21st Council

Is the Pope infallible? Are there times when his voice is the voice of God? Such a question could only be decided at an Ecumenical Council, and the question was decided at the last Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church, called in 1870 by Pope Pius IX.

Last week alert correspondents in Rome announced another Council called by another Pius for the year 1930. What cosmic questions would it answer? Only one thing was certain: questions and answers would be as different as are Pius IX and Pius XI.

Pius IX was a visionary. To him came voices and often he expected divine wrath to crush the enemies he himself could not subdue. He could be suave, diplomatic, dignified. But the Kings and Emperors of Europe, like gnats, pestered him till he seemed no more the Vicar of God, but a petty, earthly prince whose lands the Kings wanted--and got.

In 1846 he ascended St. Peter's throne, liberal, popular. Two years later Italy became so liberal, so revolutionary that he had to flee from the Vatican disguised. The year 1850 saw him once more on the throne. French bayonets had effected his return. But his liberalism was gone.

Followed curious times in Europe. In France was a young man called Louis Napoleon who had a famous uncle on the strength of whose name he, too, became Emperor.

In Prussia was an aggressive individual called Bismarck who drank much champagne, smoked many cigars, and swore loudly that Germany had a future.

In Italy was a man called Garibaldi who had escaped many deaths, who hated Austria and whose name rang often and fervently in the hills of Piedmont.

In England was a man called Gladstone and one called Manning and one called Newman. And in England, at Oxford, was a movement which Pius IX had watched with great interest. For the Oxford movement eventually made both Manning and Newman Catholics and Manning became an Archbishop and both became Cardinals.

Science and the sanctity of free speech were much discussed in Europe. Voltaire and Diderot had not written in vain. In England, Newman and Manning, hearing irreverences in the free speech, started the Oxford movement, which was simply a revitalized literal belief in such credos as the 39 Articles. Neither realized then that they had taken one of the many roads to Rome.

In Rome, Pio Nono, no longer liberal, heard too. True that Manning and Newman entered his fold. True that Catholicism because of the very tolerance Voltaire had preached was spreading into Protestant countries. But Pius saw greedy eyes cast at the Papal lands. He, too, must cut the figure of a ruler, intimidate the Kings and Emperors. In 1864 he issued his famed Syllabus Errorum which declared all current naturalism and rationalism error, and put the papacy in opposition to the leading principles of modern civilization. It was not enough. Pius IX called an Ecumenical Council for 1870 to provide "an adequate remedy to the disorders intellectual and moral of Christendom." There had been only 19 Councils before, the last previous one being the Council of Trent (1545).

The north transept of St. Peter's was screened off. Brussels carpets covered extra pews. Primates and Cardinals, Archbishops and mitred Abbots in scarlet and purple robes sat and deliberated. There were strolls in the Borghese gardens and midnight consultations in the overcrowded inns. The youngest delegate was the Archbishop of Baltimore, the late Cardinal Gibbons. The shrewdest was the Archbishop of Westminster, Henry Edward Manning. To his delight he was nicknamed by the other delegates Il Diavolo del Concilio.

There was only one question of importance. Should the Pope be declared by dogma infallible? The Archbishop of Westminster and the Pope were affirmatively insistent. In England, Mr. Gladstone was afraid. In France Louis Napoleon would have kept his eyes on Rome if he had not been forced to look at Germany.

On July 18, 1870, it seemed as though history was being overdramatic. The skies were fulgurant. Detonations of thunder echoed hollowly and mysteriously through the corridors of St. Peter's. The question of infallibility was put to the Council and 535 voted placet; 2 voted non placet. The dissenters were the Bishop of Little Rock, Ark., and the Bishop of Ajaccio, Corsica (where the first Napoleon was born). The question was put again and 537 voted placet.

The next morning war broke out between France and Germany. Napoleon III had to take his troops out of Italy. Pio Nono, who all this while had been protected by France, was defenseless. On the 20th of September Victor Emmanuel, one of the greedy Kings, seized Rome and took away the lands of Pio Nono.

Eight years later Pio Nono died. He had reigned longer than any other pope. He was the first pope to be declared infallible by dogma. But he died without papal lands.

Pius XI--Ambrogio Domieno Achille Ratti, like the ninth Pius at the time of his death, is prisoned in the Vatican. Toward him no greedy Kings or Emperors cast envious eyes. The Catholic Church may own many lands but the Pope does not own any. Herein may lie subject matter for a Council of 1930.

Recently Catholics throughout the world have rejoiced to hear that Mussolini intends to grant Pius XI a tiny portion of Italy (TIME, Jan. 14 et seq ). It is freely rumored that the 21st Ecumenical Council will sanctify that grant.