anthem and Mass--The Sermon--The Act of Obedience--The Allocution--The Incensing--Passing Decrees--The _Te Deum_--Appreciations of various Witnesses 271 CHAPTER II First Proceedings--Unimportant Committees and All-Important Commissions--No Council if Pope dies--Theologians discover their Disfranchisement--Father Ambrose--Parties and Party Tactics--Were the Bishops Free Legislators?--Plans of Reconstruction--Plan of the German Bishops--Segesser's Plan--New Bull of Excommunications 308 CHAPTER III Further Party Manoeuvres--Election of Permanent Committees--Bull of Excommunications--Various opinions of it--Position of Antonelli--No serious Discussion desired--Perplexities of the Bishops--Reisach's Code suppressed--It may reappear--Attitude of Governments 333 CHAPTER IV First open Collisions of Opinion--Pending Debate--Fear of an Acclamation--Rauscher opens--Kenrick--Tizzani--General discontent with the Draft--Vacant Hats--Speaking by Rank--Strossmayer--No permission to read the Reports, even of their own Speeches--Conflicting Views--Petitions to Pope from Bishops--Homage of Science--Theism 358 CHAPTER V The Second Public Session--Swearing a Creed never before known in a General Council--Really an Oath including Feudal Obedience 379 CHAPTER VI