Vatican I, by John Carberry
In 1869, it had been over 300 years since the last ecuмenical council (Trent – 1545-1564). The
new council wished to cover a number of areas of concern. However, it was limited in time
because of the outbreak of war in Europe. The Papal States of central Italy were taken from
control of Pope Pius IX in 1870 by military force.1 After this interruption, the council was never
resumed, nor was it ever officially closed. The decrees of the council were published.
The Council affirmed the profession of faith as well as many of the decrees originating at the
Council of Trent in the Sixteenth Century. This included the seven sacraments as well as the fact
that baptism, confirmation and order may not be repeated.
On April 24, 1870, the council decreed the Dogmatic Constitution on the Catholic Faith (Dei
Filius [The Son of God]). The constitution is divided into 4 chapters: 1) On God the creator of
things, 2) On revelation, 3) On faith, and 4) On faith and reason.
God, who is almighty, eternal, immeasurable, incomprehensible, infinite in will, understanding
and every perfection, distinct from the world and supremely happy in himself, created everything.
In order to manifest his perfection by the good things which he bestows on what he creates, God
brought into being from nothing the twofold created order, the spiritual and the bodily, the
angelic and the earthly, and thereafter the human which is common to both since it is composed
of spirit and body. Everything that God has brought into being he protects and governs by his
providence. All things are laid bare to his eyes, even those which will be brought about by the
free activity of creatures.
While God can be known with certainty from the consideration of created things and by the
natural power of human reason, he has also revealed himself through divine revelation. Through
divine revelation, God makes himself known by everyone without difficulty, with firm certitude
and with no intermingling of error. Since God directed human beings to a supernational end, one
must hold revelation to be absolutely necessary. This supernatural revelation is contained in the
written books and unwritten traditions which were received by the apostles from the lips of
Christ himself. The complete books of the Old and New Testament with all their parts which are
found in the Latin Vulgate edition are to be received as sacred and canonical. These books are
written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, which have God as their author, and were
committed to the Church. In matters of faith and morals, the meaning of holy scripture must be
held to be the true one, which holy mother Church held and holds, since it is her right to judge of
the true meaning and interpretation of holy scripture. It is not permitted for anyone to interpret
holy scripture in a sense contrary to that of the Church.
We are all obliged to yield our full submission of intellect and will by faith to God’s revelation.
We believe through faith which the Church professes, which is the beginning of human salvation,
because of the authority of God himself, who makes the revelation and can neither deceive nor
be deceived. In order that the submission of our faith should be in accordance with reason, it
was God’s will that there should be linked to the internal assistance of the Holy Spirit external
indications of his revelation, divine acts such as miracles and prophecies which demonstrate the
omnipotence and infinite knowledge of God. No one can accept the gospel in a way necessary
for salvation without the inspiration and illumination of the Holy Spirit, who gives to all facility
in accepting and believing the truth. Faith is a gift of God. A person yields true obedience to
God himself when he accepts and collaborates with this grace which he could have rejected. All
things are to be believed which are contained in the word of God as found in scripture and
tradition, and which are proposed by the Church as matters to be believed as divinely revealed,
whether by her judgment or in her ordinary and universal magisterium. Jesus founded the
Church that she might be recognized by all as the guardian and teacher of the revealed word.
Those who embrace the faith are not the same as those who, led by human opinions, follow a
false religion; for those who have accepted the faith under the guidance of the Church can never
have any just cause for changing this faith or for calling it into question.
There is a twofold order of knowledge, divine faith and natural reason. Faith proposes for our
belief mysteries hidden in God which, unless they are divinely revealed are incapable of being
known. The Only-begotten himself, in his confession to the Father, acknowledges that the
Father has hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to the little ones (Mt
11:25). Reason is never rendered capable of penetrating these mysteries in the way in which it
penetrates those truths which form its proper object. While faith is above reason, there cannot be
any real disagreement between them. The same God reveals the mysteries and infuses faith, and
has endowed the human mind with the light of reason. Every assertion contrary to the truth of
enlightened faith is totally false. The Church, together with its apostolic office of teaching is
charged with preserving the deposit of faith, so it must condemn what wrongly passes for
knowledge. All faithful Christians are forbidden to defend scientific conclusions which are
contrary to the doctrine of faith. Faith and reason cannot be at odds with one another because
they mutually support each other. Reason established the foundations of faith and faith delivers
reason from errors and protects it and furnishes it with knowledge of many kinds. The doctrine
of revealed faith is a divine deposit committed to the spouse of Christ to be faithfully protected
and infallibly promulgated.
On July 18, 1870, the council decreed the First Dogmatic Constitution on the Church of Christ
(Pastor aeternus [Shepherd forever]). It also is divided into 4 chapters: 1) On the institution of
the apostolic primacy in blessed Peter, 2) On the permanence of the primacy of blessed Peter in
the Roman pontiffs, 3) On the power and character of the primacy of the Roman pontiff, 4) On
the infallible teaching authority of the Roman pontiff.
Christ appointed Peter to be the head of his Church. This is supported by Matthew’s Gospel,
where Christ tells Peter that he is the rock upon which Christ will build his Church (Mt 16:18)
and that Christ will give Peter the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever he binds on earth
shall be bound in heaven and whatever he loosens on earth shall be loosed in heaven (Mt 16:19).
Likewise, after Christ’s resurrection, Christ directs Peter to feed his lambs and tend and feed his
sheep (Jn 21:15-17). Thus, Christ conferred on the Peter the primacy of jurisdiction over the
whole Church, as supreme pastor and ruler of his whole fold.
Whoever succeeds to the chair of Peter obtains by the institution of Christ himself, the primacy
of Peter over the whole Church. Any Roman pontiff is a successor of Peter and has primacy
over the whole Church.
The apostolic see and the Roman pontiff hold a world-wide primacy, and the Roman pontiff is
the successor of blessed Peter, the prince of the apostles, true vicar of Christ, head of the whole
Church and father and teacher of all Christian people. The Roman pontiff has been given by our
Lord Jesus Christ to tend, rule and govern the universal Church. Both the clergy and the faithful
must submit to this power by the duty of hierarchical subordination and true obedience in matters
concerning faith and morals as well as regarding the discipline and government of the Church
throughout the world. The Roman pontiff is not subject to civil authorities. Nor can appeal be
made of a ruling of the Roman pontiff to an ecuмenical council, since it is not superior to the
Roman pontiff.
Christ gave the Roman pontiff, vicar of Christ, head of the whole Church, and father and teacher
of all Christians, the full power of tending, ruling and governing the whole Church. The Holy
Spirit was promised to the successors of Peter so that they might guard the deposit of faith,
transmitted to the apostles as revealed by Jesus Christ. The gift of truth and never-failing faith
was divinely conferred on Peter and his successors to keep them away from the poisonous food
of error and to be nourished with the sustenance of heavenly doctrine. When the Roman pontiff
speaks Ex Cathedra, exercising his office as shepherd and teacher of all Christians, in virtue of
his supreme apostolic authority, he defines a doctrine concerning faith or morals to be held by
the whole Church, he possesses that infallibility which the divine Redeemer willed his Church to
enjoy in defining doctrine concerning faith or morals.2
John Carberry is the author of Parables: Catholic Apologetics Through Sacred Scripture (2003)
and Sacraments: Signs, Symbols and Significance (2023).
1Schreck, Alan, The Compact History of the Catholic Church (Cincinnati, Ohio: St. Antony Messenger Press, 2009), p. 106.
2
https://www.papalencyclicals.net/councils/ecuм20.htm, Downloaded 8/13/2019.
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