civil power cannot define how far the circumference of faith and morals extends. If it could it would be invested with one of the supernatural endowments of the Church. Therefore it is the Church or nobody. This last supposition leads to chaos." And indeed the argument is conclusive. No one who rejects the Protestant theory of private judgment in the domain of faith and morals, and admits instead the teaching authority of the Church, can call in question the Church's right to decide what matters lie within her own domain. If those whom her teaching failed to please might lawfully refuse assent on the ground that, while bound to yield submission where she had a right to claim it, they themselves were to judge how far her right extended, her teaching authority could be always set aside. What tribunal could fulfil any useful function if its decisions could be always met with the plea that the matters decided on lay beyond its jurisdiction? Hence every civil tribunal claims and exercises, sometimes without, sometimes subject to, appeal, the right to determine its own authority and the extent of its jurisdiction. And may we grant such power to the civil courts and deny it to the Church? The Church, then, decides authoritatively on questions of faith and morals, and decides, too, whether in questions that arise, faith and morals are involved or not. But who are the depositaries of this Church authority? Who may speak on these points in the Church's name and promulgate officially her decisions? Very briefly we may answer: Those to whom Christ has committed the Church's government-the Roman Pontiff, acting as Supreme Head of the Church on earth; the Bishops of the Church, assembled under his presidency in general council; and each Bishop in the particular diocese alloted to him. The Pope may, indeed, consult with Roman congregations and make them the channels of his communications to the Church; general councils may utilise the labours of theologians, and invite even lay princes and scholars to share in their deliberations; a Bishop in his diocese will seek assistance for the faithful from an inferior clergy, both secular and regular. But Roman congregations, and theologians, and the clergy of a lower rank than the Episcopate, as the lay princes and scholars themselves, are the mere helps and instruments of those who govern. It was not to them, but to Bishops only that St. Paul said, "Take heed to yourselves, and to the whole VOL. XXV. No. 293 43 flock wherein the Holy Ghost hath placed you Bishops to rule the Church of God." And are there no limits to this authority? None other than those set by Christ Himself when He marked out the field in which his Church was to labour, and gave her the right to declare authentically what those limits were. None, certainly, which The teaching authority civil society or individuals may appoint. of the Church-of Popes, of Councils, and of Bishops, is not given by the civil state nor by any or all of the Church's children. The civil state then or the Church's children cannot fix its limits, cannot even judge authoritatively what its limits are. Only Christ, who bestows the authority, and the Church, the appointed guardian of the Divine deposit, can. No doubt it may appear to those who are without the Church that we Catholics are rather prodigal in our allegiance to her, when we admit her right to speak authoritatively on every subject which she herself declares to lie within her jurisdiction. And, if there were no Divine guidance for the rulers who are supreme, and no appeal from inferior decisions, and no historic evidence of singular self-restraint in the exercise of her authority, the taunt might, perhaps, be justifiable. But knowing as we know how slowly Church authority is set in motion, believing that Popes and councils are guided by the Divine Spirit in their supreme decisions, and aware that from every episcopal judgment an appeal lies to a higher tribunal, we can have no fear that our loyalty will be unduly tried; and, if ever-for it may so happen-a decision should be rendered, to which we find it hard to yield, the path of duty is clearly marked :-If the judge who pronounces speaks with supreme authority and in the full exercise of that authority-as do Popes and councils in rare and well-defined circumstancesunhesitating assent and full obedience are of palmary necessity. If they speak-as both Popes and councils do at times-without invoking the fullness of their powers and the Divine promises on which they rest, we may urge them to re-consider their decisions; though even then there are none to whom we may appeal against them. And if the authority is local, and therefore not infallible and not supreme, there are higher tribunals, Church tribunals, to which the judgment may be taken for review and for correction. And now if I may sum up briefly-(1) The object which the Church and her rulers must ever have in view is the object which Christ lived and died for-a spiritual one, the salvation of men's souls. (2) There are many matters wholly spiritual-interpretation of Scripture, mysteries of religion, Sacraments, and the likeand these lie evidently within the Church's jurisdiction. (3) There may be others which have no spiritual side, no bearing upon faith and morals, and if there be they are nowise subjects to the Church's authority. (4) But there is a vast multitude of human actions, which go to constitute the life of civil society, in themselves. unspiritual, without any direct or immediate bearing on the salvation of the soul-education, poor-law administration, care of the sick and dying, reformation of the criminal, Parliamentary legislation, exercise of the poor-law, the municipal, the Parliamentary franchise, and a thousand others-which yet may affect spiritual interests, produce consequences most hurtful or most helpful to souls, and so become indirectly spiritual, and subject to the jurisdiction of the Church. (5) And whether any given action is of this nature, an object of conscientious obligation, and so subject to the interference on the part of Church authority, can only be determined by the Church herself-by the Supreme Pontiff, or by a General Council with supreme authority, and, therefore, without appeal; by each Catholic Bishop in his own diocese, with an authority which cannot be set aside by the State or by the faithful, though it may be appealed against to the religious authority which is supreme. P. FINLAY. FLASH WHITE ROSES. out! under the cloudless skies, O late little white-winged flight! Once I was told, when blue butterflies Came home in the failing light, They had not seen you. With dew in your eyes I found you to-night. O south wind, go down where the poppies grow In a mist of gold by the stream; Do not flutter these white buds so, AGNES ROMILLY WHITE. BLESSED THADDEUS MAC CARTHY.* FROM the sunshine and the rain Of the exiled centuries, From the blue Italian seas, You have come to us again : Home to us and dear old Ireland, By the Lee that saw your sorrow You will rest with sheaf and crown, You have won the victor's goal, To God's Heaven when we pray, How the people's hearts are swelling, Of your life so sad and holy, Of the patience sweet and lowly Of your day. Blessed Thaddeus, Bishop of Cork and Cloyne, died at Ivrea in Piedmont, in 1492. His relics, which were kept there ever since with great reverence and with the fame of miracles, were deposited with joyful solemnity under the Blessed Virgin's altar in the Cathedral of Cork, September 12th, 1897. Oh, the honours God pours down Far away in glen and valley, Since you went in grief away, One dear hour to see your face, And we thank the Lord who crowned you, For His grace. ALICE ESMOnde. |