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 Centenary of the First Vatican Council 20 L: Christ Handing Keys of the Church to Saint Peter 50 L: Coat of Arms of Pope Pius IX 180 L: Medal for First Vatican Council Scott 484-486 (1970) On April 29, 1970, Vatican City issued three stamps to mark the 100th anniversary of the Vatican I Council. The low and high value stamps, shown above, illustrate the two sides of the commemorative medal issued for Vatican I. The middle stamp depicts the coat of arms of Pope Pius IX, during whose pontificate Vatican I took place. Vatican I was the 20th ecumenical council of the Catholic Church, held three centuries after the Council of Trent. Unlike the five earlier general councils held in Rome, which met in the Lateran Basilica and are known as Lateran Councils, it met in Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. The convening of Vatican I offers an interesting piece of Church history, both for what it produced and for the times in which it took place. Formally known as the First Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, it was proposed by Pope Pius IX in 1864. When the idea was presented to the twenty-one cardinals resident in Rome, twenty approved of opening the Council and one opposed. Of the twenty in approval, five felt the timing for the Council was “inopportune”. Despite the reluctance, planning began and, following four years of preparation, the Council was convoked on June 29, 1868. It formally opened on December 8, 1869 (the Feast of the Immaculate Conception). One must remember that the period of the 1860’s in Europe, and in the region surrounding Rome in particular, was one of war and unrest. France, Austria, Germany, and Italy were all involved to various degrees in the upheaval occurring on the Italian peninsula. This serves as a backdrop to the proceedings of the Council. During the Vatican I Council, two constitutions were debated and approved. The first, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Catholic Faith (Dei Filius), defined the Church’s opposition to some of the philosophical trends in Europe at that time, including socialism, communism, rationalism, and materialism. However, the Council is best remembered for the approval of the First Dogmatic Constitution on the Church of Christ (Pastor aeternus), which dealt with the primacy (supremacy) and infallibility of the Bishop of Rome and defined the powers and role of the pope. The Council adjourned for a summer break in July of 1870. In the interim, the Franco-Prussian War broke out on July 19 and French troops protecting papal rule in Rome withdrew from the city. On September 20, the Kingdom of Italy took over the city and the remainder of the Papal State. One month later, on October 20, 1870, Pope Pius IX, who now considered himself a "prisoner in the Vatican", issued the bull Postquam Dei munere (After the Service of God), adjourning the council indefinitely. Despite efforts to meet at alternative sites, the Council never reconvened. It was not until 1960, ninety years after its adjournment, that the Vatican I Council was formally closed by Pope John XXIII, prior to the formation of the Second Vatican Council. The Vatican Notes article from 1970 cited in the References provides a detailed review of the First Vatican Council. Click on the link to be directed to the article. REFERENCES: |
