_Rome, July 14, 1870._—I must again interrupt my narrative of the
occurrences and speeches between June 5 and 10 to communicate the details
of the great event of the session of July 13—an event which has falsified
all expectations on both sides, and created a sensation and astonishment
in Rome which it will take people some time to recover from. Even beyond
the Alps, in spite of the all-absorbing question of the war, it will rouse
interest and joyful surprise. In the last few days before the critical
morning of the 13th there was much discussion among the Bishops of the
various nations as to whether they should vote a simple “No” or a
conditional “Yes,”—a _Non placet_ or a _Placet juxta modum_. It was not
merely the fourth chapter that was in question, which deals with
infallibility, but the whole _Schema_ on the Papacy, which contains also
the much-decried third canon of the third chapter, establishing for the
first time the theory of the universal episcopate of the Pope, the very
theory Pope Gregory the Great characterized as an abomination and a
blasphemy. It was known that the Bishops who are mere dilettantis in
theology—and their number is legion, as is natural under the present
system of episcopal appointments—would greatly prefer voting _juxta
modum_, _i.e._, with a conditioned “Yes.” That would always leave them
free to reserve their further decision till the public voting “coram
Sanctissimo” (as the Pope is here called), when only a direct “Yes” or
“No” can be voted. Each of them could present in writing the conditions or
wishes on which he desired to make his _Placet_ dependent, and then say
“Yes” or “No” according to his pleasure in the Solemn Session, if his
suggestions were disregarded—“Yes,” if he wished to direct the lightning
flashes of the angry Jupiter to other heads than his own; “No,” if he
could summon manliness and courage enough at the last moment. The Court
party and the majority had neglected no means of impressing on the
recalcitrants the uselessness of their negative votes and the personal
disadvantages to themselves. Every one was told, “It is determined
irrevocably to take no account of your ‘No,’ and to go on to the
promulgation of the dogma. Supported by at least 500 favourable votes, and
throwing the surplus weight of his own vote into the scale, the Pope, on
the 17th or 24th July, will walk over your heads amid the presumed
acclamations of the whole Catholic world; and how lamentable and hopeless
a situation will yours be then! You are then heretics, who have incurred
the terrible penalties of the canon law; you have surrendered at
discretion, bound hand and foot, to the mercy of the deeply injured Pope.
Consider, ‘Quid sum miser tunc dicturus, quem patronum rogaturus?’ ”
Thus they were worked on individually. And more drastic methods were
employed as well. It was asserted that two documents had already been
drawn up in the Vatican, which every Bishop would be compelled to sign
before being allowed to leave Rome; the one a profession of faith
comprising the new article of infallibility, and the other an attestation
of the perfect freedom of the Council throughout its whole course. Whoever
refused to sign either would thereby at once incur papal censures. “We
shall thus have,” they were told, “your _Non placet_ and your ‘free’
acknowledgment under your hand of the article of faith you denied a few
days before, and shall show it to the world. Do you wish then morally to
annihilate yourselves in public opinion?”
As the Bishops who are resolved to give a negative vote knew well the more
timorous temper of many of their colleagues, who were half-ready to be
persuaded and half-ready to succumb, and remembered the Scriptural saying
that “a high priest must have compassion on our infirmities,” some of them
drew up a formula stating the basis on which the timid might vote _Placet
juxta modum_. In the preamble of the _Schema_ the word “principium” was to
be exchanged for “exordium,” and instead of “vis et virtus in eo (Papâ)
consistit,” was to be put “præcipue in eo consistit;” the third canon of
the third chapter was to be wholly omitted, and the word “episcopalis”
left out of the chapter, and lastly, the formula of St. Antoninus was to
be substituted for the fourth chapter. The proposed document ends with
“Secus in Solemni Sessione dicturus sum, _Non placet_.”
On July 12 the Bishops of the minority held the most largely attended
international conference which has yet taken place; about 70 were present.
Three prelates, two German and one French—Ketteler, Melchers and
Archbishop Landriot of Rheims—proposed that all should vote _Placet juxta
modum_, but at the same time hand in a precise and decided formulas the
condition of their assent, with a declaration that, if their demands were
rejected or inadequately complied with, they should be obliged to vote
_Non placet_ in the Solemn Session. This would have substantially secured
the complete victory of the majority and the _Curia_. Every one would have
naturally said, “Your ‘Yes,’ however conditioned, can only bear the sense
that in the main point you agree with the _Schema_, and that main point
lies in the two new and great articles of faith, which hang together and
must shape the future of the Church, the universal episcopate of the Pope
and his infallibility. By saying _Placet_ you affirm these two new dogmas,
and after that it will matter little what particular collateral wishes or
conditions you may choose to add. Whether they are acceded to or not, you
must in consistency say ‘Yes’ on the great day of the public profession,
when only a simple affirmative or negative vote can be given.”
The three Cardinals, the two primates Simor and Ginoulhiac, Strossmayer
and others, spoke out repeatedly and emphatically against this mischievous
proposal which would at the last moment have frustrated all their hopes,
and annihilated the results of seven months’ sufferings and labours. A
decisive impression was produced by the remark of the Archbishop of Milan,
that there were many infallibilists who on various grounds would vote
conditionally, and this peculiar kind of vote, which was better adapted to
courtiers than Bishops, had better be left to them. “The only befitting
course for us,” he said, “who are convinced of the falsehood of the
doctrine, is to say ‘No.’ ” This was unanimously accepted. Tarnoczy, who
for some time back has withdrawn from his German and Hungarian colleagues,
and votes regularly with the majority, was not present. Cardinal
Schwarzenberg said he should be glad if one of the Cardinals voted _Non
placet_ before him, but if this did not happen he should be the first, and
should count it a distinction to stand at the head of this noble band.
It was remarkable how generally the view prevailed that scarcely ten
opposing votes would really be given when the time came. No means were
spared, by rumours and inventions, to spread terror and despair among the
ranks of the Opposition. Thus the report was circulated in foreign
journals—where you will have read it—as well as here, that a “sauve qui
peut,” and “débandade” had become the watchword of the Opposition, and not
thirty would be left on the day for voting. We see now that this was all
pure invention. Even Förster’s departure, which I reported myself, had not
taken place; only Greith had gone. When Darboy had an audience of the Pope
the day before the voting, and said that there was a considerable number
of Bishops who would join him in saying _Non placet_, the Pope replied,
“Perhaps many will vote _juxta modum_, but certainly not above ten _Non
placet_.” For some time past Pius has notoriously known everything with
absolute certainty, even the temper of distant countries. The formulas put
into the Pope’s mouth by the Roman Chancery, “proprio motu” and “ex certâ
scientiâ,” have been transmuted by the habit of twenty-four years into
actual flesh and blood with him.
At the beginning of the sitting the news had spread among the majority
that the negative votes would be much more numerous than had been supposed
on the evening before. On this Dechamps of Mechlin went to the heads of
the Opposition and entreated them with humble gestures and whining voice
to vote _juxta modum_, saying there was really some disposition with the
authorities to insert the “consensus” and “testimonium Ecclesiarum” into
the fourth chapter. The trick was too barefaced to succeed, and sharp
words were spoken on the other side. One of the Bishops said to the new
primate, “C’est une impudence sans exemple,” and Darboy called the
attention of the three Cardinals to this treacherous attempt at the last
moment to divide and perplex the Opposition. Now began the voting “sub
secreto,” as it was again called, and the sub-secretary Jacobini read the
names of the Fathers from the pulpit. And then a wholly unexpected
phenomenon came to light: out of 600 Fathers present in Rome—there were
764 in January—only 520 had appeared, and it was at once known that very
many of the absentees had stayed away from dislike to the _Schema_, and to
avoid the disagreeable consequences of a negative vote.
The line taken by the Orientals in the voting excites surprise here. The
Propaganda has spared no means of exercising a strict supervision and
control over them, and yet the upshot is that the most influential of them
have voted _Non placet_, some _juxta modum_, and others have absented
themselves. In fact all the real Eastern Bishops—_i.e._, those who
represent dioceses—have voted against the dogma. Every one acquainted with
the state of things in Asia foresees that the promulgation of the dogma,
which will follow in spite of this, will lead to the definitive separation
of the Uniate Churches in the East. But that makes not the slightest
impression on the Pope and the Jesuits.
When the names of the _juxta modum_ voters were read out, the President
said “quorum, quantum possible erit, habebitur ratio.” That sounded like
open mockery: it meant, “We (the Deputation) have already settled among
ourselves what is impossible, viz., making the co-operation of the
episcopate a condition, but still there are some possible things. If,
_e.g._, any Bishops wish to have ‘inerrantia’ substituted for
‘infallibilitas,’ perhaps they may be gratified.” But even concessions of
that sort are doubtful, for one cannot give the lie to Bishop Gasser of
Brixen, who has distinctly declared that “nec verbum addetur nec verbum
demetur amplius.”
Among the conditional voters are Dreux-Brézé, certainly only because the
decree is not strong enough for him. The whole Hungarian Episcopate
remained firm in its opposition. The Austrians know now why Rudigier and
Fessler were given them as Bishops. I send you with this the authentic
list of the Fathers who did not vote with a simple _Placet_. It shows that
it was just the Bishops of capital cities, as well as North American,
Irish, English, and beyond expectation many North Italian prelates, who
voted against the dogma. Only one, strictly speaking, was wholly false to
his professions, the Bishop of Porto Rico.
The Pope is still sure that at the last critical moment a divine miracle
will enlighten the benighted minds of the opponents and suddenly reverse
their sentiments. The Holy Ghost will and must do this. Pius seems to have
clear assurances on that point. He had lately a remarkable conversation
about it with a French Bishop, whom he had never seen before. As he
regards every opponent of the dogma as his personal enemy, he received him
as such and reproached him with being Cæsar’s friend instead of the
Pope’s; the Bishop replied that his white hairs testified to his having
nothing to fear or hope for, but simply to follow his conscience, which
constrained him with many of his colleagues to vote against the new dogma.
“No,” exclaimed Pius, “you will not vote against it; the Holy Ghost at the
decisive hour will irresistibly enlighten you, and you will all say
_Placet_.”
When the French Government in 1733 had the cemetery of La Chaise
surrounded with soldiers, to stop the miraculous cures at the grave of the
Abbé Paris, the inscription was found one morning over the entrance—
De par le roi défense à Dieu,
De faire miracle en ce lieu.
On the 17th or 24th July 1870 there might be written over the entrance of
the Council Hall—
De par le Pape ordre au bon Dieu
De faire miracle en ce lieu.
The echo of the Vatican, Veuillot’s _Univers_, has just been accusing the
Bishops of the minority of ruining the papal treasury by prolonging the
debates on infallibility through their opposition, and thus obliging the
Pope to go on supporting his 300 episcopal foster sons, and buy his
infallibility late and at a high price, when it ought to have been cast
into his lap by spontaneous acclamation at the first. A physician has now
been discovered for the treasury which has sickened under the
infallibility affair. Rothschild is said to have been here and concluded a
loan of forty million franks. As the deficit only amounts to thirty
million, there remain ten million for fireworks, illuminations and
church-decorations, the journey-money of trusty Bishops, and the like. But
now the war is impending, and with it the withdrawal of Peter’s pence and
perhaps still worse.(154)
The following voted _Non-placet_:—1. _Prague_, Cardinal Prince-Archbishop
Schwarzenberg; 2. _Besançon_, Cardinal Archbishop Mathieu; 3. _Vienna_,
Cardinal Prince-Archbishop Rauscher; 4. _Antioch_, Patriarch Jussuf, of
the Melchite Rite; 5. _Babylon_, Patriarch Audu, of the Chaldean Rite; 6.
_Gran_, Archbishop and Primate of Hungary, Simor; 7. _Lyons_, Archbishop
Ginoulhiac; 8. _Tuam_, Archbishop MacHale; 9. _Olmütz_, Prince-Archbishop
Fürstenberg; 10. _Trabezund_, Bishop Ghiureghian, of the Armenian Rite;
11. _Munich_, Archbishop Scherr; 12. _Bamberg_, Archbishop Deinlein; 13.
_Seert_, Bishop Bar-Tatar, of the Chaldean Rite; 14. _Halifax_, Archbishop
Conolly, of the Capuchin Order; 15. _Lemberg_, Archbishop Wierzcheyski, of
the Latin Rite; 16. _Paris_, Archbishop Darboy; 17. _Kalocsa_, Archbishop
Haynald; 18. _Milan_, Archbishop Nazari di Calabiana; 19. _Tyre_,
Archbishop Kauam, of the Melchite Rite; 20. _Biella_ (_Italy_), Bishop
Losanna; 21. _Autun_, Bishop Marguerye; 22. _Ivrea_ (_Piedmont_), Bishop
Moreno; 23. _Dijon_, Bishop Rivet; 24. _Metz_, Bishop Dupont des Loges;
25. _Iglesias_ (_Sardinia_), Bishop Montixi; 26. _Acquapendente_ (formerly
in the Roman States), Bishop Pellei; 27. _Trieste_, Bishop Legat; 28.
_Orleans_, Bishop Dupanloup; 29. _Vezprim_, Bishop Ranolder; 30.
_Mayence_, Bishop Ketteler; 31. _Bosnia_ and _Syrmia_, Bishop Strossmayer;
32. _Budweis_, Bishop Jirsik; 33. _Breslau_, Prince-Bishop Förster; 34.
_Kerry_, Bishop Moriarty; 35. _Leontopolis, in partibus_, Bishop Forwerk,
Apostolic Vicar of Saxony; 36. _Plymouth_, Bishop Vaughan; 37. _Clifton_,
Bishop Clifford; 38. _Nice_, Bishop Sola; 39. _Parenzo_ and _Pola_, Bishop
Dobrilla; 40. _Kreutz_ (_in Croatia_), Bishop Smiciklas, of the Ruthenian
Rite; 41. _Augsburgh_, Bishop Dinkel; 42. _Gurk_, Bishop Wiery; 43.
_Caltanisetta_ (_Sicily_), Bishop Guttadauro di Reburdone; 44. _Vacz_ (_in
Hungary_), Bishop Peitler; 45. _Marianne_ (_Syria_), —— of the Melchite
Rite; 46. _Chatham_, Bishop Rogers; 47. _Csanad_ and _Temesvar_, Bishop
Bonnaz; 48. _Pittsburg_, Bishop Domenec; 49. _Luzonia_, Bishop Colet; 50.
_Sura, in partibus_, Bishop Maret; 51. _St. Brieuc_, Bishop David; 52.
_Trèves_, Bishop Eberhard; 53. _Coutance_, Bishop Bravard; 54. _Lavant_,
Bishop Stepischnigg; 55. _Soissons_, Bishop Dours; 56. _Akra_, Bishop
Mellus, of the Chaldean Rite; 57. _Siebenbürgen_, Bishop Fogarasz; 58.
_Châlons_, Bishop Meignan; 59. _Valence_, Bishop Gueullette; 60.
_Perpignan_, Bishop Ramadié; 61. _Paleopolis, in partibus_, Bishop
Mariassy (_Hungary_); 62. _Petricola_ or _Little Rock_ (_United States_),
Bishop Fitzgerald; 63. _Marseilles_, Bishop Place; 64. _Cahors_, Bishop
Grimardias; 65. _Osnaburgh_, Bishop Beckmann; 66. _Szathmar_ (_Hungary_),
Bishop Virò de Keydi Polany; 67. _Munkacs_, Bishop Pankovics, of the
Ruthenian Rite; 68. _Bayeux_, Bishop Hugonin; 69. _Raab_, Bishop ——; 70.
_La Rochelle_, Bishop Benedetto; 71. _Nancy_, Bishop Foullon; 72.
_Constantine_ (_Algiers_), Bishop de las Cases; 73. _Oran_ (_Algiers_),
Bishop Callot; 74. _Gap_, Bishop Guilbert; 75. _Ermeland_, Bishop
Crementz; 76. _Rochester_, Bishop MacQuaid; 77. _Louisville_, Bishop
Kenrick; 78. _Cassovia_, Bishop Perger (Hungary); 79. _Agathopolis_,
Bishop Namszanowski, Provost of the Prussian Army in Berlin; 80.
_Montreal_ (_Canada_), Bishop Bourget; 81. _Grosswardein_, Bishop
Lipovniczky; 82. _Fünfkirchen_, Bishop Kovacs; 83. _Steinamanger_, Bishop
Szenczy; 84. _Rottenburg_, Bishop Hefele; 85. _Ajaccio_, Bishop Sante
Casanelli d’Istria, and three more whose names were omitted in the
official catalogue.
There voted _Placet juxta modum_:—1. De Silvestri, Cardinal-Priest; 2.
Trevisanato, Cardinal Patriarch of Venice; 3. Guidi, Cardinal Archbishop
of Bologna; 4. _Salsburg_, Archbishop and Primate Tarnoczy; 5. _Oregon
City_, Archbishop Blanchet; 6. _Nisibis, in partibus_, Archbishop Tizzani;
7. _Tyre and Sidon_, Archbishop Bostani, Maronite; 8. _Manila_, Archbishop
Melithon-Martinez; 9. _Granada_, Archbishop Monzon y Martins; 10.
_Avignon_, Archbishop Dubrevil; 11. _New York_, Archbishop MacCloskey; 12.
_Cologne_, Archbishop Melchers; 13. _Melitene, in partibus_, Archbishop
Mérode; 14. _Rheims_, Archbishop Landriot; 15. _Sens_, Archbishop
Bernardou; 16. _Burgos_, Archbishop Yusto; 17. _Ventimiglia_ (_Italy_),
Bishop Biale; 18. _Columbica_, _in partibus_, Bishop Verolles, Apostolic
Vicar in Leao-Tung (China); 19. _Canopo_, _in partibus_, Bishop Besi; 20.
_Sira_, Bishop Alberti, Apostolic Delegate in Greece; 21. _Zenopolis_, _in
partibus_, Bishop Moccagatta, Apostolic Vicar in Xan-Tung; 22. _Lipari_,
Bishop Ideo; 23. _Birmingham_, Bishop Ullathorne; 24. _Vancouver_, Bishop
Demers; 25. _Mileto_, Bishop Mincione; 26. _Moulins_, Bishop Dreux-Brézé;
27. _Gezira_, Bishop Hindi, of the Chaldean Rite; 28. _Hadrianopolis, in
partibus_, Bishop De la Place, Apostolic Vicar in Tsche-Kiang; 29.
_Tarnovia_, Bishop Pukalski (Galicia); 30. _Chartres_, Bishop Regnault;
31. _Urgel_, Bishop Caixal y Estrade; 32. _Monterey_, Bishop Amat; 33.
_Tanes_, _in partibus_, Bishop Salzano, Dominican; 34. _Newcastle_, Bishop
Chadwick; 35. _Lacedonia_, Bishop Majorsini; 36. _Todi_, Bishop Rosati;
37. _Avellino_, Bishop Gallo; 38. _Amelia_, Bishop Pace; 39. _Nola_,
Bishop Formisano; 40. _Imola_, Bishop Moretti; 41. _Zamora_, Bishop Condé
y Corral; 42. _Avila_, Bishop Blanco, Dominican; 43. _Savannah_, Bishop
Verot; 44. _Cuenca_, Bishop Payà y Rico; 45. _Cajazzo_, Bishop Riccio; 46.
_Teramo_, Bishop Milella, Dominican; 47. _Nocera_, Bishop Pettinari; 48.
_St. Christophori_, Bishop De Urguinaona; 49. _Clariopolis_, _in
partibus_, Bsciai, Apostolic Vicar in Egypt, of the Coptic Rite; 50.
_Erzeroum_, Bishop Melchisedechian, of the Armenian Rite; 51. _Monte
Fiascone_, Bishop Bovieri; 52. _Savona_, Bishop Cerruti; 53. _Agathonica_,
_in partibus_, Bishop Pagnucci; 54. _Ascalon_, _in partibus_, Bishop
Meurin, Society of Jesus; 55. _Dionysia_, _in partibus_, Bishop Gentili;
56. _Cattaro_, Bishop Marchich; 57. _Serena_, Bishop Orrego; 58. Mardin,
Bishop of the Chaldean Rite; 59. _Tiberias_, _in partibus_, Bishop
Valeschi; 60. Guardi, General of the Ministers of the Sick; 61. The Abbot
of the Camaldolese in Etruria.
The following abstained from voting, though in Rome at the
time:—_Cardinals_: 1. Mattei, 2. Orfei, 3. Quaglia, 4. Hohenlohe, 5.
Berardi, 6. Antonelli, 7. Grassellini; 8. The Patriarch Harcus of Antioch,
of the Syrian Rite; 9. The Archbishop and Primate Salomone of Salerno; 10.
The Maronite Archbishop Aun of Beirout; 11, 12. Two other Archbishops; 13.
_Aleppo_, Archbishop Matar, of the Maronite Rite; 14. _Venezuela_,
Archbishop Guevara; 15. _Utrecht_, Archbishop Zwysen; 16. _Tours_,
Archbishop Guibert; 17. _Rodi_, _in partibus_, Archbishop Pace-Forno,
Bishop of Malta; 18. _Mardin_, Archbishop Nasarian, of the Armenian Rite;
19. _Alby_, Archbishop Lyonnet; 20. Iconium, _in partibus_, Archbishop
Puecher Passavalli; 21. _Guadalaxara_, Archbishop Loya; 22. _Amida_,
Archbishop Bahtiarian, of the Armenian Rite; 23. _Tournay_, Bishop Labis;
24. _Terni_, Bishop Severa; 25. _Veglia_, Bishop Vitezich; 26. _Almira_,
_in partibus_, Bishop Carli, Capuchin; 27. _Montauban_, Bishop Doney; 28.
_Cava_, Bishop Fertilla; 29. _Curia_, _in partibus_, Bishop Grioglio; 30.
_Segni_ (Papal State), Bishop Ricci; 31. _Paphos_, _in partibus_, Bishop
Alcazar, Dominican Vicar Apostolic; 32. _Vicenza_, Bishop Varina; 33.
_Salford_, Bishop Turner; 34. _Catanzaro_, Bishop de Franco; 35.
_Bergamo_, Bishop Speranza; 36. _Savannah_, —; 37. _St. Angelo in
Lombardy_, Bishop Fanelli; 38. _Dromore_, Bishop Leahy, Dominican; 39.
_Glarus_, —; 40. _Birta_, _in partibus_, Bishop Pinsoneault; 41. _Fernes_,
Bishop Furlong; 42. _Anagni_, Bishop Pagliari; 43. _Siguenza_, Bishop
Benavides; 44. _Ceramo_, _in partibus_, Bishop Jeancard, Suffragan of
Marseilles; 45. _Polemonia_, _in partibus_, Bishop Pinchon; 46. _Lipari_,
Bishop Athanasio; 47. _Apamea_, Archbishop Ata, of the Melchite Rite; 48.
_Mindus_, _in partibus_, Bishop Papardo del Parco; 49. _Bursa_, Bishop
Tilkian, of the Armenian Rite; 50. _Astorga_, Bishop Arguelles y Miranda;
51. _Comacchio_, Bishop Spoglia; 52. _Charlottetown_, Bishop MacIntyre;
53. _Vallis Pratensis_, — (?); 54. _Lamego_, Bishop de Vasconcellos
Periera de Mello; 55. _Montpellier_, Bishop Curtier; 56. _Barcelona_,
Bishop Monserrat y Navarro; 57. _Amatunto_, _in partibus_, Bishop Galezki,
Apostolic Vicar in Cracow; 58. _Kilmore_, Bishop Conaty; 59. _Priene_, _in
partibus_, Bishop Cosi; 60. _Tuy_, Bishop Garcia y Anton; 61. _Puno_,
Bishop Huerta; 62. _Adelaide_, Bishop Shiel; 63. _Albany_ (_America_),
Bishop Conroy; 64. _Concordia_, Bishop Frangipani; 65. _St. Hyacinth_,
Bishop Laroque; 66. _Dubuque_, Bishop Hennessy; 67. _Vannes_, Bishop
Becel; 68. _Goulburn_, Bishop Lannigan; 69. _St. Germani bei Monte
Cassino_, — (?); 70. _Verdun_, Bishop Hacquard; 71. _Egéa_, _in partibus_,
Bishop Reynaud; 72. _St. Giov. di Cuyo_, Bishop Achaval; 73. _Cirene_, _in
partibus_, Bishop Canzi; 74. _Rodiopolis_, _in partibus_, Bishop Tosi; 75.
_Buffalo_, Bishop Ryan; 76. _Adramyttium_, _in partibus_, Bishop Gibbons;
77. _Coria_, Bishop Nuñez; 78. _Heliopolis_, Bishop Nasser, of the
Melchite Rite; 79. _Titopolis_, _in partibus_, — (?); 80, 81. Abbates
nullius; 82, 83. Burchall, President of the Benedictine Congregation in
England; 84. The Abbot of Janow, Apostolic Administrator in Russia; 85.
Montis Coronæ; 86-91. These names could not be announced on account of the
great confusion.