The Austrian Reichsrath had adopted laws introducing equality of civil rights for all the inhabitants of the empire, and restricting the influence of the Church.
This produced on the part of the papal government an expostulation.
Acting as Russia had done, the Austrian Government found it necessary to abrogate the Concordat of 1855.
In France, as above stated, the publication of the entire Syllabus was not permitted; but Prussia, desirous of keeping on good terms with the papacy, did not disallow it.

The exacting disposition of the papacy increased.

It was openly declared that the faithful must now sacrifice to the Church, property, life, and even their intellectual convictions.
The Protestants and the Greeks were invited to tender their submission.
THE VATICAN COUNCIL.

On the appointed day, the Council opened.

Its objects were, to translate the Syllabus into practice, to establish the dogma of papal infallibility, and define the relations of religion to science.