The  scope  of  the  Congregation  of  the  Holy
Office  gives  a  key  to  the  nature  and  origin  of
Congregations,  as  these  are  in  their  erection
distinct  from  Tribunals.  Primarily,  the  Roman
Congregations  are  not  intended  to  concern
themselves  with  controversies  between  private
individuals  ;  but  with  providing  for  the  common
good,  safeguarding  and  defending  ecclesiastical
discipline,  and  assisting  in  the  government  of
the  Universal  Church.  Secondarily,  however,
it  belongs  to  the  Congregations  to  settle  con-
troversies which  arise  in  the  course  of  their
general  function,  and  this  with  observance  of
judicial  order ;  that  is  to  say,  with  judicial
inquiry,  if  such  inquiry  should  be  expedient  to
prevent  interference  with  vested  rights,  or  to
avoid  unlawful  damage  to  the  rights  of  private
individuals  under  colour  of  public  good,  or  pre-
text of  the  better  safeguarding  of  ecclesiastical
discipline.
Since  the  Sacred  Congregations  were,  of  the


296  URBS    ET   ORBIS.
very  nature  of  their  institution,  intended  more
especially  and  more  directly  for  the  establish-
ment and  preservation  of  ecclesiastical  discipline,
or  for  the  government  of  the  Church,  than  for
administration  of  justice  in  contested  cases  such
as  come  before  a  judge,  we  may  observe  the
effect  of  such  Congregations  on  the  convoking
of  particular  Councils  or  Synods.  It  was
effected  by  means  of  Congregations,  says  Bene-
dict XIV.,  that  no  damage  was  done  to  disci-
pline through  the  omission  of  ecclesiastical
Synods  in  the  City  of  Rome ;  since  whatever
had  been  done  with  more  of  difficulty  and  more
slowly  by  a  Synod  for  the  moral  reformation  of
the  people  and  of  the  clergy,  was  now  done  with
greater  ease,  and  more  quickly,  by  the  Supreme
Pontiff,  through  the  Congregations  of  Cardinals.
