Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 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 of Control Over the Material Affairs of the Church. [Baltimore special ] The American of this city publishes a special letter from Rome having reference to, the confirmation and effect of the decrees passed by the Plenary Council of Baltimore. The writer says that their influence will be felt throughout America, and to a beneficial purpose. A canon, which took its origin in medivael times, and was founded on and constituted for a civilization that has almost passed away, is cut into by the decrees. They will constitute a law suitable for the time. The education of the clergy will be elevated to the wants of the time. The Christian civilization of the people will be made to keep pace with the material civilization of the time. Christianity will be brought into harmony with the education and civilization of the 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, while 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 at servant, or rather a slave, of the state, as it has so often been in European countries, such as France and Austria. The church in America prefers to depend for her support upon the free off erings 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 the United States. These were founded.on “benefices,”, but there they will not be employed. This,' however, does not indicate that pastors who have created and fostered a congregation, dud m ide the desert to blossom as a rose, will be harshly treated or removed from the places 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 where 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, and it is not advisable to remove or curtail their liberty. The dignity and authority Will be increased nmd 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 the 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 secret society will be reserved to a permanent board of all the archbishops of the country, and all cases of such a nature must be referred to them for their judgment and decision.