PUBLIC DOCUMENTS. 



593 



The following documents relate to the ses- 

 sion of the first Council of the Vatican, and 

 the regulation of its business, with the allocu- 

 tion of Pope Pius IX. on the opening of the 

 same: 



Allocution addressed in a General Congregation 

 before the first Session of the Vatican Coun- 

 cil Inj Pius IX., December 2, 1869, to the Bish- 

 ops assembled in Rome for the said Council: 



VENERABLE BBETHREN : On the eve of the day on 

 which we are to open the holy (Ecumenical Council, 

 nothing has appeared to us more seasonable, nothing 

 could be more pleasing to us, than to see you all met 

 together around us, venerable brethren, as we so much 

 desire to see you, and to be able to speak to you with 

 all the affection which fills our inmost heart. For since 

 the matter of which we have to treat is most impor- 

 tant, namely, the discovery of remedies for so many ills 

 which in these days disturb both Christian and civil 

 society, we have deemed it worthy of our apostolical 

 care, and befitting the greatness of our task, that, be- 

 fore the transaction of the affairs of the Council begins, 

 we should beg of God, on your behalf, as a pledge or 

 every grace, the aid of the Heavenly benediction ; 

 and we have judged it necessary to give you the 

 rules, as set forth and published in our apostolical 

 letters, which we have decided on establishing for the 

 right and orderly transaction of every thing in the 

 proceedings of the Council. This it is, venerable 

 brethren, which, with the favor of God, and of the 

 Immaculate Mother of God, upon our wishes, we are 

 to-day carrying out in this your solemn assembly ; nor 

 can we sufficiently express to you in words the great 

 consolation which this hoped-for readiness of your 

 arrival in such numbers, in due obedience to the 

 apostolic voice, fills our heart, since from all parts of 

 the Catholic world we see you hastening to this city 

 of Eome on account of the Council we have sum- 

 moned, and feel that you are united to us by the 

 highest agreement of your souls, together with an ex- 

 cellent devotion toward us and toward the Apostolic 

 See, and a wonderful ardor for the work of the king- 

 dom of Christ, while the patient suffering of tribula- 

 tions, for the sake of Christ, renders many of you 

 most dear to our heart. But, venerable brothers, 

 this your union with us is so much the more pleasing 

 to us because, in clinging thereto, we tread in the foot- 

 steps of the Apostles, who have left us brilliant ex- 

 amples of their unanimous and constant union with 

 the Divine Master. For you have learned from Holy 

 Scripture that, when Christ our Lord was going 

 a journey through cities and towns in Palestine, 

 preaching and proclaiming the kingdom of God t all 

 the Apostles with a like zeal kept close to His side, 

 and, as St. Luke says, the twelve were faithfully with 

 Him wherever He went. And this union of the Apos- 

 stles was even more strikingly manifested at the time 

 when the Heavenly Master was teaching in Caper- 

 naum, and spoke more in detail before the Hebrews 

 of the mystery of the Divine Eucharist ; for when 

 those people in their carnal and blunted senses could 

 not believe in a work of so much love, and showed 

 themselves so weary of the Master that, as St. John 

 testifies, many of the disciples went back and walked 

 with Him no more, yet the love of the Apostles re- 

 mained steadfast in obedient veneration of the Master, 

 and when Jesus asked the Apostles whether they 

 also would go away, Peter, being grieved, uttered 

 these words, "Lord, to whom shall we go?" and 

 added the reason why he had determined to follow 

 the Lord with constant fidelity : " Thou hast the 

 words of eternal life." Bemembering these things, 

 what ought we to think sweeter or more pleasant 

 than this our assembly ? What can we see more firm 

 and stable ? Although united in the name of Christ, 

 we shall certainly have contradictions and struggles 

 to undergo, the enemy will not be idle, for he desires 



VOL. ix. 38. A 



nothing more than to sow cockles ; but we, being 

 mindful of the apostolic firmness and constancy which 

 received from the Lord the reward of this praise, " You 

 are they who have remained with Me in My trials," 

 mindful also of our Redeemer, who declared plainly, 

 " He who is not with Me is against Me," wo shall 

 have in like manner to be mindful of our office, and 

 with all zeal to take care to follow Christ with un- 

 shaken faith and firmness, and to remain attached to 

 Him ^ always with minds of one accord. For the 

 position we, venerable brethren, are placed in is, 

 that we have to struggle with daily efforts in battle 

 array against numerous and most fierce enemies. 

 We must, therefore, employ the spiritual arms of our 

 warfare, and bear the whole strength of'the battle, 

 relying both on the Divine authority, and using the 

 shield of charity, of patience, of prayer, and of con- 

 stancy. But there is no fear lest we fail in this contest, 

 if we are determined to fix our eyes and our minds 

 upon the Author and Finisher of our faith. For, if the 

 Apostles derived sufficient courage and strength to 

 bear bravely all adversity by fixing their eyes and 

 their thoughts upon Christ, we also, looking upon 

 Him in the saving pledge of our redemption, shall 

 find in the divine virtue of this sight such strength 

 and power that we shall overcome the slanders, the 

 insults, and the devices of our enemies, and we shall 

 draw with joy, from the cross of Christ, salvation for 

 ourselves and also for many unhappy wanderers 

 from the way of truth. But it is not enough to look 

 upon our Redeemer ; we must also put on such teach- 

 ableness of mind that we may readily listen to Him 

 with all.our hearts. This it is indeed which the Heav- 

 enly Father Himself ordered by the authority of His 

 Majesty, when Christ the Lord revealed His glory on 

 the high mountain before chosen witnesses, and He 

 said : This is My beloved Son in whom I am well 



E leased, hear ye Him ; " therefore we must with 

 umble obedience of the mind listen to Jesus in 

 every thing, and especially in that which He had 

 Himself so much at heart, when, foreseeing the diffi- 

 culties which would befall His disciples. He did not 

 fail ardently and repeatedly to pray to His Father in 

 the Last Supper, ** Holy Father, preserve in Thy 

 name those whom Thou hast given to Me, so that they 

 may be one, even as We are one." Therefore, let 

 one soul with one heart be in all. Truly we cannot 

 have a greater consolation than if we continually 

 yield the obedient hearing of the heart to the teach- 

 ings of Christ ; for thereby we shall know that we 

 are with Christ, and we shall find in ourselves an 

 evident pledge of eternal salvation, for he who is of 

 God heareth God's word. 



May the Almighty and Merciful God, with His 

 powerful help, through the intercession of the Im- 

 maculate Mother of God, confirm these words of pon- 

 tifical exhortation which we have drawn from the 

 bottom of our heart, and may He graciously cause 

 them to bring forth plenteous fruits. Lastly, may He 

 turn His face upon you, venerable brethren, and fill 

 both your bodies and your souls with the favor of His 

 blessing ; your bodies, indeed, so that you may have 

 strength to bear, diligently and readily, all those 

 labors from which your sacred functions cannot be 

 free ; your souls, in order that you may be filled with 

 heavenly assistance, and may excel in examples of 

 priestly life and in the splendor of all virtues, for the 

 salvation of the Christian flock. And may the grace 

 of this blessing be with you continually, and merci- 

 fully inspire all the days of your life, so that your 

 days may be found full full of holiness and of jus- 

 tice, full of the fruits of holy works in which our 

 true riches and glory consist. Thus also may it happi- 

 ly be our lot that, when the course of our mortal pil- 

 grimage is completed, we may not fear on that last 

 day of life to say with the prophet-king, " I rejoiced 

 in this which was said to me, we will go to the house 

 of the Lord," and that we may surely trust to find 

 the way open to us to the fountain of Zion, to the 

 Heavenly Jerusalem. 



