The First Vatican Council

The world had begun to change rapidly in the 19th century. The rapidity of these changes were noted by many writers and thinkers of the age. Some saw these changes, such as the increasing mechanization of labor, as harbingers of a coming golden age of productivity and leisure. Others saw only a race toward the destruction of traditional society and possibly civilization itself. In reaction to the swiftly changing landscape of modern life, the Roman Catholic leadership called for the first ecumenical council in 400 years.

Pius IX 

Pius IX had been elected to the papacy in 1846 as a moderate. He was viewed with hope by some liberal elements within the Roman curia as someone who would help the Church adapt to the rapid changes brought on by modernity.

The year 1848 had a profound impact on Pius and many other churchmen with regard to this adaptation to the world. Radicals committed acts of terrorism across Europe and Pius was even driven from Rome for a short period that year. Subsequently, Pius and others in the Church began to look on the modernizing forces in the world with growing skepticism.

Pius IX is remembered not for his early moderate temper but rather for his conservatism. He published the famous Syllabus of Errors which condemned many viewpoints and habits that were becoming increasingly common in the world. He is also remembered for being Bishop of Rome for nearly 32 years, the longest reign of any Pope unless you count St. Peter.

During this long Papacy, Pius convoked what was known for many decades simply as the Vatican Council. Planning for the Council was undertaken in the early 1860s but the bishops of the world were not gathered until 8 December 1869.

Previous ecumenical councils of the church had often gathered in various cities of Europe and the Anatolian Peninsula. The last council, called more than 400 years before in 1545, had convened primarily in the northern Italian city of Trent. By the time that the Vatican Council was called, such distant locales were no longer available due to the troubles of that time period. The Franco-Prussian War broke out during the Council and the Kingdom of Italy was also formed that year. Italian forces captured the Papal States and Rome itself in September 1870, leaving Pius no choice but to suspend the council.

Acts of the Council

The most famous decision of the Council was to define papal infallibility as dogma. Infallibility is often misunderstood by outsiders to mean that the Pope can make no mistakes. Instead, the doctrine proclaims that the Bishop of Rome, as head of the Church, is guided by the Holy Spirit whenever he decides matters of faith and morals. Therefore he cannot make mistakes in deciding such matters for Roman Catholics.

The Council also issued a document regarding several issues troubling the Church. Dei Filius addressed the form of the Church and reaffirmed the nature of faith and reason.