Concilium definivit: "Pontificem Romanum, verum Christi Vicarium, totiusque Ecclesiæ caput et omnium Christianorum patrem ac doctorem existere et ipsi in beato Petro pascendi, regendi ac gubernandi universalem Ecclesiam a Domino nostro Jesu Christo plenam potestatem traditam esse." Huic pastorali muneri ut satisfacerent, Prædecessores Nostri indefessam semper operam dederunt, ut salutaris Christi doctrina apud omnes terræ populos propagaretur, parique curâ vigilarunt, ut, ubi recepta esset, sincera et pura conservaretur. Quocirca totius orbis Antistites nunc singuli, nunc in Synodis congregati, longam Ecclesiarum consuetudinem et antiquæ regulæ formam sequentes, ea præsertim pericula, quæ in negotiis fidei emergebant, ad hanc Sedem Apostolicam retulerunt, ut ibi potissimum resarcirentur damna fidei, ubi fides non potest sentire defectum.* Romani autem Pontifices, prout temporum et rerum conditio suadebat, nunc convocatis oecumenicis Conciliis aut exploratâ Ecclesiæ per orbem dispersa sententiâ, nunc per Synodos particulares, nunc aliis, quæ divina suppeditabat providentia, adhibitis auxiliis, ea tenenda definiverunt, quæ sacris Scripturis et apostolicis Traditionibus consentanea Deo adjutore cognoverant. Neque enim Petri successoribus Spiritus Sanctus promissus est, ut eo revelante novam doctrinam patefacerent, sed ut eo assistente traditam per Apostolos revelationem seu fidei depositum sancte custodirent et fideliter exponerent. Quorum quidem apostolicam doctrinam omnes venerabiles Patres amplexi et sancti Doctores orthodoxi venerati atque secuti sunt; plenissime scientes, hanc sancti Petri Sedem ab omni semper errore illibatam permanere, secundum Domini Salvatoris nostri divinam pollicitationem discipulorum suorum principi factam : “Ego rogavi pro te, ut non deficiat fides tua, et tu aliquando conversus confirma fratres tuos."

Hoc igitur veritatis et fidei nunquam deficientis charisma Petro ejusque in hâc Cathedrâ successoribus divinitùs collatum est, ut excelso suo munere in omnium salutem fungerentur, ut universus Christi grex per eos ab erroris venenosâ escâ aversus, cœlestis doctrinæ pabulo nutriretur, ut, sublatâ schismatis occasione, Ecclesia tota una conservaretur atque suo fundamento innixa firma adversus inferi portas consisteret.

At vero, cum hâc ipsâ ætate, quâ salutifera Apostolici muneris efficacia vel maxime requiritur, non pauci inveniantur, qui illius auctoritati obtrectant; necessarium omnino esse censemus, prærogativam, quam unigenitus Dei Filius cum summo pastorali officio conjungere dignatus est, solemniter

asserere.

Itaque Nos traditioni a fidei Christianæ exordio perceptæ fideliter inhærendo, ad Dei Salvatoris nostri gloriam, religionis catholicæ exaltationem et Christianorum populorum salutem, sacro approbante Concilio, docemus et divinitùs revelatum dogma esse definimus: Romanum Pontificem, cum ex Cathedrâ loquitur, id est, cum omnium Christianorum Pastoris et Doctoris munere fungens, pro supremâ suâ Apostolicâ auctoritate doctrinam de fide vel moribus ab universâ Ecclesiâ tenendam definit, per assistentiam divinam, ipsi in beato Petro promissam, eâ infallibilitate pollere, quâ divinus Re

*Cf. S. Bein., ep. 190.

Constantinople.) And the Greeks professed with the approbation of the Second Council of Lyons: that the Holy Roman Church possesses the supreme and full primacy and sovereignty over the Universal Catholic Church, which it truly and humbly acknowledges itself to have received with plenitude of power from our Lord Himself in Blessed Peter, the Prince or Chief of the Apostles, of whom the Roman Pontiff is the successor; and as he, beyond all others, is bound to defend the truth of the faith, so also, if any questions concerning the faith shall arise, they ought to be defined by his judgment. Lastly, the Council of Florence defined that the Roman Pontiff is the true Vicar of Christ and the head of the whole Church, and the Father and Teacher of all Christians; and that to him, in Blessed Peter, was given by our Lord Jesus Christ full power to feed, rule, and govern the Universal Church. (See John xxi. 15-17.)

To fulfil this pastoral duty, our predecessors have laboured unweariedly that the salutary teaching of Christ should be propagated among all the nations of the earth, and have watched with like care that when it had been received it should be preserved pure and uncorrupted. Wherefore the Bishops of the whole world, now singly and now assembled in Synod, following a long custom of the Church (S. Cyril of Alexandria to Pope S. Celestine), and the form of the ancient rule (S. Innocent I. to the Council of Carthage), have reported to the Apostolic See such dangers as emerged especially in matters of faith, that the injuries done to the faith might be repaired in that quarter where the faith can experience no failure. (See S. Bernard, epist. 190.) And the Roman Pontiffs, as time and circumstance required, either by convening Ecumenical Councils, or by consulting the Church spread over the world, or by local synods, or by other helps supplied by Divine Providence, have defined that those things should be held which they knew, by the help of God, to be in accordance with Holy Writ and Apostolic tradition. For the Holy Spirit did not promise the successors of Peter to reveal to them new doctrine for them to publish, but to assist them to keep holily and expound faithfully the revelation handed down through the Apostles, i.e. the Deposit of Faith. Their Apostolic doctrine has been embraced by all the Venerable Fathers, and has been revered and followed by all the holy orthodox doctors, knowing well that this See of S. Peter remains always exempt from all error, according to the divine promise of our Lord and Saviour to the chief of his disciples: "I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not, and thou, being once converted, confirm thy brethren." (See S. Agathon, epistle to the Emperor, approved by the Sixth Ecumenical Council.)

This gift of unfailing truth and faith was divinely bestowed on Peter and on his successors in this Chair, that they might discharge the duties of their exalted office for the salvation of all; that the universal flock of Christ, turned by them from the poisonous food of error, might be nourished by heavenly teaching, that the occasion of schism being removed, the whole Church might be preserved in unity, and, supported by its foundation, might stand firm against the gates of hell.

But since in this our age, in which the salutary efficacy of the Apostolic

demptor Ecclesiam suam in definiendâ doctrinâ de fid vel moribus instructam esse voluit; ideoque ejusmodi Romani Pontificis definitiones ex sese, non autem ex consensu Ecclesiæ, irreformabiles esse.

Si quis autem huic Nostræ definitioni contradicere, quod Deus avertat præsumpserit; anathema sit.

Datum Romæ, in publicâ Sessione in Vaticanâ Basilicâ solemniter celebratâ anno Incarnationis Dominicæ millesimo octingentesimo septuagesimo, die decimâ octavà Julii.

Pontificatus Nostri anno vigesimo quinto.

Ita est,

JOSEPHUS,
Episcopus S. Hippolyti,
Secretarius Concilii Vaticani.

office is more than ever required, not a few are found who oppose its authority, we judge it to be necessary solemnly to assert the prerogative which the only begotten Son of God deigned to join to the supreme pastoral office.

Therefore, faithfully adhering to the tradition derived from the commencement of the Christian Faith, to the glory of God our Saviour, to the exaltation of the Catholic religion, and to the salvation of Christian nations, Sacro approbante Concilio, we teach and define that it is a divinely revealed dogma that the Roman Pontiff, when he speaks ex Cathedra, that is, when in discharge of his office of Pastor and Doctor of all Christians, he defines, in virtue of his supreme Apostolic authority, a doctrine of faith or morals to be held by the Universal Church, is endowed by the divine assistance promised to him in Blessed Peter, with that infallibility with which our divine Redeemer willed that the Church should be furnished in defining doctrine of faith or morals; and, therefore, that such definitions of the Roman Pontiff are irreformable of themselves and not in virtue of the consent of the Church. But if any (which may God avert) shall presume to contradict this our definition, let him be anathema.

Given at Rome, in the public session solemnly held in the Vatican Basilica in the year of Our Lord's Incarnation, One thousand eight hundred and seventy, on the eighteenth day of July.

In the twenty-fifth year of our Pontificate.

'Tis so.

JOSEPH,

Bishop of S. Hippolyte, Secretary of the Vatican Council.

PAPAL BRIEF.

[On the eve of our last publication we received the Holy Father's most gracious Brief addressed to Dr. Ward. Many readers have asked us to publish a translation, and it gives us much pleasure to comply with so flattering a request. We also print again the Brief, in our impression of which there were several typographical errors.]

PIUS P.P. IX.

DILECTE FILI, Salutem et Apostolicam Benedictionem.Gratulamur tibi, dilecte fili, quod in filiorum Dei lucem vocatus, idem lumen aliorum mentibus offundere certes; et, in gremium sanctæ Matris Ecclesiæ receptus, sanctitatem ejus ostendere et illustrare studeas, supremique ejusdem Pastoris divinam asserere auctoritatem, vindicare prærogativas, jura omnia tueri. Nobilitatem in hoc videmus animi, qui, ad veritatem maturo compulsus examine, eo incensiore ignis flagrat amore, quo majore contentione illam est adeptus; et eo impensiore nisu beneficium acceptum latius porrigere satagit, quo miseriorem, propriâ doctus experientiâ, censet errantium conditionem. Indefessus autem labor, quo pluribus ab hinc annis dona omnia ingenii, scientiæ, eruditionis, eloquentiæ, tibi a Domino largita, confers ad religionis nostræ Sanctissimæ et hujus Apostolicae Sedis causam propugnandam, fidem perspicue præfert inditam menti tuæ et charitatem in tuo corde diffusam; quibus urgeris ad redimendum præteritum tempus, et certamen imprudenter alias pro errore fortasse commissum rependendum per alacrem ac strenuam veritatis defensionem. Quoniam vero merces fidelis paratur seminanti justitiam, et qui ad eam erudiunt multos fulgebunt quasi stellæ in perpetuas æternitates, dum te tuum ita sertum texere gaudemus, te simul hortamur, ut instes proposito tuo, et impigre præliari pergas prælia Domini, quo et plures semper ad viam veritatis adducas et splendidius tibi compares æternæ gloriæ pondus. Necessarias idcirco ad hoc vires tibi ominamur, copiosaque adprecamur gratiæ cœlestis auxilia et fausta omnia; eorumque auspicem et paternæ nostræ benevolentiæ pignus Apostolicam Benedictionem tibi peramanter impertimus.

Datum Romæ, apud Sanctum Petrum, die 4 Julii, anno 1870, Pontificatus Nostri anno vicesimo quinto.

PIUS P.P. IX.

Dilecto Filio GEORGIO WARD.