POPES AND 'MODERNISM.'

NZ Truth, Issue 132, 28 December 1907, Page 8

POPES AND 'MODERNISM.'

Policies of Pius IX., Leo XIII., and Pius X. .{(By. Dr. Zillmann.)" The greatest Pope of modern history was Pope Pius IX., the immediate predecessor of Leo XIII., who was the most scholarly and learned of all the successors of the Gallilean Fisherman. Pius IX. confronted the hosts of modern theological thought with a masterful determination never before witnessed m the history of the mighty organisation of which he was the head. Under his reign dog- | mas were promulgated which had been the subjects of controversy m the ages of the past, but which be- : came now articles of faith, and which to the faithful henceforth were no longer matters of dispute or doubt. The law of development as expounded by Newman represents j three distinct stages m the history of dogmas. There was the first stage of investigation, then that of controversy, and, lastly, that of definition. In this manner he reconciled his mind to the distinctive doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church, and saw how they were all rudimentarily involved m the very earliest teachings of the Gospels and the writingsof the primitive fathers. • * • It was given to Pius IX. to define the doctrines of. the immaculate con--ception and the Pope^s infallibility m that stage of development when, definition naturally. followed controversy. During the period m which the Pope's infallibility was still a subject of controversy, Newman himself was among the ranks of those who opposed the promulgation of that dogma, not because, as he thought, it was untrue, but because it was inexpedient. His famous letter— in which some prying go-between had violated the confidence of private .correspondence— addressed to Bishop Ullathorne, was expressed ire terms so explicit and m words of such strong condemnation against the definition of -the dogma of infallibility, that, many thought he was on the verge of seceding from Rome and returning to Anglicanism. He used such terms as "arrogant" and "aggressive" m describing the propagandists at Rome, and charged them with "making sad the hearts, of those whom God had not made sad." But those who thought that Newman was likely to renounce his allegiance to Rome were never more mistaken. His acceptance of the dogma followed promptly on the heels of its definition, and his insistence on the duty of obedience by all the faithful was clear and emphatic. Bishops Hefele, Shossmayer, and others followed later on m the steps of Newman. Another course was pursued by men like Dollm'ger, who declared that he would not ' 'go down to his grave with a lie m his right hand." And Dollinger was a theologian of note m jthe Catholic Church. But the old Catholic movement of which Dollinger was the leading genius has died a natural death, though the Archbishop of Utrecht still holds an anomalous position, with signs of veering round to the old conditions. Many distinguished churchmen of the High Church Anglican school, who at first hailed the old Catholic movement as an indication of Anglicanism, have long since ceased their advocacy of its claims. • * <■ With the death of Pius IX. and the accession of Leo XIII. there was a reaction m favor of greater liberality all round. The difference was illustrated m the treatment of the two most distinguished Catholic churchmen of our age— Maiming and Newman. Manning, who had been reputIf d to be the chief mover m the conclaves of Rome of the dogma of infallibility, and the most sturdy champion of the extremist ultramontanism, had long since been honored by Pppe Pius IX., and ante-dated Newmans accession to the cardinalate by many years, though as a-scho-lar and theologian .he was vastly mr

ferior to his illustrious confrere. Pius IX. never trusted Newman, and ' from first to' last dreaded those tendencies m him which m a more advanced form are now denominated "Modernism." The Archbishop m France who, the cables informs us, has resigned his see m consequence of the Pope's recent ' Encyclical against Modernism was ii\ harmony with Newman, and the recrudescence of the spirit of Pius IX. under -the regime of the- present Pope has proved more than the proverbial last straw— it has, m fact, become to him "an unbearable yoke," to use a Patiline figure of speech. St. George Mivart, who some time ago was excommunicated by Archbishop Vaughan, of Westminster,- was a pronounced Modernists So, likewise, is Father Tyrrell, who is making such a stir at the present time m England, and who has been expelled from certain privileged circles, as no doubt a preliminary to be excommunicated. All this revival of . the policy of v Pius IX. is but the carrying .out of "the programme which was initiated under the reign of that celebrated Pope, the 9th Pius, whose mighty genius so effectually checked the Modernism of his day. # • • The. physically fragile, feeble Leo XIII. was appointed to fill up a gap. The friend of Newman, the champion of the Knights of Labor, the philosophic expounder of Socialism of a moderate type, not to say the patron of French Republicism and of liberal forms of Government, would ■have .retained- the o^o^ Catholics aftd the Dollingers, and even the Hyacinths m" tlve spirit of ..Etvtfl'beral theologian (a modernese which he really was), as m the spirit of broad-mind-ed statesmanship h& renewed; friendly political relations with Bismarck and the Protestant Emperor of ■Gefmanv. The reactionary Cardinals who had appointed Leo XIII. never,, expected i that his reign would, have lasted more than a few years, whereas it extended beyond even the limits of Pius IX. r the longest of the reigns of previous Popes. The carrying out of the programme of Pius IX. was postponed far beyond the ■ expectation of most of -the CarHiriais by whom he was elected. But the Church is never m a hurry, and can afford to bide .her time. When Leo died the new Pope proclaimed himself Pius X., and the significance of that was /understood by the world at large. The present Pope is no statesman,; no diplomatist, he is not even a great theologian, but he is a firm believer m the policy and aims of Pius, IX. He is one of the most saintly of Popes who ever lived i and. v ,this as as $much as saying he is one? of the most self-denying; The mountain ;hoy, who walked bare-footed- oveirliillssLnd valleys seven miles distant* to ■ sphool, becoming the greatest of ...ail ! monarchs, is a splendid $*c defno'cracy of the Church. -yriidsQ magnificent position is open ib , blest rank and most lowly b;prnv;;,|And then, m after years, the ecclesiastic whose rural life was idyllic*' m its simplicity, and, later on\^'tli£- v%iiichloved Cardinal-Archbishop of Venice, a pattern of devotion and piety, becoming the Vicar of Christ, as every Catholic believes, is a record of history, that charms many -the large portion of the numah°''race which looks ( %o him' as its'- head. There is something pathetic m the manner m which th-b Pope : accepted the exalted position to' which he was elected. For such a man to become "the Prisoner of the Vatican-w as no misnomer. ( <Too much honor ! Too much honor !" he might' have exclaimed, m the words of ■ another Cardinal when, deprived of Jhis :>position with all its wealth of glbrv and privilege, Such a man has accepted his position and mission m the spirit of a hero of the F'sjath find a 'Saint of .God. . The 'conflict with Modernism"" begun by his great ; - predecessor of /the same name, and suspend cdV ! or partly so, under Leo XIII., lias been renewed, and the world* k is aw-aiting the issue, though that; will not be by-and-bye. :. ' ' - ,; -■ "•'/'• --'