It was the duty of the Commission of Direction to decide as to who had a
right to be called to, and to sit in, the council. This commission
consisted of five cardinals who were presidents, eight bishops and a
secretary, the Archbishop of Sardis. There was no difference of opinion. A
question, however, arose as to the right of vicars-apostolic to be invited
to the council. They were bishops, indeed, but without ordinary
jurisdiction. Hence the doubt as to their right to be called. Neither
their admissibility, if invited, nor of their decisive vote when admitted
was at all questioned. The precedents and practice of the Holy See were in
favor of their being called. It was also dreaded lest their exclusion
should give rise to questions as to the œcumenicity of the council. All
bishops, undoubtedly, were entitled to be invited. It was decided,
therefore, that bishops, vicars-apostolic, should be bidden to the
council. The Bulls by which former councils had been convoked called
together archbishops, bishops, etc. The law, therefore, making no
distinction between bishops in ordinary and such as were vicars-apostolic,
neither could the commission. _Ubi lex non distinguit nec nos distingnere
debemus_.
It was a far more serious matter to invite “the bishops of the Oriental
rite who are not in communion with the Apostolic See.” An earnest and
affectionate letter of invitation was addressed to them. It was presented
to the Patriarch of the “Orthodox” Greek Church, who did not consider it
worth while to open it. On the same day, it is related, four millions of
Bulgarians notified to this patriarch their withdrawal from his
jurisdiction. Many bishops of the Greek patriarchate were deeply moved by
the most kind and pressing appeal of the Holy Father. He had beseeched and
conjured them in the most earnest manner “to come to the general assembly
of the bishops of the West and of the whole world, as their fathers had
come to the second Council of Lyons and that of Florence, in order that,
renewing the charity which existed of old, and restoring the peace which
prevailed in the early ages, the fruits of which time has snatched from
us, we may behold at last the pure and bright dawn of that union which we
so ardently desire.” The separated bishops to whom these touching words
were addressed, appear to have been profoundly moved. A goodly number,
even, actuated by the paternal intentions of the Holy Father, were
strongly inclined to meet his advances; but so powerful was the example of
the Greek Patriarch of Constantinople, that none of them dared to take the
lead. The non-united Patriarch of Armenia replied that he would attend the
council. But he failed to do so.
A very considerate letter was also addressed to Protestants and all
non-Catholics. Needless to say it was not responded to. At the Council of
Trent the same attention was shown, but with an equally unsuccessful
result. Julius II. had published the condition on which alone
non-Catholics generally could be invited, viz.: that they should recognize
the Divine authority of the Church. It was not surely to be expected that,
on occasion of the meeting of a General Council, the Catholic Church
should abandon, in favor of a comparatively small number of dissenters,
her fundamental claim to Divine commission, which was acknowledged
throughout all Christendom. The bishops of the Anglican Church were
astonished and irritated on finding that they were invited only as other
Protestants, and not convoked along with the Fathers of the Council. Rome
thus plainly intimated to them that they have yet to prove their
consecration and right to episcopal dignity.
Rev. Dr. Cumming of London, a minister of the Scotch Presbyterian Church,
asked, through Archbishop Manning, to be allowed to lay before the council
such arguments as could be adduced in support of Protestant opinions. Pius
IX. caused the following reply to be sent to the learned minister: “The
decisions of former councils could not be shaken by bringing them anew
into question, and by discussing what had been already examined, judged
and condemned.” Two months later, 30th October, 1869, having been informed
that his words might have been misunderstood, and that certain Protestants
imagined that all access to the Holy See was henceforth closed against
them, the Holy Father, in a new Bull which he very considerately issued,
declared that: “Far from repelling any one, we, on the contrary, make
advances towards all. To those who, led astray by their education, believe
in the truth of their opinions, we, by no means, refuse the examination
and discussion of their arguments. This cannot be done within the council;
but there are not wanting learned theologians whom we shall designate to
them, and to whom they can open their minds. May there be many who, in all
sincerity, shall avail themselves of this facility! We earnestly pray that
the God of mercy may bring about this happy result.”