Preparatory to the opening of the third public session of the council, the
_schema_ “on Catholic faith and on the errors springing from rationalism”
was discussed by thirty-five bishops in the general congregations, between
the 18th of December and the 10th of January. It contained eighteen
chapters, and was sent back to the Commission on Faith in order to be
completely remodeled. It was a grand theological document, and was cast in
the traditional form of conciliar decrees, taking its shape, as they did,
from the errors which it was intended to condemn. It was somewhat archaic,
perhaps, in language, but worthy to rank with the decrees of the Councils
of Toledo or of Lateran. Having been referred to the Commission on Faith,
it was again distributed to the council in its new form on the 14th of
March, wholly recast, and was received with general approbation. This new
document is quite of a distinct character, and not to be compared with the
_schema_ by which it was preceded. It contained, instead of eighteen
chapters, only an introduction and four chapters, in which every sentence
is full of condensed doctrine, the whole having impressed upon it a
singular beauty and splendor of Divine truth. The commission was engaged
in recasting this _schema_ until the end of February. Its subject-matter
was what may well be considered the first foundations of natural and
revealed religion, viz.: the existence and perfections of God, the
creation of the world, the powers and office of human reason, revelation,
faith, the relation of reason to faith and of faith to science. As a
consequence of these truths came the condemnation of atheism, materialism,
pantheism, naturalism and rationalism.
Whilst the non-Catholic world believed that the Pope and the Fathers of
the Council were bestowing all their care on one subject which happened to
be more prominently before the public, they were, on the contrary,
laboring with the greatest pains to elucidate every subject as it came up
for consideration. As has been seen, the most important _schema_ on
Catholic faith had been already very carefully discussed. On the 18th of
March a second discussion took place in the general congregation (or
committee of the whole council) on a report being made by the Primate of
Hungary. Nine bishops then discoursed on the text of the _schema_, after
which, no Father desiring to speak more upon it, the general discussion
ended. Each chapter in particular now came to be discussed. In the debate
on the first chapter sixteen Fathers took part; on the second, twenty; on
the third, twenty-two; on the fourth, twelve; in all, seventy-nine spoke.
This discussion occupied nine sittings, and only ended when no one desired
to speak any further. The amendments of the bishops were sent with the
_schema_ to the commission. As soon as they were printed and distributed
they were examined by the commission, when a full report was made in the
general congregation on the introduction, and the amendments were put to
the vote. The text of the introduction was then once more referred. Each
of the four chapters was treated in the same manner. To the first there
were forty-seven amendments, which, being printed and distributed, the
commission reported, and the amendments were put to the vote. Still
another revision, and the first chapter was adopted, almost unanimously,
on the 1st of April.
The second chapter had sixty-two amendments. Referring to the commission,
revising, reporting and voting followed, as in the case of the first
chapter, when the second was referred back for final amendment.
The third chapter had one hundred and twenty-two amendments. The same
process was followed, in regard to these amendments, as in the case of the
first and second chapters. The proceedings lasted two days.
The fourth chapter had fifty amendments, which were subjected to the same
process as those of the three first, and sent back to the commission. On
the same day, 8th April, the second chapter as amended was passed, and on
the 12th of April, the third and fourth, the former unanimously, the
latter almost so. When the whole was put to the vote, no _non placet_ was
given, whilst there were eighty-three _placets juxta modum_. The
amendments were all sent, as before, to the commission, and printed in a
quarto volume of fifty-one pages. The report was made on the 10th of
April, and on the same day the amended text was unanimously accepted. All
the time between the 14th of March and the 19th of April was consumed in
passing this first _schema_. Sixty-nine members of the council spoke.
Three hundred and sixty-four amendments were made, examined and voted
upon. Six reports were made by the commission upon the text, which, after
its first recasting, had been six times amended. The decree was finally
adopted unanimously by the assembled Fathers, all who were present, six
hundred and sixty-seven, voting in the third public session, on Low Sunday
(Dominica in Abbis), 24th April. This solemn vote of the council was
confirmed by the Pope, who, on the occasion, spoke as follows: “The
decrees and canons contained in the Constitution just read were accepted
by all the Fathers, no one dissenting; and we, the Sacred Council
approving, by our apostolical authority, so define and confirm them.”
Continuing, he addressed the Fathers of the Council: “You see, beloved
brethren, how good and pleasant it is to walk in the House of God in unity
and peace. As our Lord gave to His apostles, so I, His unworthy Vicar, in
His name, give peace to you. That peace, as you know, casts out fear; that
peace shuts the ear to unwise words. May that peace go with you in all the
days of your life; may that peace be with you in death; may that peace be
your everlasting joy in heaven.”
After much deliberation and painstaking, the third public session of the
council came to a close.
At less formal sittings was discussed the discipline relating to bishops.
On this subject thirty-seven Fathers discoursed in the council. Seven
sittings were employed in discussing discipline as concerns the clergy,
and thirty-seven Fathers spoke. Forty-one Fathers took part in discussing
the _schema_ on the Little Catechism. The discussion occupied six
sittings. There was no hurrying of matters in the council. None of the
discussions were closed until none of the Fathers desired further to be
heard. All the _schemata_, it is almost needless to say, having been
discussed, were referred to their respective commissions, in order to be
revised in accordance with the speeches and the written amendments of the
bishops.
Pius IX., meanwhile, was most anxious to aid and promote the labors of the
council. Notwithstanding the great increase of ecclesiastical business
occasioned by the presence in Rome of so many prelates, the affairs of
whose churches, as well as their own more personal matters, required no
small degree of attention, he followed, with unabated interest, every
stage of its proceedings, and caused a minute account to be given to him
every day of what was done in the various committees. These unwonted
cares, and the unusual amount of labor and fatigue which they entailed,
never induced him to omit any of those devotional offices with which he
was accustomed to renew and strengthen his soul. He would not hear of any
hurrying in the discussions on the first _schema_—that on faith, but, on
the contrary, gave due praise to the pains and labor bestowed by the
Fathers on every chapter, word and sentence. It was their object to secure
that complete accuracy and perfection of expression which could not fail
to prove eminently useful in all time to come. As has been already
remarked, the Fathers of the “Congregations” and “Commissions” labored
most assiduously in preparing, for the acceptance of the council, the
_schema_ on faith and doctrine. In the course of the six weeks that it was
under review, seventy-nine discourses were delivered, three hundred and
sixty-four amendments proposed, examined and voted upon, while six reports
were made upon the text of the _schema_, which had been six times amended.
The introduction, the four chapters and the eighteen canons, having
finally passed the council, were approved by the Holy Father, adopted and
promulgated as a Papal “Constitution,” which will be known in history as
the Constitution _Dei Filius_. It is a masterpiece of theological science,
and may be compared to priceless gems artistically arranged by skilful
hands in the richest settings.
It would be idle, indeed, to recount all the hard and absurd things that
have been said by the enemies of the council and the Catholic religion.
One of their accusations, if well founded, would be truly crushing. Some
scientists, who claim to be very profound, deem it necessary to abjure the
Catholic faith, because the Vatican Council has placed an impassable gulf
between religion and science, faith and reason. The council anticipated
and met this accusation which is so vigorously and persistently urged by
the false science of the day. Let us quote from its “Constitution:”
“Although faith is above reason, there can never be any real discrepancy
between faith and reason, since the same God who reveals mysteries and
infuses faith has bestowed the light of reason on the human mind, and
cannot deny Himself, nor can truth ever contradict truth. The false
appearance of such a contradiction is mainly due, either to the dogmas of
faith not having been understood and expounded according to the mind of
the church, or to the inventions of opinion having been taken for the
verdicts of reason. And not only can faith and reason never be opposed to
one another, but they are of mutual aid the one to the other. For right
reason demonstrates the foundations of faith, and, enlightened by its
light, cultivates the science of things divine; while faith frees and
guards reason from errors, and furnishes it with manifold knowledge.
“So far, therefore, is the church from opposing the cultivation of human
arts and sciences, that it, in many ways, helps and promotes it. For the
Church neither ignores nor despises the benefits to human life which
result from the arts and sciences, but confesses that, as they came from
God, the Lord of all science, so, if they be rightly used, they lead to
God by the help of His grace. Nor does the Church forbid that each of
these sciences, in its sphere, should make use of its own principle and
its own method. But while recognizing this just liberty, it stands
watchfully on guard, lest the sciences, setting themselves against the
Divine teaching, or transgressing their own limits, should invade and
disturb the domain of faith.”