I. History, Process, Results
1. Annoucement and preparation.
The idea of holding a general council for the church to assert its authority and its defensive stance against a modernity shaped by Enlightenment and revolution was first suggested to Pius IX during exile in Gaëta. The plan took shape after the pope – two days before the publication of the encyclical Quanta cura and the Syllabus on Dec 8, 1864, and in close connection…