The General of the Holy Church is created by a brief of the pope, who gives him the staff himself in his chamber, and takes his oath. In time of peace he has allowed him a thousand crowns per month, and three thousand in time of war. He commands all the troops and all the governors in the places and fortresses of the ecclesiastical estate. His lieutenant has three thousand crowns a year, and is made also by a brief from the pope, as is the general of the artillery, who has twelve hundred crowns per annum.
The governor of the Castle of St. Angelo has six thou- sand crowns per annum.
POPE
40G
POPE
The pope has four Mastert . who arc
always clad in purple, and have great authority in pub- lic affairs. Besides these, there are other masters of the ceremonies, which are in the congregations of privi- leges, whereof one discharges the office of secretary, and the other despatches orders.
The Master of tk< Sacred Palace is always a I>"- minican. Hi- reviews and approves all the books that are primed, being assisted by two priesis of the same order. The palace, to sides a table, allows him a coach.
The Major-domo, or steward to the household of the pope, is always a prelate. The chamberlains of honor are persons of quality, who come to the palace when they please.
The Master of tin Stables is a gentleman who has the office of master of the horse, withoul the title of it ; lor the pope bestows no such upon any person. He is sword-hearer, and sometimes one of t he greatest lords in Home, as was Pompey Frangipani under Leo II.
The Vmlrn -b</nr is an Augustine monk, who has the same allowance as the master of the palace. He take- care of all the riches in the pope's vestry. He goes like a prelate; and if he be a titular bishop, takes place among the assistant bishops.
The pope's Secretary is always a cardinal, and very Often his nephew. This place is united to that of su- perintendent of the ecclesiastical estate. He writes and I subscribes all the letters sent to the princes and nuncios. All ambassadors and all ministers at Rome, after having negotiated with the pope, are obliged to give him an j account of their negotiations. The secretaries of state are subjeel to the secretary superintendent, or cardinal- patron, whose orders they receive, and to whom they send their letters to be subscribed. They live in the palace, and are prelates clad in purple.
There are twenty-four Secretaries of briefs, the chief of whom lives in the palace. Their business is to sub- scribe and despatch all the briefs that are received by the cardinal-prefect of the briefs. The secretary of the secret briefs takes care to prepare them when the car- dinal-patron or some one of the secretaries of state com- mands him. These briefs arc shown to nobody, nor signed by the pri feci ol the briefs, except when they are sealed sub annulo piscatoris, and accompanied with a letter from the cardinal-patron. The copies of these briefs are carefully kept; and. when the pope is dead, they are carried to the ( iastle of St. Angelo.
The Mareschal of Rome has under him two civil judges, one of whom is called the first collateral judge, and the other the second collateral, with a judge for criminal affairs, lie. together with these judges, takes cognizance of matters between the citizens and inhab- itants of Rome. He is always a for igner, and lives in the Capitol ; w hile in the discharge of his office he ap- pears dad like an old senator, having a rol f cloth of
gold that hangs down to the earth, with large sleeves to it lined \\ith red taffety.
i. i Official Pow( rs. As we have seen above, the pope
of Rome is now the supreme head of what is known as the Roman Catholic world. Held to be the successor of the apostle Peter, the pope is claimed to !»• Chrises vicar on earth. The Council of Florence, 1439, says: "Definimus, Sanctam apostolicam Sedem el Romanum Pontiticem in universum orbem tenere primatum, el ipsurn Pontificem Romanum successorem esse B. Petri principis apostolorum, el verum Christi vicarium, to- tiusque Ecclesiae caput el omnium Christianorum pa trem ac doctorem existere, el ipsi in B. Petro pascendi, regendi ac gubernandi universalem Ecclesiama Domino Nostra Jesu Christo plenum potestatera traditam esse,
quemadroodnm ctiam in gestis i tnicorum concilio-
mm et in Bacris ca libua continetur" (Bullarium Ro-
ed. Luxemb. , i, 336). A similar doctrine is proclaimed by the fifth Lateran Council of 1512 t ■•. i. !> ' Mis in I'. hi. 7), in the Roman Catechism, pt. i. c x. cpi. ll. and in the Profession of Faith of the ( 'ouncil of Trent : " Sanctam < !al nolicam et apostolicam
Romanara Eccleaiam omnium Ecclesiarum niatrem et magistram agnosco; Romanoque Pontifici, beati Petri
apostolorum principis successori ac Jesu Christi vicario, veram obedientiam spondee acjuro." As such he is to be invested with all power necessary for the govern- i i of the Universal Church. This embraces author- ity to examine and decide authoritatively all contro- versies, to convoke councils, to revise and confirm their de,r. i -. to issue general decrees, whether upon discipline and morals or upon doctrine, to appoint bishops in all parts of the Church, to confirm the election when made by the clergy or by the civil authorities, no mattei how- it may have been made; lie can also depose bishops, and set others in their place, and even, in cases of great emergency, suppress bishoprics, and change th< h i ccle- siastical limits according to his judgment of the exist- ing requirements of the < Ihurch : be is also to judge of the doctrines taught in particular hook- or by particular individuals, and to pronounce infallibly as to their con- formity with the Catholic faith, or the contrary. In addition to these powers, it is still further claimed for him by the Ultramontanes, as we have seen above and in the article Infallibility, that he is endowed by Cod with infallibility; so that what he says ex cathe- dra, i. e. officially and a< pope, is of divine authority, and cannot be questioned or denied; and that also, as the vicar of Christ, he has a supreme authority over all civil rulers and civil jurisdiction, the allegiance of all the faithful to him being superior to that which is due to their respective governments. See Primacy.