THE INVITATION HEEDED: Reasons FOR A RETURN TO CATHOLIC UNITY. BY JAMES KENT STONE, Late President of Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio; and of Hobart College, "Ad unitatem Sedis apostolica, divina gratia duce, reversus sum.” ST. GREGORII M. OPERA, tom. ii. p. 1300. From the Library of Rev. H W FOOTE, Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by THE CATHOLIC PUBLICATION SOCIETY, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York. You all know already that IAM VOS omnes noveritis, Nos licet immerentes ad hanc | We, having been raised, notPetri Cathedram evectos, et withstanding Our unworthiiccirco supremo universae ness, to this Chair of Peter, catholicae Ecclesiae regi-and therefore invested with mini, et curae ab ipso Chris- the supreme government and to Domino Nobis divinitus guardianship of the whole commissae praepositos op- Catholic Church, divinely portunum existimasse, om- entrusted to Us by Christ nes Venerabiles Fratres to- our Lord, have judged it tius orbis Episcopos apud seasonable to call to Us Nos vocare, et in Oecumeni- Our Venerable Brethren, the cum Concilium futuro anno Bishops of the whole earth, concelebrandum. cogere, ut and to unite them together, cum eisdem Venerabilibus to celebrate, next year, an Fratribus in sollicitudinis Ecumenical Council; Nostrae partem vocatis ea that, in concert with these omnia consilia suscipere Our Venerable Brethren possimus, quae magis op- who are called to share in portuna, ac necessaria sint, Our cares, We may take tum ad dissipandas tot pesti- those steps which may be ferorum errorum tenebras, most opportune and necesqui cum summo animarum sary, both to disperse the SO damno ubique in dies dom- | darkness of the many noxinantur et debacchantur, tum ious errors which everyad quotidie magis constitu- where increasingly prevail, endum, et amplificandum in to the great loss of souls; christianis populis vigilan- and also to establish and tiae Nostrae concreditis ve- confirm daily more and more rae fidei, iustitiae, veraeque among the Christian people Dei pacis regnum. Ac ve- entrusted to Our watchful hementer confisi arctissimo ness the Kingdom of true et amantissimo coniunctionis Faith, Justice, and the Peace foedere, quo Nobis, et Apos- of God. Confidently relying tolicae huic Sedi iidem Ven- on the close ties and most erabiles Fratres mirifice ob- loving union which in so stricti sunt, qui nunquam marked a way unite to Ourintermiserunt omni supremi selves and to this Holy See Nostri Pontificatus tempore these Our Venerable Brethsplendidissima erga Nos, et ren, who, through all the eamdem Sedem fidei, amoris, time of Our Supreme Ponet observantiae testimonia tificate, have never failed to praebere, ea profecto spe give to Ourselves and this nitimur fore ut veluti prae- Holy See the clearest toteritis saeculis alia gene-kens of their love and venralia Concilia, ita etiam prae-eration; We have the firm senti saeculo Concilium hoc hope that this Ecumenical Oecumenicum a Nobis in- Council, summoned by Us dictum uberes, laetissimos- at this time, will produce, que, divina adspirante gratia, by the inspirations of Difructus emittat pro maiore vine Grace, as other General Dei gloria, ac sempiterna hominum salute. Itaque in hanc spem erec Councils in past ages have done, abundant fruits of benediction, to the greater glory of God, and the eternal salvation of men. Sustained by this hope, ti, ac Domini Nostri Iesu land roused and urged by |