Page:Petri Privilegium - Manning.djvu/164

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themselves of the moment of reconciliation and of peace offered by the assembling of the Council; and all alike on one and the same condition, namely, a recognition and submission to the Divine Authority of the Catholic and Roman Church, by which the Council will assemble, deliberate, and make decrees. They who have the Episcopal character validly impressed by undoubted consecration would, upon submission to the Divine Authority of the Church, be admitted to sit with the Episcopate of the Catholic world. The invitation therefore is, first, to reconciliation, and then to verification of their episcopal character. The Bishops of the Churches in the East, now in separation from the Catholic Church, are without doubt, for the most part, validly consecrated. They might, upon the renunciation of schism and any doctrinal error, at once be restored to their rank as Bishops. There are others in the West claiming the episcopal character, and claiming likewise to be Catholic, as the Jansenists of the Low Countries, and others again nearer home. If they believe their episcopal character to be unjustly doubted or denied, the way is open for examination and redress. It is not for me to say what the Supreme Authority may or may not see fit to do. But this, at least, I may venture to say, for this the Supreme Authority has already done. It has invited all those who are now separate from its unity to avail themselves of this occasion. Let them bring before the coming Council any cause in which they have been wronged; any claims which have not yet been heard, any alleged rights of which