7A - Pius IX, Vatican Council I and Modernism Flashcards
some Papal States background
Also recall, that since the 8th century popes had acted as kings over the territories that made up the middle of what is today the country of Italy. As ideas about democracy and freedom of expression spread, the population within the Papal States soon began to see their monarchy under the pope as oppressively out of touch with the modern world and in need of radical change. With the exact opposite view, traditional popes sought to uphold the Church in the same manner it had operated for nearly two-thousand years and resolved to sustain their political power through the preservation of the Papal States in Italy.
In the middle of the 19th century the Pope at the time was Gregory XVI (
- was firmly against any actions that challenged the authority of the Church
- fear of anything new was so great that he often condemned the emerging modern world and modern technology, such as railways
- The worry was that such things would lead to anarchy, and so he banned railways in all of his territories (instead of using the French words for railroads “chemins de fer” – iron horses, he called them “chemins d’enfer” – roads to hell). Despite his efforts to keep out modern ideas, by 1840 he faced political uprisings in cities
-Gregory lacked the military force to stop all the rebels in the Papal States; as such, he asked the neighbouring Catholic monarchy in Austria for aid. Austria responded to his plea and sent troops to stop the uprisings.
To Gregory XVI, papal power and the right of kings were of divine origin. Through tradition, God granted the authority to rule and this was immutable. The new ideas of elected assemblies and democratic councils of state were not to be tolerated. Various Austrian and French troops would remain in the Papal States enforcing Gregory’s rule, along with costly mercenaries. Apart from politics, Gregory XVI was a rather peaceful and spiritual ruler, for example he condemned and banned the Atlantic slave-trade, he built museums, orphanages, and hospitals and was deeply devout.
Nonetheless, to the people of the Papal States, he was an intransigent and stubborn king who refused to grant new democratic rights to his people or improve the impoverished, mostly agrarian Papal States. When he died in 1846, people were eager to see who would replace him as the next pope.
who followed Gregory xiv
pius ix
pius ix
Much more liberal in policy than Gregory, Pius IX declared an amnesty for political prisoners in the Papal States and forgave those in exile. He even created an elected assembly to help him run the city of Rome and a body of laypersons (called the consulata) to advise him on finances and administration of the Papal States. Unafraid of modern technology, he had gas lighting installed in Rome and approved a plan for railways in the Papal States, opening the first short sections himself.
How Rome became the capital of Italy in 1870
-Pope Pius refused to help Italy in war against Austria - enraged Italians marked as an enemy - Italy won the war still, forced Pius to lose his political powers and right to rule the Papal States
what did Pius do after losing power
- declared himself prisoner of the Vatican” – he would refuse to come out again unless the newly formed Italian national government returned his lands and political powers. Seeking reconciliation, the Italian government offered Pius ‘The Law of Guarantees” – a series of laws that would compensate the pope for his territorial losses, give him royal honours and diplomatic status in a new Italy. Pius rejected the offer completely, declaring that the Italians had no right to make such a deal. As such, he stayed inside the Vatican for the rest of his life, spending much of his time writing encyclicals outlining the errors of modernism
encyclical
s a letter from a pope that can be addressed to the bishops and priests of a country or the entire world and contains the pope’s opinions and declarations regarding a subject of interest.
What were the two documents passed when Pius called for the bishops to meet at a council in the Vatican
Pastor Aeternus, Papal Infallibility
Pastor Aeternus,
The first document was The Dogmatic Constitution of the Church, Pastor Aeternus (“Eternal Pastor”). This document specifically stated that the Bishop of Rome has “full and supreme power of jurisdiction over the whole Church, not only in matters that pertain to faith and morals, but also in matters that pertain to the discipline and government of the Church throughout the whole world.” Pastor Aeternus clarified the power of the Pope to rule by right of succession through St. Peter and to act as the absolute authority in teaching and governance
Papal Infallibility
nfallibility is a concept that states, as the successor of St. Peter and head of the Church, the Pope is infallible when he speaks on matters of faith or morals and makes clear his intention to bind the conscience of all Church members. This process, of defining something infallibly, is called speaking ‘ex cathedra’ (from the Latin words for “from the
chair”). In short, it means that when officially stating an ‘ex cathedra’ position the pope cannot be wrong; there can be no argument, no divergence of opinion, nor any need to question the pope’s decision. Of course, the passing of Pastor Aeternus and this power of infallibility did not go without reaction.
Quanta Cura
condemning current errors
-In 1864, Pius published an encyclical – Quanta Cura, “condemning current errors”. Attached to Quanta Cura, was another document: The Syllabus of Modern Errors.
Pantheism:
he practice of identifying God with the world of nature.
Materialism/Naturalism:
he belief that no God exists, only matter and science exists.
Rationalism:
he belief that human reason or atheistic philosophy alone are the source of truth.
ndifferentism:
holding a belief that every religion is equally good and true.
