We have mentioned elsewhere a discrepancy between the state- ment
of our contemporary the Vatican as to the wish of the Pope to leave the choice of the various commissions and congregations entirely to the Council, and to waive his own claims in the matter, and its admission that he has himself appointed the most im- portant commission of all—that entrusted with the duty of sanc- tioning or disallowing the propositions presented by individual members of the Council,—and that he has appointed it almost entirely out of the section of the Council known to be favourable to the dogma of infallibility. Antonelli, who is said to be on the commission, is, indeed, probably not very favourable to the dogma, but he is one who swims with the tide. Of the others, amongst whom are Cardinals Bonnechose and Cullen, and seven Archbishops (all Ultramontane, with Dr. Manning at the head), we know none who has any Gallican leaning at all. We do not blame the Pope for assuming his rights as an infallible head of the Church ab initio ; probably, it is the best way to convince others of them. But his friends must not claim for him that he has been supernaturally moderate in leaving, if he has left, the constitution of all the less important congregations and committees to the choice of the assembled fathers, after be has himself occu- pied with a body of his own immediate followers the key of the position.
