The Pope has also been compelled to explain himself. A
Con- gress recently held at Munich by the Roman Catholic Liberals to consider the relation of the Roman theology to secular science, having repudiated all formal heresy, was blessed telegraphically by the Pope befere it dispersed. His Holiness now sees reason to explain that blessing. It did not mean that he thought voluntary assemblies to conduct dogmatic discussions safe, for he thinks them -very dangerous. It did not mean that even if divine revelation is accepted as a fact, human reason is competent to analyze and reason upon it without help from the source of Infallibility—that, too, would be the mainspring of heresy. It did not mean even that Roman Catholics are safe if they admit only the formal dogmatic decisions of the Holy See, for they are bound in honourable ortho- doxy to believe a great deal more, namely, the received traditions of the Church in general. It only did mean that the Pope, thinking it altogether a bad job, was heartily thankful it had turned out no worse, and hoped they would never do it again.
