Democratic Sentinel, Volume 9, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 October 1885 — THE PAPAL SEE. [ARTICLE]

THE PAPAL SEE.

It Makes Many Concessions to the Advanced Spirit of the Nineteenth Century. The Hierarchy Invested with Power o( Control Over tho Material Affairs of the Church. [Baltimore special ] The American of this city publishes a I special letter from Rome having reference to the confirmation and effect of the deI crees passed by the Plenary Council of Baltimore. The writer says that their inllu- | ence will be felt throughout America, and |to a beneficial purpose. A canon, which | took its origin in me diva 1 ' times, and was founded on and constituted for a civilizaI tion that has almost passed away, is cut into by the decrees. They will constitute a law suitable for the time. The education of tho clergy will be elevated to the wants of tho time. The Christian civilization of the people will be made to keep pace with the material civilization of the timo. Christianity will be brought into harmony with the j education aud civilization of the i present age. Regulations have been made for the establishment of schools for children, normal schools for teachers, and a university for priests and for those laymen who devote themselves to the pursuits of higher knowledge. It is not by “benefices,” that great feature of the middle ages by which, wh.le education was assisted, it was also hampered, that these results are to be obtained. “Benefices ’ will not be brought in as a means of support. The Catholic Church in the United States wants no subsidy from the state, and thus it will not become a servant, or ra her a slave, of tho state, as it lias so often beon in European countries, such us Franco and Austria. The church In America prefers to depend for her support upon the free offerings of the people. in the new dioceses it is provided that no such thing as parishes and parish priests, in the old canonical sense of the term, will exist in tho United States. These were founded on “benefiees,” but there they will •not be employed. This, however, does not indicate that pastors who have created and fostered a congregation, and m de the desert to blossom ns a rose, will be harshly treated or removed from the pi ices they have built up. There will not be an absolute removability of pastors. A certain percentage of them will be declared immovable, and this holds good except in cases whero faults are ascribed to the pastor, and these faults and their consequences will be determined by a trial. A certain amount of liberty of action is required in the United States both by Bishops and clergy, aud it is not advisable to remove or curtail their liberty. The dignity and authority will be increased and brought more prominently into relief. They will have their courts over those of bishops, in which appeals will be received before such appeals can be sent to Rome. In future bishops will have a permanent board or council, which they will assemble at certain intervals during the year. They will also give some voice to tho clergy in the selection of bishops. Another important decision of the Baltimore Council refers to societies or associations. A stop is about to be put to indiscriminate, injudicious, or conflicting condemnation of secret societies. Henceforward the condemnation of any seciet society will be reserved to a permanent board of all the archbishops of the country, nnd all cases of such a nature must be referred to them for their judgment and decision.