The Abbe Valin, of Lyons, has been lecturing the Pope
on the mischievousness of the policy of the Syllabus, as re-enforced by the declaration of Infallibility. He quotes St. Bernard is neither poison nor the sword that I fear so much on your account, as the passion for dominion." "What we want to know," he says, "is whether the Pope is always to maintain for himself the right to domineer over Governments and people, to make use of corrective violence, not only with respect to indi- viduals, but even nations, people, and their sovereigns ; to chas- tise by temporal punishments the violation of his edicts ; and whether these rights are confirmed and consecrated by Papal Infal- libility." And he goes on :—"If he [the Pope] understands that it is Apostolic tradition, universal teaching, the Faith as received by all, which bear testimony to and determine what is the true doctrine of Jesus Christ, trite Catholic doctrine, and that thus Infallibility comes to him through the Church, and not to the Church through him,—if he understands this, then, indeed, true peace will return to the Church as if by enchantment, tran- quillity to consciences, goodwill towards the clergy, serenity to religious establishments." Yes, but if he understands that, how is he to show that he understands it Is he to say that the Vatican Council was not infallible, but fallible in ascribing infallibility to the Pope himself, as distinct from the Church P And if he should say this, how many Catholics would be left, when a Pope declared infallible by one Council had infallibly declared that Council fallible in its declaration of his infalli- bility? We hardly know what the Abbe Valhi would have.
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