month, and M. Portier had not returned from his own voyage thither. M. Dubois had sent his proxy to M. David, whom some indisposition prevented from appearing and thus M. Dubois was not represented. M. Conwell had just returned from Europe, and could not attend the council. The Sovereign Pontiff. we learn, has given a coadjutor to this Prelate in M. Kenrick, a native of Ireland, and missionary in Kentucky; and M. de Nekere, a Belgian priest, and missionary in Louisiana, has been appointed bishop of New Orleans. M. William Mathews, administrator of Philadelphia, attended in the bishop's room. The other members were, Messrs. John Tessier and John Power, grand-vicars, the one of Baltimore and the other of New York; Father Dzierozinski, SUPERIOR THE JESUITS ;* M. Carriere,

*Astonishing, that such a phenomenon should have appeared in these United States at this late and enlightened period, and be thus publicly announced!-when almost all Europe, within little more than half a century, with an enlightened Pontiff at their head was united in expelling the pestilence of Jesuitic docte, and craft, and immorality. That now the detested order should, with such effrontery, and as an insult on mankind, be revived, and its name unblushingly and boastingly protruded, even in the designation of a public journal, may well be esteemed a wonder of the world. No one who is conversant with the history of the order, and not himself a member of it, can contain his righteous indignation when contemplating its crimes. The volumes written against it by men of the first repute for seriousness, learning, talents, and rank, not only out of the pale of the Church of Rome but more peculiarly within it, and especially in France, many of which are at this moment under our eye, would of themselves form by no means an inconsiderable library. Were the information contained in them diffused throughout our country, it would at least be impracticable for such principles and practices to flourish long. Every patriot should be awake! "In the 17th century," as is observed by a French writer, "M. de Gondrin, Archbishop of Sens, not knowing how to repress the self-styled Society of Jesus, ordained public prayers in his diocese for their conversion. Would to God," he adds, "that this act of religion, now more necessary than ever, were renewed. Thus would we show our hatred of Jesuits. We would implore for them the mercy of God, that they might sincerely return. Our lips, it is true, in combating their antichristian system, have appeared to utter words of hatred, and to treat them with severity. But God is witness that this zeal against such as profane His sanctuary does not hinder us from bearing them upon our hearts. If our expressions are strong, it is because the scandal is at its height, and they relate to the errors, impieties, intrigues, cabals and innumerable crimes of the Society. These we reject and detest, but the persons who maintained them shall nevertheless be dear, and our grief will increase, as they appear the more incorrigible."

See "Denonciation de la Doctrine des soi-disans Jesuites aux Archeveques et Eveques de l' Eglise de France." p. 354.

of Sulpice, providentially in America; Messrs. Louis Deluol and Edward Damphoux, theologians, of the seminary of Baltimore; M. Francis Patrick Kenrick, theologian of Mgr. the Bishop of Bardstown; M. Simon Brute, theologician of Mgr. the Bishop of Charleston; M. Debarth, theologician of Mgr. the Bishop of Cincinnati; M. Augustus Jean-Jean, theologian of Mgr. the Bishop of St. Louis; M. Anthony Blanc, theologian of Mgr. the Bishop of Boston, and M. Michael Wheeler, theologian of the administrator of Philadelphia. M. Chauche had the care of the ceremonies.

"The Prelates arrived in succession at Baltimore. Mgr. the Bishop of Charleston arrived first, preached in the capital on the 20th of September, and, while waiting for the opening of the council, made a journey to Emmetsburgh, where he visited the seminary of St. Mary, and the boardingschool of the Sisters of St. Joseph.Mgr. Flaget arrived at Washington, September 19th, with Messrs. the Bishops of Cincinnati and St. Louis; he is Dean of the Bishops of the United States; he lodged at the seminary with Mgr. Rosati. Mgr. Fenwick continued some days at Washington. Mgr. Fenwick of Boston is a cousin of Mgr. the Bishop of Cincinnati, and has exercised the ministry at Baltimore, Charleston, and other cities of the United States. Before opening the council, the prelates held preliminary sittings, to regulate the subject and order of the deliberations, to decide points of jurisdiction, and to prepare matters. was remarked that the Bishops and the theologians were of very different countries. Two of the Bishops were born in the United States, one in France, one in Ireland, one in Italy. Among the theologians, also, were individuals from France, Poland, Ireland, Germany, &c. Sometimes it has been supposed there was a rivalry between the Irish and French. M. Flaget, however, who is a Frenchman, had chosen an Irishman for his theologian; and M. England, who is an Irishman, had reciprocally made choice of a Frenchman.

It

"The opening of the council was on Sunday, October 4th, in the cathedral church of Baltimore. Mgr. the Archbishop celebrated a solemn mass; he had fixed that day for receiving his pallium, which was placed on him by Mgr. the Bishop of Bardstown, the eldest of the Bishops. The sermon was preached by Mgr. the Bishop of Charleston. The Bishops then held their first session. Every day there was a session in the morning, preceded by a grand-mass. On Monday, Mgr. the Bishop of Bardstown officiated; on Tuesday, Mgr. the Bishop of Charleston, and so on, in the order of seniority. Besides the morning session, attended only by the Bishops and the administrator of Philadelphia, there was, at 4 P. M. a congregation, at which there were also the members of the second rank.

"Mgr. the Archbishop of Baltimore had invited the suffragans to prepare a list of questions to be discussed in council. Several points suggested by the Bishops were collected, and the result was a series of questions and subjects to form the matter of deliberation. These questions were arranged under three heads-faith and discipline, the sacraments, and the conduct of ecclesiastics. Mention was then made of the diocesan synod held under M. Carroll in 1791,

and of the regulations which were made in it, and whether they subsisted still, and what was their authority? They deliberated on the powers mutually granted each other by the Bishops; the reserved cases, and the powers to be given to priests. They discussed the nature of the promise made by each priest at his ordination, and the obligation resulting from it. They deliberated on the manner of proceeding against ecclesiastics; on the reading of the Holy Scriptures by the faithful; on the Douay version;t on the editions of the Bible Societies; on the writings of Protestants against the faith, and on the prohibition to read them. They were above all occupied respecting the circulation of books proper to make the Catholic faith known, and to answer the objections of its enemies; and whether it would not be expedient to establish a printing office consecrated particularly to this object, whence she should issue both books of piety and school-books? It was also thought necessary that there be established a periodical, to appear once in three months, in the manner of the Quarterly Review,' which should be entirely devoted to the concerns of the Catholic Religion. Since many of the dioceses have no seminaries, and it would be difficult to establish them in all places, it was proposed to form a central seminary, or common college for the whole metropolitical jurisdiction, where young persons should be educated at a low cost, and prepared for the functions of the priesthood. Religious societies for education engaged

*These form, in the voluminous body of Papal ecclesiastical laws, an important item, and may be seen, even in the ordinary books, occasionally. However, in the different dioceses they appear to vary considerably, rendering it a point of caution and policy that ecclesiastics of lower grades interfere not with another's province. For a confessor is not allowed to give absolution for all offences indiscriminately. There are the "casus reservati," which belong either to the Bishop, or more generally to the Pope rendering the resort to Rome, "ubi omnia venalia," as has been long said, exceedingly frequent; although a power is given to Bishops to decide in extreme cases. At the time of Jubilee, however, plenary indulgences multiply, and hence the vaunted excellence of that institution, or artifice. See Mar. ab Angelis, De Reservatione, in his Examen Theol, Mor. p. 440, cet. But it appears from Monclar's "Notes" to his "Compte Rendu" that a Jesuit can absolve in cases ordinarily reserved for the Pope, not only as well as a Bishop, but even in a superior degree. For this assertion he quotes Suarez. See p. 53.

One of peculiar value to the Romanist, since "repentance" is uniformly expressed by "penance ;" and the rest of the translation, as far as practicable, accommodated to the views of an interested hierarchy.

An editorial article appears on this subject in the "Annales," uttering great complaints of the incorrectness of several new versions, printed by the British and Foreign Bible Society-especially in the Oriental idioms. It is mostly, however, translated from English publications hostile to the work of missions

attention also, especially those for females; likewise brethren associated for Christian schools, with the means of giving them permanency; churches to be built; what is necessary to be done in regard to trustees, and the means of repressing their pretensions.* It is known what disputes and scandals have arisen on this subject in several dioceses, and it may be said that it is one of the greatest scourges of the churches in the United States. Another point agitated was the uniformity of catechisms, rituals, and books of prayers. Other questions, on which deliberations were held, related to the sacraments, principally baptism, confirmation, the eucharist, marriage, mixt marriages, the duties of ecclesiastics, their costume, &c.

"The council, which had commenced on Sunday the 4th of November, was finished on Sunday the 18th. It was not thought proper to publish its acts, until they had been approved at Rome, whither they have been sent. On the evening of its termination, the Bishops resolved on the preparation of a pastoral letter, addressed by them in common to the Catholics of the United States. This Pastoral, which is dated on the 17th of October, is signed by Mgr. the Archbishop, the other Bishops, and the administrator of Philadelphia.‡

"They first congratulate themselves on the progress of Religion in those countries; a progress arising from the concourse of happy circumstances-the zeal of the missionaries, the emigrations from Europe, the acquisitions of new territories, and arrival of new evangelical laborers; but it is necessary to provide for a succession in the ministry, since it cannot be imagined that new missionaries will be arriving continually from Europe. The Bishops even declare that they are no longer disposed to permit that priests, who are in bad esteem elsewhere, should be received into the United States, to create schisms and scandals there, as has sometimes happened. The Prelates desire to return thanks for the generous assistance they have received from a benevolent society in France, and exhort the Catholics of the United States to do something also for the maintenance of their Church. They then invite attention to the education of their children, their duties on this subject, and the care of procuring good schools. They deplore the too widely spread prejudices against the Catholics, to dissipate which attempts have lately been made. For this object a journal, "The Catholic Miscellany,'

*This office seems, for valid reasons, to give no small uneasiness to the RISING HIERARCHY-as the priests by no means desire lay-overStill, however, it comports with our popular institutions.See the publications in Philadelphia, 1822, on the diffiulties in regard to Rev. Mr. Hogan.

seers.

If any among us have felt opposed to the doctrine of "imperium in imperio," even as regards the feeble remnant of our Indians, how much more should they feel in contemplating a Body of such extent, whose acts need and receive the authorization of a Foreign Potentate.

Printed at Baltimore, 8vo. pp. 29.

has been published in the Southern States; but it has not been sustained, and it is found the editor must discontinue it. Other publications, for similar objects, have lately been made at Boston and at Hartford. The Prelates urge the encouragements of them. They announce that they have formed an association to publish elementary books proper for schools, and which should be freed of all that might give to young persons false ideas of religion. They persuade the faithful to be on their guard against unauthorized versions of the Scripture; and recommend, as the best translation, that of Dauay for the Old Testament, and that of Rheims for the New: these are, say they, the best in English. They then oppose, but with as much moderation as necessity, those pretensions, which are contrary to the rights of the Church-which are the pretensions of trustees, whom they do not name, but point out with sufficient clearness.— They close, by exhorting the faithful to observe exactly the practices of religion, and to keep themselves from that spirit of indifference, which, under the varnish of liberalism, tends to confound truth with error, by representing all religions as equally good. Such," says the editor, "is the substance of this pastoral letter, which is full of wisdom nobleness and piety.

"The Bishops have throughout," he continues, "discovered, in this council, a happy agreement, and a lively solicitude for the interests of religion; and we have reason to believe that this assembly will contribute powerfully to the prosperity of the Catholic Church in the United States. For this we are under obligation to Mgr. the Archbishop of Baltimore, who conceived the design of the council, and directed its deliberations; and who, in all his connexions with his colleagues, has shown himself worthy of the inportant vocation he had to fulfil."

Two communications from the present Archbishop, thus introduced, will close our present extracts. In a letter dated at Baltimore, June 27, 1829, he informs the Editor of the "Annals" thus :

"The diocese of Baltimore comprehends the State of Maryland and the District of Columbia. Maryland is a State situated between the Potomac and Pennsylvania, occupying the two sides of Chesapeake bay, in its upper part bounded on the east by the State of Delaware; it has from 13 to 14,000 square miles. The District of Columbia is a small territory ten miles square, situated on the banks of the Potomac. This territory has been detached from Maryland and Virginia, and made independent of these and all other States of the Republic, for the free assembling of the Congress, and the residence of the president, and all the other officers of the United States' government. Washington is its principal city.

"Maryland has 407,000 inhabitants, the district 33,000; in all, 440,000. Of this population, about 113,000 are blacks, of whom three quarters are slaves. The Catholics may amount to 60 or 80,000, of whom 6 or 7,000 are in the District.

"Maryland has for its principal city Baltimore, which reckons 80.000 inhabitants. It was but a hamlet in 1750: now it is a great and superb city, with magnificent streets, a crowd of monuments