VATICAN, COUNCIL OF THE. A council held. in Rome in 1869-70 and considered by Roman Catholies as the twentieth ecumenical council. (See ('ouxrn..) In 300 years after the Council of Trent. Pope Phis IN. his purpose of lolling another eouncil. The period between this announcement and the publication of the Pope's encyclical (June 29. 1868), definitely summoning the couneil, was replete with controversy regarding it. 'Many of the prel ates and of the general body of the clergy, espe daily of France, Belgium, Germany, and Hol land. as well as many Catholic statesmen, consid ered it inexpedient. largely for political reasons. Austria united in discountenancing the projected meeting, and although Napoleon 111. was not in disposed to it within certain limits, his Min istry generally regarded it with distrust. The Government of Italy opposed it openly. On the festival of the Ininmenlate Conception (December S. 18139) the council held its first session in the basilica of the Vatican. There were present 719 prelates, 49 of whom were cardinals, 9 patriarchs, 4 primates, 121 archbishops, 479 bishops, and 57 abbots and generals of monastic Orders. This number gradually rose to 764. Although the doc trine of infallibility had not been formally an nounced as a portion of the programme of the council till its actual convention, yet it may he said that the council had but two real objects: the solemn ratification of this dogma, and the terance of a protest against infidelity in all its aspects. whether of rationalism, pantheism, ma terialism, or atheism. Although the decrees set ting forth the doctrines of the Church regarding God, the creation, the relation of faith to reason, etc., were unanimously adopted in the third pub lic session (April 24, 1870), the decision in re gard to infallibility was not arrived at so har moniously, and not till a much later period.
It hail been arranged that the committee on faith should consider all other matters lying within its sphere, relating to the Church, before treating of its head and his prerogatives, but, on April 22, 1870, those prelates in favor of it addressed a collective note to the council urging that all questions should give way to that of Papal infallibility. The Pope approved of this change. and ordered an inversion of the order of business accordingly. The first vote was not ar rived at till July 13th, when, out of 601 mem bers, SS voted mini plucct, or adversely. These, however, were by no means necessarily to be taken as not believing in the doctrine. In most eases they were simply opposed to its definition. at this time, as an article of faith. On the final vote on the July 1S, 1570, only two prelates recorded their votes against the definition; and even these, with all the rest of their recusant brethren, ultimately acquiesced in the decrees of the council. For the significance of the definition, see INFALLIBILITY. The council was adjourned and indefinitely postponed, October 20, 1570, in consequence of the outbreak of the Franco-Prus sian War.
For the history of this momentous council, consult : Kessler, bas ratikanische Concilium (2d ed.. Vienna. 1871) ; Manning, The True Story of the Futican Council (London, 1877); Hu. Old Catholic "011irinus," Letters from Ronne on the Council (Eng. trans., London, 1870) ; and J. Friedrich, ileschichic des ratikanischen (11onn. 1577-87). The documents are in Arlo ci licercla Concilii Valicatii (Freiburg, 1892).