invoked upon our altars as saints eminent for their
holiness.

The avowed enemies of the Church charge only five or six Popes with
immorality. Thus, even admitting the truth of the accusations brought
against them, we have forty-three virtuous to one bad Pope, while there
was a Judas Iscariot among the twelve Apostles.

But although a vast majority of the Sovereign Pontiffs should have been so
unfortunate as to lead vicious lives, this circumstance would not of
itself impair the validity of their prerogatives, which are given not for
the preservation of their morals, but for the guidance of their judgment;
for, there was a Balaam among the Prophets, and a Caiphas among the High
Priests of the Old Law.

The present illustrious Pontiff is a man of no ordinary sanctity. He has
already filled the highest position in the Church for upwards of thirty
years, "a spectacle to the world, to angels and to men," and no man can
point out a stain upon his moral character.

And yet Pius IX., like his predecessors, confesses his sins every week.
Each morning, at the beginning of Mass, he says at the foot of the altar,
"I confess to Almighty God, and to His Saints, that I have sinned
exceedingly in thought, word and deed." And at the Offertory of the Mass
he says: "Receive, O Holy Father, almighty, everlasting God, this oblation
which I, Thy unworthy servant, offer for my innumerable sins, offences and
negligences."

With these facts before their eyes, I cannot comprehend how ministers of
the Gospel betray so much ignorance, or are guilty of so much malice, as
to proclaim from their pulpits, which ought to be consecrated to truth,
that Infallibility means exemption from sin. I do not see how they can
benefit their cause by so flagrant perversions of truth.

Third--Bear in mind, also, that this Divine assistance is guaranteed to the
Pope not in his capacity as private teacher, but only in his official
capacity, when he judges of faith and morals as Head of the Church. If a
Pope, for instance, like Benedict XIV. were to write a treatise on Canon
Law his book would be as much open to criticism as that of any Doctor of
the Church.

Fourth--Finally, the inerrability of the Popes, being restricted to
questions of faith and morals, does not extend to the natural sciences,
such as astronomy or geology, unless where error is presented under the
false name of science, and arrays itself against revealed truth.(175) It
does not, therefore,