ground that, in having pronounced this, he had practically presumed on assuming a power of control over 'the freedom and union of the Apostolic College in its so needful mystic body.' In other words, Pope Clement recognised a divine instinct resident in the Church as ever embodied in its living representatives, which it must be beyond the legitimate authority of a Pope to presume on superseding and controlling from out of his grave in virtue of some decree of his own. This power of supersession and control has now however been laid claim to by Pius IX. in this noteworthy Brief, which must be held to mark an epoch in the discipline of the Roman system, and in the development of Papal autocracy, if the dictatorial sentence promulgated in it for Cardinals assembled in Conclave comes to be really accepted by them as of binding force.[1]
- ↑ The unexpected return of Cardinal Andrea to Rome in obedience to this citation, has reduced the scope of the issues immediately under adjudication. Still, the whole transaction is calculated to effect so great modifications in the hitherto received system of discipline, that we refer the reader to further observations on it in Appendix B.
