Thursday, July 18, 2024

It is the 18th of July 2024. Welcome to the Christian History Almanac, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org; I’m Dan van Voorhis.

 

Another day of momentous events throughout the history of the church- today in the 19th century and the consolidation of the Catholic Church with one of her most controversial doctrines (at least to outsiders).

As the United States of America was embroiled in her own Civil War Europe had its own tumults to contend with- from the Revolutions of 1848 (with their French and American antecedents) to the creeping nationalisms in the lead up to the Great War.

The Papacy had taken its licks along with many traditional authorities in this century with the Italians dealing the Vatican a blow by taking the Papal States as part of its unification project.  

Amidst the rise of both liberals and reactionaries, the election of Pope Pius IX in 1846 was auspicious. But with, perhaps, parallels to a modern Pope first vexed Conservatives as a progressive Pope only to supposedly “turn” towards the right, confounding many observers.

In the midst of these tenuous times, the Pope did what past Popes had done in the past- call a council for guidance and a show of a strong central voice.

Pope Pius would have liked to call an “Ecumenical” council… some churches objected- namely Eastern Orthodox and Protestants, who could have seen the council as perhaps a lesser regional council but not as “universal” as they don’t believe the Pope in Rome has that universal power.

The Eastern Orthodox had parted ways with the “ecumenical” councils after the 7th in 787 while the Western Latin church continued to hold them- however, they hadn’t had one in some 300 years- that was the Council of Trent in the 1500s to respond to the Reformation.

Pope Pius may have wanted to convene the council as the 21st ecumenical council and the 6th Lateran council- being in the Lateran palace in Rome where 5 previous ecumenical councils had been held.

But it was too small, and so St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City and thus this would be the First Vatican Council (the second was in the 1960s).

Pope Pius had already shown himself favorable to making major doctrinal waves- such as when he declared the Immaculate Conception of Mary to be official church dogma in 1854- that is belief that the Virgin Mary and Mother of God was born free of the effects of original sin. It wasn’t that this was necessarily a “new” belief but the Pope made it official amidst questions being raised.

And thus many were unsurprised when Pope Pius, amidst the first Vatican Council in 1870 when he published the document "Pastor Aeternus” which established so-called “Papal Infallibility” and thus grew a major wedge between Roman Catholic and other church bodies.

As a fellow Protestant, I urge us all to see what this document says and doesn’t say. It is not an easy “dunk” in Catholic/Protestant debates.

In light of the proclamation of the Immaculate Conception before this, there was nothing strange with a pope declaring a dogma for the first time, despite it being standard teaching throughout the church’s history. Papal infallibility was very carefully couched in a particular language- the Pope speaks infallibly (or, without err) when, as the “teacher of all Christians, he defines a doctrine concerning faith or morals to be held by the whole Church.” And this “ex-Cathedra” or, from his “chair” or official position as Bishop of Rome.

Much as the doctrine of the Trinity was not fully proclaimed and established- at least officially until Nicaea, it was a belief held in the universal church.

The proclamation may have been shocking to some, but it seems to be part of the natural outgrowth of a position that claims the authority it does.  A note to my non-Catholic friends- the debate with a Catholic brother or sister should ultimately get to authority- “who says so?”

Nonetheless, the proclamation of Pastor Aeternus on this day further solidified Pope Pius IX’s bona fides to strengthen the authority of the papacy with the declarations, despite them being fairly established doctrines already in popular practice.

Vatican I, the first council after three centuries, would perhaps only be outdone by the 2nd Vatican Council of the 1960s. Nonetheless, after 300 years of dormancy, the “ecumenical council” (however understood) made its comeback with a doozy of a statement on papal authority on this, July 18, 1870.

  

The last word for today is from the daily lectionary and Colossians 1:

15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

 

This has been the Christian History Almanac for the 18th of July 2024, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org.

The show is produced by your very own “pastor Aeternus” and “infallible Pappy” he is Christopher Gillespie.

The show is written and read by a man who wonders if the name Pope “Pius” might be a little on the nose… I’m Dan van Voorhis. 

You can catch us here every day- and remember that the rumors of grace, forgiveness, and the redemption of all things are true…. Everything is going to be ok.