As the Church is the judge of the utility, being the highest power, they say, no oath or promise can be binding if against Ecclesiastical utility. Next in the matter of Concordats, the doctrine is explicitly taught that the Pope has the power to derogate to them.
I give you extracts from the works of a great Canonist, who states the pretensions of Rome to confute them; that, however, is another point: the point is what they at Rome affirm.
Now for the extracts. The first Article of the Convention between Gregory XVI. and Charles Albert, dated March 27th, 1841, runs thus:—‘Avuto riguardo alle circostanze de’Tempi, alle necessità delle private amministrazione della guistizia, ed alla mancanza de’mezzi corrispondenti dei Tribunali Vescovili, la Santa Sede non farà, difficoltà che i magistrati laici giudichino gli Ecclesiastici per tutti i reati che hanno la qualificazione di crimini.’ Ergo, the Santa Sede ‘può fare difficoltà’ if she chooses, and the Civil power by asking to be allowed to try a priest guilty of murder, for instance, acknowledges the right of the Holy See: Ergo, in altre circostanze, that same Santa Sede can make difficoltà. You need not my saying more. The Canonist who stated the doctrines of Rome on Concordat to refute them, is Schmidt (Anton), Professor of Canon Law at Heidelberg, in the last century, whose words are as follows:—
‘I.—Summum Pontificem Concordatis cum Natione germ, initis, derogare posse contendunt præter Authores Pontificios Branden.
‘II.—S. Pontifex, ajunt, summus Christi Vicarius, & jure divino habet dispensationem, ac plenissimam administrationem omnium bonorum ad quascunque Ecclesias pertinentium, consequenter ex plenitudine potestatis potest vel in totum, vel pro parte Concordata tollere.
‘III.—Concordata ceu Indulta ordinaria in favorem Germanorum admissa continent meram gratiam, non tam vim pacti, quàm privilegii, & sicuti privilegium revocari potest, ita in libera S. Pontificis remanet facultate, an iisdem stare, vel ab eis recedere velit.
‘IV.—Licèt coram Puteo dec. 47, dicantur habere vim contractûs, intelligendum hoc ex parte Germanorum, quòd vide licet illi non solum ex jure divino sint obligati ut Christiani ad parendum Rom. Pontifici, sed etiam ex speciali Concordia quasi in vim contractæ pacificationis inita, ut in omni judicio Germani sedi Apostolicæ rebelles minus forent excusabiles; si obedientiæ suavi jugo excusso, etiam pacta firmata violare præsumant, adeoque Concordata dicunt saltem negotium ex pacto, & privilegio mixtum.
‘V.—Id quod confirmatur etiam ex eo, quod S. Pontifex suam summam, & absolutam potestatem, quam a Christo accepit, de rebus Ecclesiæ, officiis, & beneficiis Ecclesiasticis disponendi a se abdicare non possit, quin semper penes se majorem adhuc retineat.
‘VI.—Successores succedunt jure singulari non universali, nempe jure Electionis, novo titulo, novo jure, & sic Nicolaus V. non potuit suis successoribus taliter legem imponere, quam ipsi de omnimoda necessitate tenerentur servare.’
(Thesaurus Juris Ecclesiastici sive Dissertationes Selectæ, &c., vol. 1, p. 339). Such doctrines ought to be known. Many Canonists, Catholics, have differed from them. I have never heard them condemned or disavowed at Rome; on the contrary, taught in the Universities in the Papal States.