The Year of Preparation for the Vatican Council

Consider the preparations that are necessary prior to the convocation of a General Council of the Catholic Church. The Assembly of the General Council of the Vatican is the greatest and most pregnant event of the last three hundred years. It is naturally, therefore, filling men's minds whether they will it or no. The Church of God is a perfect kingdom, not of the world, but in it. It is a kingdom of souls, and has a divine mission to gather into itself the whole human race. It has a divine right to whatever is necessary for its perfect organization, and for the fulfilment of its divine mission. As there is no limit in point of time or place to its mission, so there is no exemption to the obedience due to its authority when once recognized. The General Council is the reunion in one place of the Apostolate dispersed throughout the world, under the authority and direction of its divinely appointed head, whose office is It to confirm his brethren," and whose " faith shall not fail" Human society cannot but be affected by the decisions of the Council. Gainsay it as scoffers and unbelievers may, mankind will be influenced by its decision. Individuals may have eyes and see not, and ears and hear not: but God Himself will solemnly speak to the world through the infallible decisions of the Council of His Church, and the Spirit of the Lord will fill the face of the earth as the waters cover the sea. There is much misconception as to the nature of a General Council. Subjects directly connected with it are ordinarily studied only by Theologians and Canonists. In the midst top of a Babel of tongues and newspapers in which we live circumstances attendant upon the Convocation of the Vatican Council have been continually reported inaccurately. The following pages, therefore, may be useful to all who desire correct and trustworthy information. They are reprinted chiefly from the Supplements on the Council which have appeared in THE TABLET newspaper during the past year. The theological and legal part of the work is due almost entirely to the pen of Mr. DAVID LEWIS, whose learning and accuracy are too well known to need commendation while the narrative of current events has been prepared by other trustworthy and competent hands. In order to make this volume on the Preparation for the General Council as useful and complete as possible, the originals and translations of the Encyclical and Syllabus (which may be considered as the remote preparation for the Council), as well as of the Apostolical Letters directed respectively by the Sovereign Pontiff, the Bishops of the Church, to the Schismatics of the East, and to the Protestants, have been here brought together into one place. The Letter of the Holy See to the Archbishop or Westminster has also been appended, as clearly connected with the same matter, and as completing the official documents published by Rome in preparation for the General Council. And now I will end by repeating, and adopting in my own name and in the name of those who are in any way responsible with me for the contents of this volume, the words of Thomas Bradwardine, an Archbishop of Canterbury, who died in 1349: " I know what I will do; I will commit myself to that ship which can never perish, the ship of Peter. For in it our only Head and Master Christ in safety sat and taught; to teach us mystically that in the boat of Peter, the Church of Rome, the authority and teaching of all Christian doctrine should abidc. To the judgment, therefore, of so authentic and so great a teachcr I submit, and subject fully and altogether myself and my writings, now and hereafter."