Page:The Great Encyclical Letters of Pope Leo XIII.djvu/400



394 ANGLICAN ORDERS.

for a full knowledge of the matter. We were careful also that they should be able to re-examine all documents bearing on this question which were known to exist in the Vatican archives, to search for new ones, and even to have at their disposal all acts relating to this subject which are preserved by the Holy Ofhce â€” or as it is called the Supreme Council â€” and to consider whatever had up to this time been adduced by learned men on both sides. We ordered them, when prepared in this way, to meet together in special sessions. These to the number of twelve were held under the presidency of one of the Car- dinals of the Holy Roman Church, appointed by Our- selves, and all were invited to free discussion. Finally We directed that the acts of these meetings, together with all other documents, should be submitted to Our vener- able brethren, the Cardinals of the same Council, so that when all had studied the whole subject, and discussed it in Our presence, each might give his opinion.

This order for discussing the matter having been de- termined upon, it was necessary, with a view to forming a true estimate of the real state of the question, to enter upon it, after careful inquiry as to how the matter stood in relation to the prescription and settled custom of the Apostolic See, the origin and force of which custom it was undoubtedly of great importance to determine. For this reason, in the first place, the principal documents in which Our predecessors, at the request of Queen Mary, exercised their special care for the reconciliation of the English Church, were considered. Thus Julius III. sent Cardinal Reginald Pole, an Englishman, and illustrious in many ways, to be his Legate a latere for the purpose, " as his angel of peace and love," and gave him extraordinary and unusual mandates or faculties and direction for his guidance. These Paul IV. confirmed and explained. And here, to interprete rightly the force of these docu- ments, it is necessary to lay it down as a fundamental principle that they were certainly not intended to deal