BOLLINGER
503 Catholic attitude to modern problems. Dollinger seems to the leader of those who were energetically opposed to any have regarded favourably the removal, by the Bavarian addition to, or more stringent definition of, the powers the Government, in 1841, of Professor Kaiser from his chair,, Papacy had possessed for centuries. By the year 1863 because he had taught the infallibility of the Pope. On the his position had evidently undergone a change. In that other hand, he published a treatise in 1838 against mixed year he invited a number of theologians, amounting to marriages, and in 1843 wrote strongly in favour of requiring one hundred, to discuss the question which Lamennais and Protestant soldiers to kneel at the consecration of the Host Lacordaire had previously and prematurely raised in when compelled officially to be present at Mass. More- France, namely, the attitude that should be assumed by over, in his work on the “ Reformation ” (1846-1848) he is the Roman Catholic Church towards modern ideas. His very severe on the Protestant leaders, and he also accepts, The Church and the Churches (Munich, 1861) dealt to a in his earlier works, the Ultramontane view then current certain extent with the same question. But his address to on the practical condition of the Church of England, a the assembled divines in 1863 was, as Professor Woker view which in later days he says {Internationale Theolofound reason to change. Meangische Zeitschrift, July 1899, while he had visited England, p. 459), “practically a dewhere he was well received; claration of war against the and he afterwards travelled in Ultramontane party.” He had Holland, Belgium, and France, spoken boldly in favour of acquainting himself with the freedom for the Church in the condition and prospects of the Frankfort National Assembly Roman Catholic Church in those in 1848, but he had found the countries. In 1842 he entered authorities of his Church claiminto correspondence with the ing a freedom of a very different leaders of the Tractarian movekind from that for which he ment in England, and some inhad contended. The freedom teresting letters have been he claimed for the Church was preserved which were exchanged freedom to manage her affairs between him and Dr Pusey, Mr without the interference of the Gladstone, and Mr Scott (afterState; the adherents of the wards Mr Hope Scott). When Papacy desired freedom in the last - named joined the order to put a stop to the Church of Rome he was warmly dissemination of modern ideas. congratulated by Dollinger on The famous Syllabus, recently the step he had taken. He, put forth by Pius IX., had however, much regretted the declared war against modern gradual and very natural trend science and progress, and had of his new English allies toreproduced the mediaeval claims wards extreme Ultramontane of the Church in a most uncomviews, of which Archdeacon, promising form. The addresses afterwards Cardinal, Manning delivered in the Assembly of ultimately became an enthusiDivines in 1863 were a declaraastic advocate. In 1845 Doltion in the opposite direction. linger was made representative The Pope for a moment seemed JOHANN JOSEPH IGNAZ VON DOLLINGEK. of his University in the Second to hesitate, but there could be (From a photograph by F. Bruckmann, Munich.) Chamber of the Bavarian little doubt what course he Legislature. In 1847, in consequence of the fall from would ultimately pursue, and after four days’ debate the power in Bavaria of the Abel Ministry, with which he had Assembly was closed at his command. It was in conbeen in close relations, he was removed from his professor- nexion with this question that Dollinger published his ship at Munich, but in 1849 he was invited to occupy the Past and Present of Catholic Theology and his Univerchair of Ecclesiastical History. In 1848, when nearly every sities Past and Present (Munich, 1867). throne in Europe was shaken by the spread of revolutionary We now approach the critical period of Dollinger’s life. sentiments throughout the European continent, he was It was about this time that some of the leading theologians elected delegate to the National German Assembly at of the Roman Catholic Church, conceiving that the best way Frankfort,—a sufficient proof that at this time he was of meeting present perils was to emphasize, as well as to regarded as no mere narrow and technical theologian, but define more clearly, the authority of the Pope, advised him as a man of wide and independent views. It has been to make his personal infallibility a dogma of the Church, said that his change of relations to the Papacy dated and urged strenuously on him the necessity of calling a from the Italian war in 1859, but no sufficient reason Council for that purpose. There was considerable opposition has been given for this statement. It is far more pro- in various quarters. Many bishops and divines considered bable that, like Grosseteste, he had imbibed in early the proposed definition a false one. Others, though youth an enthusiastic sentiment of attachment to the accepting it as the truth, declared its promulgation to Papacy as the only centre of authority, and the only be inopportune. But the headquarters of the opposition guarantee for public order in the Church, but that his was Germany, and its leader was Dollinger, whose high experience of the actual working of the Papal system had reputation and vast stores of learning placed him far to a certain extent convinced him how little correspond- above any other member of the band of theological experts ence there was between his ideal and the reality. He who now gathered around him. Among them were his may also have been unfavourably impressed with the intimate friends Friedrich and Huber, in Bavaria. In promulgation by Pius IX. in 1854 of the dogma of the the rest of Germany he found many supporters, chiefly Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin. But, professors in the Catholic faculty of theology at Bonn: whatever may have been his reasons, he ultimately became among these were the famous canonist von Schulte, the
