The echo of the Vatican, Veuillot's _Univers_, has just been accusing the Bishops of the minority of ruining the papal treasury by prolonging the debates on infallibility through their opposition, and thus obliging the Pope to go on supporting his 300 episcopal foster sons, and buy his infallibility late and at a high price, when it ought to have been cast into his lap by spontaneous acclamation at the first. A physician has now been discovered for the treasury which has sickened under the infallibility affair. Rothschild is said to have been here and concluded a loan of forty million franks. As the deficit only amounts to thirty million, there remain ten million for fireworks, illuminations and church-decorations, the journey-money of trusty Bishops, and the like. But now the war is impending, and with it the withdrawal of Peter's pence and perhaps still worse.(154)

The following voted _Non-placet_:-1. _Prague_, Cardinal Prince-Archbishop Schwarzenberg; 2. _Besancon_, Cardinal Archbishop Mathieu; 3. _Vienna_, Cardinal Prince-Archbishop Rauscher; 4. _Antioch_, Patriarch Jussuf, of the Melchite Rite; 5. _Babylon_, Patriarch Audu, of the Chaldean Rite; 6.

_Gran_, Archbishop and Primate of Hungary, Simor; 7. _Lyons_, Archbishop Ginoulhiac; 8. _Tuam_, Archbishop MacHale; 9. _Olmutz_, Prince-Archbishop Furstenberg; 10. _Trabezund_, Bishop Ghiureghian, of the Armenian Rite; 11. _Munich_, Archbishop Scherr; 12. _Bamberg_, Archbishop Deinlein; 13.

_Seert_, Bishop Bar-Tatar, of the Chaldean Rite; 14. _Halifax_, Archbishop Conolly, of the Capuchin Order; 15. _Lemberg_, Archbishop Wierzcheyski, of the Latin Rite; 16. _Paris_, Archbishop Darboy; 17. _Kalocsa_, Archbishop Haynald; 18. _Milan_, Archbishop Nazari di Cal.a.b.i.ana; 19. _Tyre_, Archbishop Kauam, of the Melchite Rite; 20. _Biella_ (_Italy_), Bishop Losanna; 21. _Autun_, Bishop Marguerye; 22. _Ivrea_ (_Piedmont_), Bishop Moreno; 23. _Dijon_, Bishop Rivet; 24. _Metz_, Bishop Dupont des Loges; 25. _Iglesias_ (_Sardinia_), Bishop Montixi; 26. _Acquapendente_ (formerly in the Roman States), Bishop Pellei; 27. _Trieste_, Bishop Legat; 28.

_Orleans_, Bishop Dupanloup; 29. _Vezprim_, Bishop Ranolder; 30.

_Mayence_, Bishop Ketteler; 31. _Bosnia_ and _Syrmia_, Bishop Strossmayer; 32. _Budweis_, Bishop Jirsik; 33. _Breslau_, Prince-Bishop Forster; 34.

_Kerry_, Bishop Moriarty; 35. _Leontopolis, in partibus_, Bishop Forwerk, Apostolic Vicar of Saxony; 36. _Plymouth_, Bishop Vaughan; 37. _Clifton_, Bishop Clifford; 38. _Nice_, Bishop Sola; 39. _Parenzo_ and _Pola_, Bishop Dobrilla; 40. _Kreutz_ (_in Croatia_), Bishop Smiciklas, of the Ruthenian Rite; 41. _Augsburgh_, Bishop d.i.n.kel; 42. _Gurk_, Bishop Wiery; 43.

_Caltanisetta_ (_Sicily_), Bishop Guttadauro di Reburdone; 44. _Vacz_ (_in Hungary_), Bishop Peitler; 45. _Marianne_ (_Syria_), -- of the Melchite Rite; 46. _Chatham_, Bishop Rogers; 47. _Csanad_ and _Temesvar_, Bishop Bonnaz; 48. _Pittsburg_, Bishop Domenec; 49. _Luzonia_, Bishop Colet; 50.

_Sura, in partibus_, Bishop Maret; 51. _St. Brieuc_, Bishop David; 52.

_Treves_, Bishop Eberhard; 53. _Coutance_, Bishop Bravard; 54. _Lavant_, Bishop Stepischnigg; 55. _Soissons_, Bishop Dours; 56. _Akra_, Bishop Mellus, of the Chaldean Rite; 57. _Siebenburgen_, Bishop Fogarasz; 58.

_Chalons_, Bishop Meignan; 59. _Valence_, Bishop Gueullette; 60.

_Perpignan_, Bishop Ramadie; 61. _Paleopolis, in partibus_, Bishop Maria.s.sy (_Hungary_); 62. _Petricola_ or _Little Rock_ (_United States_), Bishop Fitzgerald; 63. _Ma.r.s.eilles_, Bishop Place; 64. _Cahors_, Bishop Grimardias; 65. _Osnaburgh_, Bishop Beckmann; 66. _Szathmar_ (_Hungary_), Bishop Vir de Keydi Polany; 67. _Munkacs_, Bishop Pankovics, of the Ruthenian Rite; 68. _Bayeux_, Bishop Hugonin; 69. _Raab_, Bishop --; 70.

_La Roch.e.l.le_, Bishop Benedetto; 71. _Nancy_, Bishop Foullon; 72.

_Constantine_ (_Algiers_), Bishop de las Cases; 73. _Oran_ (_Algiers_), Bishop Callot; 74. _Gap_, Bishop Guilbert; 75. _Ermeland_, Bishop Crementz; 76. _Rochester_, Bishop MacQuaid; 77. _Louisville_, Bishop Kenrick; 78. _Ca.s.sovia_, Bishop Perger (Hungary); 79. _Agathopolis_, Bishop Namszanowski, Provost of the Prussian Army in Berlin; 80.

_Montreal_ (_Canada_), Bishop Bourget; 81. _Grosswardein_, Bishop Lipovniczky; 82. _Funfkirchen_, Bishop Kovacs; 83. _Steinamanger_, Bishop Szenczy; 84. _Rottenburg_, Bishop Hefele; 85. _Ajaccio_, Bishop Sante Casanelli d'Istria, and three more whose names were omitted in the official catalogue.

There voted _Placet juxta modum_:-1. De Silvestri, Cardinal-Priest; 2.

Trevisanato, Cardinal Patriarch of Venice; 3. Guidi, Cardinal Archbishop of Bologna; 4. _Salsburg_, Archbishop and Primate Tarnoczy; 5. _Oregon City_, Archbishop Blanchet; 6. _Nisibis, in partibus_, Archbishop Tizzani; 7. _Tyre and Sidon_, Archbishop Bostani, Maronite; 8. _Manila_, Archbishop Melithon-Martinez; 9. _Granada_, Archbishop Monzon y Martins; 10.

_Avignon_, Archbishop Dubrevil; 11. _New York_, Archbishop MacCloskey; 12.

_Cologne_, Archbishop Melchers; 13. _Melitene, in partibus_, Archbishop Merode; 14. _Rheims_, Archbishop Landriot; 15. _Sens_, Archbishop Bernardou; 16. _Burgos_, Archbishop Yusto; 17. _Ventimiglia_ (_Italy_), Bishop Biale; 18. _Columbica_, _in partibus_, Bishop Verolles, Apostolic Vicar in Leao-Tung (China); 19. _Canopo_, _in partibus_, Bishop Besi; 20.

_Sira_, Bishop Alberti, Apostolic Delegate in Greece; 21. _Zenopolis_, _in partibus_, Bishop Moccagatta, Apostolic Vicar in Xan-Tung; 22. _Lipari_, Bishop Ideo; 23. _Birmingham_, Bishop Ullathorne; 24. _Vancouver_, Bishop Demers; 25. _Mileto_, Bishop Mincione; 26. _Moulins_, Bishop Dreux-Breze; 27. _Gezira_, Bishop Hindi, of the Chaldean Rite; 28. _Hadrianopolis, in partibus_, Bishop De la Place, Apostolic Vicar in Tsche-Kiang; 29.

_Tarnovia_, Bishop Pukalski (Galicia); 30. _Chartres_, Bishop Regnault; 31. _Urgel_, Bishop Caixal y Estrade; 32. _Monterey_, Bishop Amat; 33.

_Tanes_, _in partibus_, Bishop Salzano, Dominican; 34. _Newcastle_, Bishop Chadwick; 35. _Lacedonia_, Bishop Majorsini; 36. _Todi_, Bishop Rosati; 37. _Avellino_, Bishop Gallo; 38. _Amelia_, Bishop Pace; 39. _Nola_, Bishop Formisano; 40. _Imola_, Bishop Moretti; 41. _Zamora_, Bishop Conde y Corral; 42. _Avila_, Bishop Blanco, Dominican; 43. _Savannah_, Bishop Verot; 44. _Cuenca_, Bishop Paya y Rico; 45. _Cajazzo_, Bishop Riccio; 46.

_Teramo_, Bishop Milella, Dominican; 47. _Nocera_, Bishop Pettinari; 48.

_St. Christophori_, Bishop De Urguinaona; 49. _Clariopolis_, _in partibus_, Bsciai, Apostolic Vicar in Egypt, of the Coptic Rite; 50.

_Erzeroum_, Bishop Melchisedechian, of the Armenian Rite; 51. _Monte Fiascone_, Bishop Bovieri; 52. _Savona_, Bishop Cerruti; 53. _Agathonica_, _in partibus_, Bishop Pagnucci; 54. _Ascalon_, _in partibus_, Bishop Meurin, Society of Jesus; 55. _Dionysia_, _in partibus_, Bishop Gentili; 56. _Cattaro_, Bishop Marchich; 57. _Serena_, Bishop Orrego; 58. Mardin, Bishop of the Chaldean Rite; 59. _Tiberias_, _in partibus_, Bishop Valeschi; 60. Guardi, General of the Ministers of the Sick; 61. The Abbot of the Camaldolese in Etruria.

The following abstained from voting, though in Rome at the time:-_Cardinals_: 1. Mattei, 2. Orfei, 3. Quaglia, 4. Hohenlohe, 5.

Berardi, 6. Antonelli, 7. Gra.s.sellini; 8. The Patriarch Harcus of Antioch, of the Syrian Rite; 9. The Archbishop and Primate Salomone of Salerno; 10.

The Maronite Archbishop Aun of Beirout; 11, 12. Two other Archbishops; 13.

_Aleppo_, Archbishop Matar, of the Maronite Rite; 14. _Venezuela_, Archbishop Guevara; 15. _Utrecht_, Archbishop Zwysen; 16. _Tours_, Archbishop Guibert; 17. _Rodi_, _in partibus_, Archbishop Pace-Forno, Bishop of Malta; 18. _Mardin_, Archbishop Nasarian, of the Armenian Rite; 19. _Alby_, Archbishop Lyonnet; 20. Iconium, _in partibus_, Archbishop Puecher Pa.s.savalli; 21. _Guadalaxara_, Archbishop Loya; 22. _Amida_, Archbishop Bahtiarian, of the Armenian Rite; 23. _Tournay_, Bishop Labis; 24. _Terni_, Bishop Severa; 25. _Veglia_, Bishop Vitezich; 26. _Almira_, _in partibus_, Bishop Carli, Capuchin; 27. _Montauban_, Bishop Doney; 28.

_Cava_, Bishop Fertilla; 29. _Curia_, _in partibus_, Bishop Grioglio; 30.

_Segni_ (Papal State), Bishop Ricci; 31. _Paphos_, _in partibus_, Bishop Alcazar, Dominican Vicar Apostolic; 32. _Vicenza_, Bishop Varina; 33.

_Salford_, Bishop Turner; 34. _Catanzaro_, Bishop de Franco; 35.

_Bergamo_, Bishop Speranza; 36. _Savannah_, -; 37. _St. Angelo in Lombardy_, Bishop Fanelli; 38. _Dromore_, Bishop Leahy, Dominican; 39.

_Glarus_, -; 40. _Birta_, _in partibus_, Bishop Pinsoneault; 41. _Fernes_, Bishop Furlong; 42. _Anagni_, Bishop Pagliari; 43. _Siguenza_, Bishop Benavides; 44. _Ceramo_, _in partibus_, Bishop Jeancard, Suffragan of Ma.r.s.eilles; 45. _Polemonia_, _in partibus_, Bishop Pinchon; 46. _Lipari_, Bishop Athanasio; 47. _Apamea_, Archbishop Ata, of the Melchite Rite; 48.

_Mindus_, _in partibus_, Bishop Papardo del Parco; 49. _Bursa_, Bishop Tilkian, of the Armenian Rite; 50. _Astorga_, Bishop Arguelles y Miranda; 51. _Comacchio_, Bishop Spoglia; 52. _Charlottetown_, Bishop MacIntyre; 53. _Vallis Pratensis_, - (?); 54. _Lamego_, Bishop de Vasconcellos Periera de Mello; 55. _Montpellier_, Bishop Curtier; 56. _Barcelona_, Bishop Monserrat y Navarro; 57. _Amatunto_, _in partibus_, Bishop Galezki, Apostolic Vicar in Cracow; 58. _Kilmore_, Bishop Conaty; 59. _Priene_, _in partibus_, Bishop Cosi; 60. _Tuy_, Bishop Garcia y Anton; 61. _Puno_, Bishop Huerta; 62. _Adelaide_, Bishop Shiel; 63. _Albany_ (_America_), Bishop Conroy; 64. _Concordia_, Bishop Frangipani; 65. _St. Hyacinth_, Bishop Laroque; 66. _Dubuque_, Bishop Hennessy; 67. _Vannes_, Bishop Becel; 68. _Goulburn_, Bishop Lannigan; 69. _St. Germani bei Monte Ca.s.sino_, - (?); 70. _Verdun_, Bishop Hacquard; 71. _Egea_, _in partibus_, Bishop Reynaud; 72. _St. Giov. di Cuyo_, Bishop Achaval; 73. _Cirene_, _in partibus_, Bishop Canzi; 74. _Rodiopolis_, _in partibus_, Bishop Tosi; 75.

_Buffalo_, Bishop Ryan; 76. _Adramyttium_, _in partibus_, Bishop Gibbons; 77. _Coria_, Bishop Nunez; 78. _Heliopolis_, Bishop Na.s.ser, of the Melchite Rite; 79. _t.i.topolis_, _in partibus_, - (?); 80, 81. Abbates nullius; 82, 83. Burchall, President of the Benedictine Congregation in England; 84. The Abbot of Janow, Apostolic Administrator in Russia; 85.

Montis Coronae; 86-91. These names could not be announced on account of the great confusion.

SIXTY-SEVENTH LETTER.

_Rome, July 16, 1870._-As I had to report in my last letter, the attempt of the Legates and the Deputation to outwit and catch the minority by a violation of their own order of business had all but succeeded. Darboy and Strossmayer frustrated this plot, on which it is literally true that the fate of the Church was staked. For the third canon of the third chapter had been brought forward in so enlarged and altered a form, that it involved in substance the abolition of the entire episcopate, as an integral const.i.tuent of the Christian Church, and subst.i.tuted for it the papal "totality," as the theologians of the seventeenth century called it; _i.e._, the theory that in the whole Church there is one sole individual who is in exclusive possession of all plenary powers and all ecclesiastical rights. The weight and importance of the doctrine thereby designed to be for the first time imposed on the Church cannot even be made intelligible in a few words. Most readers are naturally unaware of the sense attached in canon law and the language of the _Curia_ to the words, "potestas immediata et ordinaria." Well! they mean that all Christians, whether laymen or clerics, are personally subjects, body and soul, of their lord and master, the Pope, who can impose on them without restriction whatever commands seem good to him. There are, besides the Pope, who exercises immediate authority by virtue of his universal episcopate, papal commissaries in the separate dioceses, who call themselves Bishops, and are so named by the Roman Chancery. They exercise the powers delegated to them by the one true and universal Bishop, and carry out the particular orders they receive from Rome. According to this view the whole Church has, properly speaking, no other right or law or order but the pleasure of the reigning Pope. This is the most perfect form of absolutism ever yet excogitated in any man's brains.

The order of business prohibits any alteration in the text of the decrees being voted upon without previous discussion in Council. That however was now attempted, and the violation of the order of business by the Legates themselves was so flagrant, the design of fraud so palpable, that the incident continued to be the subject of general conversation up to the 12th July. When the plot had miscarried, it was alleged in excuse that the previous discussion had been forgotten!-forgotten precisely in the case of the most important article yet brought forward, and of a change of such immeasurable weight that one may truly say no discussion of equal weight and influence has been pa.s.sed in any Council during 1800 years. The affair of course made a great sensation. The words "deceit" and "lying" were used more than once in the national meetings of the Opposition Bishops, and it was urged that the whole Deputation _de Fide_ were accomplices of the Legates in this unworthy trick, and that the Bishops were being compelled in a truly revolting manner to vote on alterations of the most comprehensive kind, which had only been communicated to them the day before. A short memorandum was issued by the French Bishops, which recommended that this opportunity should be seized for leaving Rome. It runs as follows:-

"(1). L'heure de la Providence a sonne: le moment decisif de sauver l'eglise est arrive. (2.) Par les additiones faites au III. canon du 3me chap. la Commission _de Fide_ a viole le reglement qui ne permet l'introduction d'aucun amendement sans discussion conciliaire. (3.) L'addition subreptice est d'une importance incalculable; c'est le changement de la const.i.tution de l'eglise, la monarchie pure, absolue, indivisible du Pape, l'abolition de la judicature et de la co-souverainete des eveques, l'affirmation et la definition anticipee de l'infaillibilite separee et personnelle. (4.) Le devoir et l'honneur ne permettent pas de voter sans discussion ce canon, qui contient une immense revolution. La discussion pourrait et devrait durer six mois, parce qu'il s'agit de la question capitale, la const.i.tution meme de la souverainete dans l'eglise.

(5.) Cette discussion est impossible a cause des fatigues extremes de la saison et des dispositions de la majorite. (6.) Une seule chose, digne et honorable, reste a faire: Demander immediatement la prorogation du Concile au mois d'Octobre, et presenter une declaration, ou seraient enumerees toutes les protestations deja faites, et ou la derniere violation du reglement, le mepris de la dignite et de la liberte des eveques seraient mis en lumiere. Annoncer en meme temps un depart, qui ne peut plus etre differe. (7.) Par le depart ainsi motive d'un nombre considerable d'eveques de toutes les nations, l'c.u.menicite du Concile cesserait et tous les actes, qu'il pourrait faire ensuite, seraient d'une autorite nulle. (8.) Le courage et le devouement de la minorite auraient, dans le monde, un retentiss.e.m.e.nt immense. Le Concile se reunirait au mois d'Octobre dans des conditions infiniment meilleures. Toutes les questions, a peine ebauchees, pourraient etre reprises, traitees avec dignite et liberte. L'eglise et l'ordre moral du monde seraient sauves."

But the majority of the Opposition did not a.s.sent to this; they resolved to present another Protest, which the Court party might apply, like its predecessors, "ad piper et quidquid chartis amicitur ineptis." It was drawn up by Bishop d.i.n.kel of Augsburgh, and signed, so far as I know, by all of them.

On the evening of the 9th July a proposal of a new formula of infallibility was distributed to the Bishops; it was apparently designed to split up the Opposition, and was broad, declamatory, full of quotations, and lavish of a.s.surances that the Roman See has always administered its supreme teaching office in the most excellent manner and proclaimed nothing but truth. Now, it was added, since there has been a great deal of contradition, it is necessary to define that its _ex cathedra_ decisions are infallible, and its decrees on faith and morals irreformable by virtue of the divine promise given to it. This new production was discussed in the French and German conferences and rejected, although one of the most influential German Bishops, Ketteler, had taken it under his protection. He a.s.sured them that the Deputation had unanimously resolved that no change or concession by a hair's-breadth should be allowed in this form of words, for to deny papal infallibility involved a denial of the primacy altogether.

Meanwhile the Jesuit Franzelin had received orders from the highest authority to revise afresh the formula adopted by the Deputation, with which Schrader is said to be very ill satisfied.

In the sitting of July 11, first the Bishop of Trevisa, as a member of the Deputation, defended the notorious decree in the third canon of the third chapter, which is to revolutionize the whole const.i.tution of the Church in the sense of papal absolutism. Then the votes were taken, by rising and sitting down, on the weightiest and most pregnant article that has been laid before any Council for 600 years, and the uncertainty in this method of voting, wholly unprecedented in Church history, was so great that according to the majority only 50 or 60 voted against it, while the minority reckon between 90 and 100 adverse votes.

Then Bishop Ga.s.ser of Brixen made a speech three hours long in the name of the Deputation on the infallibility decree, which in its new form-and this he declared to be the _ultimatum_-had been enriched with an anathema against those who "contradicere praesumpserint." Ga.s.ser was unwilling to be left behind by Manning, Dechamps, Dreux-Breze and the Spaniards. He vindicated the doctrines of Cardinal Cajetan against Ketteler.

Meanwhile Cardinal Guidi had been so powerfully belaboured, that it had frightened him, and he now voted for the third chapter with the majority.

The process which had been found so effective in France, of raising their diocesan clergy against fallibilist Bishops, had been applied to him too by means of agents sent to Bologna. The apostasy of Archbishop Tarnoczy of Salzburg, who also voted with the majority, excited grief but no surprise.

While the occupant of one of the oldest Sees of Germany, the successor of Arno, Pilgrim and Colloredo, flung away his own rights and those of his successors like so many hollow nutsh.e.l.ls, even Cardinal Silvestri voted against the third chapter and the anathema attached to the fourth.

The result of the 13th July has acted like an earthquake, shaking and confusing for the moment men's heads and plans of operation. Even if half the voters _juxta modum_ are abstracted, as belonging to the majority, there remain 31 votes among them in favour of essential changes in the fourth chapter, changes which the Deputation has declared to be absolutely inadmissible, and which, if admitted, would offend one section of the majority. This last consequence would not of course matter at all; a single word from the Pope would set it aside at once, for it is self-evident that no Bishop who is convinced of his unconditional inerrancy could hesitate for a moment to vote for a decree sanctioned by him. Still the perplexity is great. If the decree, as voted by the majority, is brought forward at the public session, some 120 negative votes may be expected. But the Pope is resolved to become infallible "senza conditione," as he says.

It is now often said that on the day of the Solemn Session the Holy Ghost will yet most a.s.suredly work a wonderful miracle and convert the Opposition so suddenly that, although they had entered the Council Hall resolved to say "No," they will say "Yes." Some, including Antonelli, vote for conciliatory measures and concessions, which however the Deputation on Faith declares to be impossible. The other very numerous party says on the contrary that the unexpected force and extent of the opposition to so fundamental a dogma makes an anathema all the more necessary. A new plan of operations has now been hit upon, which is greatly favoured by the recent deaths. The grand Session for proclaiming the dogma had been fixed for the 17th, and many among the minority were with great difficulty persuaded to remain till that critical day. But now the 25th is talked of.(155) At the same time the report is circulated and confirmed by Antonelli, that there will be no prorogation even at the end of July or beginning of August, but the Council will continue, though many Bishops, on requesting leave, will be permitted to depart. It is urgently necessary, according to Antonelli, to settle the questions about the Oriental Rite. Yet for centuries the Court of Rome has not troubled any Council with these affairs, but settled and regulated them by itself, as is testified by a whole series of papal decrees. And after infallibility is proclaimed, it is utterly superfluous to keep hundreds of foreign Bishops here on that account. But it is known that the new dogma will lead to the separation of the Orientals, and so their Bishops are to be kept here longer as hostages, and the name of the Council is to supply the pretext. And it is hoped that the French and German Bishops will the more certainly ask leave and go home, so that the Opposition may be reduced to a small handful. The Pope himself appears greatly to desire this, as was at once inferred from his remark that the Archbishop of Paris is staying on a long time.

Five Bishops, including Forster of Breslau, actually took their departure on the 14th.

SIXTY-EIGHTH LETTER.

_Rome, July 17, 1870._-All the Bishops of the minority have left Rome, after presenting a statement of their att.i.tude towards the decrees on the Papacy. They made a last attempt, immediately before going, to move the Pope at least not to hurry on the affair but to grant some respite by proroguing the Council. At twelve o'clock to-day he received a deputation headed by Darboy and Simor. Darboy, who spoke first, represented to him the great and manifold dangers the definition would unquestionably give rise to for the whole Church. Hitherto Pius had met all suggestions of scruple by appealing to his "I am Tradition"-his already a.s.sured infallibility. This time he did not do so. He fell back on the ground of its being "too late." Matters had gone too far, and the whole Christian world was now too much occupied and too powerfully excited about the question. Besides, the Council had already pa.s.sed a decree by a considerable majority, and he was therefore in no position to put a check on the Council, which was now in full swing and urgently pressing for a final decision on this question. The promulgation of the decree of the majority will accordingly follow to-morrow.

The Orientals have subscribed the declaration of the minority. Two German Bishops only, Melchers and Ketteler, have withheld their signature and presented a separate declaration of their own to the Pope. The manifesto of the minority runs thus:-

"_Beatissime Pater!_

"In Congregatione generali die 13 h. m. habita, dedimus suffragia nostra super schemate primae Const.i.tutionis dogmaticae de Ecclesia Christi.

"Notum est Sanct.i.tati Vestrae 88 Patres fuisse, qui, conscientia urgente et amore Sanctae Ecclesiae permoti, suffragium suum per verba _non placet_ emiserunt; 62 alios, qui suffragati sunt per verba _placet juxta modum_, denique 70 circiter qui a congregatione abfuerunt atque a suffragio emittendo abstinuerunt. His accedunt et alii, qui, infirmitatibus aut aliis gravioribus rationibus ducti, ad suas diceses reversi sunt.

"Hac ratione Sanct.i.tati Vestrae et toto mundo suffragia nostra nota atque manifesta fuere, patuitque quam multis episcopis sententia nostra probatur, atque hoc modo munus officiumque quod n.o.bis inc.u.mbit persolvimus.

"Ab eo inde tempore nihil prorsus evenit quod sententiam nostram mutaret, quin imo multa eaque gravissima acciderunt, quae nos in proposito nostro confirmaverunt. Atque ideo nostra jam edita suffragia nos renovare ac confirmare declaramus.

"Confirmantes itaque per hanc scripturam suffragia nostra a Sessione publica die 18 h. m. habenda abesse const.i.tuimus. Pietas enim filialis ac reverentia quae missos nostros nuperrime ad pedes Sanct.i.tatis Vestrae adduxere, non sinunt nos in causa Sanct.i.tatis Vestrae personam adeo proxime concernente palam et in facie patris dicere _non placet_.

"Et aliunde suffragia in Solenni Sessione edenda repeterent dumtaxat suffragia in generali Congregatione deprompta.