Romanists, who hold that love is requisite in the sacrament of penance, respecting the kind of love which is requisite. Tractatus de Pœnitentiâ. L. Æ. Delahogue. (Dublinii, 1825.) Quæstio III. Quis et qualis esse debeat amor in sacramento pœnitentiæ requisitus? Permultæ sunt de hocce argumento theologorum opiniones, quarum præcipuæ priusquam exponantur, nonnulla sunt præmittenda. His prænotatis, præsens controversia ad id reducitur, nempe an, ad obtinendam in sacramento pœnitentiæ reconciliationem, sufficiat amor initialis concupiscentiæ seu spei, ut opinatur Turnelius post plures alios; utrum verò necessarius sit initialis amor ex charitate strictè sumptâ, quo Deus in se præcisè et propter se diligatur, ut sensit Bossuetius et alii, inter quos Witassius, Drouen, Collet, in minoribus suis prælectionibus, &c. The form of absolution has changed. Ibidem. c. vii. de forma sacramenti pœnitentiæ. 10. Apud Latinos hodierna absolutionis forma est indicativa, his concepta verbis: "Ego te absolvo," &c. Dico hodierna, quia plurimi theologi sentiunt formam deprecativum, *"Absolvat te Deus," &c. apud Latinos invaluisse usque ad 12um. seculum. Ita nempe post Morinum Turnelius et alii, quorum argumenta nullatenus solvere nobis videtur Collet in suo tractatu de pœnitentiâ. Certum est Græcos constanter adhibuisse formas deprecativas pro absolutione, illisque etiamnum uti, &c. What the Tridentine Fathers meant by the words "the approval of the bishop," which they declared that the priests need, in order that they may give a valid absolution, gave rise to much disputation. Many Romish Theologians contended that the bishops were only empowered to decide upon the fitness of the priests to hear confession. Others, and Dr. Delahogue, maintained that bishops had the power to grant, or withhold, the privilege of hearing confessions according to their own will. This is a strong proof that in the first ages the absolution was ministerial, and not judicial. Tract. de Pœnitentiâ. Appendix. Quæs. II. Quæritur secundò quid intellexerint P. P. Tridentini per approbationem episcopi, quâ presbyteros indigere declarant, ut validè absolvant. (Sess. 23. de Reform. c. xv.) Theologi plures, ex illis qui post concilium scripsêre, quos inter recensentur celeberrimi certè, ut Vasquez, Suarez, et alii, per approbationem ibi dicunt intelligendum esse, "Judicium publicum et authenticum ordinarii, de solâ idoneitate sacerdotis ad confessiones audiendas, ratione ejus vitæ, scientiæ, et doctrinæ, ut ei conferri possit jurisdictio. Verùm quæcumque sit istorum Theologorum auctoritas, adversus hanc interpretationem plurima, quæ maximi momenti nobis videntur, objicit laudatus autor D. Corgne (tom. ii. quæs. 12.) quæ paucis contrahemus, &c. Different opinions respecting the "materia proxima" of penance. Tractatus de Pœnitentia, &c. Articulus II. Circa hanc quæstionem errant Novatores; scholastici verò in varias partes, salvâ fide, abeunt, &c. Opinions differ respecting the propriety of giving absolution to a man at the point of death who has led a Christian life, but who has not sought a confessor, nor exhibited signs of contrition. Tractatus de Pœnitentiâ. Aut. L. E. Delahogue. (Dublinii, 1825.) Quæs. VIII. Dicimus 20. absolvendum esse moribundum, qui vitam Christianam egit, licet nec petierit confessarium, nec contritionis signa, ante vel post sacerdotis adventum, ostenderit. Hæc sententia, quæ multorum est contra multos, efficaciter probatur primo ex S. Augustino, &c. Another source of difference. Articulus II. Utrum confessio sit aliquando jure ecclesiastico necessaria ? Ecclesiasticum confessionis præceptum existere evidens est ex celebri decreto conc. Lateran. ÎV. an 1215. sub. Innoc. III. habiti, quod sic legitur, can. 21. "Omnis utriusque sexûs fidelis, postquam ad annos discretionis pervenerit, omnia sua peccata confiteatur fideliter, saltem semel in anno proprio sacerdoti, &c. Versatur difficultas in exponendo quis in mente concilii sit proprius sacerdos: de hoc multùm et acriori studio disputatum fuit, et nondum definita est quæstio. Scilicet nonnulli nomine proprii sacerdotis; solum Parochum accipiendum esse contendunt; alii summum Pontificem, Episcopum diocesanum, et parochum; alii omnes presbyteros a S. Pontifice et Episcopo Diocesano sine restrictione approbatos; alii tandem, quasi ex mediâ sententiâ dicunt, patres Lateranenses per proprium sacerdotem directè indicasse Parochum, salvâ tamen S. Pontificis in toto orbe Christiano, et episcoporum in suis diœcesibus auctoritate, &c. The Laity's Directory to the Church Service for the year of our Lord, 1833, being the first after leap year. The Directory for the Church Service, printed by Messrs. Keating and Brown, is the only one which is published with the authority of the Vicars Apostolic in England, James, Bishop of Ursula. London, Nov. 12, 1829. Vicar Apost. Lond. ENCYCLICAL LETTER of our most holy father Pope Gregory, by Divine providence the sixteenth of the name, addressed to all patriarchs, primates, archbishops and bishops. "VENERABLE BRETHREN, "Health and apostolical benediction. We doubt not but you are surprised at not yet having received from us, since the government of the universal Church was com mitted to our humility, a letter, in accordance with primitive usage, and with our affection towards you," &c. "In sorrow, and with a mind broken with grief, we address you-you, whom we know from your devotedness to religion to have suffered proportionate anxiety of mind in witnessing the depravity of the times with which religion has now to struggle. For we may truly say, this is the hour and the power of darkness to sift as wheat the sons of election (Luke xxii. 53.) Truly hath the earth mourned and faded away infected by the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the law, they have changed the ordinance, they have broken the everlasting covenant.' (Is. xxiv. 4, 5.) 6 "We speak, venerable brethren, of what your own eyes have witnessed, and over which our tears flow in common. Wickedness is restless, science grown insolent, licentiousness unrestrained. The holiness of things sacred is despised, and the majesty of the divine worship, at once so efficacious and so necessary, is called in question, is vilified, is mocked at by evil men. Hence the perversion of sound doctrine, and hence the effrontry with which errors of every kind are disseminated. The law of the sanctuary, its rights, its customs, whatever is most holy in discipline, is attacked by the tongues of them that speak iniquity. Our Roman see of St. Peter, on which Christ laid the foundation of his Church, is assailed on all sides; and the bonds of unity are every day weakened and breaking asunder. The divine authority of the Church is opposed; robbed of her rights, she is laid prostrate to satisfy human expediency, and iniquity exposes her a degraded slave to the hatred of the nations. The obedience due to bishops is infringed, and their rights are trodden under foot. The schools and the universities echo monstrous novelties, which no longer content themselves with undermining the foundation of the Catholic faith, but quitting their lurking holes, rush openly to horrid and impious war with it. The youth, corrupted by the doctrines and examples of their teachers, have inflicted a deep wound upon religion, and have introduced a most gloomy perversion of manners. Hence it is that men, flinging away the restraints of our holy religion, which can alone keep together the elements of kingdoms, and impart strength and stability to government, have brought us to witness the destruction of public order, the downfall of states, and the overthrow of all legitimate power. These accumulated miseries owe their origin principally, however, to the activity of certain societies, in which is collected, as in one common receptacle, whatever heresy, or the most impious sects offer of crime, of sacrilege, and of blasphemy. From this polluted fountain of 'indifference' flows that absurd and erroneous doctrine, or rather raving, in favour and in defence of liberty of conscience;' for which most pestilential error, the course is opened by that entire and wild liberty of opinion which is every where attempting the overthrow of religious and civil institutions, and which the unblushing impudence of some has held forth as an advantage to religion. But what,' exclaimed Augustine, 'what worse death to the soul than freedom in error?' For truly only destroy those fences which keep men within the paths of truth, leave them to the headlong sway of their natural evil propensities, and the bottomless pit at once yawns before you, from which St. John saw the smoke arise, which darkened the sun, and which shed its locusts over the face of the earth. From hence arise those revolutions in the minds of men hence this aggravated corruption of youth; hence this contempt among the people of sacred things, and of the most holy institutions and laws; hence, in one word, that pest of all others most to be dreaded in a state, unbridled liberty of opinion, licentiousness of speech, and a lust of novelty, which, according to the experience of all ages, portend the downfall of the most powerful and flourishing empires. Hither tends that worst and never sufficiently to be execrated and detested liberty of the press, for the diffusion of all manner of writings, which some so loudly contend for, and so actively promote, &c. But that all may have a successful and happy issue, let us raise our eyes to the most blessed Virgin Mary, who alone destroys heresies, who is our greatest hope, yea, the entire ground of our hope. May she exert her patronage to draw down an efficacious blessing on our desires, our plans, and proceedings, in the present straitened condition of the Lord's flock. We will, also, implore in humble prayer from Peter, the prince of the Apostles, and from his fellow-apostle Paul, that you may all stand as a wall to prevent any other foundation than what hath been laid; and supported by this cheering hope, we have confidence that the Author and |