ously elected
rector-magnificus of the university of Munich, and Oxford, Edinburgh and
Marburg universities conferred upon him the honorary degree of doctor of
laws and Vienna that of philosophy. The Bavarian clergy invited Bishop
Loos of the Jansenist Church in Holland, which for more than 150 years
had existed independent of the Papacy and had adopted the name of "Old
Catholic," to hold confirmations in Bavaria. The offer was accepted, and
the bishop was received with triumphal arches and other demonstrations
of joy. The three Dutch Old Catholic bishops declared themselves ready
to consecrate a bishop, if it were desired. The momentous question was
discussed at a meeting of the opponents of the Vatican decrees, and it
was resolved to elect a bishop and ask the Dutch bishops to consecrate
him. Dollinger, however, voted against the proposition, and withdrew
from any further steps towards the promotion of the movement. This was
the critical moment in the history of the resistance to the decrees. Had
Dollinger, with his immense reputation as a scholar, as a divine and as
a man, allowed himself to be consecrated bishop of the Old Catholic
Church, it is impossible to say how wide the schism would have been. But
he declined to initiate a schism. His refusal lost Bavaria to the
movement; and the number of Bavarian sympathizers was still further
reduced when the seceders, in 1878, allowed their priests to marry, a
decision which Dollinger, as was known, sincerely regretted. The Old
Catholic Communion, however, was formally constituted, with Reinkens at
its head as bishop, and it still continues to exist (see OLD CATHOLICS).

Dollinger's attitude to the new community was not very clearly defined.
It may be difficult to reconcile the two declarations made by him at
different times: "I do not wish to join a schismatic society; I am
isolated," and "As for myself, I consider that I belong by conviction to
the Old Catholic community." The latter declaration was made some years
after the former, in a letter to Pastor Widmann. The nearest approach to
a reconciliation of the two statements would appear to be that while, at
his advanced age, he did not wish to assume the responsibility of being
head of a new denomination, formed in circumstances of exceptional
difficulty, he was unwilling to condemn those who were ready to hazard
the new departure. "By conviction" he belonged to the Old Catholics, but
he never formally joined them. Yet a